Yarra Plenty Reads

Get connected

2010-11-15T10:40:00.000+11:00

For those of you who missed getting into the Eltham library last week to hear Toni Jordan and Kate Holden in conversation with Jane Sullivan, I have to say, 'What a shame.' We were treated to a lively conversation about writing and writers and the perceptions of writing about sex in fiction and memoir. What a treat it was to have these three great women in to chat about their books (thanks to Eltham Bookshop).
So, next time you hear about these events, you really should try to get to them because it's a great way to get an insight into the making of a book and also to be involved in the discussions that arise from them. That's what's so great about books. They create discussion and help us make sense of the world. If you think that reading and writing are isolated pass-times, you should come into the library and see how wrong that idea is.

Watsonia Library is celebrating a year of writing (discussion and ideas) with their Christmas Celebration this Thursday. Members of Writers@Watsonia will enjoy some Christmas cheer with an open mic event. All visitors are welcome, so if you'd like to see what happens at this group, please come along.

Watsonia Library
Ibbotson Street, Watsonia
Thursday 18 November
6.30pm - 8.30pm

Dress to Sparkle

2010-11-01T10:52:00.001+11:00

Eltham Library

Tuesday 9 November

7.00pm-8.30pm

Yarra Plenty Regional Library, in partnership with ELTHAMbookshop, invite YOU to a sparkly, witty evening with Kate Holden (new novel, The Romantic) and Toni Jordan (new novel, Fall Girl) in conversation with The Age literary critic and novelist Jane Sullivan. Dress to sparkle and be sure to book as seats will fill quickly.

Phone 9439 8700 or email elthambookshop@bigpond.com

Children's Week October 23-31

2010-10-28T13:35:00.003+11:00

Children's Week celebrates the right of children to enjoy childhood. It is also a time for children to demonstrate their talents, skills and abilities.

Thousands of children and their families around the country are involved in activities and events during "The Week" through the participation of schools, playgroups, childcare, kindergartens, cultural groups, libraries, departments and community groups. and Yarra Plenty regional Library and associated councils are no exception.

A visit to Watsonia Library will show you that the writing and colouring skills of the children in the area are second to none. In the writing competition children, of primary school age, were asked to submit a handwritten story with the theme, 'What make a safe and happy place'. This was organised by Banyule council. Children put in great stories, in their best handwriting, and the winners were awarded a bike helmet as well as Smiggle goodies.

Also, as part of the week, there was a visiting cartoonist, Brett Cardwell
http://www.cardytoons.com.au/
to show the kids how easy it is to draw fun cartoons.

Story time has been enjoyed by many at various shopping centres around the region as well as Teddy Bear picnics and train rides.

What a great week it's been (so far) to celebrate being a child.

Writers@Watsonia

2010-10-19T12:02:00.000+11:00

A great way to develop your writing is to make connections with other writers who can give you constructive feedback on your work. It might be a little daunting to show your writing to other writers but they understand the process and can give valuable insight into anything you might be struggling with, whether it be plot, character, sense of place, Point of View or just simply motivation to keep going with it when you lose confidence.

Watsonia Library, as well as many of our other branches, run regular workshops for the community. If you'd like to participate contact Lynne Siejka on lsiejka@yprl.vic.gov.au. You can email your writing to Lynne a week before the group meets if you'd like to be a part of the workshopping process.

To enquire if your local library branch has their own group, simply contact them directly.

Eltham Library Celebrates

2010-09-30T14:38:00.001+10:00

The Eltham Library re-opened to great fanfare last Monday and was officially launched on Tuesday morning in front of a great crowd.

Patrons have already made great use of the new computers and the children's area is very spacious and well loved.

There was something for everyone at Eltham during the week from an animal petting zoo, to a Wii competition, tours of the new space, the author Matthew Reilly and a harpist.

Matthew Reilly had a queue for signings the full length of the library and entertained his booklovers with stories about his critics and his start as an author before he had to make a mad dash for the airport to fly back to Sydney. What a treat to have Matthew visit the library and what a pleasure to see so many fans.

Sunday afternoon was very civilised with scones and jam and cream while listening to the hypnotic sounds of the harp.

BOOK LAUNCH

2010-09-20T12:46:00.000+10:00

Ivanhoe Library is proud to host a book launch for Russell Beedles, author of A Tribe of Angels, on Monday 20 September from 7.00pm till 8.00pm.

A Tribe of Angels is an evocation of daily life in Melbourne during the 1940s and 1950s. In this autobiographical memoir, Russell Beedles shifts perspective from that of a child growing up in the suburb of Ivanhoe, to that of an adolescent in the choir of St.Paul's Cathedral, and then as a young adult at Melbourne University. The changes of voice in each section, written at a different level of sophistication, suggest the shifting impressions of a young person gradually developing in maturity and understanding.

The wealth of detail in this personal account, together with the ability to evoke a sense of place and the shifts and changes in attitudes and social conventions throughout this period, give his narrative a liveliness which is engaging.

The inclusion of over 120 images (mainly photographs) offers a lively and immediate engagement with the people and the period, while the comprehensive index ensures that this will be a most useful reference for study and research by scholars, as well as for the general reader.

IVANHOE LIBRARY
255 Upper Heidelberg Road
Ivanhoe 3079
To enquire or book, phone: 9497 5780

Supper Provided

Releasing Creativity Writing Workshop

2010-09-13T10:05:00.003+10:00

Writers@Watsonia are proud to present, by popular demand, author and publisher Suzanne Male. Suzanne will lead a session on Releasing Creativity. Come to the Watsonia Library on Thursday 16 September from 7.00pm-8.30pm and join this fun session and meet other local writers.

Booking are required.

Phone: 9435 2397

Eltham Library Celebrations

2010-09-09T13:57:00.002+10:00

THE WAIT IS NEARLY OVER!

Yarra Plenty Regional Library is excited to extend a warm invitation to celebrate the new additions to the Eltham Library. The $1.25 million upgrade is almost complete and there will be a week of celebratory events from Monday 20 September. Join us for a week of festivities from Monday 20 September, including an evening with blockbuster author Matthew Reilly, animal farm, puppet show, Wii competition, fairy facepainter, tours of the all-new library, balloons and more ...

The community will be able to check out:

a bigger children’s library with outdoor space
more online learning space - doubling the number of computers
more space for young people including flat screens and games
a relaxed reading lounge and fireplace
a dedicated local history area
automated book returns

The official opening will take place on Tuesday 21 September at 11.00am and we have the pleasure of presenting international best-selling author Mathew Reilly on Thursday 23 September from 7.00pm-8.30pm, who will discuss his popular novels. Eltham Bookshop will have his books for sale and signing.

Wine and cheese supper provided.

Creative Writing Workshop guest speaker: Suzanne Male

2010-09-07T10:28:00.001+10:00

Thursday 9 September
2.00pm-3.00pm

This month's guest speaker at the Rosanna Library Creative Writing Workshop is Suzanne Male.

Suzanne is a journalist, writer, editor and publisher.

Before establishing independent press Smink Works Books, Suzanne spent fifteen years working as a journalist at newspapers and magazines. The bulk of those years were spent as reporter, writer, foreign correspondent (London), and freelance writer for Time Inc’s Who Weekly magazine.

She has also contributed reporting and articles to publications including America’s In Style and People magazines, and Australian Bookseller & Publisher, and served as editor of national magazine Australian Jeweller.

Suzanne has turned her editor’s eye to everything from articles to novels and film scripts, and has been a publicist for various musicians. She is author of several books, including a series of children’s books and the book A Year of Writing Inspiration: A prompt a day for the creative writer and co-author of Get Your Book Off the Ground.

She founded Smink Works Books in 2002 as an international publisher producing both e-books and printed books, taking on writers from all over the world, and making its base the Internet.

ADHD to the Power of Three. A mother's story.

2010-09-03T11:01:00.000+10:00

Watsonia Library

Ibbotson Street

Watsonia 3079

Ph: 9435 2397

Monday 6 September

7.00pm-8.00pm

Carolyn Angelin wants a quiet life – a husband, couple of kids, a house in the ’burbs, and a dog.

Is that too much to ask?

When Carolyn finds herself pregnant, she and her husband, Martin, are excited at the prospect of a playmate for their first son, James. But they get more than they bargain for with not one, not two, but three baby boys – triplets!

The triplets prove to be dynamos from Day One. Their unruly behaviour gains momentum as they grow, and each day poses new challenges for Carolyn and Martin as they attempt to raise four boys under the age of two years old.

Suspecting something is not quite right after the triplets are expelled from playgroup, Carolyn searches for answers. Is there something wrong with the boys, or is she just a bad mother?

Carolyn’s journey takes her to the depths of despair and, ultimately, a major meltdown. She emerges to the discovery that her triplets suffer from ADHD.

ADHD to the Power of Three is a compelling and poignant tale of a mother’s triumph over adversity as her children’s condition threatens to derail her family. It is also a story of hope for anyone who’s ever felt that ‘life is just too hard.’

Hear Carolyn's story of her challenging journey as a mother raising three identical boys with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

Books will be available for signing with thanks to ELTHAMbookshop. Booking required.

GET READING!

2010-08-26T11:56:00.001+10:00

Get Reading! is Australia's largest annual celebration of books and reading. Previously called Books Alive, Get Reading! is a nationwide Australian Government initiative developed through the Australia Council for the Arts.
In 2010 Get Reading! runs from 25 August to 30 September, and encourages all Australians to GET LOST, GET FRESH, GET HOOKED, GET REAL and GET COMFY with a book.

Central to the campaign is a fantastic offer: pick up your copy of the FREE 50 Books You Can't Put Down guide, buy one of the 50 books and receive your FREE book, and GET READING!

The Yarra Plenty Regional Library will be hosting an event at the Eltham Library, in partnership with Elthambookshop for Get Reading! Join in for a night of murder and mayhem with award winning crime writers Michael Robotham and Malla Nunn in conversation with Jarad Henry Dress to kill! Bookings are required on 9439 8700 or email elthambookshop@bigpond.com

Thursday 16 September
7.00pm-8.30pm

Who is Michael Robotham? Australian born, Michael Robotham grew up in a small country town before become a cadet journalist and then a globe-trotting journalist. In 1993, Michael became a ghostwriter and wrote biographies for famous personalities, twelve of which became best sellers. All of his novels are well received: The Suspect, Lost, The Night Ferry and Shatter. He lives in Sydney with his wife and three daughters.

And who is Malla Nunn? Malla Nunn was born in Swaziland, South Africa, and currently lives in Sydney, Australia. She is a filmmaker with three award-winning films to her credit and has written two novels: Let the Dead Lie and A Beautiful Place to Die.

Publishing Options

2010-08-23T12:02:00.000+10:00

So, you've written the next Australian novel or a terrific short story. What do you do with it now? It can't stay in the bottom of your filing cabinet if you want it to become the next best seller!

Your local library has many books that can help you with this problem. A great resource is the The Australian Writer's Marketplace. This book has a comprehensive list of publishers and literary agents that might suit you. BUT is your manuscript actually ready to go out into the big wide world? Things to think about are:

presentation
grammar
style
submission guidelines
who is the best publisher for you?

Mill Park Library is holding a workshop on Publishing Options on Monday 23 August 7.00pm-8.00pm, where you might pick up some great tips. This is a free event but bookings are required on 9437 8189.

Tall Words at Watsonia Library

2010-08-16T14:24:00.002+10:00

What a treat we had at Watsonia Library over the weekend. DVA Theatre Company totally transformed the library spaces with light, sound and costumes with their installation of Tall Words as part of the Winter in Banyule Festival.

As promised it was a collaboration of performance, text, sound, live music and lighting which did transform the Watsonia library while reflecting on the role that language, traditionally the domain of the library, plays for those with intellectual disability in our community.

DVA theatre Company has been an established community theatre company for over 20 years, based in the city of Banyule. It is a company of adult performers with intellectual disability, working alongside volunteer facilitators and a professional Artistic Director. DVA meets weekly for a two-hour workshop throughout the year, with extended workshop and rehearsal hours in preparation for a performance. Over it’s life span DVA has created many public performances. Most recently, in 2007/08 DVA developed and performed ‘River of Dreams’ (Banyule Winter Festival 2007, Welcome Platypus Festival 2008) and ‘City of Dreams’ at the High Vibes Festival (August 2007). The Artistic Director since 2007 is Sandra Fiona Long. Previous artistic directors include Kate Sulan, David Everist, Leesa Nash and Marcia Fergusen. DVA’s 25 participants range in age from 18 to 60, who live mostly in the city of Banylue and the Shire of Nillumbic. DVA is always open to new members and has no selection process based on audition, making it a truly accessible theatre company for all interested adults with intellectual disability.

DVA aims to dissolve prejudices towards those with intellectual disability through its public performances, which encourage audience participation and visibility of people with intellectual disability in public spaces.

For more information, check out our website http://www.dvatheatre.com/

These artists collaborated with the group: Richard Vabre (Lighting Designer), James Hullick (Composer), Timothy Phillips (musician/conductor), Directed by Sandra Fiona Long, Assistant director Caitlin Dullard, performance facilitators Nicla Byrnes and Catriona Fitzgerald.

Why join a Writing Group?

2010-08-13T13:33:00.000+10:00

The writers life is a solitary one, so hanging out with like-minded people is very good for motivation, support and feedback. It isn't very helpful to you in the crafting of your stories, if no-one else gets to see your work. By being involved in a group, you can have others read your work and help you polish it before you send it out into the big bad world of publishing.

The Yarra Plenty Regional Library has several writing groups running that meet in various branches. During these sessions, participants will share their work by 'workshopping' excerps of stories. A workshop is a chance for the story to be looked at closely:

does the style of writing read well?
is my grammar of a good standard?
is this character believable?
is the plot interesting?
how can I format my documents for submission to publishers?

Even if you don't plan on sending work out to publishers but just enjoy writing as a hobby, these groups are a way of sharing your love of the written word.

Contact your nearest branch to see if they are running a group.

Writers @ Watsonia are meeting next Thursday 19 August 6.30pm-8.00pm at Watsonia. New members are welcome. Contact Lynne Siejka on lsiejka@yprl.vic.gov.au

Peter Rose @ Eltham Library

2010-08-09T12:50:00.000+10:00

Spend an evening with literary icon PETER ROSE to celebrate his recent novel, Roddy Parr.

A witty, seductive and moving novel of a famous writer and his acolyte, Roddy Parr, is a classic tale of a young man making his way in the world, finding his vocation and finding love. In the case of Roddy Parr, that world is the Australian literary world – one that is known very well to the memoirist, poet and novelist - Peter Rose.

Roddy is a brilliant and ambitious young Melbourne man whose vocation is shadowed by unspoken secrets and the love he finds tests him to his very limit.

This is a very human story – a universal tale of an ambitious and naive outsider entering the rarefied domain of privilege and influence.

Peter Rose is well known for his bestselling memoir, ROSE BOYS, for his poetry (his most recent collection is RATTUS RATTUS) and for his editorship of AUSTRALIAN BOOK REVIEW.

Wednesday 11 August

7.00pm – 8.30pm

Free entry

Eltham Library,

Panther Place, Eltham

Bookings are essential: 9439 8700

Books will be available for sale and signing.

In partnership with ELTHAMbookshop

Thomastown Library extends its hours

2010-08-09T12:08:00.002+10:00

Wow, what a treat to be entertained by the school choir, a tai chi group and the colourful chinese dancers. The extended hours of opening at Thomastown was celebrated in style and we're delighted that the community has access to the library six days per week.

Independent Type Books and Writing in Victoria

2010-08-03T10:42:00.002+10:00

If you missed the launch of this fascinating travelling exhibition last night, don't worry, it's on at the Mill Park Library until the end of August. It was great, though, to have the curator Steve Grimwade there to go through the panels with us. It's a reminder of our vibrant literary history in Victoria. Mill Park Library is very lucky to be one of the chosen libraries in Victoria to have the exhibition, so please don't miss it.

There are two fantastic free workshops being run in conjunction with this travelling exhibition at Mill Park Library:

Express Media presents this Wednesday 4 August 6.30pm - 8.30pm. Join Arnold Zable (author of Café Scherazade and a literary treasure in his own right) Getting it down: basic steps to becoming a writer. This is a not-to-be missed writing event for young and emerging writers. Please book as numbers are limited.

The Victorian Writers' centre presents novelist Sallie Muirden (A Woman of Seville) next Wednesday 11 August 6.30pm-9.30pm, join another living treasure, as she takes a workshop, Writing fiction: frustrations and pitfalls for first time novelists. Again, bookings are essential.

BUT THERE'S MORE!

Special treasures are travelling to Mill Park. Stay tuned ...

Books and Writing Exhibition Comes to Mill Park

2010-07-27T09:56:00.001+10:00

Mill Park Library
394 Plenty Road, Mill Park
Saturday 31 July to Sunday 29 August

Explore every aspect of the world of books and writing in Victoria with this fascinating display of rare books and original manuscripts, photographs, artworks and installations.

Items on display in this State Library of Victoria travelling exhibition include literary journals, portraits, illustrations and cartoons, theatre programs and cutting edge zines. The exhibition examines the printed books, electronic media, the spoken word and even a possum-skin cloak.

Hear about the exhibition from its curator, Melbourne Writers' Festival Associate Director Steve Grimwade, on Monday 2 August from 6.30pm. Discover its themes, personalities and the stories behind the stories. Refreshments provided.

Writing and publishing your family history

2010-07-15T16:15:00.001+10:00

Celebrate Family History Month at Yarra Plenty Regional Library

It is also National Family History Week !

Local writer and publisher Fee Sievers from Rebus Press will give tips about memoir writing, reveal how to write your family history and explore different story presentation options.

Bring along your own examples to share.

Watsonia Library
Tuesday 3 August
7.00 pm - 8.00pm

Great events are @ your library

2010-07-13T12:39:00.000+10:00

Rosanna Library was lucky enough to have Dr Christine Maingard speak about her new book Think Less, Be More last week.
Christine has a unique blend of qualifications and experience in educational psychology, cognitive behaviour, organisational learning, business management and leadership. Her understanding and knowledge are grounded in her work as a senior corporate executive, an academic and a specialist in adult learning.

Her own ‘transformation’ from working in stressful and complex environments to learning how to slow down and think less has taught her that being mindful is pivotal to our health and wellbeing.

Writing THINK LESS, BE MORE was for Christine a ‘speaking from the heart’ as the seeds for the book were borne out of a deep desire to reach out to the world and to inspire others find meaning and joy in the here and now, no matter what the circumstances.

Christine describes her journey through life as fortunate because of what she has learned through others. She believes that we all have this opportunity available to us. Every individual we truly connect with is teaching us something invaluable – it may be about the beauty that lies within all of us, or perhaps patience and tolerance or learning how to see things from a different perspective.

Christine believes that we all can learn to slow down and simply be rather than anxiously rushing along with our thinking minds and the fast pace of our lives. With THINK LESS, BE MORE Christine shows us how to.

Christine’s favourite saying: Life is a series of moments. There is no past, there is no future. Therefore, the totality of everything is in this moment. Peace, joy, contentment and successful action in any well-intended endeavours always flow from simply being in this moment with a clear and calm mind.

For more detailed biographical information please visit www.mindfulstrategies.com.au/about

The Zookeepers War

2010-07-12T14:58:00.002+10:00

Thursday 15 July

7.00pm – 8.00pm
Watsonia Library
4/6 Ibbotson Street
Watsonia

Steven Conte won the Prime Minister’s Literary Award in 2008 and presented at Eltham Bookshop’s New Voices 2008.

About the book:
It is 1943 and each night in a bomb shelter beneath the Berlin Zoo an Australian woman, Vera, shelters with her German husband, Axel, the zoo’s director.

Together, they struggle to look after the animals through the air raids and food shortages of war. When the zoo’s staff is drafted into the army, forced labourers are sent in as replacements. At first, Vera finds the idea abhorrent, but gradually she realises that the new workers are the zoo’s only hope, and forms an unexpected bond with one of them.

This is a city where a foreign accent is a constant source of suspicion, where busybodies report the names of neighbours’s dinner guest to the Gestapo. As tensions mount in the closing days of the war, nothing, and no one, it seems, can be trusted.

The Zookeeper’s War is a powerful novel of a marriage under siege in a collapsing city. It confronts not only the brutality of war but the possibility of heroism – and delivers an ending that is both shocking and deeply moving.

Join us for a discussion about the novel and the craft of writing.

The Zookeeper’s War is available at ELTHAMbookshop for $19.95

Free event

Bookings required: 9435 2397

Wine and nibbles included for this cosy evening

Steven will sign copies of his book at the event

The future of Libraries

2010-07-06T09:37:00.000+10:00

The Book Show looked at the future of libraries on 30 June. For all the hype about the book becoming obsolete, it seems that libraries are still very much in demand and are becoming diverse and vibrant hubs for the community.

It can be downloaded here:

http://www.abc.net.au/rn/bookshow/stories/2010/2940701.htm

Mental Detox for Everyone

2010-07-05T15:49:00.001+10:00

Dr Christine Maingard will visit the Rosanna Library this Thursday evening to talk about her book, Think Less, be More. Listen to how this book can change the way you live your life. If you're stressed, not coping with life or don't know which way to turn, this will help you to think differently.

Thursday 8 July

7.00pm-8.30pm

Bookings required.

Tea and coffee provided.

Do you love to write? Or do you like to share a love of books?

2010-06-28T14:01:00.000+10:00

The Yarra Plenty Regional Library service invites you to join a vibrant group of booklovers or writers in your area.

As part of a bookgroup, you will meet new friends and share in a passion for stories and shared experiences.

And budding writers can improve on their craft by sharing their work and getting feedback from other writers. This is an invaluable tool to help any writer hone their craft.

Contact your local branch for more details.

Look Who's Morphing

2010-06-17T09:57:00.001+10:00

Watsonia Library
Saturday 19 June
3.00pm-4.00pm

Tom Cho is the author of the fiction collection Look Who's Morphing (published by Giramondo in May 2009). Look Who's Morphing was shortlisted for the 2010 Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for Best First Book (South East Asia and Pacific), 2009 Age Book of the Year (Fiction) and Best Writing Award for the 2009 Melbourne Prize for Literature. It was also selected as one of ten books to be part of the Summer Read program with the State Library.

Booking required: phone Watsonia library on 9435 2397, or book online at www.yprl.vic.gov.au

Romance @ Watsonia Library

2010-06-17T09:54:00.000+10:00

Anne Gracie

Watsonia Library
Friday 18 June
7.00pm-8.00pm

Anne Gracie is an historical romance novelist and a teacher. Her latest novel, To Catch a Bride, won Romantic Book of the Year Award from Romance Writers of Australia in 2009.

Rafe Ramsey doesn’t believe in love but when he travels to Egypt in search of the missing granddaughter of a wealthy English family, he finds not a frightened young girl but a beautiful woman who is running from something far more serious than an unwanted betrothal in To Catch a Bride

Booking required: phone Watsonia library on 9435 2397, or book online at www.yprl.vic.gov.au

Last days of the Booklovers Festival!

2010-06-17T09:50:00.000+10:00

Barry Dickins will launch his latest collection of short stories, published by Flat Chat Press. Miniatures is a wonderful collection of stories about the colourful characters that Barry has known in his life.

Yarra Plenty Regional Library

Thomastown Library
Thursday 17 June
7.00pm-8.00pm

To be launched by poet John Jenkins.

Hailing from Reservoir, Barry Dickins left school early to work in a factory and then as a set-painter for television. Through his association with La Mama Theatre, his first play, Ghosts, was performed in 1974. He has subsequently written a further nine plays. His play Remember Ronald Ryan won him the 1995 Victorian Premier's Literary Award. He has also written short stories, biography and other non-fiction and children's books.

In 2009, Barry released Unparalleled Sorrow, a memoir about his experience with depression.

Booking required: phone Thomastown library on 9464 1864, or book online at www.yprl.vic.gov.au

Booklovers Festival

2010-06-08T14:24:00.006+10:00

Roger Averill

Thomastown Library
Thursday 10 June
11.00am-12.00noon

In 2009 Roger Averill published a travel memoir, Boy He Cry: An Island Odyssey. Earlier this year, Roger published a novel called Keeping Faith.

In Keeping Faith the innocence and certainties of childhood are delicately tested against the realities of adult life. Josh and Gracie grow up in a working class world centred on the values of faith and family. Both cherish their father, a lay preacher, and their mother, but for Josh the complex secrets, doubts and subtleties of the world do not allow for certainty. In adulthood he works as a labour ward attendant, his younger sister Gracie as a nurse on a remote mission station in Papua New Guinea. While Josh’s conviction falters, the unfailing faith of his sister leads to tragic consequences. As events move between 1975 and 1994, between a family drama in outer suburban Melbourne and a tribal rebellion in Melanesia, faith and doubt become entwined.

Booking required: phone Thomastown library on 9464 1864, or book online at www.yprl.vic.gov.au

Books by Roger Averill will be available for sale and signing, with thanks to ELTHAMbookshop.

Full Booklovers Festival Program

Tess Evans

Rosanna Library

Wednesday 9 June

7.00pm-8.00pm

Book of Lost Threads is Tess Evans' first novel. She previously worked in the TAFE system. In her time at TAFE, she taught and counselled a wide range of people: youth at risk, migrants, indigenous trainees, apprentices, sole parents and unemployed workers of all ages and professions. Her experience with these people is clearly visible in her humane, compassionate writing. She is currently undertaking a Diploma of Professional Writing at NMIT.

Tender, funny and memorable, Book of Lost Threads is a story about love and loss, parents and children, hope, faith and the value of simple kindness.

Moss has run away from Melbourne to Opportunity on the trail of a man she knows only by name. But her arrival sets in train events that disturb the long-held secrets of three of the town' s inhabitants: Finn, a brilliant mathematician, who has become a recluse; Lily Pargetter, eighty-three-year-old knitter of tea cosies; and Sandy, the town buffoon, who dreams of a Great Galah.

It is only as Moss, Finn, Lily and Sandy develop unlikely friendships that they find a way to lay their sorrows to rest and knit together the threads that will restore them to life.

Booking required: phone Rosanna library on 9459 6171, or book online at www.yprl.vic.gov.au

Books by Tess Evans will be available for sale and signing, with thanks to ELTHAMbookshop.

Who will you meet at the YPRL live reads Booklovers Festival?

2010-06-07T12:59:00.002+10:00

Iola Matthews

Ivanhoe Library
Monday 7 June
7.00pm-8.00pm

Iola Mathews OAM is a former journalist with The Age and author of How to use the media in Australia. She worked at the ACTU as an industrial officer and advocate specialising in women’s employment, for which she was awarded an Order of Australia Medal. More recently she established writers’ studios in the National Trust property ‘Glenfern’ and her most recent book is My Mother, My Writing and Me, a memoir.

About the book:

After a busy career Iola Mathews found herself in her mid-fifties feeling washed up. She wanted to leave her job in order to write but spent most of her free time caring for her elderly mother and her pregnant daughter.

Iola was trapped in a dilemma familiar to many women – how to nurture her own needs without neglecting her responsibility to the people she loved. The birth of a new grandchild gave her joy, but her mother’s decline made Iola face up to her own mortality. Her memoir explores many of the issues facing women in their fifties and sixties.

Booking required: phone Ivanhoe library on 9497 5780, or book online at www.yprl.vic.gov.au

Books by Iola Matthews will be available for sale and signing.

Who else will you meet at the live reads Booklovers Festival?

2010-06-03T10:00:00.001+10:00

We have two fantastic authors visiting Yarra Plenty Library tonight.

Arnold Zable will appear at Mill Park Library from 7pm-8pm.

Ithaca, the island of Homer’s Odyssey, has beguiled readers for millennia. In his latest novel, Sea of Many Returns, award-winning author Arnold Zable takes us to modern-day Ithaca, to its mountains, its villages and its harbours, and into the houses of its people. Arnold Zable is a writer, storyteller, educator, and human rights advocate, who speaks and writes with passion about memory and history, displacement and community.

Formerly an Arts lecturer at Melbourne University, his books include the critically acclaimed Jewels and Ashes, which depicts his journey to Poland to trace his ancestry, and Wanderers and Dreamers, a book of tales depicting the history of Yiddish theatre in Australia. Zable’s best selling novel, Cafe Scheherazade, depicts the lives of former refugees who now meet in a coffee shop in a seaside suburb in Melbourne. The Fig Tree is a book of true stories set in Greece, Eastern Europe, inner Melbourne and outback Australia and his novel Scraps of Heaven, is set in the post-war immigrant community of the Melbourne suburb, Carlton.

Booking required: phone Mill Park library on 9437 8189, or book online at http://www.yprl.vic.gov.au/

Books will be available for purchase and signing with thanks to ELTHAMbookshop.

Rosanna Library will host Simon Caterson tonight 7pm-8pm

Simon Caterson writes on literature, art, ideas, history and popular culture for newspapers and magazines. Born in Melbourne he trained as a lawyer before travelling to Ireland where he completed a postgraduate degree in Irish literature at Trinity College, Dublin.

From imaginary voyages through to modern art frauds, literary scandals and impostures, Hoax Nation covers everything from Plato to Norma Khouri, the Tichborne Claimant to Ern Malley. In this cook’s tour of 2500 years of tall stories about and from Australia, Melbourne writer Simon Caterson shows why Australia has been a hoax nation since ancient times.
Since the early 1990s when his work began appearing in The Age and The Australian, Caterson has published hundreds of items there and elsewhere, his work comprising essays, features, interviews, reports and reviews. In 2004 he had a six-month stint as a columnist at the Sunday Age.

One of Caterson's essays, 'Building the total university', was selected by Robert Dessaix for the 2005 edition of the Best Australian Essays annual. Caterson wrote introductions to new editions of Australian classics The Mystery of a Hansom Cab and Madame Midas, both by Fergus Hume, and The Middle Parts of Fortune by Frederick Manning.

Booking required: phone Rosanna library on 9459 6171, or book online at http://www.yprl.vic.gov.au/

Books by Simon Caterson will be available for sale and signing, with thanks to Arcade Publications.

Booklovers Festival Update

2010-06-03T09:40:00.010+10:00

The Yarra Plenty Regional Library kicked off its live reads Booklovers Festival yesterday at the Diamond Valley Library with a visit from Joe Dolce. Joe spoke to a group of thirty about songwriting, poetry and his Italian heritage and entertained the group with live music and readings of poetry from his new collection, Hat Box. The session finished with the group tucking into a slice of Joe's heavenly Red Velvet Cake for which he is famous.

In the evening, Nick Gadd held an intimate discussion with another group at the Diamond Valley Library about his award winning novel, Ghostlines. Readers and writers of crime were interested in the creative life of a writer and asked Nick about his methods for writing and how he went about getting published.

Who will you meet at our Booklovers Festival?

2010-05-27T16:11:00.001+10:00

Nick Gadd was born in 1964 and grew up in Yorkshire. He moved to Australia in 1990 and has worked as an ESL teacher, television extra, editor and speechwriter. He also teaches Novel at Box Hill Institute of TAFE.

Ghostlines is his first novel and was the winner of the Victorian Premier's Literary Award for an unpublished manuscript in 2007. It was published by Scribe in 2008 and won the Ned Kelly Award for best first crime novel in 2009.

He lives in the western suburbs of Melbourne with his wife and two daughters.

A little about Ghostlines:

Philip Trudeau, a once-respected investigative journalist, has stepped on the wrong toes. With his personal life and health deteriorating around him, he is consigned to a suburban newspaper where he writes ‘filler’ local news articles to be slotted in among the real-estate and restaurant advertisements. Sent to cover what appears to be a tragic-yet-routine death at a level crossing, Philip is drawn into a multilayered mystery that involves art theft, political intrigue and business corruption … not to mention murder.

Ghostlines is a cleverly plotted and compelling story of betrayal that is part thriller and part psychological realism.

Booking required: phone Diamond Valley library on 9434 3809, or book online at http://www.yprl.vic.gov.au/

Books by Nick Gadd will be available for sale and signing.

Diamond Valley library

Civic Drive

Greensborough 3088

Wednesday 2 June

7.00pm-8.00pm

An Evening with Karen Tayleur

2010-05-25T09:51:00.002+10:00

Karen Tayleur lives in the hills of the Dandenong Ranges with her husband and two kids who always leave their homework to the last minute. Karen is expert at year seven German and Chinese and she is a writer.

Her kids have helped her tap back into school-age politics; back to a time when there was always a Rose Thornton ready to rain on everybody's parade. When there was always a school bully, a cranky neighbour and an annoying sibling to contend with.

As a child, Karen was a constant audience for her father's boyhood recollections. His stories have grown larger than life over the years. She's not saying he is a liar. But he has been known to bend the truth.

Karen will be live at Rosanna Library this week. Anyone interested in hearing about her writing life or of her past life as a Black Dog Books editor, visit Rosanna. This event will also interest writers who are wanting to write young adult fiction.

Bookings required: 9459 6171
72 Turnham Avenue
Rosanna 3084

Thursday 27 May
7.00pm-8.00pm

Writers@Watsonia

2010-05-18T09:43:00.000+10:00

Writing is a very solitary occupation. Sharing your writing with other writers can therefore be a very valuable experience and will enhance your writing beyond measure. It's a way to get feedback so that you can improve your work and increase your chances of becoming published.

New members are welcome to join the Writers@Watsonia writing group, held at the Watsonia Library.

Email your writing pieces to lsiejka@yprl.vic.gov.au a week before the session.

Writers@Watsonia
Workshopping
Thursday 20 May
6.30pm-8.30pm

Who will you meet at our Booklovers Festival this June?

2010-05-12T15:19:00.002+10:00

Joe Dolce

Diamond Valley Library

Wednesday 2 June

2.00pm-3.00pm

JOE DOLCE has held the record for the most successful Australian produced single recording in Australian music history, Shaddap You Face, for three decades and has had a diverse range of his award-winning songs including Gift from One Iraqi Child, Marching With Martin Luther King Jr, Hill of Death, and My Home Ain’t in the Hall of Fame, recorded by over fifty international artists.

Since 1969, he has been interested in the relationship between poetry and music and has transformed more than 100 poems into songs, including works by Sappho, Sylvia Plath, CP Cafavy, Langston Hughes, Judith Wright, and Dylan Thomas. He is the co-creator with author, Lin Van Hek, of the unique literary performance group, DifficultWomen.

In his inaugural collection of stand-alone poetry, Joe Dolce explores the themes of death of parents, loss of childhood and early love, solitude, spiritual enquiry and changing eroticism. Tempered with humourous reflections on blowflies, baldness and Bob Dylan, these fifty poems introduce a major new poetic voice.

Booking required: phone Diamond Valley library on 9434 3809, or book online at http://www.yprl.vic.gov.au/

Books by Joe Dolce will be available for sale and signing.

Joe is one of fourteen guests at the YPRL live reads Booklovers festival. Check out the brochure on this site, or at one of the libraries for a full menu of literacy feasting.

Michael Enright

2010-05-04T09:26:00.009+10:00

Dr Michael Enright is retired Associate Professor of Marketing, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne. He has been interviewing the airmen and researching the history of these forgotten Australians for many years to ensure their remarkable story can now be told.Australian airmen flying with Britain's Royal Air Force in World War II made a remarkable contribution to the Allied cause.

There were 17,000 Australian airmen who flew with the RAF. Spread across 500 squadrons in Europe, 5000 died during the war in the air – one of the bloodiest and most punishing campaigns.

As these men were not part of the Royal Australian Air Force, their stories were almost forgotten. Now, using first-hand accounts from the surviving airmen, Flyers Far Away tells the full story of these daring young men, from their recruitment in Australia to operations over the Axis territories.

At last these courageous Australian airmen are given their rightful place in the history of the European air war.

Booking Required

Thursday 6 May
7.00pm-8.00pm
Watsonia Library

Ibbotson Street

Watsonia 3087

Phone: 9435 2397

The Conscious Cook: Giselle Wilkinson

2010-05-03T10:25:00.000+10:00

Hear Giselle Wilkinson talk about her cookbook The Conscious Cook, which reveals how your choice of food can help your health and wellbeing while helping the health and sustainability of our planet.

Ivanhoe Library
255 Upper Heidelberg Road
Ivanhoe 3079

Tuesday 4 May
2.00pm-3.00pm

Phone: 9497 5780

2010-04-22T15:41:00.000+10:00

Watch this space for information on the June Booklovers Festival. It's a feast of live visits to the library from novelists, short story writers, adventurers and poets. The smorgasbord of talent includes:

Joe Dolce - poetry/song

Nick Gadd - crime

Arnold Zable - contemporary fiction

Simon Caterson - historical non-fiction

Iola Matthews - memoir

Adrian Hyland - crime

Tess Evans - popular fiction

Roger Averill - popular fiction

Jeff Sparrow - current affairs

Joel Magarey - memoir/adventure

Lin van Hek - magic realism

Barry Dickins - short story

Anne Gracie - romance

Tom Cho - short story

2010-04-19T10:31:00.002+10:00

Thursday April 22
7.00-8.00pm

Meet author, poet and university lecturer, Sallie Muirden as she discusses her writing life, focusing on her latest novel, A Woman of Saville, a magical realist novel set in the time of the Spanish Inquisition.

Watsonia Library

Ibbottson Street

Watsonia 3087

Ph: 9435 2397

This is a free event. Bookings are required.

Books will be available for purchase on the night.

2010-04-19T10:22:00.001+10:00

Rosanna Library this Tuesday April 20 7.00-8.30pm
Hailing from Reservoir, Barry Dickins left school early to work in a factory and then as a set-painter for television. Through his association with La Mama Theatre, his first play, Ghosts, was performed in 1974. He has subsequently written a further nine plays. His play Remember Ronald Ryan won him the 1995 Victorian Premier's Literary Award. He has also written short stories, biography and other non-fiction and children's books.

Barry's latest book, Unparalled Sorrow will be available on the night.

This is a free event but booking are required.

Rosanna Library

72 Turnham Avenue

Rosanna 3084

Ph: 9459 6171

This Year's Booklovers' Fest and Kate Holden's Bedside Reads

2010-04-09T15:03:00.000+10:00

We have a lively Booklovers' Festival brewing for June with lots of authors from near and far appearing at the libraries throughout the month for 'Live Reads'. Stay tuned for the details.

Last year's Booklovers' Festival celebrated our regular book chat program 'Bedside Reads'. Author of In My Skin and The Age columnist Kate Holden shared the books she had on her bedside table. I've included the list below for interested booklovers...

Chabon, Michael Yiddish Policemen’s Union
Cole-Adams, Kate Walking to the Moon
Dickens, Charles Great Expectations
Eliot, George Middlemarch
Grenville, Kate Lieutenant
Gribbin, John The Fellowship
Hartnett, Sonya Butterfly
Heard, Barry Well Done Those Men: Memoirs of a Vietnam Veteran
Jones. Lloyd Mister Pip
Knox, Elizabeth Angel’s Cut
Lanagan, Margo Red Spikes
Le Guin, Ursula Lavinia
Llewellyn, Kate Playing with Water
Macfarlane, Robert Wild Places
Mantel, Hilary Giving up the Ghost: a Memoir
“ “ “ Learning to Talk: Short Stories
Michaels, Anne Winter Vault
“ “ “ Fugitive Pieces
Murdoch, Iris Nice and the Good
Pamuk, Orhan My Name is Red
Reed, Kirsten Ice Age
Rowley, Hazel Tete-a-tete: the lives and loves of Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre
Ruiz Zafon, Carlos Angel’s game
St John, Madeleine Women in Black
Sparrow, Jeff Communism: a love story
Waugh, Evelyn Officers and Gentlemen

(This list was compiled by Kate for her chat about books at the Bedside Reads: Booklovers Festival on Wednesday 28 July 2009)

Comedian and Actor Bob Franklin at Eltham Library

2010-04-06T11:58:00.001+10:00

If you have have laughed at Bob’s work on shows like

Thank God You’re Here and The Librarians, come and be surprised by these “tales of unease” that comprise his beautifully crafted first book, Under Stones. A deft technician of story, Bob draws the reader down through a suburban landscape that is at once familiar and much stranger than we know it.

“This is the work not of a comedian writing ‘serious stuff’ on the side, but of a fully-fledged stylist with a voice all his own”. Tony Martin

Wednesday 21 April

7.00pm – 8.00pm

Free entry

Eltham Library, Panther Place, Eltham

Bookings are essential: 9439 8700

elthambookshop@bigpond.com

Presented in partnership with ELTHAMbookshop

Books will be available for sale and signing.

Steven Amsterdam's Cinnamon Cookies

2010-03-31T13:09:00.002+11:00

Author of the internationally lauded book Things We Didn't See Coming, Steven Amsterdam, revealed more of his talents at Eltham Library last week. Steven is a former pastry chef, and we were able to sample his cinnamon cookies recipe, thanks to the baking skills of ELTHAMbookshop's Meera Govil. Here's the recipe ... ideal sustenance for an afternoon of reading!

Things We Didn’t See Coming
Steven Amsterdam’s Cinnamon Cookies

Take 120 grams walnuts and grind with 60 grams of caster sugar.
(Note: The walnuts benefit immeasurably from being lightly toasted first; they give off a caramel-ish unctuousness that, I swear, makes a difference).

In a mixer, cream 450 grams of room temperature unsalted butter with 120 grams of sugar and a few teaspoons of vanilla extract (or a scraped bean).

With the mixer on low, pour in 500 grams plain flour and a teaspoon of salt., and two tablespoons of cinnamon. Mix until just combined, then add the nuts.

This batter doesn’t spread much, so just roll them into the size of small plums or large cherry tomatoes and put them reasonably close to each other on the baking tray.

Baking time depends on the size and the oven, so it’s not exact. Mine take between 20 and 30 minutes at 150 degrees. They should just be getting browned around the edges.

While they’re warm, pick them up gently, roll them in icing sugar and put them on another piece of baking paper. When they’re cool, do it again.

This recipe makes about 100 bite-sized cookies. The dough freezes well, so you can bake half a batch and save the rest for another time

The Summer Read Finale

2010-03-04T13:26:00.000+11:00

The Summer Read Finale

An Evening with Steven Amsterdam

Author of Things We Didn't See Coming, one of the books selected for the Summer Read, Steven Amsterdam will give some insights to his lauded novel. ELTHAMbookshop will have books for sale on the night.

Eltham Library

Thursday 25 March

7.00-8.00pm

Bookings required.

Writing Group

2010-02-25T10:55:00.002+11:00

A NEW Diamond Valley Creative Writing Group is starting up. If you have a passion for writing and love to share it with others, this group could be for you. Beginners and more experienced writers are welcome.

Monday 1 March & Monday 12 April
11.00am - 12.30 pm

Lalor Library

2010-02-23T11:01:00.000+11:00

Come into the Lalor Library for an informal session as we discuss what is on your bedside table. We also offer a title to read and discuss at the next session.

Wednesday 24 February

12.00 - 1.00 pm

Author Night with Alwyn Lewis

2010-02-18T11:27:00.001+11:00

Meet Alwyn Lewis, author of Call of the Currawong. Alwyn will talk about her writing life and her new novel, which is set in the harsh Australian outback during the 19th century. Books will be available for purchase on the night.
Refreshments available.

Rosanna Library 9459 6171
Wednesday 24 February
7.00 - 8.00 pm

Madame Brussels: This Moral Pandemonium

2010-02-16T10:32:00.000+11:00

Author LM Robinson will transport us to a decadent time in Melbourne's history during the 1880s and 1890s, where we will meet the keeper of Melbourne's most famous brothel. Madame Brussels: This Moral Pandemonium, uncovers the true story of Caroline Hodgson who was Madame Brussels, the most reviled woman of Marvelous Melbourne.
Bookings are required.
Books will be available for purchase on the night.

Eltham Library 9439 9266
Thursday 18 February

7.00 - 8.00 pm

Summer Read

2010-02-11T10:44:00.000+11:00

The Summer Read is now well under way. For those of you who have read all the ten great Victorian reads that were selected by the State Library, or have books on hold from the list, we have another ten great reads to whet your apetite. These books are also by a Victorian or set in Victoria.
1. A Woman of Seville Sallie Muirden (Historical Fiction)
2. The Danger Game Kalinda Ashton (Contemporary Fiction)
3. The Slap Christos Tsiolkas (Contemporary Fiction)
4. Wyatt Garry Disher (Crime)
5. Madonna of the Eucalypts Karen Sparnon (Historical Fiction/Italian immigration)
6. The Stolen Princess Anne Gracie (Historical Romance)
7. The Spare Room Helen Garner (Contemporary Fiction)
8. Reunion Andrea Goldsmith (Contemporary Fiction)
9. Sucked In Shane Maloney (Crime)
10. Ghostlines Nick Gadd (Crime thriller)

Readers love to hear about what other people think about books, so why not add your review to our catalogue?

Writers@Watsonia

2010-02-09T09:52:00.000+11:00

Unleash your creativity with Suzanne Male, author of A Year of Writing Inspiration. If you love writing and would like the support of like-minded people, give this writers group a try. Suzanne will be offering tips and excercises to get you going. Thursday 18 February 6.30-8.30 pm at the Watsonia Library.

Community Reads

2010-02-03T09:14:00.001+11:00

Reading isn't a lonely occupation. Join a book group at your local branch and share your love of reading with others.

Love is in the air

2010-02-02T09:14:00.000+11:00

For the month of February, come in to Rosanna Library and pick up a mystery bundle. Have a blind date with a book or a movie or maybe something more. Be open to the adventure.

Get Crafty with Books

2010-01-27T09:45:00.000+11:00

Look what's on at the Lalor Library! Angus and Robertson from Epping Plaza are visiting the library this Friday 22 January from 2.00-3.00pm. What have they got in their kids craft book and kit display? Children can join in and make their own bookmark while you browse the library in peace. Items will be available to purchase on the day.

Summer Read: Book Chat

2010-01-08T09:34:00.002+11:00

Fellow readers would love to hear about a book that you've read this summer. Learn how to add your reviews to the State Library website and Yarra Plenty Reads. Wednesday 10 February, 2.00 - 3.00 pm at the Diamond Valley Library.

Maura the Clairvoyant Librarian

2009-12-07T16:25:00.006+11:00

Ever wondered what your reading future has in store for you? Come discover the book that is your destiny...

Maura the Clairvoyant Librarian

will be visiting Diamond Valley Library

Tuesday 23 February
1.30pm - 3.00pm

Come along and meet Maura and other booklovers, talk about the Summer Read book selection and celebrate our new book club with some FUN. Refreshments provided.

The Summer Read

2009-12-07T15:49:00.008+11:00

Discover the magic of books this summer!
Chose from a list of 10 great Victorian books (either set in Victoria or by Victorian authors), including fiction, memoirs and true crime.

From 1 January to 26 March

Visit your local library to browse and borrow the titles that will 'float your boat' this summer.
Cant decide? Let Maura the Clairvoyant Librarian use her powers to predict which books you'll love to read! (Click here to find out how to meet her)

Share a review of your favourites or your own recommended reads list to be in the running to win a prize!

The books on the list this year are:

Cooee by Vivienne Kelly
Infiltration by Colin Mclaren
Look Who's Morphing by Tom Cho
Lovesong by Alex Miller
Sold by Brendan Gullifer
The Contract by Brett Hoffman
The Lost Mother by Anne Summers
Things We Didn't See Coming by Steve Amsterdam
This is How by MJ Hyland
Unparalleled Sorrow by Barry Dickins

Stay posted for another fabulous event for the Summer Read coming soon!

Visit the State Library website to find out more about the recommended summer reads and their authors and enter the draw to win great prizes.

The Summer Read is presented by Victorian Public Libraries and the State Library of Victoria.

A Very Dickens Christmas

2009-12-02T11:11:00.001+11:00

Join the Dickens Society at Watsonia Library for a selection of Christmas readings and be transported to another time and place.

Thursday 10 DECEMBER

Venue: Watsonia Library, Ibbottson Street, Watsonia

Time: 7.00pm to 8.00pm

See a display of Dickensian memorabilia and clothes at the library from December 1 - December 21.
Refreshments provided

Writing Workshop at Diamond Valley Library

2009-10-08T15:19:00.000+11:00

Diamond Valley Library is hosting a writing workshop as part of the World Matters Festival, presented by ElthamBookshop and Diamond Valley Oxfam.

Monday 19 October

Creative Non-Fiction Writing Workshop

Venue: Diamond Valley Library, Civic Drive, Greensborough

Time: 10.00am to 12.30pm Cost: $25.00-Limited places, book early

In a very special workshop Mark Treddinick, author of Little Red Writing Book, Little Green Book of Grammar and Blue Plateau will discuss the notion of creative non-fiction and participants will undertake writing exercises to enhance their memoir writing skills.

Coordinator: Cheryl Simpson, Diamond Creek Living and Learning Centre

Supported by writing groups of Nillumbik Living and Learning Centres and Yarra Plenty Regional Library

An Evening with Roland Rocchiccioli

2009-09-21T12:10:00.003+10:00

Join us for a special evening with media personality and author Roland Rocchiccioli

You may know Roland from the Footy Show, but there is a lot more to learn about this dancer, stage producer, director, radio personality, restaurateur and author.

THIS WEDNESDAY 23 SEPTEMBER
LALOR LIBRARY
May Road, Lalor
7.00pm - 8.30pm

Bookings required. Phone Lalor Library on 9465 2353

2009-09-08T09:35:00.003+10:00

What Makes A Great Cook Book?

Rosie Percival and Ruth Friedlander talk about their new vegetarian cookbook Martha Goes Green and explore why we love cookbooks!

The book will be sold on the night

Thursday 17 September
7.00pm - 8.00pm @ Watsonia Library

2008-09-28T21:50:00.034+10:00

A place to discover, explore and share reading

In Conversation: Tom Keneally and Toni Jordan

hosted by Morag Fraser, AO

ELTHAMbookshop and YPRL invite you to hear BOOKS ALive 2009 ambassadors

Wednesday 2 September

7.00pm

Eltham Library, Panther Place Eltham

Bookings essential 9439 8700 or Elthambookshop@bigpond.com

Books for sale on the night

Bedside Reads: Booklovers festival

Missed the festival? Then why not listen to the podcasts

Yarra Plenty Reads

Get connected

Dress to Sparkle

Children's Week October 23-31

Writers@Watsonia

Eltham Library Celebrates

BOOK LAUNCH

Releasing Creativity Writing Workshop

Eltham Library Celebrations

Creative Writing Workshop guest speaker: Suzanne Male

ADHD to the Power of Three. A mother's story.

GET READING!

Publishing Options

Tall Words at Watsonia Library

Why join a Writing Group?

Peter Rose @ Eltham Library

Thomastown Library extends its hours

Independent Type Books and Writing in Victoria

Books and Writing Exhibition Comes to Mill Park

Writing and publishing your family history

Great events are @ your library

The Zookeepers War

The future of Libraries

Mental Detox for Everyone

Do you love to write? Or do you like to share a love of books?

Look Who's Morphing

Romance @ Watsonia Library

Last days of the Booklovers Festival!

Booklovers Festival

More great events at the live reads Booklovers Festival

Who will you meet at the YPRL live reads Booklovers Festival?

Who else will you meet at the live reads Booklovers Festival?

Booklovers Festival Update

Who will you meet at our Booklovers Festival?

An Evening with Karen Tayleur

Writers@Watsonia

Who will you meet at our Booklovers Festival this June?

Michael Enright

The Conscious Cook: Giselle Wilkinson

This Year's Booklovers' Fest and Kate Holden's Bedside Reads

Comedian and Actor Bob Franklin at Eltham Library

Steven Amsterdam's Cinnamon Cookies

The Summer Read Finale

Writing Group

Lalor Library

Author Night with Alwyn Lewis

Madame Brussels: This Moral Pandemonium

Summer Read

Writers@Watsonia

Community Reads

Love is in the air

Get Crafty with Books

Summer Read: Book Chat

Maura the Clairvoyant Librarian

The Summer Read

A Very Dickens Christmas

Writing Workshop at Diamond Valley Library

An Evening with Roland Rocchiccioli