Category Archives: Author Visits

In conversation with Julietta Henderson

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Julietta Henderson will be in conversation with Suzanne Micallef from City of Parramatta Libraries discussing The Funny Thing About Norman Foreman with the support of NSW Public Libraries Association.

Norman and Jax are a quirky pair of pre-teen best friends with a five-year plan to take their comedy act all the way to the Edinburgh Fringe by the time they’re fifteen. When Jax dies suddenly, it’s earth-shattering.

Norman’s mum Sadie knows she won’t win Mother of the Year anytime soon, and she really doesn’t know, or care, who Norman’s father is. But her heart is broken when she discovers her grieving son’s revised plan: ‘Find Dad’ and ‘Get to the Edinburgh Fringe’. If finding his dad and performing at Edinburgh are the two things that will make Norman happy after his devastating loss, Sadie’s going to make it happen.

Norman and Sadie set off from Cornwall, with their friend Leonard in his vintage Austin Maxi, on a pilgrimage to Edinburgh. This is a mother-son road trip that inspires and delights like the best road trip novels and films.

Copies of The Funny Thing about Norman Foreman can be purchased from Booktopia: https://booktopia.kh4ffx.net/mxna1

Numbers are limited for this free virtual event and bookings are essential.

This presentation will be broadcast online using Zoom. Book your place and we’ll send you a Zoom link to join the meeting (download and install from zoom.us if you haven’t already).

NSW Reads ‘Lucky’s

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NSW Reads is a big book club, and everyone in New South Wales is invited.

The NSW Public Library Association is thrilled to announce the very first state-wide reading program NSW Reads. From the 10th of December to the 17th of February 2021, library members across the state are encouraged to read Sydney author Andrew Pippos’s debut novel, Lucky’s (Picador).

Described as “a must-read saga, and a gripping monument to Greek diaspora” by The Guardian Australia, central to the theme of Lucky’s is the iconic Greek milk bar/café businesses, found in so many Australian towns and suburbs.

NSW Reads will celebrate the heritage of these venues and the migrant experiences of food and community as readers from all over the state share a reading experience.

“After a year that has been so isolating, it’s wonderful for readers to be able to come together and all read the same book” says NSW Public Libraries Association Executive Officer, Adele Casey, “We are thrilled that Lucky’s is our pick for the first NSW Reads program. The librarians of New South Wales felt it was important to choose a novel with far reaching appeal. Lucky’s will resonate and deliver a sense of nostalgia to Australians of all ages in both metro and regional areas.”

To celebrate NSW Reads, local libraries will host live events throughout January and February 2021. 

Andrew Pippos introduces his new novel Lucky’s, an unforgettable Australian story about the changing fortunes of a man named Lucky, his chain of Greek cafes and the people whose lives he shapes, and who in turn shape him.

Reserve your copy of Lucky’s in print, eBook or eAudio and join in as NSW Reads!

In conversation with Sir Peter Cosgrove

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Sir Peter Cosgrove will be in conversation with Richard Glover discussing his memoir You Shouldn’t Have Joined, a warm and fascinating memoir of one of Australia’s most popular and prominent public figures,

General Sir Peter Cosgrove AK AC (Mil) CVO MC (Retd) is one of Australia’s most significant public figures. As a soldier he saw action in Vietnam, winning the Military Cross, and rose to the very top of his profession, becoming Chief of the Defence Force. Soon after his retirement from the Army, he was invited to take charge of the huge relief and rebuilding operation in Queensland after the devastation of Cyclone Larry.

In 2014, Cosgrove became Australia’s Governor-General. As Governor-General he travelled far and wide, supporting Australians in times of crisis, sadness, joy or celebration, representing us on the world stage with humour, intelligence and a force of personal magnetism that was felt by everyone from prime ministers to presidents.

When he retired in July 2019, it was as one of the most beloved and respected governors-general in Australia’s history. Cosgrove embodies the traits we truly value: warmth, humanity, toughness and loyalty. His humour and empathy shone through the pomp and ceremony, and his time as Governor-General will be remembered as much for his laughter as for the usual dignities of the office.

You Shouldn’t Have Joined … (an expression much used during his days as a soldier) is the story of Cosgrove’s extraordinarily full and eventful life. It is also the story of those who have shared it with him, in particular his wife Lynne.  His memoir allows us an incredible insight into the role and world of Australia’s Governor-General. He was there as two prime ministers were toppled by their own party. He was there through disasters both natural and man-made, such as the destruction of MH17. He was there for world leaders, and for ordinary Australians. You Shouldn’t Have Joined … is a true reflection of the man himself, filled with intelligence, forthrightness, compassion and a brilliant eye for a telling anecdote.

This FREE online author talk will be broadcast via Zoom with a Q & A session at the end. Book your place and we’ll send you a Zoom link to join the meeting (download and install from zoom.us if you haven’t already).

This collaborative event is supported by the NSW Public Libraries Association and in association with Allen & Unwin.

In conversation with Lauren Chater

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Lauren Chater will in conversation with Meg Keneally, author of The Wreck, discussing Lauren’s latest book, Gulliver’s Wife. 

London, 1702. When her husband is lost at sea, Mary Burton Gulliver, midwife and herbalist, is forced to rebuild her life without him. But three years later when Lemuel Gulliver is brought home, fevered and communicating only in riddles, her ordered world is turned upside down.

In a climate of desperate poverty and violence, Mary is caught in a crossfire of suspicion and fear driven by her husband’s outlandish claims, and it is up to her to navigate a passage to safety for herself and her daughter, and the vulnerable women in her care.

When a fellow sailor, a dangerous man with nothing to lose, appears to hold sway over her husband, Mary’s world descends deeper into chaos, and she must set out on her own journey to discover the truth of Gulliver’s travels . . . and the landscape of her own heart.

Numbers are limited for this free virtual event and bookings are essential. 
Copies of the book can be purchased from Booktopia  or from your local bookshop.

This presentation will be broadcast online using Zoom. Book your place and we’ll send you a Zoom link to join the meeting (download and install from zoom.us if you haven’t already).

This collaborative event is supported by the NSW Public Libraries Association and in association with Simon & Schuster.

 

In conversation with Garth Nix

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Garth Nix, bestselling author of Angel Mage, presents his latest young adult novel, The Left- handed Booksellers of London, in conversation with Yasmin Greenhalgh from Stanton Library.

This new fantasy adventure, set in 1980s London follows one girl’s quest to find her father, leading her to a secret society of magical fighting booksellers who police the mythical Old World when it disastrously intrudes into the modern world.

This FREE online author talk will be broadcast via Zoom with a Q & A session at the end. Book your place here and we’ll send you a Zoom link to join the meeting (download and install from zoom.us if you haven’t already). Copies of the book can be purchased online from Booktopia or from your local bookshop.

This collaborative event between multiple NSW Public Libraries’ is supported by the NSW Public Libraries Association and in association with Allen & Unwin.