Alternative Nobel Prize for Literature

As you may have heard, 2018 Nobel Prize for literature has been cancelled by the Swedish Academy following sexual assault allegations and resignations of members. More than 100 prominent cultural figures from Sweden have formed the New Academy and will present their own literary award while Swedish Academy is sorting itself out.  In contrast to the Nobel prize, which seeks to honour the writer who has contributed ‘the most outstanding work in an ideal direction’, the new award will be offered to a writer who has told the story of ‘humans in the world’. The New Academy invited Swedish librarians to nominate authors who fit the eligibility criteria. 47 authors were nominated and the four finalists were decided by public vote. Winner will be announced in October after deliberation by the jury. In December the New Academy will be dissolved and 2 laureates will be nominated by the Swedish Academy for the Nobel Prize in literature in 2019.

The four nominees are:

Maryse Conde                        Haruki Murakami

Kim Thuy                                 Neil Gaiman

Librarians’ Choice – Top 10 September 2018

The latest top 10 reads for September 2018 are here, as selected by Library Staff around Australia. Find something for everyone with some old favorite authors and some new ones. Why not reserve your copy now.

The Killing of Louisa by Janet Lee – Librarians’ Choice Favourite

To lose one husband maybe regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like murder.

In New South Wales in 1888, Louisa Collins was sentenced to hang after being tried multiple times for the alleged murders of her two husbands. The testimony of her young daughter helped to decide her fate.

This clever andcompelling novel recreates Louisa’s time in her Darlinghurst prison cell as shereflects on her life and on the grief and loss that delivered her to thisplace. Despite difficult marriages, financial hardship and the deaths ofseveral children, she remains resilient and determined to have her ownidentity.

But as she faces her final days,will Louisa confess to her crimes? Or is an innocent woman about to be hanged?

Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty
The Girl On The Page by John Purcell
The Single Ladies Of Jacaranda Retirement Village by Joanna Nell
The Bus On Thursday by Shirley Barrett
The Helpline by Katherine Collette
Catching Teller Crow by Ambelin & Ezekiel Kwaymullina
Queerstories by Maeve Marsden (ed)
Greenlight by Benjamin Stevenson
The Clockmaker’s Daughter by Kate Morton

All About Books – Spring 2018

Welcome to the latest edition, Spring 2018, of our reading suggestions guide – All About Books. It is full of reading ideas for all ages with a selection of the most interesting and exciting reads to be published over the next 3 months. Pick up your FREE copy in one of our City of Parramatta Libraries or click on the cover to download now. We hope you enjoy our selections and happy reading!

Children’s Book Week 2018 – Winners

Book Week is the longest running children’s festival in Australia, and was created in 1945 by the Children’s Book Council of Australia, a not for profit organization that strives to promote the best in Australian literature for kids and teens. The theme for this year was Find your Treasure.

The winners for 2018 are:
Older Readers Book of the Year (ages 13-18) – Take Three Girls by Cath Crowley et al.
Younger Readers Book of the Year (ages 8-12) – How to Bee by Bren MacDibble
Early Childhood Book of the Year (ages 0-7) – Rodney Looses It! by M.G. Bauer
Picture Book of the Year – A Walk in the Bush by Gwyn Perkins
Eve Pownall Book of the Year  – Do Not Lick this Book by I. Ben-Barak

Crichton Award for New Illustrators – Tintinnabula by M. Lanagan, illustrated by R. Cai

See winners and honour books of 2018 here.

All these wonderful books are available from Parramatta City Libraries. Borrow now!

Living a Low Tox Life with Alexx Stuart

Discover how you can live a low tox life with educator, activist, change agent and author Alexx Stuart at our author talk and book signing event. Learn how to make:

  • Coffee body scrub
  • Natural air freshener
  • Low tox dry shampoo

Meet the author at Epping Community Centre on Saturday 22 September 2018 at 2.30pm, to learn more and to book click here.