The Newsletter of the Friends of Balmain Library No. 52 March, 2013 The Daughters of Mars An Evening with Acclaimed Author THOMAS KENEALLY ith almost thirty novels and stereotyped in a way that under his belt, and being makes it seem distant and irrele- Wone year short of his 80th vant”. He does a great amount of birthday, you might think Thomas research and is careful to give an Keneally could now put down his accurate context, but characters pen and rest on his laurels. Not could be composites of many in- so. Published last year, to great dividuals he finds amongst the critical acclaim, The Daughters records: “You can mess about of Mars is epic in scale, based on with characters”. solid research, and covers a huge Writing is an addiction for this emotional and geographical terrain. “Homebush boy”. Not long out of “A war novel that achieves genuine the seminary, and back home grandeur” wrote James Walton, with his parents, studying law in a review in The Telegraph; and part-time, and with just one pub- James Urquart in The Independent lished short story behind him, calls it “a triumphant novel about Keneally boldly sent off to a London sibling rivalry, pain, guilt, self-esteem and the publisher his manuscript of The Place at Whitton. horrors of nursing the casualties of conflict”. A murder set in a seminary, its publication began The Daughters of Mars centres on two Australian the long list of work we see today - one that covers sisters who volunteer as nurses during the first a range of genres: fiction, non-fiction, memoir, World War. But this is not the first time Keneally drama, and even a novel for children (Ned Kelly has visited the subject of war. Schindler's Ark and the City of Bees). One of his earliest works, is perhaps the first to spring to mind, winning the Three Cheers for the Paraclete, elicited this com- Booker Prize in 1982, and filmed as Schindler's ment from the New York Times Book Review: List, which led to the author acquiring celebrity “Keneally's novel about a doubting priest is rich status on the world stage. An earlier book, in unexpected visions and sudden epiphanies. Gossip From the Forest focused on the armistice He writes like an angel”. No surprise then that of 1918; and, moving across time and the he won the Miles Franklin Award two years Atlantic Ocean, Confederates dealt with the running – for Bring Larks and Heroes in 1967 American Civil War. and Three Cheers for the Paraclete in 1968. Together with many others The Friends of Balmain Library Thomas Keneally will be on Keneally's list of pub- our very welcome first lications, what these guest speaker for 2013. novels have in common One of Australia's National is a merging of fact and Living Treasures, he is THURSDAY 21st March @ 7.00 for 7.30 pm fiction. In an interview not only a writer of great Ticket Sales : Balmain Library Reading Room recorded for the Austral- stature, but also spokes- th ian Biography Project, he Members : Friday 15 March 2 pm to 4 pm person for many causes, spoke of his strong belief & Sat. 16th March 10 am to 12 noon including the Republican in “recovering history General Public (if not sold out) : Movement and the plight of which has been stereo- Monday 18th March 2 pm to 4 pm asylum seekers. $ 15 ($ 10 members) Supper and Drinks included typed in various ways – Herma Sieper EX LIBRIS ... with Nola Pearce - Team Leader, Balmain Library Edition 1 : March 2010 It has been a busy year so far and it is only February. There are many more exciting reasons to keep in The library has become the venue for a number of touch with Balmain Library – one of which is the author exhibits, author talks, and a wide range of children’s talk by local historian Fergus Fricke. Fergus is going and young adult programmes. to take us through the riveting history of Balmain’s dunnies, a significant part of Balmain’s architectural The changing nature of libraries is reflected in the heritage – March 13 : 6.30 to 8.30 pm. social activities that find their way into Balmain’s event’s diary. It is heartening to think that so many Next month we see the launch of the Balmain Library local and not so local people see Balmain Library as Film Group. This year’s programme concentrates on such an important part of cultural exchange and film adaptations of literary works. The first screening discussion. will be The Kite Runner and it will be presented on March 20. Recently, the library played host to a number of exhibitions to raise social awareness. Amnesty Inter- Planning is underway for future courses such as national brought our attention to the plight and tri- tracing your family history – beginner computer classes umph of displaced persons who have made Australia – as well as a range of children’s programmes such as their home. The photographs displayed were a great photography-walks through Balmain. Something to testimony to the joy that comes from the ability to suit everyone’s level of interest. We are very fortunate simply live outside a war zone. to have such a wonderful facility. The Oxfam exhibition brought to our attention the We are also very fortunate to have the support of the rapidly deteriorating state of the world through climate Friends of Balmain Library with their continuing change. Small islands such as Tuvalu face the bleak assistance and generous donations. Currently, cour- prospect of flooding and submersion which inevitably tesy of one such donation, we have on display a range leads to the demise of rich cultural bonds of Nobel Prize-winning novels. This collection has greatly enhanced our fiction shelves. Many thanks Other events held in February included an author talk Friends of Balmain Library. by Sydney based writer Andy Kissane. Andy’s talk, which coincided with the recent publication of his 2013 promises to be a year of engagement on many latest work The Swarm, focused on his love affair with levels. We look forward to greater community involve- form in the short story. This collection is very much ment, generous exchange of ideas and suggestions, influenced by the genre of magic realism where he and a stronger profile within Balmain. introduces strange and fantastic elements to highly detailed realistic settings. In his writing he has likened his style to the artwork of Marc Chagall. It was a very entertaining community event. Library February 23. February Library Jacky Lawes – as unveiled in Balmain in unveiled as – Lawes Jacky Portrait of Tom Uren – by local artist local by – Uren Tom of Portrait Balmain Library Opening Hours Monday : 9.30 am – 5.30 pm Tuesday : 9.30 am – 8.00 pm Wednesday : 9.30 am – 8.00 pm Thursday : 9.30 am – 5.30 pm Friday : 9.30 am – 5.30 pm Saturday : 9.30 am – 4.00 pm Sunday : 10 am – 4.00 pm - 2 - FOBL'S 'CLASSIC 100' BEST READS As reported in a previous edition, our quest for a “Top of the Pops” Chart of the 50 best fiction and 50 non-fiction favourites was not exactly a success! However, your editor thought it might be fun to list those that were entered … As there was no duplication at all – in true library fashion, authors are listed alphabetically in the fiction category but, my lack of the necessary Dewey knowledge means that the non-fiction selection must, for the most part, do the same. FICTION NON-FICTION Aiken, Joan Attenborough, David Alain-Fournier, Henri Blair, Tony Alcott, Louisa May Deakin, Roger Austen, Jane Burnett, Frances Hodgson Edwards, Anne Byatt, A.S. Fermor, Patrick Leigh de Cervantes, Miguel Fraser, George McDonald Dostoevsky, Fyodor Frater, Alexander Grass, Günter Greene, Graham Ishiguro, Kazuo Heseltine, Harry (ed) Kipling, Rudyard King, Michael Lee, Harper McCourt, Frank Lehmann, Rosamond Meyers, Jeffrey Lessing, Doris Remarque, Erich Maria du Maurier, Daphne Spender, Dale Moorhouse, Frank Tardif, Richard (ed.) Porter, Eleanor H. Tucker, George Holbert Stead, Christina de Vries, Susanna Waugh, Evelyn Winchester, Simon White, Patrick I had decided early on that apart from the minutes, other letters and papers would be organised into a small number RCHIVING FOBL RECORDS of categories which should be helpful for anyone wanting Over a year ago now, I offered to check to use the records later. These were: FOBL Administration through and organise all the papers that (which includes memberships, patronage and sponsor- have been kept for the Friends of Balmain Library since it ships, banking and other financial arrangements, insur- began in 1998 with a view to including them in our ance); records from AGMs (some minutes and reports library’s local archive. It didn’t seem such a big task as I from the Chairs are also included in the minute books); knew there was only a filing cabinet full of stuff upstairs papers relating to speakers and other events organised by in the archive section. FOBL; correspondence, plans and reports on the refurbish- ment of the library and the Town Hall (a substantial file The minutes of committee meetings had been kept in which is the only one with an end date); correspondence orderly fashion, initially pasted into books in the trad- and reports from library staff (many, but not all, reports itional way and more recently filed in ring binders. Only are included as attachments to the minutes); Writing Com- one meeting record was missing and later I found a copy petition papers; miscellaneous correspondence; corres- in someone’s extensive file- what joy! Though I have still pondence and papers relating to FOLA (Friends of Libraries to work out how or whether to insert this in the bound Australia, of which FOBL is a very active member); and volume.