Shearer's Books Blog

March Books of the Month: 15% off the RRP!!

2012-02-27T20:53:00.000-08:00

Everyday Kindness - An Evening with Stephanie Dowrick

2012-02-19T21:02:00.002-08:00

“… it’s in your powerto increase other people’s joy … through random acts of kindness.”

Stephanie Dowrick has been Shearer’s Bookshop’s first authorevent for each of the last three years. As the New Year ticks over, we are morereflective, have more aspirations and are more inspired – qualities that areenriched and encouraged by Stephanie’s writing and her words. As expected, theevening held to discuss her new book, EverydayKindness, was full of insights that were delivered with Stephanie’s innate warmth,openness and generosity.

Everyday Kindnessexplores the nature of kindness and the role it can play in creating happinesswithin your life and the lives of others. Stephanie explained that there hasbeen a consistent theme vividly emerging in her work over the last seven yearswhich is how the quality of your connections with other people, arising fromthe way you see yourself, determines your happiness. For her, and I’m sure manyother, it is a timely theme - often we don’t know quite what we’re hungry foruntil we receive it.

As with all Stephanie’s books, Everyday Kindness does not preach or instruct. Stephanie wants toavoid giving the public advice and instead sees her writing balancing on aprecipice between sharing wealth, knowledge and her vast life experience (alife that includes 30 years of writing, being a minister, retreat leader andpsycho analyst). This unique approach is expressed in Stephanie’s choice to usenarrative to share her ideas. By bringing to life the substantial ideas ofkindness, the reader can more readily envision a how to reach a kinder life.Through story and reflection she hopes to waken up a depth of possibility thatour everyday encounters don’t quite match and don’t quite meet.

The encouragement that Stephanie’s books give the reader arenecessary to evaluate and possibly change habits of thinking that get in theway of our goals. After all, Stephanie explains, kindness is both a concept anda value that only comes to life when it is activated by us. Such activationrequires us to recognise that we can choose the paths our life follows and thatthese choices are highly relevant to our relationships and who we become.

We all know we must make significant choices in our life,but it is less easy to know how to we cultivate the confidence to make choicesthat in turn cultivate happiness and others. It seems simple, but often we needthe courage to do what is going well and to do more of it; and similarly, tomake choices about things that haven’t been going well in the past and unlikelyto get better in the future.

Stephanie pointed out that we all share a condition – humanlife. From that, we can try to understand each other and learn to show ourappreciation for one another more overtly. Stephanie believes that much of thesorrow over the agonies of loss of self and loss of self confidence stems fromthe need for appreciation and the inability to appreciate the gift of one’s ownlife. When we express happiness we lift our spirit and the spirits of others.Appreciation through kindness is the most valuable form of currency. Stephanieended the evening with a reminder that kindness is strength, not weakness – ittakes absolutely no strength at all to be nasty.

Written by Natalie

Other books by Stephanie Dowrick :

Video Interview: Eva Katzler

2012-02-15T21:49:00.000-08:00

Today British musician-turned-Picture book author Eva Katzler stopped by to have a chat with us! Here she is discussing her upcoming book, Florentine and Pig Have a Very Lovely Picnic.

Florentine and Pig will be released in Australia in July. The book is full of recipes and crafts for children to create and there are tons of these on the website!
http://www.florentineandpig.com/

A Brief Chat With Peter Griffen

2012-02-07T17:41:00.000-08:00

With the launch of his new book upon us, we posed artist Peter Griffen these questions about his process.

Further celebrating In And Out of Abstraction, Peter will be hosting an event on Tuesday February 28th at 7pm, at his studio in Emma St, Leichhardt. Peter will open his studio and demonstrate what goes in to creating a piece of art, with wine and nibbles for the audience.

Tickets are $18 (or $15 for Frequent Shoppers) and available by calling Shearer's on 9572 7766.

How would you describe your work?
I work in an abstract “dreaming” way in my studio. When on location, en plein air, I respond directly to the landscape in front of me. I see the latter activity as serious painting, and also “note taking” for my studio abstract work.
My work is usually colourful and energetic, reflecting my buoyant positive approach to life. At times it is quite non-representational, at other times recognisable symbols and shapes appear. The en plein air work is of a more traditional format.

Where is it that you find your inspiration?
Mainly in the landscape; Central Australia, The Kimberley, opal mining sites, farm yards and estuaries are most important.
I am slowly becoming more interested in the human figure and still life subjects. You’ve spent some time on the land and working with Indigenous artists.

Did this influence your recent works in any way?
All art influences me in some way. Australian Indigenous art does influence me in terms of its “look” but more in it’s “message”. Also I do like to include a feeling in my work that there is a group of people living in this land that are very close to the land, so much so, that they seem part of it. I use symbols and marks that appear to have their influence to do this.

You exhibit all over Australia and the world. How do Australian patrons compare to the rest of the world?
I find a similarity in people throughout the world in most ways and when it comes to buying art. Abstract art challenges people throughout the world just as it challenges Australians. People seem to buy more readily if they have heard of you or are well promoted, and so on. The one consistent thing throughout the world is diversity of taste.
I have heard that Australians generally speaking only buy Australian art. Perhaps this is a difference then, because I have sold quite a lot of paintings to the French and the English. Perhaps in Europe people are more open to, or more fascinated by, artwork "foreign"?

We are holding an event in your studio at the end of February. What will people find
when they visit your studio? Do they have access to all areas of your workspace?
People will surprisingly find a large exciting space and will feel free to investigate it once they are over the initial impact. There will be lots of paintings to see, including our own collection of other artist’s work. My wife, Denise, is a textile artist and her work will be on display as will her studio too.
Our workspace is our home. This will be quite apparent and we welcome all.

Is there an etiquette for visiting an artist’s studio? Like, don’t touch and don’t run?
Relax, enjoy and just say nice things, please.....
What do you want people to take away from the experience?
Happiness mainly and something learnt. I hope that some will have more idea of what goes on in an artist’s head, how decisions are made, what drives them, etc.; why someone like me writes a book about my art, why not just paint?

Currawalli Street by Christopher Morgan

2012-02-05T20:47:00.000-08:00

Christopher Morgan’s first novel, TheIsland of Four Rivers, is characterised by a distinct humour and inherentsense of hope - qualities that carry through to Morgan’s second novel, Currawalli Street.

Following three generations of families living along Currawalli Street from 1914 – 1972, Morgan creates a touchingand engaging story about friendship, secrets and love through characters whose livesare punctuated and shaped by war. It is a modern classic that gently draws youin on the first page and stays with you well after the last.

To celebrate and support Currawalli Street’s release, Allen and Unwin are donating 50 centsfrom every copy sold to charities selected by various bookstores. We at Shearer’shave chosen Autism Spectrum Australia(Aspect) - a not-for-profit organisation committed tohelping people on the autism spectrum achieve their potential. Aspectbuilds confidence and capacity with people on the autism spectrum, theirfamilies and their communities by providing services such as educationaloutreach, a parent support network and family and information services.

Currawalli Street is available now and thanks to Allen & Unwin, 50 cents from every copy sold in Shearer's Bookshop will go to Autism Spectrum Australia (Aspect).

The Chemistry of Tears: Review

2012-02-04T22:52:00.000-08:00

Despite Peter Carey winning two Man Booker Prizes (The History of the Kelly Gang and Oscar and Lucinda), I can’t help but notice the trepidation with which many people approach his novels. Since the release of The Chemistry of Tears I have had several conversations about this in which people admit to having extremely varied reactions to Carey’s writing - loving some books but failing to find a way in with others. Similarly, I admit that I was curious but wary of The Chemistry of Tears. However, two days after starting the book I had finished it and many days after that I was still thinking about it. So to any of you that are hesitating over, or flat out resisting, The Chemistry of Tears, stop. This book is good. Really good.

Catherine, an horologist (expert in timepieces) who works at London’s Swinburne Museum, discovers that her secret lover of almost ten years has died. She falls into a reckless and self-destructive grief from which Eric, Catherine’s colleague and only person who knows of her affair, tries to save her. He gives her a project to restore a 19^th century automaton through which she finds a series of notebooks amongst the boxes of mechanical parts. They are the journals of Henry Brandling. Henry is a wealthy gentleman who embarks on a journey to have an automaton duck built for his sick son. He travels to a foreign land where he meets the opportunistic and eccentric Sumper and a mysterious mother and child who take Henry’s money and faith in order to service their own visions; and so the second part of Chemistry of Tears falls into place. Carey weaves together two seemingly disparate stories into one cohesive narrative on the nature of grief and love. It is in this structure that I have my one criticism of the book. The danger of a narrative alternating between stories is that the reader will prefer one story to the other. Indeed, I found myself looking forward to Catherine’s story more.

Chemistry of Tears is a confronting commentary on the high place that machines occupy in everyday life. Carey is making the point that machines, whether it be cars, automatons, “frankenpods” (smartphones), the internet and computers, are the new gods in today’s society; it is in them that we place our faith and emotions, it is through them that we express how we feel. Brandling tries to save his son through a mechanical duck and Catherine’s affair is represented by emails trapped on a work laptop and a second-hand car that the two lovers restored together. On a more dire level, the BP Gulf of Mexico spill is ominously present in the later half of the book - a tragic and insistent reminder of the destruction that can occur when technology becomes too powerful and too trusted. If machines are our gods, then the oil spill is a plague that has been inflicted on the earth; the price we have to pay.

The pace and tension of the novel is heightened by Amanda, a beautiful assistant who is placed on the project to monitor Catherine’s behaviour, yet who also proves to be unstable herself. She is an important addition to the book, taking it beyond Catherine and Henry’s grief and yearning to into the realm of a thought-provoking perspective on the relationship between technology and society, and technology and the individual.

Carey’s novels hooked me on two levels. I was drawn to the raw emotion of Catherine’s grief and the subtler version of loss in Henry; yet I was also engaged by the larger arguments swirling around in the background - many of which I have yet to put together, but will attempt to do so on a second reading.

Reviewed by Nat

The Chemistry of Tears is available now and one of our Shearer's Books of the Month.

A Brief Chat With Peter Twohig

2012-02-04T19:06:00.000-08:00

What’s a good Sydney resident like you (Peter lives on the Central Coast) doing writing a book set in Melbourne?

I was born in Melbourne (it was raining, as I recall) and raised in Richmond. So I remember the area, and the kind of things we used to get up to. However, when I first conceived the book, it was going to be set in the outer burbs somewhere. Then I realised that I was never going to find a setting more moody and dark location than Richmond in the 50s (though other suburbs might rival it: Collingwood and Footscray immediately come to mind.) But it was always going to be a Melbourne novel, as I didn’t become a Sydneysider until 1992.

The Cartographer was started as part of the NaNoWriMo programme in 2009. Can you tell us a little about the programme and how it worked for you?

The idea of the programme is to encourage writers to write 50,000 words in a month (November). When I first heard of the programme, earlier in the year, I was working on another novel, and I realised that if I finished it in time I would be able to tackle the NaNo challenge. I finished the earlier novel on 31 October 2009 and began writing The Cartographer the following day. I wrote one chapter a day for 23 days, and that was the first draft done. In 2010 I added nine another chapters during the writing of the second draft.

Tell us a little about the plot.

The difference between the first draft (worried boy avoids bad guy because he wants to stay alive) and the second draft (grieving boy has to avoid bad guy while trying to assuage guilt) is the difference between a story and a plot. The kid of the story would do anything to have his dead twin brother back, and, as a distant second, would go a long way to forgive himself for what he half believes is his part in his brother’s death (in not trying hard enough to prevent it, or to save him). To make matters worse, he is at real risk of being tracked down by a murderer because, he wrongly believes, he can identify him. In fact he is at risk of being killed for a set of counterfeiting plates he scored at the crime scene, under the Finders Keepers rule. The crushing pressures of his guilt and fear, together with a terrific propensity for getting into trouble regardless of the circumstances, inevitably cause him to seek relief in a world of pretending, with mixed results.

What was the last book you read and what are you currently reading?

The last book I read was Peter Carey’s Oscar and Lucinda. I’m currently reading Kim Westwood’s The Courier’s New Bicycle (HarperVoyager, 2011), and Kirsten Tranter’s A Common Loss (HarperCollins, 2011).

Which fictional character do you most identify with?

That’s a tough question, because I’m pretty impressionable. I remember when I was about fifteen being struck by the character in Anthony Burgess’s A Clockwork Orange, Alex Du Large (who was a particularly nasty young man the same age as me); and when I was in my twenties being very sympathetic to Capt. Yossarian in Joseph Heller’s Catch-22. Then there was Brother William in Eco’s The Name of the Rose. I suppose these days I see myself as a character in one of Jorge Luis Borges’s labyrinthine tales, because that’s how life strikes me.

What are you working on next?

Right now I’m rewriting the novel I was writing up to the beginning of The Cartographer. That will be followed by the prequel to The Cartographer, which has the kid’s grandfather, Archie Taggerty as the main character. Actually, that book is now finished (it was my 2010 NaNoWriMo project), so I’ll be writing the second draft this year. I reckon I’ll always have at least two unfinished novels on the production line.

The Cartographer is available now and is one of Shearer's Books of the Month.

Interview: Carrie Tiffany

2012-02-03T17:18:00.000-08:00

It’s always a pleasure to talk to Carrie Tiffany, especially about writing, and with her new book Mateship with Birds* out on the shelves this month I jumped at the opportunity to interview her.

‘The miracle of water into milk via grass must be

performed at the start of each new day.’

--- Mateship with Birds

The primary story of Mateship with Birds centres on Harry, a dairy farmer in a small town, Cohuna, in regional Victoria in 1953. We are shown Harry’s world, his deepening relationship with his neighbour Betty and her two young children, and the quiet solidness of Harry’s dairy farming existence. It is a quiet novel brimming with longing, and led by the cycle of the days.

PN: Your first novel Everyman’s Rules for Scientific Living also took us out into the rural and remote areas of Australia. I wonder if you have a fascination with the regional areas of Australia?

CT: My work as a farm journalist involves talking with farmers, visiting them on their farms often when they are the only person there. The kids are at school, the wife is at work, the farmer might spend most of his days by himself. And I often wonder, as I leave, how someone lives in some of these places, what they do, how do they fill their days. It is something about a person being in the landscape that intrigues me. I was a park ranger in Central Australia years ago and being in that particular landscape and feeling a sense of ownership over the tremendous space and a responsibility to care for it, really affected me.

PN: That’s an interesting reaction to that huge amount of space as most of us do prefer to live on the coast in or near big cities. I wonder if your response might have something to do with you being 6 years old when you arrived from England and first met the idea of Australia. A curiosity rather than a fear?

CT: I’m not sure, although I do remember quite clearly that the first house we lived in in suburban Perth had a nature strip out the front. I had never seen anything like it. Just a scrubby gum tree and some grass right out the front of our door. I was fascinated by all the nature strips. I really felt that the strips were all joined together and that if you followed them they would lead to the bush. At school we did the poetry of Henry Lawson and we had a roll down screen in class that was a manky old, sun-faded Fred Williams painting of the bush. So, perhaps I was simply fascinated by the whole idea. I really wanted to go to the bush.

PN: In Mateship with Birds dairy farming has never sounded so beautiful and essential. Why a dairy farmer? What does dairying allow you, as a writer, to explore?

CT: Even as a child I was fascinated with farming. I would draw squares on paper and call them paddocks and then decide what I was going to put in each paddock. How many horses, where the sheds would be, that sort of thing. And I think I always imagined living on a farm. Through my journalist work I’ve come to believe that different types of farmers are different. Farmers who work with machines, cropping and harvesting, for instance are different to farmers who work with animals. And dairy farming is even a bit more than that. I’ve stood in herds with farmers whose cattle show no fear at all. They lean into the farmer and nibble at them and the farmer is completely comfortable inhabiting their space. I did a lot of research for Mateship with Birds at the State Library of Victoria and I came across one particular journal about dairying with a great quote from a farmer from years ago: The role of the dairy farmer is to keep each individual cow in the prime of her sexual health. It is an intimate job. Even the act of milking, despite its mechanisation these days, requires intimate knowledge of each animal’s health.

PN: And the book is set in 1950s with all that that entails regarding morality and sexuality – is that why you chose this time period?

CT: Well, I’m a slow writer and I had written a whole other book before writing this one. That one won’t ever see daylight but it was set in an earlier period, a similar time to Everyman’s Rules for Scientific Living because I was comfortable writing about that time. Gradually though, and this was towards the end of the Howard years when the phrase ‘fifties values’ was being bandied about, I began to be interested in what the 1950s would have meant for people living in regional areas and, specifically, their sexuality.

PN: In Mateship with Birds Harry takes on the challenge of educating Michael, Betty’s son, about sex. He writes letters to Michael detailing his limited experience from his childhood and then with his ex-wife Edna. Pragmatic, with a veil of science, these letters form a kind of exploration of Harry’s own sexual desires. Why the letters? Is Harry simply unknowingly channeling his desire for Betty into these letters? Or is there something else going on?

CT: I’m terribly dyslexic so letters were impossible for me before computers. Now, though, I have a couple of very good friends I correspond with via lengthy emails and there is real pleasure in crafting the emails and I am really interested in the refashioning of yourself that goes on in letters, the thinking through of things.

Mateship with Birds is also completely in third person, which I find very difficult to write, and, as a writer, the letters allow me to break the convention of third person. Once I’ve been writing a character for awhile, I can hear their voice really strongly and letters allow them to have their say, in their own words, on the page. Their turn of phrase at their own pace.

But I did read letters that the psychoanalyst Freud wrote to his very good friend Wilhelm Fleiss. This is at a time before Freud’s theories were established and in them Freud undertakes a sort of self-analysis. These letters allowed him to almost test his ideas about speaking your mind in free association to learn about yourself and I think Harry’s letters have a similar effect on him. They unstop Harry’s desire in someway. Or make his desire tangible. In writing about his sexual past, his sexual, and emotional, future becomes possible.

PN: Harry’s inherent pragmatism and simple joy in observing the creatures he shares the bush with forms a large part of the novel. Is this joy something you think we miss or have lost in our contemporary urban world?

CT: I think the ‘creaturelyness’ of people, the instinct within people to recognise another creature is highlighted in rural areas with animals. One creature to another brings forth an inherent response. I think that to be in the bush and just use your body in the bush is enough. You don’t need the scientific names for anything or to be educated in how to save the bush. Being amongst the bush puts things back in scale and just to be there is enough.

PN: Betty, Harry’s neighbour, is the touchstone for the 1950s morality of a small country town, a single woman with two children with two different fathers. How did Betty appear in your imagination?

CT: I’m really interested in regret and how sometimes events that happen in a passionate youth can shape and fill your life but you don’t realise how big they were until later, sometimes a long time later. There’s this whole modern idea of rewriting yourself and your past but I just don’t believe it’s true. Your past is your past and Betty is coming to terms with her sexual past at an age, she’s 45 years old, that in 1953 was much older than 45 is today.

PN: The one thing that has really stayed with me from the book is the compassion you have for your characters. Even with the character Mues, regardless of how awful he may be, we have an understanding of a life lived. Is this something you set out to consciously do while writing the book?

CT: I’m not interested in writing moral lessons. I’m interested in how we piece things together, how we make sense of our lives after we have lived them. The story of Mues shooting the cockatoos is actually true. Someone had written a letter into Emu, the ornithological journal, detailing his observations of the female cockatoo after he had shot and killed the male. And as we sit with Mues as he watches the female cockatoo trying to feed her dead partner we know that Mues is despairing of the fact that no one cares for him like that. The desire to be desired is the most critical human emotion, to belong to someone, and in that instant, the tenderness of the birds is unbearable for him and so he shoots them all.

PN: And while that may sound downbeat or dark, the novel is full of light and shade with the desire to be desired sitting at its heart. Mateship with Birds, a novel that relays everyday joy with nuance and heartfelt understanding.

Thanks for your time, Carrie. It has been a real pleasure.

*Mateship with Birds is the title of a book of bird notes by Australian nature writer Alec Chisholm [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Hugh_Chisholm]. It was first published in 1922 and can still be found in opportunity shops and second-hand bookstores. Carrie recommends it highly.

Mateship with Birds by Carrie Tiffany is available now in paperback for $19.99.

Carrie Tiffany interview conducted by Pip, 31 January 2012.

February Books of the Month: 15% off the RRP!!

2012-01-30T18:57:00.000-08:00

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A Monster Calls Review

2012-01-27T16:07:00.000-08:00

"A Monster Calls left us with tears in our eyes, an aching heart and a beautiful story.

The magic of this book is that it’s real and imaginary. That it’s mythology and truth. ... It’s not a fantasy book but weaves mythology and the power of stories into a real story of pain and truth."

Read twelve year olds Ciara and Alethea's excellent full review here, on their blog Small Puddles!

David Sedaris Teaches Us a Thing or Two at the Opera House

2012-01-22T23:15:00.000-08:00

David Sedaris appeared like a grinning Buddha

when he appeared on the stage at the Sydney

 Opera House last week during his Australian

tour. In fact by the end of the night I'm sure

there was an aura of unsaintly goodwill

surrounding the entire crowd caused by his

outrageously funny set.

As a first-timer hearing David speak, not having seen him before or heard him on

the wonderful This American Life radio programme, I was completely won over

- by his voice!  Whilst I've read many of his books, I have to say the pieces that he

read on the evening were made complete by his voice alone.  This is a man who

could read the phone book - a la Tracy Jordan - and give us all a good chuckle.

So his smart, very naughty and extremely incisive wit were just added extras.

He begun in character, that of Cassie Hasselback, a fundamentalist Southern

Christian and regaled us with a world full of woe and retributionunder the

heading of "If I Ruled the World".  Very funny, but kinda scarytoo.  Too

scary obviously for the magazine that didn't publish it - shame on them.

The majority of the evening however was spent on pieces about David's

engagement with language, mostly foreign, and of airports.  I'd love totranscribe

every hilarious word he spoke about these things, but thecouple of times I've

attempted and failed to retell the story about the dreadlocked, 18 year-old Dad

who was wearing a t-shirt inscribed "freaky motha focka" tells me that I just

won't do it justice.  And farting stewardesses and announcements requiring Hitler

to pick up the white phone ... you had to be there.

My favourite piece of the night, which I will take the time to recall, was about his

travels in Japan.  Whilst many of us who are familiar with his writing will know

that he went to Japan to quit smoking - in this piece he talked of his problems

getting to know people with only a limited knowledge of the language.  The Pimsler

language tapes which he uses tell him how to say "Hello" and "Sorry" - very

important anywhere you go - didn't really give him the facility to tell people about

himself.  Herecalled being in a taxi and dutifully asking the driver "How many

children do you have?"   When the driver reciprocated the question, he could only

answer from his prepared list of responses.  What he wanted to say was "Oh I'm a

middle aged homosexual with a niece and godson", butwhat he told the driver was

"I have three children, two boys and one girl who is getting very big now."  A

personal aside I'm someone very lazy with learning languages so I love that you

could just learn that sentence rota - however language tapes and Lonely Planet

phrasebooks are a world apartin David Sedaris' world.  Reciting some of the things

he learnt whilst perusing a Korean phrasebook made me blush from head to toe,

but I guess dating, love and sex talk are as important travelling tools as where, how

long and how much ... On completing the Tokyo article and having it published,

David received an email from Pimsler thanking him for mentioning them in his

article and attached was a special audio which consisted of, "When asked by a taxi

driver,''How many children do you have?'', this is how you say, "Oh I'm a middle

aged homosexual with a niece and a godson".  How wonderful.  Good on you

Pimsler, someone who works there has a sense of humour.

David Sedaris is a wondrous medley of charms.  Like most observational writers

of our generation, his experience of the world is broadly found, yet his most

noteworthy pieces are about everyday concerns, like badt-shirt slogans,

swimmers worn inside out at the pool, planes that keep on getting delayed

and telephone calls that hinder our bowel movements. Kinda silly, yet it's true,

these are the small trials that test us everyday.  And whilst there are those that

would consider that we should not judge, if we do, whether it be by political

affiliations, belief systems and social class, David Sedaris has material for that too.

Afterall, most of us are just trying to get by and failing miserably by mismatching

our underwear.

Written by Megan

Indigo's Book Club

2012-01-20T17:48:00.000-08:00

We are pleased to announce a brand new book club is starting up this year! Run by 20-year-old Indigo, we’ll be reading all types of wonderful things - from general fiction to biographies, from science to science-fiction, from contemporary literature to current affairs. Oh, and all those classics you haven’t got around to yet. We're open to all ages and tastes. So if you’re interested in discussing ideas or want to broaden your bookish horizons drop us a line on (02) 9572 7766 or email books@shearersbookshop.com.au Or come and see any of our friendly staff at the front counter.

The Australian Women Writers 2012 Challenge

2012-01-04T20:42:00.000-08:00

We're going to be taking part in the Australian Women Writers 2012 Challenge. The idea is to read and review as many books by Australian women that we can this year. Given that there will be more than one person blogging here in 2012, we've signed up for Franklin-Fantastic, which means we have to read at least 10 and review at least 4 books. I reckon we can smash this challenge!

This year is going to be a great one for Australian women writers with not only this challenge, but the launch of the Stella Prize and the National Year of Reading bringing an opportunity to promote and raise awareness of some of the fantastic books being written by Australian women.

Last year at Shearer's we had a wonderful response to Australian women's writing, with Geraldine Brooks' Caleb's Crossing becoming our bestselling fiction title of the year and with books like Favel Parrett's Past the Shallows, Gail Jones' Five Bells and Mette Jakobsen's The Vanishing Act reaching bestseller status and becoming big book club hits.

Head over the Australian Women Writers website if you'd like to sign up for the challenge yourself. We look forward to sharing the great books we read with you through the year!

When We Have Wings: Review

2012-01-02T21:59:00.000-08:00

This unmissable book from a strong new talent should be put at the top of your to-read list. Claire Corbett vividly creates a world in which human beings can undergo medical procedures to give them wings. And not just decorative wings, wings that enable people to fly. The novel follows a young girl, who kidnaps the child who was in her care and the private detective hired to track her down.

As the story unfolds, Corbett reveals more and more of this not-too-distant future and the manner in which it operates. Flying has become the realm of the super-rich, with parents struggling and sacrificing to have their children undergo the procedures. The details are what makes it work so well, Claire Corbett has obviously researched her subject for a long time, and thought about what the implications of such a possibility would be. The world she creates is totally believable as is the way she describes the mechanics of flying.

Where this novel truly soars are in the descriptions of what it is like to fly. Claire Corbett catches the exhilaration, the thrill and the dangers perfectly. I was totally immersed in this book, and the world that was created. When We Have Wings works as crime fiction, speculative fiction and literary fiction.

Reviewed by Mark

When We Have Wings is available here.

You can read an interview with Claire Corbett here.

The Apothecary - Book Club Review

2012-01-02T21:02:00.000-08:00

Alethea from the kids book club reviews The Apothecary by Maile Meloy.

Nikki Gemmell Visit

2012-01-02T20:55:00.000-08:00

Nikki Gemmell visited us at Shearer's with her gorgeous son, Jago to sign some copies of her new book.

Over coffee, we discussed With My Body, which is a continuation on the extremely controversial and conversation-starting themes she explored in The Bride Stripped Bare.

Our conversation mirrored so many others that Shearer's staff have been having in the store since With My Body hit our shelves. We covered topics such as sex and our reluctance to talk about it truthfully, sexual taboos, feminisim and the changing public perception of women's roles in the face of misogynist comments in the popular media.

Nikki also talked about the exciting challenges ahead for authors to create stories which challenge and entice the tech-savvy generation.

To hear more about Nikki's writing and With My Body, watch this terrific interview with Leigh Sales from the 7.30 Report.

With My Body by Nikki Gemmell is available here.

Bestselling Fiction of 2011

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10. Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey

9. The Summer Without Men by Siri Hustvedt

8. The Cat's Table by Michael Ondaatje

7. Before I go to Sleep by S.J. Watson

6. Watercolours by Adrienne Ferara

5. All That I Am by Anna Funder

4. The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes

3. The Street Sweeper by Elliot Perlman

2. Go the F**k to Sleep by Adam Mansbach

And our bestselling fiction book of 2011 was...

1. Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks

Bestselling Non-Fiction of 2011

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10. You'll be Sorry When I'm Dead by Marieke Hardy

9. Benji by Benji Marshall & Glenn Jackson

8. The Hare with Amber Eyes by Edmund De Waal

7. Guinness World Records 2012

6. Bill's Everyday Asian by Bill Granger

5. Brain Food by Dr. Karl Kruszelnicki

4. Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson

3. Notebooks by Betty Churcher

2. Jamie's 30 Minute Meals by Jamie Oliver

And our bestselling non-fiction book in 2011 was...

1. The Happiest Refugee by Anh Do

Bestselling Children's Books of 2011

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10. The Jewel Fish of Karnak by Graeme Base

9. Alice-Miranda on Holiday by Jacqueline Harvey

8. Too Small to Fail by Morris Gleitzman

7. Press Here by Hervé Tullet

6. Alice-Miranda at School by Jacqueline Harvey

5. What Body Part is That? by Andy Griffiths

4. Con-nerd by Oliver Phommavanh

3. Cabin Fever: Diary of a Wimpy Kid 6 by Jeff Kinney

2. The Golden Door by Emily Rodda

And our bestselling children's book of 2011 was....

1. The 13-Storey Treehouse by Andy Griffiths

Everyday Kindness by Stephanie Dowrick - Reviewed by Walter Mason

2011-12-22T17:14:00.000-08:00

Walter Mason is the author of Destination Saigon. You can find him online here.

Stephanie Dowrick is by now one of the legendary figures in the world of Australian books. A pioneering feminist publisher in 1980s London, Dowrick transformed herself, first into a novelist and then into a wildly successful writer on psychology, personal growth and, in latter days, spirituality. She has grown and developed with her readership, at times leading and at times listening to the lives of ordinary people. In her latest book, Everyday Kindness, she takes up the simplest concept and creates one of the most inspiring and original books I have read in a very long time.

Born out of her collected columns for the Sydney Morning Herald’s Good Weekend magazine, Stephanie soon detected a theme in her brief writings – the everyday concerns about kindness and respect, and the great difference the cultivation of these can make in our lives. And so she edited, extended and enlarged upon these years of observation, creating this exquisite book devoted to such an unexpected topic. The short, sharp chapters, so perfect for picking up and reading whenever you have a spare moment, are at turns surprising, meditative and inspiring.

And I just kept turning and turning through the pages, filled with ideas about how I could make improvements in my life, and how I could afford to extend more kindness in almost every daily encounter. Dowrick encourages us to shift away from the obsessive worry and constant self-concern that causes so much pain in our lives. By re-focusing on the needs of others, and on the finding of solutions rather than the cultivation of complaints, we grow as people and with that growth comes a concomitant increase in self-esteem. Oddly, the self-love we so desperately search for comes to us more easily when we are actively expressing our love of others.

Encouragement, gratitude and appreciation – those wonderfully old-fashioned virtues that many of us have forgotten – are built up in the book, not just as tools of personal growth and social cohesion, but as ends in themselves. There is a tremendous psychic value, Dowrick suggests, in being joyful about others’ successes and triumphs. In doing so we are answering one of the most fundamental human needs – the desire to be appreciated and valued.

Everyday Kindness is essential reading, I think, for anyone who is worried about the state of the world and interested in ways that we can make it better. Its focus is on the personal, on the direct relationships that we are most capable of influencing and improving. Dowrick’s voice is refreshing in its simplicity and in its careful regard for compassion and the necessity of building up our personal power through supporting and respecting others.

Everyday Kindness is available here.

Shearer's Bookshop is holding an event with Stephanie on Wednesday 8th February 2012 at 7.30pm. Tickets are $10, you can book on (02) 9572 7766

Picks of 2011 - Barbara

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Unfortunately, Barbara is a little too busy to write a blurb for each book today, but she wanted to share her picks today anyway. So here they are, Barbara's top 10 books of 2011!

Hand Me Down World by Lloyd Jones

Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks

The Troubled Man by Henning Mankell

Notebooks by Betty Churcher

Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson

The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes

Press Here by Hervé Tullet

Past the Shallows by Favel Parrett

The Vanishing Act by Mette Jakobsen

And finally, Barbara's top pick, her favourite book in 2011 was....

The Street Sweeper by Elliot Perlman

Picks of 2011 - Megan

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Caribou Island by David Vann

My absolute pick for the year was David Vann's Caribou Island. Set in Alaska, it is atmospheric yet the writing is spare (it's only 300pp) making this is a book for lover's of narratives without all the fluff. Much compared to Cormac McCarthy, David Vann has a brilliant knack for setting up extremely tense moments which are extremely visceral. Brilliant!

The Summer Without Men by Siri Hustvedt

Another couple of shorties that I loved this year were both from Siri Hustvedt. They were The Summer Without Men and The Shaking Woman. The first is fiction and the other non-fiction, however both explore very similar themes surrounding women and their lot. As moved as I was by both these books, it is The Summer Without Men that brought laughter, and The Shaking Woman which reminded me of how brave and insightful her writing is. These are incredibly good books.

The Coffee Story by Peter Salmon

For my Aussie pick, I think Peter Salmon's The Coffee Story was hard to go past. Raw, verbose and completely original, this story about a dying and sometimes not quite lucid coffee magnate is terrific. Peter's writing is loud and the narrative is violent, fast-paced and even somtimes crude. A good one to blow away the cobwebs.

The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt

And last but not least, I must mention Patrick DeWitt's The Sisters Brothers. Is it naughty for a bookseller to say that the cover is initially what drew me to this book? Oh well, who can go past a skull that consists of two cowboys? Clever! And the writing is not bad either... no really, this book was a terrific, rollicking, droll-humoured winner. Not the winner of the Booker Prize (it was short-listed), however if you're not looking for worthy, but downright entertaining, The Sisters Brothers, which is about two cowboy brothers, is a sure thing.

Picks of 2011 - Mark

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Honourable Mentions:

And here are the seven books that are my picks for 2011:

Past the Shallows by Favel Parrett

Favel Parrett's debut novel has stuck with me ever since I read it earlier this year. It's written in stark prose that strongly evokes the cold and lonely area of Tasmania's coastline where it takes place. I felt the cold and damp that the characters felt. It also packs a lot in for such a small book, with the result that you're given a brief but engrossing glimpse into the life of the characters and the place.

The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes

This worthy winner of the Booker Prize is a wise and beautiful novel that plays with memory and perception. It's about a man looking back on the events of his youth and coming to understand that his sense of what happened may be wrong. Another brief book that is all the more impressive for how much it conveys with so little.

The Ritual by Adam Nevill

An awesome horror novel from an exciting new talent. Nevill's previous novel, Apartment 16, was an interesting and well structured novel but it was too over the top for my tastes. In The Ritual, he pares back the excesses of his previous work and focuses (for the first two thirds at least) on the relationships between the four main characters and the place that brings them so much despair. Like Past the Shallows, the setting lives and breathes in this book, a character as dark and menacing as the horrific creature that stalks the forest.

The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt

This was such an unexpected pleasure. When I first heard that this Western was shortlisted for the Booker I was expecting a Blood Meridian type of tale. Instead, deWitt delivered a funny and engrossing book that features two truly unique main characters. It is also one of the best designed books of the year.

You'll be Sorry When I'm Dead by Marieke Hardy

A collection of stories and anecdotes from Marieke Hardy's life, it is worth the price of admission for the chapter about Bob Ellis. Marieke reflects on her life, her friends, her family and who she is. The stories are often funny, sometimes hilarious. But they're all punctuated with her sense of style, meaning that they flow like a conversation and feel quite personal.

How I Became a Famous Novelist by Steve Hely

A razor sharp novel that delivers many laugh-out-loud moments and is a bruising satire of the publishing industry. I loved this book for so many reasons, but the description of the protagonist's life in the opening chapter is achingly funny, as the excerpts from the fake novels Steve Hely has concocted.

Embassytown by China Miéville

I was actually quite conflicted about placing this book as my top pick of 2011. It's a book that you can have a different relationship with each time you read it. And it's a book that cries out to be read more than once. Some of the concepts in Embassytown are so strange and the characters so bizarre that when you read it you can get a little distracted by them. But no book has sparked more conversations for me this year. But maybe that's more to do with the people I hang out with. The story is about Avice, who lives in the far future at the edge of the explored Universe. The planet she lives on is home to a native species called Hosts, who have a 'literal' language in which it is impossible to lie. Miéville explores linguistic concepts, themes of race and colonialism, plus the tropes of science fiction in a book that I chose because it's like nothing else that was released in 2011.

Picks of 2011 - Pip

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That Deadman Dance by Kim Scott

This year has been great for readers of Australian fiction. I was so pleased that Kim Scott’s That Deadman Dance won the Miles Franklin. What an extraordinary novel! He weaves history, language, discussions of national identity and belonging with poetry and a killer story that just keeps evolving in complexity. This remarkable work of fiction cracks open a space for us all to re-think what being Australian means. It is a true classic and needs to be read widely.

Foal's Bread by Gillian Mears

My second favorite is Foal’s Bread by Gillian Mears. It is set in northern NSW from the Second World War onwards and takes us through the lives of three generations of the Nancarrow family, famous for their horse jumping at country shows. Mears’ clear-eyed unsentimentality for her characters, their tough lives and the changes wrought by war and progress is a breath of fresh air and the lyricism she brings to the landscape (and the way the horses’ hooves pound the hard earth of One Tree, the Nancarrow property) has stayed with me a long time after finishing the book. I’ve just given it to my mother for her birthday and she is loving it.

Past the Shallows by Favel Parrett

Favel Parrett’s debut novel Past the Shallows was a complete surprise. Yes, it is a story we have heard before – three brothers, a bitter father, a dead mother, and the remoteness of far south Tasmania and Bruny Island. But, Parrett tells her story with an emotional authenticity and clarity that kept me reading the whole book in one sitting. It is also suitable for the more mature 16+ readers who want something a bit real and dark.

Hand Me Down World by Lloyd Jones

I know I’m late to the party, (and yes, he is a New Zealander) but I discovered Lloyd Jones this year. His latest, Hand Me Down World, is a cracker of a read. Jones sets us up for a straightforward crime novel but weaves in a story of a woman searching for her baby son against the contemporary geopolitics of Europe and refugees in general. It is on my list to re-read over summer.

Thirty Australian Poets edited by Felicity Plunkett

And the book that is going to be the Christmas present for each of my family members this year is Thirty Australian Poets, edited by Felicity Plunkett. This collection of poets born since 1968 is elegant, sophisticated and crackles with energy, ideas and a worldliness that will inspire you. Australian poetry is clearly in good hands!

Picks of 2011 - Elissa

2011-12-07T22:28:00.000-08:00

Stuck by Oliver Jeffers

Stuck is the story of a little boy whose kite gets stuck in a tree, and his ingenious and downright mad attempts to retrieve it. This is, like most of Jeffers' work, not a story for the literal minded. If you've read any Oliver Jeffers before you know what you're in for with his latest picture book. And if you haven't, what are you waiting for?

Arthur Rackham: A Life with Illustration by James Hamilton

Back last century when I was a little girl my father had a collection of Rackham's illustrations on old wooden runged posters. I used to sleep with 'Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens' above my head. I've always been a sucker for beautiful illustrations and now I've got these sumptuous Rackham illustrations snuggled quite comfortably next to E.H. Sheperd's.

This beautiful book covers Rackham's work from beginning to end, including sketches and some of his correspondence. But it isn't just about Rackham's work, written by art historian James Hamilton it also examines Rackham's personal life.

The Great Penguin Bookchase

At last! Trivial pursuit without all those boring sport questions! Unfortunately it still has a 'science' genre but you can't have everything. I bought this as a Christmas present for myself, not to be taken out of its shrink wrap until Christmas Day so the whole family can argue about the virtues of Goethe's 'Faust' over Marlowe's 'Faustus'. It has little books to put on little bookshelves and over 1200 questions. I can't decide if I'm more excited about this game or my sister's honey mustard ham.

Penguin Great Food series

I originally picked these up because of their lovely covers. Then I noticed one called A Dissertation upon Roast Pig by Charles Lamb and I was sold. I've collected a few of the titles now and my favourite is Recipes from the White Hart Inn by William Verral. A highly amusing and highly delicious description of being the landlord of an inn in Sussex in the eighteenth century and introducing French cookery to his customers.

Picks of 2011 - Andrew

2011-12-06T19:27:00.000-08:00

The Cat's Table by Michael Ondaatje

This has had mixed reviews, partly because it's not seen as measuring up against his unmatched (and perhaps unmatchable) In the Skin of a Lion (1987) and The English Patient (1982). This book should not be dismissed, however, as it is a charming evocation of a childhood journey by sea. Fans of the above-mentioned books will also find much to appreciate in the later sections of the book when Mynah, the thinly-veiled Ondaatje character, recalls episodes from his adult life.

The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides

I haven't yet read anything else by Eugenides (I'm not whether sure seeing Coppola Jr's film version of The Virgin Suicides counts), but this book has inspired me to go on to read his much-lauded Middlesex (2002). I get the impression The Marriage Plot is not as weighty as his 2002 novel, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. This is undoubtedly in no small part due to the fact that much of the Eugenides character Mitchell's university experience closely mirror my own, although the favourable reactions of others who have read it suggest that there is more to it than that.

A Dance with Dragons by George R. R. Martin

I only finished reading the prior novels just before this was released, so I've yet to suffer the long wait his other fans have. This one ends on as tantalising a finish as his others, however, so I'm steeling myself for years of angst before the next arrives. A Dance with Dragons fleshes out even more of the world previously only mentioned in passing, visiting infamous historical sites and paying off more set-ups than the earlier works. A must for all fans, including those who have just joined through the TV series.

Picks of 2011 - Natalie

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That Deadman Dance by Kim Scott

Kim Scott is a brilliant writer who weaves together Australia’s past, present, histories and myths in the captivating story of Bobby, a Noongar boy, who struggles to find his place and identity in Australia during settlement. That Deadman Dance is the best and most important book I have read all year – no wonder it won the Miles Franklin Award.

The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes

I read this book in one sitting, so in all honesty, I couldn’t put it down. The Sense of An Ending is a wonderful meditation on the subjectivity of memory and truth while at the same time being an enthralling mystery that keeps you guessing until the final page (and beyond). Barnes uses the first person narration perfectly to illustrate how unreliable our understanding of the world around us is – what and who do we really know?

The Sons of Clovis: Ern Malley, Adoré Floupette and a secret history of Australian Poetry by David Brooks

David Brooks is an Australian poet, writer and scholar whose various guises fuse together beautifully in his latest book. Sons of Clovis is more than a new account of the fictitious Australian poet Ern Malley, it is a intricately crafted and thought-provoking exploration of poetry and the nature of literary hoaxes themselves. If you love the detail of language and the connections in life between people, times, ideas and events then you will love this book.

Interview: Richard Newsome

2011-11-21T14:22:00.000-08:00

Hi Richard, thanks for taking the time to chat with us. Let's start with an easy one, what are you reading at the moment?
I’ve just finished The Planet of the Apes by Pierre Boulle. I had no idea he also wrote Bridge on the River Kwai. I picked this book up because I’d heard it was so much better than the Hollywood adaptation, and it is. It is a very French novel and covers some interesting philosophical issues, as well as satirising various social classes. It is about as far from Charlton Heston as you could possibly get! Next on the ‘to read’ pile is either Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel or Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin.

Tell us about your latest book, The Mask of Destiny.
It’s the third part of the Billionaire’s series and wraps up the mystery surrounding 13-year-old Gerald Wilkins, his massive fortune and why it seems everyone is out to get him. The action takes place in France, Italy and Greece and covers history dating back to ancient times. I had a great time writing it and it was with a sense of enormous satisfaction, and some relief, to type THE END. I’d started the initial story 12 years ago so I was delighted to finally get it out of me. It was like the world’s longest gestation period. I had to have a Bex and a lie down.

Are Gerald or any of the other characters based on real people?
There are a lot of bits of real people mixed into the cast of characters. Gerald is probably how I would like to have been as a 12 or 13-year-old but never quite got there. I stole a few names for the supporting roles from famous actors; people like Mrs Rutherford and Mr Fry. I nicked the personas of Margaret Rutherford and Stephen Fry to help me picture the characters in my mind’s eye and the names sort of stuck. Same with Mr Hoskins (Bob Hoskins) and the school teacher Mr Atkinson (Rowan Atkinson).

The action in your books takes place in all sorts of fun and exotic locations, is it important for you as a writer to travel to the places you write about?
I try to convince friends that my research trips aren’t junkets to interesting places, but arduous explorations into the deepest regions of my soul. They don’t believe me. My first job out of school was as a cadet newspaper reporter so I do place a lot of importance on actually going to a place to faithfully describe it. And I get great ideas from being on the ground – ideas that I would never have had if I locked myself in the library. In The Mask of Destiny, Gerald discovers the hiding spot of the ancient city of Delphi. The setting was inspired entirely by a hike my wife and I took into the rocky hills above the ruins of Delphi in search of a series of caves.

Where did the inspiration for the series come from?
I actually came up with the ending of the third book more than 12 years ago, and worked backwards from that. I’m not sure if there was a single inspiration for the story other than a lifelong desire to write a book. I’m very glad I persevered.

When you were writing The Billionaire's Curse, were you planning a trilogy or did that decision come later?
It was always a story in three parts. When I first conceived of the idea, I knew it was going to take a long time to tell. Middle grade books usually don’t go more than 75,000 words and I was never going to be able to condense the scale of the tale into that. So three parts were needed. In fact, a massive clue to the secret behind the mystery is contained in the first three words of chapter one in book one.

You got your big break by winning the Text Publishing Prize, what led you to enter the prize in the first place?
A complete failure to place the book anywhere else! The Billionaire's Curse was knocked back by a dozen literary agents before it found a home at Text. And I’m glad that was the way it worked, otherwise I would never have got to work with an amazing editor in Jane Pearson and a formidable publisher in Michael Heywood. The book is now in nine countries, including the US and Germany, so fate has worked her marvels well.

Will you miss writing the Billionaire's trilogy now that it's done?
Funny you should ask that, because I’ve just signed on to write another three books in the Billionaire’s series. Same characters but a whole new adventure and a whole new mystery. So it will be a six part series. I’m drafting the fourth book right now. It has the working title of The Man with the Silver Nose and will take our heroes into adventures in the United States, the Czech Republic and a tiny speck of an island in Sweden. And yes, I am just back from my research trip.

What has been the highlight of your career as an author?
The unsolicited feedback from parents and readers. Letters from Chattanooga in Tennessee and from the suburbs or Perth. I did a Skype author visit to a class of year 5 kids in Sioux Rapids in Iowa, and they told me how they spend their winters hooning around on snowmobiles. In my next book I decided to include some snowmobiles and since I’ve never ridden one, I emailed these guys and asked for some details. I received a heap of great stories about the risks of riding on frozen lakes and rivers so that’s all going in the book. Fun.

What are you working on next?
Part 4 of the Billionaire’s series, which hopefully will be out in time for Christmas 2012.

By the way, another author tells me it's your birthday today! Happy birthday!
You know, I’m not sure if that author really should be walking the streets without her court-ordered supervision. You might want to call the police.

The Mask of Destiny, The Billionaire's Curse and The Emerald Casket are all available now.

Interview: Heather Rossiter

2011-11-20T21:53:00.000-08:00

What do you think makes the legacy of Douglas Mawson and the other Antarctic explorers so enduring?
Well, that is a loaded question when you're talking to me, because my whole thesis is that Mawson went to the Antarctic and is remembered, but there were 30 other men who went down there too, they have been forgotten, if they have ever really been known. And Mawson is a great man, let us not dispute that. Great organisationl skills, courage and determination, but he had a lot of perosnal failings. One of the was that he would not stand for competition.

It was miserable of him really, to not acknowledge two people in particular, that's Captain John King Davis, the man who captained the Aurora, and also not to acknowledge Frank Wild, who left the 8 man base in the complement that included Charles Turnbull Harrisson, whose diary I have transcribed. And he made no effort to get the men known. However I see that 100 years later as my mission in life, to make people aware of these 30 mostly very young, very brave and quite wonderful men. They had very inadequate equipment, clothing, information, no communication and I think it is very sad that they have been lost to Australian history, because Australian history is a big picture and there is room for these men.

Tell us about your book, Mawson's Forgotten Men.
I think it's an important book for the reason I've said. I also think it's a wonderful book - now I can say that because I didn't write it, I only edited it! It's the diary of Charles Turnbull Harrisson who was one of the complement of that 8 man party that was landed 2000 km to the west of the main base. As someone else has said, perhaps their problem is that they were too good - nothing went wrong, nobody was killed or lost, they went through tremendous bizzards and hazards, what they did was quite amazing. But they have been lost to the public and I would like to bring them back.

The other thing about this diary is that in the Mitchell Library there are not only these two little black volumes, which is the handwritten diary, but there are also his artworks, quite a lot of them. So it's an exceptional record in that you have the pictorial and the literary and they complement each other. I have to say that the publisher has done a great job because they have put the images where the diary is discussing them, not in a group in the middle which is where you often get them. The other thing about that diary is that it's not only cold and courage, there's an underlying narrative with his anxiety for his two young children. 100 years ago children died a lot more than they do now and he was constantly worried about them.

The other narrative is about his wife. Really, it's a 520 page love letter to his wife, she's there the whole time, she's evoked, remembered and constantly addressed. He didn't write that diary for me to read or for you to read, it was his letter to her and what makes that so poignant is that he came back from the Antarctic in March 1913, and he then was lost at sea in December 1914 - just 18 months later. It was a terrible tragedy so you can imagine Carrie, his wife, going through those two little books, looking at his sketches and taking comfort from them. It was 14 years before she was able to part with them and she gave them to the Mitchell Library and that is why we have this record today. I have brought it out into the public because it's such a beautiful record and I think people will enjoy it and empathise with him. It's beautiful, he's such a good writer and his sketches are more than adequate, they're artworks.

How did you come to edit and publish this book?
It's Patrick White's fault! Not that I ever knew Patrick White, but I was reading David Marr's biography of Patrick White and I came across a name - Herbert Dyce Murphy - in a context I didn't understand. He's a very distant connection of mine. So out of curiosity I thought, there's more to this man than my family ever told me. So I started being curious. I went to the library and discovered that he'd been second in command to Mawson at the base, and so I kept on going and realised I was writing a biography of him, which was very exciting, and that's when I discovered these diaries.

I had no interest in the Antarctic before, but those diaries those men wrote were so beautiful. They were a release valve, a saftey valve, they could write things in there that they couldn't say - not that there were too many tensions at the western base of which Harrison was a part, nonetheless there were slight niggles that could be acknowledged in that form but otherwise had to be suppressed. But the men came across as such remarkable human beings that I always wanted to know more. I was saying something along the lines of how remarkable these diaries were to Elizabeth Ellis (the Mitchell librarian) and she said "well you, (meaning writers), are the voice of the collection". So that was a bit of a challenge wasn't it? And the diary that had really moved me the most was Harrison's because of what I said abut the narrative and awful conclusion.

I only just realised this but I have tremendous empathy with Carrie because I was also left a widow with a six year old and a four year old so I understand what she went through. So whether that made any difference unconsciously I don't know. Anyway, that's the one I chose to transcribe and it wasn't easy - so many words, over 240,000 which I edited to 150,000 the reader will be pleased to know. But of course, the writing is so small and it's a real challenge to transcribe that.

How long did the process take?
It was 4 years from go to whoa. I spent the first year trying to get a publisher. I said, I'm not going to do any work until I've got a stitched deal. I realised that I couldn't get a publisher until I'd transcribed at least part of it. It took me two years to transcribe part of it and edit it and this last year and the fourth year have been about the process of editing and publishing.

Is there something in the personalities of these men who went down there that suited them for Antarctic exploration?
Even today the men and women who go down for these twelve month stints, there's a desire and a curiousness to know more, obviously, but there's also bravery. Even today there are risks. It's still a dangerous environment and they don't go in ignorance, they're carefully selected and informed. So there's curiostiy, and love of adventure and courage.

The design of your book is beautiful, formatted like a notebook with illustrations. How much input did you have into that side of things?
The actual design, very little. The concept of his artworks being presented in the text and the selection of those all comes back to me. The designer has done a very good job of using them, the colour scheme is mine. With the first scheme we had, one of my friends said "what is this, a book of New England knitting patterns?" The colour was just not Antarctic so that had to be changed. I suggested that they look at the Sidney Nolan paintings that he did when he went there.

The colour down there is amazing. I haven't been on the ice but I've seen it from the air. And Harrisson in his narrative is constantly telling us how amazing it is and he's an artist. He's consantly remarking how contrasting the colours are, and they all make this wonderful pattern. For instance he said he never thought he would see emerald green with cobalt blue, but that's what he saw.

Do you feel after this project that he's come alive for you?
Absolutely, I know him intimately- sorry Carrie! Not that way! But I feel I know how his mind works. He was a very fine human being. He was very conflicted, for instance, by the need to kill the beautiful little snow petrels to feed the sledge dogs. They couldn't get back to base if they let the dogs die and they had to kill the birds and he hated doing it. He was such a very good person, very unassuming, modest, never puffs himself up.

When he came back, and I think this epitomises the man, he writes in his diary that on the 15th March 1913, when the Aurora coame alongside the wharf at 7am, he dropped off the ship before it was tied up, he had a swag with his precious sketchbooks and notebooks, he walked up the hill and caught the tram home to Sandy Bay where he lived. He didn't wait around for a hero's welcome. He didn't see himself as a hero - he thought 'I went there to do a job, I've done it and now I'm going home to my wife and children'. That's the kind of man he was.

What are you working on next?
Like all writers I have got another book! This one in a very, very different area and I'll spend 2012 getting that published, even if I have to do it myself!

Autographed copies of Mawson's Forgotten Men are available here.

Chasing the Dragon: The Life and Death of Marc Hunter - Extract

2011-11-16T18:00:00.000-08:00

The following is an edited extract from Chasing the Dragon: The Life and Death of Marc Hunter by Jeff Apter (Hardie Grant Books).

He had it all—the heroin chic thing before it was chic, the scars, the swagger, an incredible stage presence. He was a really intelligent, funny, talented man who enjoyed life and thought it was there to be enjoyed. He chose to take big bites.

-James Reyne

During the research for this book, I was related stories of a family man given to lengthy benders, and of a great singer who was reluctant to enter the studio. ‘Marc had the incredible ability to create a parallel reality,’ a friend of his told me. ‘It always came as something of a shock to him when people would shake their heads and say, “Boy, you really fucked that up.” ’

For much of Hunter’s life, he seemed torn between the hedonistic lure of the pop world and the stark realisation that he was trapped in an often facile, remarkably shallow business. Perhaps this cynical, well-read and eloquent man was a little too smart for rock-and-roll. He could see straight through the facade of celebrity and stardom, yet he loved the spotlight. Marc was the kind of person who could readily negotiate his way through a debate on the merits of free will versus chaos theory while ‘comfortably wading in the gutter of [seedy Sydney venue] the Manzil Room’, in the words—and sometimes the company—of writer Anthony O’Grady. He once became involved with a scheme to float zeppelins over Mexico City in an attempt to clean up the ozone, yet he smoked like a chimney. Was he conflicted? You bet.

Mike Caen, a guitarist in Dragon’s final tour of duty, wasn’t the only person to note that Hunter reminded him of legendary louche actor Peter O’Toole. ‘Marc’s wonderful side was very good and his bad side was pretty bad. When he was in a bad mood he could be a real prick.’ Such as the occasion during a 1988 tour, when Hunter’s band mates looked on aghast as Marc emptied a bottle of beer over the head of an over-zealous female fan—neither the first nor last time he’d do such a thing.

Hunter would sometimes regard press interviews as verbal warfare. ‘You expect me to answer that?’ he would snarl at some under-prepared journo. ‘What kind of question is that?’ Then he’d flash a smile and all was forgiven—and forgotten.

Signed copies of Chasing the Dragon: The Life and Death of Marc Hunter are available at Shearer's Bookshop.

You can see a video interview with Jeff Apter here.

On Indies

2011-11-14T17:50:00.000-08:00

Every morning on my way to my job as a bookseller, I have a strange encounter. Pasted on the wall of my local corner shop there is a huge Ebay poster which reads:

Buy Now! Buy Ebay! Bye Retail!

Now this is where I stop almost every day to pick up last minute items, sign local petitions, inadvertenly get the celebrity goss and to stop and talk and get ribbed about my chocolate sultanas addiction with the shopkeeper, Ramses. Whilst I realise you wouldn't technically call Ramses' family business a retail outlet, it is still a fairly odd statement for a shop to have residing next to its front door and I can't help but see the irony.

Now I don't have a problem with Ebay itself, but I do take issue with the idea that retail is an institution to be avoided. To be navigated for sure, as let's face it, there are retailers who have done nothing but a disservice to the service industry with their profiteering, cost-cutting, public-hating initiatives. I also take umbrage with the general feeling that retail is a the last resort for time-poor shoppers, that it is a shopping experience that lacks inspiration and that people who work in these industries are all unskilled and uncaring.

Am I a lonely voice in the wilderness on this? It feels like it. Recently I have read so many vitriolic articles about retail and some very gloomy ones naysaying my industry in particular. But all I can see are the positives that small retailers or indies bring to a community. So if your opinion is low, let me change your mind and give you some advice about where you should be shopping to make the most of your hard-earned dollars.

I've worked in retail since I was 18. I won't tell you exactly how long that's been, but I will say it's a very long time. I've seen the ins, the outs, the behind the scenes, the good, the bad and the ugly of major retailers and independents (indies) alike, and without embarrassment I can say that I still love it.

Independent retailers are a breed apart. Many are extremely passionate and not just about what they are selling. They generally spend a lot of time and resources ensuring that their customers and their community are one and the same and genuinely feel that way. They also do something extremely wonderful - they provide jobs, they pay taxes and rates and they're so busy working that generally they spend all their money in your communities because they don't have time to go away.

They also do things differently so as to set themselves apart, which means range and choice are always a priority. You always find the coolest stuff in indie retailers and even though their prices are seen to be higher than buying online or through major discounters, they are always the first to offer their regulars a discount or throw in a freebie. Just last week, Ramses threw in a free avocado with my irregular vegetable purchases - can't see that happening at the local Coles. And my boss is tremendously generous even though bookselling is a business subsisting on very low profit margins. I can't remember the last time I shopped online or in a major discounter that anyone offered me complimentary giftwrap, a cheery salutation, a freebie that complemented my purchases, advice about what I should buy my brother's new girlfriend for Christmas, directions to the post office or even a short segue from my purchase to the state of the country.

And whilst that may seem a little too much conversation for some, it's exactly why most indies are the backbones of our communities. We love shoppers, but we also kinda like people as well and even though there are eccentrics and socially-challenged members amongst us, our passion for our product is always paramount.

There are also some tremendous figures that support spending your money locally. Something like 60 cents out of every dollar you spend locally goes back into your community directly. Supporting local independent businesses mean that dollars, jobs, diversity and choices stay local, therefore creating strong, unique communities. Small retailers can usually also answer your questions about the providence of the items you buy through them, which means you can feel confident about your purchases.

Have I convinced you yet?

Tomorrow when I go to work and walk past that sign telling me to farewell retail, again I'll shake my head and genuinely feel sorry for those people who are missing out on the riches that retailers inadvertently give us everyday. I just hope that they realise what they're missing before it's too late. After that, Ramses and I will swap commentary on the newspaper headlines and off I'll go to work with a smile on my face, a guarantee from a quality "indie" that's an example to all of us.

So give small retailers and indies another go and rediscover your "local".

Written by Megan

How I Became a Famous Novelist: Review

2011-11-13T21:25:00.000-08:00

Steve Hely has, according to the cover of his debut How I Became a Famous Novelist, written for American Dad, The Office, 30 Rock and David Letterman. So there's an expectation going in that this is going to be a gag-fest, and at first it seems to be. But the gags later subside as the book becomes a clever and merciless parody of the publishing industry.

Pete Tarslaw is pushing 30, extremely single (possibly due to his lack of personal hygiene) and stuck in a terrible job, where he writes essays for international college students who don't have a good grasp on English. He is contemptuous of the popular novels that line bookstore shelves, and thinks of the authors as charlatans who manipulate the emotions of a gullible book-buying public.

So he decides to join their ranks by writing the most commercially appealing book he can. The finished result, The Tornado Ashes Club, is a truly awful book that becomes an overnight sensation. All that's left after Pete's meteoric rise is his spectacular fall.

I was laughing out loud by page one. The gags are fast and funny as Pete describes his lifestyle and his work. It gets even funnier as he introduces the authors that populate the story (all parodies of actual authors, the fun is in working out who's who). There are some truly terrible extracts from the fictional books that the plot centres on, including Pete's own novel - Steve Hely is a great writer to be able to pull those extracts off.

The publishing process and the industry in general is mercilessly pilloried - one character who is an editor admits that she doesn't even know the difference between a good and bad book. And the scene where Pete sits in a large bookstore and analyses what he thinks readers want based on how they look is gut-bustingly funny.

How I Became a Famous Novelist is a comic novel that really works due to the quality of Steve Hely's writing and the amount of material he has to work with. Readers, writers, editors, publishers and especially critics are parodied, and parodied well, to the full extent of Hely's comic powers. By far the funniest book to be published in 2011.

How I Became a Famous Novelist is also the First Tuesday Bookclub pick for December.

Reviewed by Mark

How I Became a Famous Novelist is available here.

You can read an interview with author Steve Hely here.

Sarah Watt: A Great Australian Talent

2011-11-10T17:49:00.000-08:00

The staff at Shearer’s were saddened to hear that film maker, animator and author Sarah Watt passed away.

We all remember the great morning we had with Sarah and William who came to Leichhardt to chat about Sarah’s beautiful and motivational children’s picture book Clem Always Could.

Sarah was so gracious and friendly and William in his inimitable style read the book and had kids and adults transfixed. It was a special morning and we fondly remember the event.

William and Sarah’s personal story Worse Things Happen at Sea is a testament to their love for one another and their amazing approach to circumstances that have occurred in their lives.

Our condolences go to William, Clem and Stella. Australia has lost a rare talent and a very nice person.

Written by Barbara

Ruby Blues by Jessica Rudd - Book Launch

2011-11-08T21:51:00.000-08:00

Jessica Rudd talking about Ruby Blues.

Much like Jessica Rudd’s writing, the launch of her second novel, Ruby Blues, was a sassy mixture of style and intelligence. Mia Freedman, former editor of Cleo and friend of Jessica’s, officially launched the novel, raving about Jessica’s innate sense of plot and wicked sense of humour.

When Mia first discovered the character of Ruby Stanhope in Campaign Ruby, she immediately transferred her girl-crush form Jessica to the lead character who leapt off the page. Mia describes Jessica’s books as ‘fresh’ with writing that ‘zings’ and ‘one-liners that you want to read to passers by.’

Returning the girl-crush, Jessica expressed her wish that there were more women out there like Mia who helped each other out. Women are under-represented in parliament and boardrooms so Jessica believes it is natural that women compete with one another, but imagine if it were different. Ruby Blues is about women networking to bring each other up instead of tearing each other down, the expectations put on women and the expectations women put on themselves. It also has more hilarious insights into first-term governments, the media, fashion, and relationships that make politics sexy, fun and a living breathing human thing instead of background noise to the balancing act of family, careers and everyday life.

Mia Freedman and Rhys Muldoon at the launch

Jessica wants people to love her characters and love themselves. After reading Ruby Blues that shouldn’t be too hard, as Mia Freedman said, ‘We need characters like Ruby and we need authors like Jessica.’

Written by Natalie

Autographed copies of Ruby Blues are available here.

The Sense of an Ending: Review

2011-11-08T18:23:00.000-08:00

Having never read a Julian Barnes novel before, (despite the efforts of Barbara to get me to read Arthur & George), I came to this novel with very little idea of what to expect. I knew Barnes' reputation, and I knew, of course, that The Sense of an Ending had just won the Booker Prize. So it was an absolute pleasure to be enthralled by this wonderful book.

The story is divided into two parts. In part one, the protagonist, Tony Webster, recounts how he first met his brilliant friend Adrian Finn at school. Tony later fell in love with a woman who he had a difficult relationship with, when she later spurns his affections and instead opts for Adrian, Tony is left bewildered, angry and heartbroken. In part two, Tony is over 60 years of age and is forced to reflect on his friendship with Adrian and his relationship to the woman he loved when events bring him into contact with that world once again.

But more than anything, Tony is forced to face himself. Who was he as a young man? How reliable is his memory of that time? How reliable is his memory of himself? Will he ever truly understand how he is perceived by others and how his actions impacted them? The novel is beautifully written, and due to its length (only 150 pages), not a single word is wasted. It's all about memory, age, identity and history. So much is packed in, but it all fits together so well.

I read it over the course of a day, and as soon as I had finished I started it again, reading the entire first part. This was already a completely different experience. The Sense of an Ending is a wise novel that demands your attention and rewards multiple readings.

Reviewed by Mark

The Sense of an Ending is available here.

Win a Trip to Melbourne!

2011-11-03T22:17:00.000-07:00

Murdoch Books are offering one lucky Shearer's customer a fantastic prize!

All you have to do to be in the running is purchase a copy of MoVida Cocina, the new book from MoVida restaurateur Frank Camorra, at Shearer's before 31/12/11.

The prize is definitely the biggest one we've ever been able to offer to our customers, and is exclusive to Shearer's!

Prize:

A trip for 2 people to Melbourne* with 2 nights accommodation plus dinner at MoVida and a masterclass with Frank Camorra in the MoVida Aqui kitchen!

So come to our store at 99 Norton Street in Leichhardt, or purchase MoVida Cocina online to go in the draw for our best prize ever! You can read all about MoVida Cocina below:

Feel the pulse of its thriving tapas bars, watch the speed and grace of its wait staff, inhale the aroma of sizzling chorizo and savour the salty sweetness of crayfish straight off the grill . . .

From its flagship restaurant in Melbourne’s Hosier Lane, to the opening of its latest venture Pulpo, MoVida has always embodied the heart and soul of Spanish cuisine. By fusing local and international flavours and pushing culinary boundaries, the MoVida restaurants have irrevocably changed the landscape of Australian dining.

MoVida Cocina gives you a closer look at the people, venues and dishes that have made the MoVida bars and restaurants what they are today. Acclaimed chef and owner Frank Camorra takes us behind-the-scenes to reveal special techniques, signature dishes and the pure joy of cooking that infuses his life and work. He also reveals 70 stunning new recipes, including his chorizo-filled fried potato bombs, which featured in a nail-biting episode of 'MasterChef Australia' in 2010.

You can purchase MoVida Cocina here.

You can find out more about MoVida by visiting their website.

*flights to Melbourne are from domestic capital cities only!

Interview: Janelle McCulloch

2011-10-31T20:50:00.000-07:00

Let's start with an easy one, what are you reading at the moment?
I’m actually re-reading an old Australian classic–Picnic at Hanging Rock. I’m writing a book about the story behind the story of Picnic at Hanging Rock, and have uncovered all sorts of startling anecdotes and insights from those who knew Joan Lindsay. A lot of the novel does seem to be based on Lindsay’s life, so I thought I’d re-read it to play dot-to-dot with the information I’ve found.

Can you tell us about your new book, Paris: A Guide to the City's Creative Heart?
Paris: A Guide to The City’s Creative Heart is a fresh look at Paris through design-tinted glasses. It’s a lovely, visually rich collage of the city’s most inspirational destinations, from bookstores, vintage boutiques and paper stores to design museums, whimsical galleries, gardens, architecture, and of course its most interesting neighbourhoods and quartiers, all photographed in glorious detail. It uncovers hundreds of intriguing places and destinations overlooked by traditional guides, but it also acts as a visual inspiration/sourcebook, complete with ephemera, mementoes, notes and photos. The book was intended for creative professionals who travel to Paris for either work or leisure and want a guidebook that offers both a joyous sense of place and a real feeling of intimacy, wrapped up in a tactile package of pleasurable Parisian layers.

What is the process that goes into creating a book like this? Is there a clear vision at the start?
Absolutely. The vision came about because I’ve written several books on Paris, and am always asked where the best places to go are. I wanted to write a ‘creative guide’ to the city, so everyone could benefit from the insights that journalists have. Together with my publisher, Mary Small at Plum, we planned the book, section by section, and then I flew to Paris to photograph it over 10 days. We wanted to create a book that really inspired people and so everything from the copy to the images, which were fresh and quite often whimsical and quirky, is filled with ideas and inspiration.

How many photos did you take for this book, and how do you choose which ones make the cut?
I took 6000 photographs over 10 days, working from 6AM to 10PM. I was constantly shooting, even while walking from one place to another. Some of the best shots–and ideas–in Paris are the unexpected ones, so you have to keep your eyes and mind open! I think Grace Coddington once noted this as well. This 6000 was culled down to 2000 or so, which was then culled to several hundred for the book. The selection was entirely down the Plum’s editors. It would have been too difficult for me to choose!

What's your personal history with Paris?
I have lived or lingered in Paris for more than 20 years, for both short and long periods, and for both business trips and pleasure (although in Paris, even the business is pleasure). I first discovered it in my early twenties when I broke up with the Queen Mother’s equerry and fled to the city to mend my broken heart. What’s that saying? Living well is the best revenge…

What is it about Paris that you think inspires so much creativity?
Paris has a history of creativity that goes back centuries. Aesthetics is part of the French way of life–you could even say it’s an integral element of their collective anatomy–and they take it very seriously. I’m not sure where it comes from, but I do know that it’s a firm part of the city’s spirit and day-to-day life. You only have to look at the architecture, the gardens and the beautifully planned lines of sight everywhere, which cleverly direct your gaze down, around, up and across Paris, to see how talented the French are at great design. To them, everything needs to be beautiful. They get very upset if something’s out of place!

If you had one day to show someone around the city, what would be in the Janelle McCulloch tour of Paris?
I’d start by walking down to the Pont des Arts bridge on the Seine at first light and watching the city wake up. The crisp, delicious morning light is the best light to photograph Paris in and the Pont offers the perfect vantage point to do it. Then I’d stroll to the 6th and one of the cafes in the cobblestoned, pedestrian-only Rue Cler, an open market street that’s always bustling with locals, life and energy. After a coffee here, I’d persuade my friend to pop into the new and used bookstores in the area, which have made this quarter a haven for publishers, writers and media types for decades. (More details on these in the book.) Then we’d wander through the gorgeous greenery of the Luxembourg Gardens to watch Parisians at play before heading for extraordinarily beautiful Le Bon Marché department store to peruse the design ideas, unique gifts and Art Deco architecture in the new, top-floor La Maison d'Edition department. It would be lunchtime by now so we’d stop at Ralph Lauren’s new restaurant on Boulevard Saint Germain for a chic French salad and wine, then grab a taxi to the Marais to visit the must-see Carnavalet Museum (free), a sublime ode to Paris captured through maps, models and replica interiors. (It also has a lovely garden.) From here, it’s a short walk through the Marais to Merci, a fab Parisian store full of whimsy and wit. We’d be tiring now, so I’d advise that we grab the Metro to Notre Dame to climb the towers and see the beautiful (and quintessential) view of Paris as the pink twilight falls over the city-although the top of the Eiffel Tower is also lovely for sunset delights. Then I’d head back to the hotel for a shower before heading out one last time–dressed to the nines–for dinner at the historic Grand Vefour restaurant in the Palais Royal. (Hopefully my friend is paying.) Afterwards, we’d wander through the Palais Royal and the Tuileries and down to the Seine to see the boats, the lights and the magic of Paris. If we had energy–and my ‘friend’ was a male, I’d finish the evening with a kiss under the enchanting lights of the Pont Alexandre III Bridge. But we probably wouldn’t have the energy, and my friend would probably want to skip the prolonged romance and go straight home to bed.

Having worked widely as a writer, editor and journalist for many years, is there something that stands out as a career highlight?
Many, many things, including the sights, cities and islands I’ve been privileged to see, including Harbour Island in the Bahamas, Shelter Island in the Hamptons and Lord Howe Island. But while the travel is magical, the real highlights are the people you meet, and I’ve met some incredible and memorable personalities. I’ve met amazing architects, charismatic movie stars, inspirational hoteliers, truly great designers and writers (including many I admire), and unexpectedly fabulous characters, such as a 80-year-old Parisian who owned a charming antique map store in Paris, and a legendary 90-year-old cowboy and former Hollywood star who was still kicking around in Palm Springs. It’s the people who stand apart in my memory, even more than my bestsellers, my magazine career and all the overseas travel.

And as someone who is intimate with French culture, do you have a favourite cheese? 
This is a terrible thing to say but I hate cheese! Will I be banished from the country now?

What are you working on next?
I’m finishing writing a book about Picnic at Hanging Rock, or the story behind the story, and also a book called How To Live An Elegant Life: Following in the Footsteps of Chanel, which looks at French style, where it comes from (it’s largely due to Chanel), and how we can emulate it. Both are out in 2012.

Paris: A Guide to the City's Creative Heart is a Shearer's Book of the Month for November, and is available at 15%off the RRP until 30/11/11.

November Books of the Month: 15% off the RRP!!

2011-10-31T19:24:00.000-07:00

Books of the month are available in store or online.

Please note that books are released throughout the month so not all titles will be available on the 1st.

1Q84

2011-10-25T23:53:00.000-07:00

1Q84 is the phenomenal new novel from Haruki Murakami, author of Norwegian Wood and The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle.

Released as a trilogy in his native Japan, it went on to become a massive bestseller - the first print run sold out the day it was released. The title is a wordplay as the number 9 in Japanese is often pronounced as 'kew', and the title is a reference to Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four.

From our perspective in the shop, this buzz surrounding this book has been huge. It's definitely going to be one of the biggest titles this Christmas.

As for the plot, here's how the local publisher Random House describe it:

The year is 1984. Aomame sits in a taxi on the expressway in Tokyo.

Her work is not the kind which can be discussed in public but she is in a hurry to carry out an assignment and, with the traffic at a stand-still, the driver proposes a solution. She agrees, but as a result of her actions starts to feel increasingly detached from the real world. She has been on a top-secret mission, and her next job will lead her to encounter the apparently superhuman founder of a religious cult.

Meanwhile, Tengo is leading a nondescript life but wishes to become a writer. He inadvertently becomes involved in a strange affair surrounding a literary prize to which a mysterious seventeen-year-old girl has submitted her remarkable first novel. It seems to be based on her own experiences and moves readers in unusual ways. Can her story really be true?

Aomame and Tengo's stories influence one another, at times by accident and at times intentionally, as the two come closer and closer to intertwining. As 1Q84 accelerates towards its conclusion, both are pursued by persons and forces they do not know and cannot understand. As they begin to decipher more about the strange world into which they have slipped, so they sense their destinies converging. What they cannot know is whether they will find one another before they are themselves found.

1Q84 is a magnificent and fully-imagined work of fiction – a thriller, a love-story and a mind-bending ode to George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four. It is a world from which the reader emerges stunned and altered.

1Q84 is available now.

Event: Bill Granger

2011-10-25T17:38:00.000-07:00

"My favourite all-time question is 'Are your teeth real?' and the answer is 'Yes!'"

Whilst the wind was blowing a gale outside the ILVE showroom last night in downtown Leichhardt, inside was only the gentle and tantalising waft of Asian flavours produced by chef extraordinaire and all round good bloke, Bill Granger.

"Life is distracting and time taken at the end of the day to eat together is important."

In his new book Bill's Everyday Asian, Bill entices us to import a range of Asian flavours into our everyday cooking and last night he proved that not only can the process be quick and easy, but bloody tasty too. Cooking a Mild Curry Chicken with Cucumber salad, thrown together from a range of recipes included in his new book, Bill impressed on us that recipes don't need to be set in stone, but can be tweaked according to what you have available in your pantry and whilst it's important to
include authentic asian flavours, one can do so without having to rack up a shopping list as long as the Great Wall of China.

Like most Australians, Bill loves to eat simple and fresh. He touted Australians as some of the most adventurous and easy eaters mainly because of our multicultural population. He obviously hasn't met my Dad, but then my Dad has yet to meet Bill's Everyday Asian - that'll sway him.

After leaving us with some incredibly useful tips (from which mortar and pestel is best to invection versus gas), and teased us with news of his new restaurant in Notting Hill (but wouldn't reveal its name...), Bill then signed everybody's book while they nibbled on (oh my gosh) melt in your mouth Ginger Fudge. What a night!

"Jamie Oliver is so successful because he's genuine."

One could say the same about Bill.

Signed copies of Bill's Everyday Asian are available here.

You can find out about Bill Granger, his restaurants and books at www.bills.com.au

Interview: John Birmingham

2011-10-24T19:38:00.000-07:00

Hi John, thanks for your time! Let's start with an easy one, what are you reading at the moment?
As always I have a coupla books on the go at the moment. Walter Isaacson's bio of Steve Jobs, which I decided to get in iBooks because it seemed appropriate, Mira Grant's zombie thriller Deadline, the excellent sequel to the awesome Feed, and George RR Martin's A Storm of Swords.

Can you tell us about Angels of Vengeance?
Angels brings together all the threads of the stories I plucked apart in Without Warning and After America, bringing vengeance to those in need of it, and closure to those who survive. It's a much more intimate novel than the previous two. Still violent and accelerated, of course, but at a much more personal level. A lot of characters die. Some good, some bad.

How do you approach writing a trilogy? Is there lots of forward planning involved or does it unfold as you write it?
I like to know in general terms where I'm going to end up when I set out on these long journeys. If you don't have any clue, you're likely to get horribly lost. But apart from setting the broad outlines and themes I want to follow, I prefer to let the characters decide where they're going to take us. I learned in my earlier series that if the story is to really come alive you have to let it tell itself.

The trilogy envisions a parallel reality where a mysterious energy wave wipes out the American population just before the Iraq war of 2003. What inspired this idea and how did it turn into the story that you're now concluding?
Haha. It grew out of an argument I had with a campus idiot over twenty years ago. He was one of these characters who blames every evil in the world on America. We were arguing about the Tiananmen Square massacre in China, which he blamed on George Bush, and at some point he became so enraged that he screamed at me, "We'd all be much better off if we woke up one morning and America was gone, just gone!"

That crazy thought came back to me decades later when I was trying to think of a new idea for a series after finishing the Axis of Time novels.

Considering the events of the first book, can you lay claim to having killed more people on paper than almost any other writer?
I can probably lay claim to running up a megadeath body count faster than anyone else. Four hundred million in the first few pages.

Of the many characters in the series, was there someone you preferred to write for? And will you miss them now that the series is over?
I will really miss Caitlin and Milosz. Between them they were far and away my two faves. Enormous fun to write and the sort of characters I'd love to count among my friends in real life. Because you really wouldn't want them as enemies. I started to miss them within minutes of finishing the final draft.

What sort of research was involved for the series?
Weapons and maps. If you get the guns and the scenery wrong people get right up in your face about it. There's always lots of incidental research to do, like the rate at which a human body decays when hung from from a lamppost for example. That was a special one from After America. But getting the geography and the weapons right takes up huge amounts of time. Luckily so much of that stuff is online now I can do the research on the fly.

Have you had a reaction from the American audience?
Yeah, you'd think they'd be put out, but no. Most of my US readers really enjoyed the way the world went to hell when they weren't around to set it to rights anymore.

When you were writing Angels of Vengeance you kept your fans in the loop via twitter, teasing them with plot points, getting them to join you in the 'pomodoro method', how important do you find social media for yourself as a writer?
It's a two edged sword. On one hand it can be hugely helpful for doing research, and of course for letting readers know what's coming up, but of course if you're an addictive type, like me, when it comes to human contact, it can also be very dangerous. There's a lot of time just waiting to be wasted on Twitter in particular.

Speaking of social media and technology, what's your take on the impact that technology will have on books and reading?
I'm very bullish on the future of books and on independent booksellers in particular. I think in the future a lot more people will do a lot more reading, thanks to ubiquitous ereading programs and apps, not just on dedicated readers but on phones. But I don't think the market for hard copy books will disappear. It'll be less important, in a comparative sense, but there will always be people who want to collect the physical artifact of a book. In future I think we'll distinguish as readers between disposable titles and what I call 'shelf worthy' books.

What are you working on next? Is there another action/adventure trilogy waiting to be written?
I'm writing some novellas set on the Weapons of Choice story world, and will start a new long form series in a couple of weeks. But I'm still nailing down the final details of the latter so can't really talk about it.

Thanks for your time!

Angels of Vengeance is available here.

Without Warning is currently available at the special price of $14.95. After America is also available.
You can visit John Birmingham at www.cheeseburgergothic.com

Interview: Claire Corbett

2011-10-24T19:25:00.000-07:00

Hi Claire, thanks for taking the time to talk with us, let's start with an easy one. What are you reading at the moment?
Catch-22, which I've never read before. It took me a while to get into it because there are so many characters but now the humour is really beginning to work on me. I'm also reading Seven-tenths: The Sea and Its Thresholds by James Hamilton-Paterson for research and I've just finished Animal People by Charlotte Wood, which I loved. What a great portrait of Sydney and Sydney types.

Tell us about When We Have Wings.
The book is set in a very recognisable near future where the dream of being able to fly is now physical reality. Only the rich can afford the surgery, drugs, and gene manipulation to get their own wings, however. My main character Peri, a poor girl from the regions, will sacrifice anything to get her wings and join this elite but the price is higher than she could have imagined.

When Peri kidnaps the baby of her rich employers and flees, a private investigator is hired to track her down. He doesn't have wings but is facing the dilemma over whether to pay for his son to have the surgery, much as parents agonise over private schools now.

The book explores the exhilaration and terror of flight as well as the dilemmas around such a radical modification of the human.

When We Have Wings has been getting some serious praise; when you were writing it did you know it was something special?
I always believed it was. I always had faith in it. It seemed like an original idea and yet somehow a story that had always been there, like the sculpture waiting in the stone for the sculptor to release it.

Where did the inspiration for the book come from?
From many sources; a great deal of it from living near the Rocky Mountains and envying eagles and hawks soaring off cliffs. Also from flying dreams. It seems all of us know what it feels like to fly from our dreams and for many people these dreams are among the most important experiences of their lives.

The idea of enhancing the human body is a classic sci-fi concept, did you look to any of the classic authors and stories when writing your book?
I've read a fair bit of classic sci-fi and love the great films such as 2001: A Space Odyssey, Alien and Terminator but I wasn't consciously aware of any influences. I love great women speculative fiction writers such as Margaret Atwood, Marge Piercy and Ursula Le Guin. Atwood and Piercy write across many genres and styles and they are interested in the social consequences of the changes they describe.

I'm more inspired by the incredible advances happening in the real world - authors could get all the inspiration they need from reading New Scientist every week. I was affected by the social evolution of fertility technology and plastic surgery, the way these technologies were seen as shocking, controversial, then commonplace and in some cases almost expected.

A reader drew a link for me recently between the glass paperweight in Orwell's 1984 and the glass paperweight my character Peri gives to her employer, architect Peter Chesshyre. The link was unconscious on my part but has resonance, especially as Winston Smith buys the paperweight in the prole district and Peri symbolises the underclass up to a point in my book.

What is it about the sci-fi/speculative fiction genre that attracts you?
I think it's the main way fiction can deal with reality now, with all that is looming. The world is changing faster than ever in our history; the rate of change itself is increasing exponentially. I notice that so many recent novels and short stories could have been written any time in the past fifty years or so - you can't say that about Cory Doctorow or Neal Stephenson. If we wait until the changes bearing down on us are here, it's already too late to think about them. I love that speculative fiction gives you ways to think about important ideas and issues in an imaginative, sometimes liberating, sometimes terrifying sense. It allows you to write beautifully about fascinating things.

Do you think genre classification is important and if so, where do you see When We Have Wings fitting?
No; classification allows people to dismiss categories of interesting work wholesale. The desire to do that is understandable but I'd like to see what would happen if fiction was just shelved alphabetically in a bookstore and you had to approach every book with an open mind. Kerryn Goldsworthy said in a terrific review of Stephen M Irwin's The Broken Ones that crime is where plot went when it was kicked out of literary fiction and that sci-fi is where the ideas went. You can have it all; ideas, story and literary craft. Allen & Unwin decided When We Have Wings is literary fiction and I wrote the book with that intention; that every sentence would be as crafted and beautiful as I could make it.

You've lived in and visited some very interesting and contrasting parts of the world; has this been something you've drawn on as a writer?
Yes. When We Have Wings is set in a City reminiscent of Sydney but it's become an even more Asian city in the book, with many Buddhist monks and people putting out colourful offerings of flowers on the street as they do in Bali. It's hot, humid, with almost monsoonal downpours. There are slums and I was interested in making the place a mix of cultural influences. The more I travel, the more I want to write out of this melange of cultural influences.

What was the path that led to you becoming a published author?
A long one! Endless rewrites, really. I sent my work off and my agent took me on. Then there was a lot more rewriting and my wonderful agent sold When We Have Wings to Allen & Unwin, who are just fabulous to work with.

What are you working on next?
I am now contracted for a second novel. This book is set under the sea. That's all I can say for now except that my passion for the sea is deeper even than my interest in flight.

When We Have Wings is available here.
Claire Corbett is appearing at the Speculative Fiction Festival at the NSW Writers' Centre on Saturday 5 November. You can visit Claire at her website www.clairecorbett.com

The 2011 Booker Prize Winner

2011-10-18T16:50:00.000-07:00

THE SENSE OF AN ENDING

by Julian Barnes

The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes has "the markings of a classic of English Literature. It is exquisitely written, subtly plotted and reveals new depths with each reading," according to Stella Rimington, the chair of judges for this year's Man Booker Prize.

Barnes has previously been shortlisted three times for the Booker Prize and has finally won the £50,000 award, plus the inevitable bump in sales that the winner always gets. Last year's winner, The Finkler Question by Howard Jacobson, has sold over 250,000 copies since winning the prize.

The Sense of an Ending is the story of one man coming to terms with his personal history. Memory, middle age and friendship are the subjects of this insightful and surprising novel. It's also one of the shortest Booker Prize winners in recent memory, at approximately 150 pages.

On a personal note, I accurately predicted the prize yet again. I've accurately predicted it every year since working here, but I never tell anyone until after the prize has been announced, in case I jinx it.

Congratulations to Julian Barnes and his local publisher Random House for this achievement.

Kate Grenville Event

2011-10-12T22:27:00.000-07:00

As someone who is a strong advocate and avid reader of Australian literature, I was anticipating great things from our event with Kate Grenville and the night did not disappoint. Promoting her new book, Sarah Thornhill, Grenville captivated a packed Shearer’s bookstore, proving that her mastery of storytelling extends beyond the page.

In 2005, Kate Grenville released The Secret River - arguably one of the most important Australian novels and certainly one of the most talked about. The story follows the life of William Thornhill, an Englishman sent to the NSW penal colony for steeling timber and who, once receiving his pardon, settles along the Hawkesbury River. The story is inspired by Grenville’s great-great-great grandfather, Solomon Wiseman, for whom Wiseman’s Ferry is named after. At first glance, it is a simple story, even a familiar one, yet Grenville realised that there are no simple stories of settlement; there are always darker and more complicated implications hidden underneath. Wiseman’s story was handed down through Grenville’s family using well-worn phrases. One of those was that Wiseman ‘took up’ land in NSW. When Grenville realised that those words were a euphemism for the fact that Wiseman appropriated land from the Darug people of the Hawkesbury, she began a long journey of reconciliation, not only with Australia’s larger history but her personal history as well. The result of that journey is the recently completed trilogy that includes The Secret River, The Lieutenant, and Sarah Thornhill. Collectively, these stories explore what the phrase ‘took up’ land actually meant; they explore the colonial project.

Grenville is passionate about the past and stresses the importance of knowing our personal histories. She reminded us that if one generation doesn’t write down their family stories they are lost forever. So, at the urging of Grenville, start writing now!

Sarah Thornhill picks up the story of the Thornhill family that were introduced in The Secret River. As before, this novel is inspired by a mixture of the ‘enormous scattered tapestry of Wiseman descendants’, and historical events and archives. In her research, Grenville discovered that Solomon Wiseman had a son, William, who was a sealer who lived in New Zealand for his work. There, he married a Maori woman and they had a daughter together even though he already had a family waiting for him along the Hawkesbury. When William and his wife drowned, Solomon Wiseman sent for their child - his granddaughter - and brought her up in NSW. The girl’s name became Sophia Betty Wiseman.

For Grenville, Sophia's story parallelled the story of Australia’s Stolen Generation. This young girl was taken away from family, taken away from language and even taken away from her own name. The story also fitted with Grenville’s two previous books - notions of black and white and having a foot in both these worlds. It was reflective of Australia's sad misguided history.

Grenville has always been open about her creative process. Her book, Searching For The Secret River is a fascinating look-behind-the-scenes of The Secret River that reveals the people and events that the story was inspired by, and also gives insight into her research and writing processes. For Sarah Thornhill, Grenville claims to owe the Cosmos for bringing the story to life. The universe conspired for Grenville to attend a literary event in Auckland. As she was hiking up the side of a volcano, Grenville says the Cosmos spoke to her, urging her to write a book about the Wiseman's granddaughter. All Grenville had to write on was a brown paper bag that was holding her lunch, but it was enough. She sat down and ‘dictated’ the plot of Sarah Thornhill on the crumpled wrapper. The Cosmos even gave her a first sentence, that has since been moved to another part of the book: ‘It was a Sunday when she arrived. None of us could say her name, so we called her Betty.’ It took Grenville two and a half years to produce the rest of the novel.

Grenville explained that even though she had the themes, there needed to be an emotional pull. That pull ended up being the most compelling plot line of them all - a love story. The inspiration for the Betty’s lover once again came from real life. Thomas Chastler, a friend of William Wiseman, was born to a convict father and an Aboriginal woman (a 'New Holland half-caste' according to the records). Grenville shared how he leaped out from the archives as a strong, charismatic and handsome man. In imagining how the story of her great-great grandmother, renamed Sarah Thornhill, and Thomas Chastler, renamed Jack Langman, could have met and fallen in love, Grenville was able to write her latest novel, Sarah Thornhill.

Grenville is an important author on the issue of reconciliation in this country. She uses fiction to confront Australia’s past and the personal distress of knowing that white Australians, like herself, have the lives that they do because their ancestors had committed crimes against the Aboriginal people. Grenville believes that we do not have to necessarily feel guilty about that history but we need to know about it and tell the story. In answering how Aboriginal tribes have responded to her novels, Grenville said that the response has been hugely positive - to have their story told – or the ugly part of that story told - by a whitefella means something.

The release of Sarah Thornhill is a major Australian literary event. If you haven’t already started reading Grenville’s Hawkesbury River trilogy, I would encourage you to put it at the top of your reading list. Not only is it a well written and entertaining read, but it is an important step towards understanding Australia and each of our places in it.

Written by Natalie

Sarah Thornhill, The Secret River, The Lieutenant and Searching For The Secret River

are available now.

A Picture Book Review

2011-10-12T17:28:00.000-07:00

I Want My Hat Back

by Jon Klassen

It was with great excitement that the staff at Shearer's Bookshop picked up I Want My Hat Back, the latest work by Jon Klassen. This is his first time writing as well as illustrating (you may recognise his style from The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place by Maryrose Wood). For his first writing job he has given us a dramatic crime noir story, implemented with great skill and subtlety in the unusual form of a children's picture book. Klassen's premise is simple, but it is displayed with the deft skill of a wordsmith and the illustrations of a true talent in the world of watercolours. The main narrator, a bear, wants his hat back. Has he lost it? Has it been stolen? These questions and more will plague you until the book's gripping finale.

Now if you're anything like us, this adventure into the seedy underbelly of a seemingly picturesque woodland grove might come as some surprise to you. It might even seem that the themes of loss and self-discovery are overshadowed by theft and revenge but Klassen has thrown aside the traditions of contemporary story telling and presents us with just dialogue in the text, leaving his evocative and yet simple illustrations to evoke our sympathies on behalf of the bear, and our suspicions of these cunning forest creatures.

This exceptional work is not a 'whodunnit' but is instead replete with themes that will resonate and leave the reader pondering how so many ideas, such as examinations of animal rights and capital punishment, can fit into a work only 40 pages long. Especially one so exquisitely told with the light brushstroke of a master of subtlety and sly humour. But be warned, the blurb might give away the ending.

Basically, this review is not serious but this book is completely awesome. Read it.

Written by Elissa

I Want my Hat Back is available now

Elliot Perlman Event

2011-10-10T23:31:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday, Shearer’s hosted an event to promote The Street Sweeper – the latest novel from multi-award winning Australian author, Elliot Perlman. Elliot said that, ‘Coming to Shearer’s was like coming home’ and we were happy to welcome him back. Elliot has recently returned from New York where he lived for four years. During that time, his home was opposite a renowned cancer hospital. Elliot used to watch people gather outside the building to smoke their cigarettes and realised that these were people who should never have met. The assortment of personalities on the sidewalk – doctors, nurses, cleaners, people from the hospital gift store and library, family and friends of patients – could not have been more disparate. If New York was a microcosm of the world, then this hospital was a microcosm of New York. Elliot began to imagine, ‘What if a friendship developed?’ With that thought the seed for The Street Sweeper was planted in his mind.

The Street Sweeper follows two main characters. The first is Lamont Williams, an African American probationary janitor who works in a hospital and forms an unlikely friendship with an elderly Holocaust survivor. The second is an Australian historian, Adam Zignelik, whose career and long-term relationship are falling apart. Both stories lead the reader through the Civil Rights struggle in the United States to the Nazi death camps of Auschwitz-Birkenau. The Street Sweeper ambitiously spans Chicago, New York, Melbourne and Poland and brilliantly weaves together characters, countries, history and the present day in a compelling and thought-provoking style of writing.

Elliot admitted that he is a stickler for detail so it is no surprise that The Street Sweeper took six years to write. In handling such significant and sensitive events as the Civil Rights movement and the Holocaust, Elliot knew he had to do extensive research. It was crucial for him to accurately and respectfully get the facts right. In addition to studying historical archives, Elliot travelled to many cities and towns talking to people in order to get a feel for the book. Elliot told us about the six times he visited Auschwitz in the company of Robert Novak, a guide at Auschwitz Museum. On one occasion, when Elliot was standing in the ruins of Crematorium Four, it began to snow. He commented to Novak that it must have been like that sometimes, only it wouldn’t have been snow, it would have been ash as well. Novak replied, ‘You say that because you saw it in Schindler’s List’ and then went on to explain that it wouldn’t have happened like that because the ash from human bodies wouldn’t have floated that far. Such information is not crucial to the plot of a novel, but those details allowed Elliot to really know his story and gave him the courage to write the book; to face the weight of the story.

Elliot also shared an account of a historian who was the first person to record the oral testimonies of Holocaust survivors. In each interview, the historian showed no emotional response. That is until the very last one. In that interview, a Jewish woman told of leaving her baby with a neighbour that she had only met twice in a plan to save her child’s life. The neighbour, who was Polish, was terrified of helping the lady – anyone caught helping Jews would be executed by the Nazis. The two women agreed that the mother would leave the baby bundled in the snow where the neighbour would go and pretend to innocently discover the child. At the end of the recording, the historian collapses and begins to speak in English into the wire. He asks himself, asks whoever is listening, ‘Who is going to stand in judgement over all of this? Who is going to judge … my work?’ The historian's reaction puzzled Elliot. Why did the man felt so guilty about his research? Where did the guilt come from? It was a question that Elliot needed to answer and The Street Sweeper is a step towards doing that.
The novel is also about other things. To paraphrase Elliot, The Street Sweeper is about history, memory, love and extremes of racism. It is about astonishing heroism and kindness and how close we all are to people who at first seem so far away. Ultimately, there is a line spanning from his first work, Three Dollars, to The Street Sweeper that explores the inalienable dignity of every human being no matter where they come from.

At the close of the evening, Elliot reflected on the important role fiction plays in his life. Despite relationships and friendships, he said, there is always a part of yourself that silently ruminates in isolation. The closest you can come to not being alone in that space is through literary fiction. Perlman strongly believes that the richness of literary fiction is the best way to nourish your soul and your intellect simultaneously. If this is case, The Street Sweeper is an example of the highest quality literature and one that should not be missed.

Written by Natalie

The Street Sweeper, Seven Types of Ambiguity, Three Dollars and The Reasons I Won't Be Coming are available now

Anna Funder Event

2011-09-29T23:50:00.000-07:00

Anna Funder is best known for her award-winning novel Stasiland – an investigative account of individuals who resisted the East German regime and others who worked for its secret police, the Stasi. Funder’s interest in the East German resistance continues in her second book, All That I Am. This latest release, Anna’s first work of fiction, centres on a group of mostly Jewish Germans who opposed Hitler in the 1930s. From this group, Ernst Toller, the famous writer and freedom fighter, and Ruth Blatt become the two narrators of the story. Toller recounts the events of the 20s and 30s from a New York hotel room in 1939 while Ruth Blatt remembers the struggles of her past as a dying old woman in present-day Sydney.

Although Anna grew up in Melbourne, she was compelled to choose Sydney as one of her settings in order to create a visceral and stark contrast to Germany. “Sydney is so incredibly fertile and productive,” she said, adding that the novel is a kind of ‘love song’ to the city.

Setting is just one of the many contrasts in a novel that shifts between past and present, two narrative voices and history and fiction. To illustrate the wide scope of her novel, Anna selected two passages from All That I Am: one from a scene at a Nazi rally in the 30s and the other describing an incident that happens on a summer’s day along Sydney’s New South Head Road. Both worlds vividly came to life – a testament to the strength of Anna’s storytelling ability – captivating Shearer’s staff and customers alike. This was the first time Anna had read from her novel and she said it was nice for it to happen in ‘her local bookstore.’

When it was time for questions, many customers wanted to know more about the real life events and people that provide the basis for the novel. In addition to considerable use of historical archive, All That I Am is largely based on the life of Ruth – a woman that came into Anna’s life as the woman who taught German to her German teacher. As Anna spoke about the inspiration of her novel, the audience too became fascinated by the life of this remarkable woman asking many questions about the ‘true story’ behind the novel.

The line between history and fiction was a continual conversation point for the evening. Although All That I Am is fiction, Anna and many reviewers draw attention to the historical accuracy of the work, for example she pointed out that certain details in her writing were true - Nazi supporters did wear wonky swastika armbands and people were dressed and sent to rallies so it seemed like there were more Brown Shirts. Anna is in the process of writing about the relationship between history and fiction for The Times in London exploring questions like: How much do you take form real people or real events? What do you use? How do you use it?

Funder rejects the old saying of, ‘write what you know’ preferring to ‘write what you are curious about’. With such a passion, respect and talent for historical research and the truth, why then did Anna move from the non-fiction of Stasiland to the fiction of All That I Am?

Providing some answers, Anna says All That I Am is inventing how people were connected. History sometimes stops at a point where no one can know what happened or how people felt or who their great loves were. Imagination in the form of fiction can go beyond this point. In a meeting with a journalist, Anna remembers that he had the memoir of Ernst Toller on one knee and a copy of All That I Am on the other. He flicked from one to the other saying that the date of a particular event did not match up. For Anna, he had missed the priority of the novel - she cares more about the internal narrative than the detailed accuracy of years. After all this is fiction.

Written by Natalie

Stasiland and All That I Am are available now

October Books of the Month: 15% off the RRP!!

2011-09-29T19:39:00.000-07:00

Available online or in store from Saturday, October 1st*

*depends on stock availability and various release dates.

Interview: Matthew Reilly

2011-09-22T21:20:00.000-07:00

Hi Matthew, thanks for taking the time to chat with us! Let's start with an easy one, what are you reading at the moment?I am currently reading Game of Thrones by George RR Martin. I’m enjoying it immensely. It is grand in scale, with a cast of thousands and a world that is brilliantly realized.

Barbara from Shearer's is always very proud to tell people that she stocked your first self-published novel (Contest, I believe) before you had a publishing contract. What was it like to put yourself out there when nobody knew your work?
Yes, Shearer’s was there at the very beginning, back in 1996. I can only wonder what Barbara thought of this skinny young guy who thought he had a bestseller on his hands!

In all honesty, I guess I had the confidence of youth – I felt Contest had the goods, and that if I tried hard enough, it would be spotted. I like to think that one of the reasons for my continued popularity is that I had that initial “failure” with Contest. Success didn’t come easily. I had to put myself out there to get it.

Can you tell us about your new novel, Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves?
The new book is an absolute rampage from start to finish! It is huge, explosive, scary, and filled with big character moments – the kind of novel that fans of the Scarecrow have been waiting for since 2003.

Readers have been asking me for some time if I would be writing a new Scarecrow novel, but I had to wait for the world to change a little. I didn’t want to send him to Iraq or Afghanistan to fight terrorists or oil dictators; for me, a Scarecrow book has to be about “the balance of world power”; nothing less than the fate of the world has to be at stake.

Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves is set in the Arctic, at a remote, ex-Soviet weapons base that has been seized by a mysterious group calling itself the Army of Thieves. The Thieves are about to set off a top-secret weapon of terrible destructive force, and since they have a missile-defence system, the call goes out to find any troops in the immediate area who can stop them in time. Our friend, Scarecrow, happens to be in the Arctic, with a civilian equipment-testing team…and so he goes in against totally impossible odds.

This is the first full-length Scarecrow novel since 2003, was it challenging returning to the character, and had you always planned to return?
Scarecrow (and his loyal friend, Mother) is a lot of fun to write about, so I always planned to return. But as I said above, I needed the right global environment, and as the first decade of the 2000s came to an end, the right story came to me (I won’t mention what that is, as it is the key plot twist of Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves).

It was more enjoyable than challenging. Having spent the last six years writing the Jack West Jr series, it was nice to return to Scarecrow.

There are several key differences between the Jack West Jr and Scarecrow novels: the Jack West books are adventures, with heaps of action and thrills but with a sweeter heart behind them (think of Lily and Jack’s relationship), whereas the Scarecrow books are full-tilt thrillers, rocket-paced, with a much harder edge to them. And, importantly, the Jack West books take place over a longer period of time (weeks, even years), whereas all the Scarecrow books take place over a very intense, short period, sometimes just a day or two. Area 7, for instance, took place over the course of a morning. Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves reflects this.

What do you hope readers take away from Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves?
This book is about Scarecrow’s character. After putting him through hell in 2003’s Scarecrow (including the now-infamous “execution” scene) I felt that readers would like to know how he dealt with the terrible events that took place in that book.

So, in Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves we find out exactly what he did. That said, he’s going to do that while facing the toughest villain I have come up with yet: the Lord of Anarchy, the leader of the Army of Thieves, a man who may be perfectly suited to battling someone as emotionally damaged as our friend, Scarecrow.

How do you incorporate your writing into your daily life?
I like to write hard on Mondays and Tuesdays…and then play golf on Wednesdays. Since writing is very solitary and a rather “indoors” pursuit, it’s good to get out in the fresh air and socialise. Then, if I’m in the zone, I’ll write hard again on Thursday and Friday, and maybe golf again on the weekend. The result: the books remain top notch and my handicap has come down as low as 4! (I also try to get out with my wife as much as I can, too!)

Has your popularity overseas given you more opportunities to travel, and if so has that been an influence on your writing?
I did a lot of travel while researching the Jack West Jr series, Seven Ancient Wonders, The Six Sacred Stones and The Five Greatest Warriors. I have visited Egypt, Stonehenge, China, Easter Island and even Table Mountain in Cape Town. While some other authors get researchers to help them with research, I like to do it myself – it’s half the fun of writing a novel, as far as I’m concerned!

In recent times, I visited Istanbul, perhaps for a future book….!

As a writer, how do you walk the line between writing for yourself and writing for your massive international following?
Luckily for me, writing for myself is the same as writing for my international audience, because I like to think that I am my audience. I’m the kind of guy who would go out and buy “a Matthew Reilly book”: I see and enjoy lots of action movies; I love murder-mystery TV shows with lots of twists; and I love thriller novels.

You can’t fake this sort of thing, and I think it comes out in my writing. Authors who try to write something that they themselves don’t love are destined to fail. You can’t fool the audience.

I read that you own lots of cool movie memorabilia including a life size statue of Han Solo frozen in carbonite. Is there something in your collection that you prize the most and is there a 'holy grail' that you're looking for?
Han is pretty cool! He hangs on the wall of my office. My Jango Fett helmet is great, too, but I guess my most prized movie collectible is my DeLorean car, made famous in the Back to the Future movies. Since DeLoreans were never released in Australia, you don’t see many down here, so my “D” has some serious rarity value.

As for a “holy grail” item, hmmm, that’s a tough one to answer. I guess I’d like to get a toy from a movie that was based on one of my books – a toy based on something that originated inside my head!

Speaking of movies, I keep hearing about your books being optioned in Hollywood, is there a film based on one of your novels on the way?
It’s a long process, since my books would be so expensive to make (lots of special effects and exploding objects). Hover Car Racer is still with Disney, and I wrote the first draft of the screenplay for Scarecrow (which the film company would like to be the first film in a Scarecrow series; if it succeeds, they would then make Ice Station).

I’m pretty relaxed about it – chiefly because I write my books first and foremost as books, not movies. I want them to be enjoyed as books. The stories that I write as original screenplays (like the TV show I sold to Sony, Literary Superstars) are a different story: I would like to see them produced, as they are designed to be enjoyed on a TV or a movie screen.

Which movies have impressed you recently?
I have thoroughly enjoyed the last two Batman movies, Batman Begins and The Dark Knight (I particularly loved the Joker’s scene where he made the pencil “disappear”; a great scene to see in a full cinema).

And I really liked Red Dog. I think it is the best Australian film since Strictly Ballroom. It is written well, shot with skill and originality, made with a decent budget, and what an ending!

What are you working on next?
I’m working on relaxing and chilling out! I need a break. I am thinking of pursuing a film project, a big sci-fi story that I like. But I can’t say too much about it at this stage!

In the end, I hope you all enjoy Scarecrow’s long-awaited return in Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves.

We have autographed copies of Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves available here!

Upcoming Event: Isobelle Carmody

2011-09-22T21:14:00.000-07:00

Interview: Pip Lincolne

2011-09-21T21:10:00.000-07:00

Hi Pip! Thanks so much for taking the time to chat with us, let's start with an easy one, what are you reading at the moment?
I have just finished reading The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin, which I totally loved. And NOW I am re-reading James and the Giant Peach (as part of the Meet Me At Mike’s blog Retro Readers program!) and 365 Thank Yous by John Kralik. I’m studying up lots about community, connection, belonging, happiness and friendship at the moment!

Can you tell us about Make Hey!
Make Hey! is a lovely colourful book, packed full of projects for the crafty-to-be. It’s aimed at people of all ages and it cheerily encourages creativity in all that it touches. I hope. Well, that is my plan anyway and I firmly believe that making things is as important as cooking or gardening or being sporty or breathing…!

I’ve included projects in all kinds of materials for all kinds of people, and the book is full of beautiful photos of ace things, be they mid-century, 80s throwbacks or lovely vintage pieces. My friends and I even compiled some recipes, a reading list and a Sunshiney Day playlist, in case you’re stuck for something to listen to!

What should fans of your previous books expect from the new one?
This book is like the adorable cousin of the two that went before it. I think I’ve really hit my straps and this book is packed with the things I love to make, as well as lots of things from my house too. I got a chance to work once more with my editor Jane Winning, my favourite designer Michelle Mackintosh and photographer John Laurie, and I think our familiarity bred content! A wonderful team resulted in a super wonderful book, and I think it has a lot more Pip personality than the previous titles did. I am showing off a bit more!

How do you go about the process of putting together a book like this? Does the craft come first or do your ideas grow in the writing?
I start with a basic idea about the kind of book I want to make. Then I think of a title. Once I have a title, the book has life and I work really intensely on designing, testing and writing. Because craft books are technical books, I usually have to write each project once, getting the technical bits right, and then re-write a second time, adding a more friendly conversational tone. It’s super important to me that my books are not just about craft, so I make sure there are lots of little extra nice-life tips in there too. After all, my life is not ALL about craft, so I try and add some bits of Pip Life in there too. I must say, I really love working with our little gang to gather the right things to appear on the pages, betwixt the projects as well.

You founded a craft group called Brown Owls that has become hugely popular. What is it that makes communal craft so appealing?
I think the deep, dark secret few people know about communal crafting is that the craft comes second! Friendship comes first at a group like Brown Owls, and although we are all there under the guise of making things (and things sometimes do get made!), we are actually there to make friends with other nice people and to connect with others in ways that might otherwise not be possible. It’s a super chatty, creative, safe way to meet people you may never meet otherwise. And there is often cake!

Out of all the things you've made over the years, is there something that stands out as particularly special for you?
The Fox Quilt which appears on the cover of Sew La Tea Do is a favourite of mine. I love its simple lines, its graphic appeal and its nod to vintage illustration and kids lit.

Your shop, Meet Me at Mike's, sounds like a wonderful celebration of all things unique and vintage. What is it that inspired you to start the shop?
I wanted to work in a job which meant something to me. I was terrified about spending my life doing something which I didn’t really like doing. I had seen people working in jobs that they hated and it frightened the bejeezus out of me. We had an existing shop selling skateboards and tee shirts and sort of guy style stuff, so I decided to transform it into a shop selling all the kinds of things I loved. I sort of waved a magic wand and craft, vintage and cute replaced all the cool boy stuff. I was much happier and people really responded to the nostalgic creativity of it too!

There seems to be a growing wave of younger people discovering craft and handmade items, what do you think lies behind this?
I think young people are smarter than they ever have been. They are exposed to lots of ace technology and huge amounts of information every day. I think they realize that it is really important to get the most out of life. Rather than surface dwelling (going to work, coming home, watching telly, going to sleep) they are seeking more meaning, wider skills and deeper connections in their life. The familial legacy of craft, its sense of nostalgia, its creative rewards and the bespoke nature of crafting mean that there are wins all ‘round for those who craft. You get to choose what to make, you get to slow down and learn new skills, you get to share those skills with others and you get to feel part of a wider crafty and super creative gang. The kids know where it’s at!

Between the books, your blog, the shop, your columns and your family, where do you find the time to actually sit down and make something?
I am an avid crocheter and I have taught myself to crochet and watch TV at the same time. It’s an amazing skill! Sometimes I order a family road trip and crochet on the way. And very often I will get my hook and yarn out at the breakfast table. Make time to make, I say! There is really no excuse not to!

What would you say to someone who wants to hand make things but has no idea where to start?
Buy my book and make the Paper Wall Quilt! It is super easy, looks really beautiful and will give you all kinds of Dutch courage in the crafting department you’re your Wall Quilt admiring friends and family tell you how clever and creative you are!

What's next for you?
A new Meet Me at Mike’s website! And I have just started writing a new book, too! OMG!

You can visit Pip Lincolne online at Meet Me at Mike's.

Make Hey! by Pip Lincolne will be published by Hardie Grant Books on October 1st.

Interview: Alice Pung

2011-09-21T19:07:00.000-07:00

What are you reading at the moment?  
I am reading a book called Number Our Days: A Triumph of Continuity and Culture Among Jewish Old People in an Urban Ghetto by Barbara Myerhoff, who is an anthropologist looking into the ordinary but remarkable lives of some elderly Jewish people from Venice, California. 

Can you tell us about your new book, Her Father’s Daughter?  
Her Father’s Daughter is about an unspoken relationship between a father and daughter. It is unspoken because I wanted to convey that love is not always through words, but actions. Sometimes some of the actions of your parents are completely unfathomable to you as a young adult, and perhaps true maturity only arises when you can finally see your parents as people with their own fears and frustrations, rather than just your ‘parents’.    

My father is an incredible human being. He used to sit us on his laps when we were very small children, and brush our baby teeth with a small Colgate toothbrush. Years later, I realised those same hands buried bodies of loved ones in the killing fields of Cambodia. It was then that I came to realise how extraordinary this man was, to be able to love and care for impermanent things like our baby teeth, when he had seen so many parts of his world which he once believed were permanent, disappear.  

How did the book come about?
My father has anxieties over things which might seem excessive. For example, when one of my sisters got a blood nose, he called an ambulance. He has filed down the sharp tips of all the knives in our house. When I was overseas, he would call me up almost every evening to see that I was safe. It was then that we began to have long talks over the phone, and I realised that I was then the same age as my father when he survived Pol Pot’s Cambodia. And it was then that I knew I was ready to write this book.   

Did you find it challenging to write about some of the issues in the book, such as genocide?
Yes. When you think of it as a theme – the holocaust - it sounds monumental and depressing. But when you think about it in terms of the individual – a young man of twenty-seven, for instance, as my father was then, then it becomes a story.    

Writing this book must have been quite a journey of discovery for you and your family. Do you have a different perspective on life now?
I understand my parents a lot better, am more patient about their anxieties. Surviving the Killing Fields was not a miracle. The real miracle was being able to love afterwards, and I have come to understand that love is a verb and not a transient feeling. 

How has your father reacted to the book? Did he help you along the way?
My father was very generous, he told me all about his experiences in Cambodia, which makes up the second half of the book. I kept showing him chapters as I progressed but he never told me whether he liked them or not. Then, at my book launch he got up to say a few words. The most moving thing he said was, “I learned a lot from my children. I learned about tolerance and forgiveness.” 

Unpolished Gem and Her Father’s Daughter are very different books. Did you approach them in different ways?
I was nineteen when I started the stories in Unpolished Gem, so it has the voice of a young adult believing that wit and humour makes all things good and palatable. But as I’ve grown older, I realised that in laying these weapons down, a more pure voice emerges, and a more earnest one. While Unpolished Gem was written to understand myself, Her Father’s Daughter was written to understand another human being, my father.  

What do you hope people take away from your writing?
Hopefully, for survivors of genocide or children of survivors, a sense that they are not so alone, their parents are not so strange, and that the world is still filled with wonder. And for any reader, I hope that they will, even for a small moment, see the world with renewed gratitude for the things we take for granted every day, because that’s how I felt while writing this book.   

What are you working on next?
I haven’t yet thought that far!

Her Father's Daughter is available now.

Jonathan Franzen at the Opera House - Event Review

2011-09-18T18:43:00.000-07:00

Jonathan Franzen visited Shearer's to sign copies of Freedom

The stage was set for a fascinating evening at the Opera House - Jonathan Franzen, considered by many to be one of the greatest living American novelists and definitely one of the most popular, was appearing as part of the Sydney Writer’s Festival. It was only his second visit to Australia since 2003.

The energy was palpable as people settled back into their ‘armchairs’ in the majestic Concert Hall anticipating a look behind the front cover of one of their favourite authors. Here was an opportunity for us to experience Jonathan Franzen talking about anything and everything that took his fancy in a relaxed and candid environment.

However, a rather different, but in its own way entertaining evening unfolded as Geordie Williamson, Chief Literary critic for The Australian took the stage next to Franzen. Williamson opened the ‘conversation’ in a nervously over-rehearsed manner and his lengthy questions tended to confuse rather than enlighten the audience. Fortunately Franzen was able to lighten the alienating intellectualism that Williamson seemed bent on straight-jacketing him into. There were some wonderfully long pauses and a genuinely perplexed expression as Franzen deliberated how to bring the questions into a sharper and more entertaining focus.

Franzen is a charming and engaging speaker who is self-assured and unapologetic about his opinions. While this was confrontational for some - one man loudly stormed out while Franzen discussed September 11 - the majority of the audience were instantly won over and captivated by what he had to say.

We meandered through his thoughts on the tyranny of choice which segued into healthcare issues in the US, ideas on freedom: “ I had a job, I knew what my purpose was - that’s freedom to me”, and the ubiquitous 9/11 subject which brought the surprising comment, for some, that he doesn’t accept the on-going and constantly verbalised mantra that “9/11 changed America forever”.

Franzen believes that you cannot be sombre and realistic about 9/11 at the same time. Rather than causing the US to look at itself and re-evaluate how it fits in the world, the White House and the media manipulated the event for their own cynical uses. Franzen claims he does not want to write about 9/11 because of the extensive written and visual media coverage - he doesn’t want to be “the little dog chasing after the truck of history.”

This was an interesting statement for an author whose writing is meant to reflect the state of the US and its people. Yet Franzen is adamant that he never intended to create a portrait of contemporary America. He is resistant to what a novel is ‘supposed’ to do and doesn’t want to justify the novel by making it socially useful. In any case, he says, writing a socially relevant novel becomes obsolete with the next news cycle.

In his last two novels, Franzen’s use of ‘interesting’ families - he insists they are not ‘dysfunctional’- shows his interest in the personal story and the psyche rather than social commentary. Franzen believes that writing about these things is the only way of reflecting the world at large. How he writes, however, has changed over the last ten years.

As an audience member pointed out, Freedom, unlike The Corrections, is not a satire. Franzen describes satire as an angry person’s game and one for which he felt over-rewarded for in the success of The Corrections. With time, Franzen saw that he had unjustly characterised his mother in life and in fiction and did not want to do that again. He now embraces a position of ‘no moral position’ on the characters in his books.

Such egalitarianism was not reserved for the likes of social media. Franzen’s views on technology provided one of the most humorous moments of the night. In a statement that could well be quoted for some time, Franzen declared that “Twitter is basically cigarettes in electronic form.” In the 90s, he thought television and DVDs were the enemy, but with the emergence of Twitter and Facebook he now wants to embrace TV and movies as family. With the high-standard of craftmanship that go into television series today (think HBO), Williamson pointed out that this genre can be seen as highly literary - the modern equivalent of, say, Dickens or Conan Doyle who were published in serial forms. Yet Franzen still believes that film or television can never achieve what a novel can. A novel will always be the master of point of view and irony and is still the best way to articulate moral and emotional shades of grey.

As to the future of the literary novel, how bleak it is depends on which perspective you look at it from. Franzen cheekily explained that when you ask an author how many people read serious literature today, they usually say it’s the same amount as the number of copies they sold of their last book. So if you asked Roth, the number is getting progressively smaller, perhaps around 50,000. If you ask Franzen, there’s millions.

Authors recommended and discussed by Franzen:

Paula Fox
Christina Stead
Alice Munro
Edith Wharton
Don DeLillo
David Foster-Wallace

Written by Joanna & Natalie

We have a limited quantity of autographed copies of Freedom available here.

Guest Blog: Falling Through the Genre Cracks and Finding Wonderland by Kim Westwood

2011-09-15T21:50:00.000-07:00

This post was first published on When Genres Attack

I know a writer who turns her books face out on the shop shelves wherever and whenever she can, and this week I admit I’ve done my personal equivalent of that: sneaking a copy of my freshly published second novel out of Science Fiction and into the Crime Fiction section of various local bookshops. If I had my druthers, I’d stash another copy under Australian Authors and one in Literary Fiction too, though usually, there aren’t that many copies to spread around—and it would make me too obvious in my nefarious activity.

So why bother? Because The Courier’s New Bicycle is a hybrid creature—a genre amalgam; but who would know from the bookshop shelf arrangement by genre, as if being in one category denies the possibility of the others?

My book rep tells me my real problem is that my surname begins with ‘W’. Chastened, I scuff my boot against her bag hung on the café chair. If only I’d had the perspicacity of Jim Grant, who, with a clear and canny eye to his future as an author, carefully gathered together the correct letters and syllables to make his nom de plume, and turned himself into Lee Child.

About labelling, I remember the first short story competition I sent a story to. Its requirements were that the writing be ‘speculative’. I thought, well, my stuff’s that. At the time, I didn’t realise how the term was part of a highly structured system of categorisation: one that a writer and their writing could become permanently ententacled in, despite the term itself being a superfluity, all fiction surely speculative. Anyway, this first story won that competition, then one called an Aurealis, and my trajectory as a writer of speculative fiction was set.

My first novel, The Daughters of Moab, was published in 2008 by HarperVoyager, and so it came out with a science fiction label. I preferred to call it poetic apocalyptic, a descriptor I’d come up with in an effort to flag to readers something of the style and substance of its interior, which was a conglomerate of SF, mythology and the supernatural, all with a literary bent, its bedrock being the land—a post-apocalyptic Terra Australis—and its preoccupations being with humanity’s capacity for destruction and equal instinct to survive.

Fiction that crosses genre lines runs the risk of not being judged on its own terms, but according to the label it comes with, preconceptions firmly attached. The Daughters of Moab, viewed through the lens of science fiction, was critiqued accordingly—and more often than not it vexed expectations, the prose deemed too obfuscatory for the genre. And while I maintained that a broader readership might get something out of a dose of the poetic mixed with the apocalyptic, apparently the story’s SF label made it too lowbrow for literary inspection.

I remember how my first-time novelist’s ego plunged like a bungy jumper into a bucket when (I shan’t say a close family member) saw the book cover’s shout line, Assassin. Protector. Blood Sister… and said, ‘If you write something like that, you have to expect a lot of people won’t want to read it’. Sadly, my close family member wasn’t wrong—labelling and shelf allocation all but killing a broader interest; and alas, the novel fell through the genre cracks.

By now you’re thinking I’m dark on labels. In fact I like labels, and sorting things. Some (family members) would say it’s my anally retentive Virgo nature coming to the fore, but I think labelling was invented to help everybody, not just me, organise a confusing world.

One of my favourite activities as a kid was to put all the animals from my big bag of plastic creatures into groups. Sometimes it was according to kind—farm animal, wild animal, mythological animal, etc; other times it was by biggest to littlest or best to worst; and other times it was according to the new alliances and friendships each had made with the others while I was off eating my breakfast. Eventually abandoning my bag of animals, I went on to list making and room tidying, my clothes drawers organised by colour and my files alphabetically. This, I said to myself, was so I could find things. Little did I know that this entirely sensible rationale would return later in life to bite me in the bum.

Back to the genre amalgam that is The Courier’s New Bicycle. I’m happy to report Australian Bookseller+Publisher has described it as ‘a disturbingly credible and darkly noir post-cyberpunk tale’. This quote-worthy phrase opens up the field of interest: the ‘noir’ a nod to crime fiction, the ‘cyberpunk’ to SF, and the ‘credible’ to current societal aptness. Hopefully, it will spur a variety of readers into wanting to know more about a bike courier and accidental sleuth who has a mystery to solve in the alleyways of a dystopian Melbourne just around the socio-political corner from now, despite the book’s despatch solely to the SF shelves steering it too towards the genre cracks. Which brings me to Venn diagrams.

Unlike fractions (those sharp-edged and unyielding divisions that caused me no end of pain), the circles that I learnt about in primary school geometry class, their intersections alluringly shaded, hinted at a world with grey areas, ambiguities. These days I wonder if my fascination for Venn diagrams was because I knew from quite young that I was attracted to girls as well as boys, desire floating in an as yet unnamed place, and those grey areas speaking to me of the possibilities that might live inside me and at the interstices of things. This might explain, in part, the gravitational pull cross-genre writing has always had on me, and maybe now’s the time to mention that Salisbury Forth, the primary protagonist in The Courier’s New Bicycle, is happily gender androgynous.

I don’t remember when I stopped believing in the binary labelling system currently used to decide sex and divide gender, and began to see both as continuums with any number of identity positions along them; but a non-intersecting binary now seems as blunt and flawed an instrument of categorising as the labelling system used, say, to keep literary and genre content apart.

An either/or world is a brittle, lifeless creature. The pleasure that sorting animals gave me as a kid was also the pleasure of re-sorting; that is, the freedom to change perspective and make endless rearrangements in the order of things. In my fiction I go to the grey areas and in-between places because they hold the most promise. And for those willing to read a novel that slips between the genre cracks, there’s always the possibility of finding wonderland.

Written by Kim Westwood

The Courier's New Bicycle and The Daughters of Moab are currently available. You can visit Kim Westwood at her website.

Interview: Kel Robertson

2011-09-12T17:15:00.000-07:00

Hi Kel, thanks for taking the time to chat with us! Let's start with an easy one, what are you reading at the moment?
I’m currently having a “swords ‘n sandals” relapse; I’m reading the third of Robert Harris’s roman trilogy, Lustrum. I’m trying desperately to limit myself to one chapter a night, in order to maximise the pleasure.

Before that I read Nichola Garvey’s excellent bio of the gambling colossus, Alan Trip, Beating The Odds. Before that it was Liz Porter’s new collection of forensic stories, Cold Case Files. (Porter’s book is every bit as good as her previous, Written on the Skin, which won a Ned Kelly Award for “best true crime”. She captures the human drama in each unsolved case and has a remarkable gift for summing up complicated scientific stuff, without letting these explanations impede the narrative.)

Tell us about Rip Off.
I’ve been telling representatives of the media, post-launch, that it’s a work of undeniable brilliance by a tragically unrecognised master of the genre who - despite his extraordinary charm, obvious good looks and self-evident talent - has a pathetic need for public adulation. In return, I’ve been getting lots of “which village has lost its idiot?” looks. You feel the same way? Fine. To the book, then: a number of people connected to a property scam are murdered in Perth and Adelaide. AFP star-detective, Brad Chen, is sent west to keep an eye on the investigation. Despite being told not to get involved, Chen can’t help sleuthing his way into the thick of things. Seemingly unconnected deaths in Melbourne and Sydney see the public treating the killer as a hero; the same deaths prompt a dangerous outbreak of self-help justice around the country. The pressure is consequently on Chen to catch the killer(s) before all semblance of public order is lost.

You started drafting Rip Off in 2007, does that mean it was originally the second Brad Chen novel? What prompted you to come back to the manuscript?
My first publisher impressed on me the need to be producing a novel every twelve to eighteen months if I was going to sustain reader interest in a crime series ... and I took his instructions very seriously. As soon as Smoke and Mirrors (S&M - no smirking, please) was delivered to my editor, I started plotting Rip Off. So, yes, it was actually the third Chen book.

I shredded the early chapters and related research materials when it didn’t seem likely that I’d be able to publish a third book. However, after S&M won some prizes, I decided to resurrect the story.

A number of things lured me back to it: I kept seeing reports about fraudsters and conmen in the newspapers and found myself more and more fascinated by wrongdoing in the business world. I was increasingly bemused, too, by the fact that the victims of these corporate crooks rarely exacted their own vengeance, despite the inadequate penalties generally handed down by the courts. Finally, I couldn’t let go of the idea of Chen struggling against the popular will to track down the killer.

In Rip Off, Chen is chasing a murderer who is, in the eyes of many people, a hero. How did this aspect of the novel come about?
It occurred to me, while I was writing the first two Chen books, that most people at the periphery of violent death are grateful for the investigative efforts of the police; they want resolution and justice, in much the same way as readers of crime fiction want everything put aright by the final page. As someone who likes to tinker with aspects of the genre, I thought it would be interesting to invert these usual circumstances and have Chen chase a killer no one wants brought to book. For the general public to feel that way about a killer, they (the killer) needed to be doing something admirable eg. cleaning up white collar crime.

Where did Brad Chen come from, and how did you develop the character?
You probably won’t remember when senior Australians would talk very loudly and slowly to anyone who wasn’t white or in possession of a boomerang. However, Bradman (Brad) Chen is a direct result of my delight in the consternation on the faces of such people when their Asian interlocutors answered them in a broad Australian accent or in genteel Oxford English. Chen is also a result of a “self challenge” to rework the cliché of the clever, inscrutable Chinese detective. I should say, too, that love the extra complexity that his superficial difference adds to many of the situations in which he finds himself.

What is it about the crime genre that you think makes it so consistently popular?
It’s entertaining, it doesn’t usually patronise and it’s flexible enough to accommodate a huge range of characters, sub-genres, writing styles and settings. Add to that the genre guarantee of restored social equilibrium … and what is there not to like about it?

What about the tropes of the genre, how much do you keep them in mind when writing?
Good question. I like to pay homage but I also like to stretch the rules. In summary, though, I write what entertains or engages me ... and if others “get” what I’m trying to do - as you clearly do - I’m delighted.

Do you watch crime on TV and do you think your books would make a good basis for a series (I do!)?
I don’t watch much crime on TV but I do have a number of important crime series – foreign and home-grown – on DVD. I bought both of the Phoenix collections when the ABC released them (such good TV) and would like to complete my collection of Wild Side. I’ve watched Ian David’s Blue Murder many times; it boasts a great script and outstanding performances. I’ve also enjoyed some of the Underbellies (sic). I’m looking forward too, to catching up on East West 101 (recently recommended by Graeme Blundell in one of his Weekend Australian columns).

I suspect that Chen’s sardonic take on the world would be hard to translate to the screen but I hope that the books would, otherwise, make decent scripts. I often see the key scenes in the novels (before I get them down on paper) and I certainly try for climactic finales.

I promised myself, a few years back, that if someone bought the film rights to one of the novels, I’d put the money towards the Australian Film and Television School screenwriting course. The screen has clearly been on my mind. (If there is anyone out there who hates my work and is prepared to buy my silence, purchasing the screen rights to Dead Set, Smoke and Mirrors, and /or Rip Off should pretty much do the trick.)

Which books or authors have influenced you?
Growing up, I read vast amounts of crime, mostly Christie, Marsh and Sayers but also Upfield and some of the hardboiled Americans. I suspect, though, that the influence of Raymond Chandler is the most identifiable in my work. I’d like to claim, of course, that my writing style also demonstrates the clear influence of Peter Temple (whose work I greatly admire) but that would be mere wishful thinking.

What are you working on next, and is Brad Chen going to find himself on further adventures in the future?
There are various Chen possibilities. There’s also a black comedy (part written) and a couple of books on Australian political history. Regrettably, I won’t be retiring from my day job or working a short week any time soon, so I’m unlikely to be back on Shearer’s shelves with anything new before 2013.

Thanks for answering our questions, and good luck with Rip Off!
Thank you. It was good to be with you, if only in a virtual sense.

Rip Off by Kel Robertson is available here

The previous Brad Chen novels, Smoke and Mirrors (winner of the Ned Kelly Award)

and Dead Set are both available.

Extreme Cosmos by Bryan Gaensler - Book Launch

2011-09-07T19:02:00.000-07:00

Bryan Gaensler, Australian astronomer and former recipient of the Young Australian of the Year Award, was at Shearer’s last Wednesday to launch his first book Extreme Cosmos.

As the title implies, Extreme Cosmos explores the extremes of space - the fastest, hottest, heaviest, brightest, oldest and loudest elements of the universe. Its achievements are not only Gaensler’s methodical research, but in his ability to write about astrophysics in an eloquent everyday language that everyone can understand.

Wilson da Silva, Editor in Chief of Cosmos magazine and winner of the 2000 Best Documentary AFI award for The Diplomat officially launched the book. Da Silva met Gaensler at Harvard – Gaensler was an associate professor there with a conspicuously Australian office replete with a large Manly Sea Eagles poster on its door. Jokes on Gaensler’s sporting prowess aside, da Silva said it is hard not to be impressed by Bryan who has consistently been a ‘brainiac at the top of his field, had a conscience (and been) a damn fine writer.’

As a child, Gaensler was more interested in astronomy than dinosaurs and planes. He was also a voracious reader. Gaensler recalls that his school library did not have any books on his preferred subject so his Grade 3 teacher suggested that he write one. Following this advice, Bryan traced pictures and copied texts form other astronomy books and presented the school with his work. So, to be accurate, Extreme Cosmos is not Gaensler’s first book, it is only his first published one.

After a summer job at the CSIRO Parks radio telescope, Gaensler fell in love with radio astronomy. Ever since he’s ‘been kinda obsessed with things that blow up or are extreme.’ The ‘extreme’ side of Extreme Cosmos also came from a running joke within his study group ‘Extreme Astrophysics’. While other groups had specific names and focuses like the ‘cosmology group’, Gaensler and co. worked on the fringes – on the extremes - of a diversity of things. He started to realise that if they were to literally be the ‘extreme’ astrophysics groups they had to investigate space’s ultimate nature.

Extreme Cosmos took two years to write with much of the research and gathering of information taking longer than expected. As Gaensler explained, ‘Behind every piece of information and every topic, there is a wealth of knowledge and amazingly smart people who worked out how to figure this information out.’ In order to arrive at the facts in the book, he had to work out which methodologies to use, sometimes do his own calculations and contact world experts to arrive at results he felt comfortable were likely to be accurate.

The outcome of his meticulous work is a exciting and engaging book for which you don’t have to be an astronomer to understand. In the words of da Silva, in Extreme Cosmos, Gaensler has ‘ … elucidated a concept beautifully – it’s not only science but a bit of poetry, but then that’s Bryan for you.’

Written by Natalie

Autographed copies of Extreme Cosmos are available now.

Upcoming Event: Bill Granger in a Test Kitchen!

2011-09-05T23:18:00.000-07:00

Don't miss this rare chance to see one of Australia's top chefs in action! Book now on (02) 9572 7766!

Upcoming Event: Natasha Cica in Conversation with Phillip Adams

2011-09-05T20:51:00.000-07:00

Upcoming Event: S.J. Watson

2011-09-05T17:44:00.000-07:00

September Books of the Month: 15% off the RRP!!

2011-08-31T18:16:00.000-07:00

These books are all available in store or online.

Interview: Dean Crawford

2011-08-23T23:07:00.000-07:00

Thanks for taking the time to chat with us! Let's start with an easy one, what are you currently reading?
Right now I’m reading The Lost Relic by Scott Mariani.

What was your journey from aspiring writer to published author like?
Long! I started writing in 1995, and my first deal was signed in 2010. It was a long journey to undertake, but I never once felt like quitting. For me, the end result was always going to be worth the effort no matter how many rejections I might receive from literary agents. In all, I wrote four screenplays and five novels before producing something that was ‘just right’ for the market. Sometimes it’s luck and timing that help you through. Two of my novels were historical fiction, for which I attempted to gain representation when that portion of the market just wasn’t selling. I had no idea at the time, but just kept plugging away despite being rejected. That’s what gets you there in the end – persistence.

Can you tell us about Covenant?
Covenant is about the discovery of alien humanoid remains found in a 7,000 year old tomb in Israel. The revelatory remains vanish along with their discoverer, and it’s up to a weary former US Marine, Ethan Warner, to uncover the ancient secrets on behalf of the Defense Intelligence Agency. In doing so, he learns that human civilization did not develop quite the way we thought that it did: we were not alone.

Where did the inspiration for Covenant come from?
Covenant was my first original screenplay, written back in 1999 under the title The Nemesis Origin. I’d asked myself why mankind should be so superior in intelligence to other species, and wondered if we could have been genetically enhanced by technologically superior races, and that religions were essentially a distorted historical record of their intervention, as opposed to gods. It turned out that many non-fiction authors had reached this conclusion long before me, but by 2007 as far as I was aware there still hadn’t been a good fiction thriller about this possibility. I decided to adapt the screenplay into a novel, as I’d decided that getting a novel into print, hard as it is, was easier than trying to get a movie made.

What do you hope reader reaction to Covenant will be?
I hope readers love the combination of action and intrigue, but also the depth that I’ve tried to give to the characters, something that is sometimes missing from modern thrillers. Perhaps most of all, I hope that readers learn something, as although a work of fiction the vast majority of the science within the novel is factual. The true origin of life on Earth and throughout the universe is part of the message within the story.

Who are your literary influences?
I have many, as I find inspiration in all story-telling. Names that spring to mind are Willard Price, whom I read as a young child, Wilbur Smith, who writes great epic adventures, and Michael Crichton, whom I discovered in 1993 when I was blown away at the cinema by a movie called Jurassic Park. From that moment on, I was hooked on science and what it had the potential to achieve in the future.

I've spoken to several authors who wish that they could write sci-fi. Does it take something unique to write a book with an alien theme?
I don’t think so. It depends on the story itself: Covenant is a “what if” scenario, and so relies heavily on real science to be as convincing as possible, but a true sci-fi novel allows an author to let their imagination fly beyond the constraints of reality in the manner of Star Wars or similar. For an author contemplating writing something like Covenant, I’d say it takes a willingness to do a lot of research in order to hook the reader into thinking: “this could actually happen.”

What has been the best part of becoming a full time writer?
Everything. My friends don’t always believe it, but money wasn’t the main driving force behind wanting to be a full-time writer. My big dream, the image that I kept in my mind for fifteen years as an aspiring writer, was waking up on a weekday morning, looking out of the window and asking myself: “Okay, what shall I do today?” It’s the freedom that I love the most – if I want to work, that’s okay because I love writing. But if the sun’s out and I fancy taking a day off, it’s my call. Nothing beats that.

What are you working on next?
I’m working on book three in the Ethan Warner series, Continuum. I won’t give away too much, but it’s about one man’s ability to ‘move’ through time – and once again it’s based on real science and technology.

Covenant will be published by Simon and Schuster on the 1st of September. It is available to pre-order now.

National Bookshop Day

2011-08-21T17:56:00.000-07:00

I wasn't working on National Bookshop Day. But that didn't stop me from visiting Shearer's to take part in the fun. After taking full advantage of my non-working status (making the casuals wrap gifts for me, getting the children's specialist to locate and order books for my daughter, and clicking at staff members when I wanted something), I settled in for a latte from Froth (and even though I asked the girl who made it to do a dragon on the top, she gave me a leaf, which was acceptable. I guess. My partner said I could imagine the leaf was a plume of flame from a dragon and I had to point out to her - not for the first time - that dragons shoot out jets of flame. Not plumes.)

We had authors coming in all day to unveil their names on our newly updated 'name wall'. The name wall features the names of authors we've held events with and we used National Bookshop Day as an excuse to update it, adding over 50 new names! Edmund Capon, Margaret Wild, Charlotte Wood, Walter Mason, Jacqueline Harvey, Kelly Doust and Angelo Loukakis unveiled their names in person and answered a couple of questions for everyone present. We asked these authors to come in as they are all special people to us - we consider them part of the Shearer's flock!

For our customers, we gave away the very popular 'Keep Calm and Keep Reading' posters, tickets to the film Beginners and had almost 300 people enter the contest to win the 5 pack of new titles from our friends at Text Publishing. The prize was won by a member of the Saturday morning book club!

National Bookshop Day is a great initiative that went spectacularly well. The general vibe in the store (and online, where many booksellers are these days) was overwhelmingly positive and we wound up feeling very loved. It just went to show that for an industry that's been getting a hammering in the mainstream media lately there is still energy, enthusiasm, innovation and - most importantly - community support.

Thanks to the authors who took time out of their busy schedules to visit us and thanks to the customers who chose to spend their precious spare time in our little corner of Leichhardt.

Written by Mark

Our front counter in celebratory mode. Don't judge us on the mess - we're an independent bookshop, remember?

Margaret Wild, with our children's specialist Rachel, talks about her work.

Margaret Wild unveils her name on the 'name wall'.

Edmund Capon with Shearer's owner Barbara talks about his life in art.

Edmund Capon unveils his name.

Walter Mason with Barbara, talking about his writing.

Walter Mason unveils his name.

Walter's name is now on the wall!

Angelo Loukakis with Barbara, chatting about his work.

Angelo Loukakis unveils his name.

Jacqueline Harvey with Shearer's children's specialist Emma.

Jacqueline Harvey unveils her name.

Jacqueline Harvey's name is now on our wall!

Charlotte Wood with Barbara from Shearer's having a good laugh.

Charlotte Wood unveils her name.

Kelly Doust with Barbara chatting about her life in craft.

Kelly Doust unveils her name.

Upcoming Event: Marieke Hardy

2011-08-16T22:17:00.000-07:00

A Brief Chat With Kelley Armstrong

2011-08-16T20:38:00.000-07:00

Kelley Armstrong is the bestselling author of the Otherworld, Darkest Powers, Darkness Rising and Nadia Stafford series. She is in Australia to attend the Romance Writers of Australia conference.

What was the last book you read and what are you currently reading?
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs. Currently: The Gangs of Chicago by Herbert Asbury (non fiction).

Which book from your bookshelf at home is your most treasured and why?
An old copy of Watership Down that my aunt gave me when I was young and hospitalised for surgery and it went on to be one of my favourite books.

Which fictional character do you most identify with?
Anne of Green Gables. While I don't share her outgoing personality, I can completely empathise with her penchant for getting into trouble when she has the best intentions.

What are you working on next?
I'm about to begin my long delayed concluding Nadia Stafford mystery novel.

Kelley Armstrong's novels are available now.

Upcoming Event: Kasey Chambers

2011-08-15T22:52:00.000-07:00

Tickets $15. Bookings are essential. Please call Shearer's on (02) 9572 7766 to book.

National Bookshop Day - Free Stuff and Prizes!

2011-08-15T18:31:00.000-07:00

We've already announced that on National Bookshop Day (this Saturday August 20) we will have several authors unveiling their names on our updated 'Name Wall', details of which can be found here.

But wait, there's more!

For everyone who spends over $100 in store on National Bookshop Day, we will give you one of these much-sought-after posters absolutely free!

And if that's not enough, then everyone who purchases a book in store on National Bookshop Day will go in the running to win this magnificent prize pack, courtesy of our friends at Text Publishing! The books are all yet to be published so you could be among the first to own them!

So come along on Saturday, meet an author, buy some books & score a free poster, and go in the draw to win some fantastic books! National Bookshop Day is happening in bookshops all over the country, so be sure to visit your local!

Interview: Michael Ward

2011-08-14T18:13:00.000-07:00

Hi Michael, thanks for taking the time to answer some questions for us, let's start with an easy one. What are you reading at the moment?
Hi. Thanks for asking. I’m currently reading Packing For Mars by Mary Roach (all about the science of life in space) and a thriller by Don Winslow called Satori.

Can you tell me about the Talkin' 'bout your Generation Book of Everything Ever?
Yeah, the book contains 1200 questions split across 40 different subjects, with each subject divided into questions specific to Baby Boomers, Gen Xers and Gen Ys. There’s also a heap of made up stuff which I call ‘unfacts’ and well as stupid puzzles, dubious recommended reading and lots more kooky stuff.

What is it like working as a writer on Talkin' 'bout your Generation?
Most of the time it’s great fun although working with Shaun Micallef is extremely difficult. I’m not allowed to look him directly in the eye, must refer to him only as ‘your Majesty’ (and greet him each morning with a bow) and if Shaun’s tea isn’t made precisely how he likes it, he has no hesitation in throwing it back in your face. Many a minion has spent time in a hospital burns unit thanks to Shaun’s temper.

Which generation are you a member of and which generation do you understand the least?
I’m a Gen Xer, born in 1966. After working on TAYG and writing the book, I like to think I have an intimate understanding of the Baby Boomers and Gen Y. Although why Gen Ys like to get around with the tops of their undies on display over their sagging trousers in beyond me.

I understand that you also work on RocKwiz, is that a fun job?
Along with Brian Nankervis, I write the words for RocKwiz and occasionally some questions. It is a fun job, although I’m not allowed to look either Brian or host Julia Zemiro directly in the eye; I must refer to them as ‘sir’ and ‘madam’ respectively and may not speak to them unless first spoken to.

You've worked with Shaun Micallef for many years now, which project was your favourite?
Everything I’ve been involved in with Shaun has been great fun, but Micallef Tonight on Channel Nine was a particular favourite. The show only lasted 13 episodes but I dare say it changed the landscape of Australian television forever and paved the way for the success of shows like Masterchef and Q and A.

What should people expect from your new live show Bond-A-Rama: Every James Bond Film Live on Stage?
They should expect all the best bits of all 22 James Bond films shaken and stirred together live on stage in just over an hour. (Did you spot the Bond reference in that sentence?). Four actors, over 40 characters, dodgy special effects, ludicrous props - Bond-a-Rama has it all. Actually, it’s probably finished by the time you read this - sorry you missed it.

Who has influenced you as a comedy writer?
I grew up adoring Monty Python, Woody Allen and TV comedy like Dave Allen and The Two Ronnies. I’m a huge fan of the actor / writer Steve Coogan, Armando Iannucci, the writer Graeme Linehan (Big Train, Father Ted, Black Books and The IT Crowd) and the American humorist Jack Handey. I’ve certainly learned a lot from Shaun Micallef too (not least that he likes his tea white with one sugar).

How did you wind up working in comedy? Was it something you always aspired to?
It all began, as it does for so many performers, at university. The lure of Tracy Harvey and Wendy Harmer (then stars of The Gillies Report) running a workshop for the annual comedy revue drew me into the glitzy showbiz world and it went from there. After uni I travelled overseas a fair while, had a stint in radio and then was lucky enough to find my niche in TV comedy writing.

And finally, has there been a show or a sketch you've worked on over the years that has stood out as a personal highlight?
One of my favourite jokes from the book is ‘the beam from the world’s largest industrial laser is so powerful that it can cut through margarine like it is butter.’
If you could be bothered, a couple of favourite sketches I’ve written are on Youtube: One from The Micallef Programme and one from Newstopia.

Thanks for your time!

The Talkin' 'bout Your Generation Book of Everything Ever is published by Hardie Grant Books and is available now.

France Month: Interview with Pia Jane Bijkerk

2011-08-11T23:08:00.000-07:00

Pia Jane Bijkerk at Shearer's

Hi Pia, thanks for taking the time to chat with us! Let's start with an easy one, what are you reading at the moment?
Last year my partner introduced me to author Robin Hobb's Farseer trilogy. I've never been that interested in fantasy until I started reading the first book in the trilogy, Assasin's Apprentice, and since then I haven't been able to put Robin's books down - I've read the Farseer Trilogy, then Tawny Man, and am now reading the second trilogy in the series - the Liveship Traders. She's a fabulous writer.

Can you tell me about the time you spent in Paris? Why did you go and what did you do there?
I followed my heart to Paris and have been back and forth every year for the last 5 years, spending 8 months full time there back in 2007. My latest book, My Heart Wanders, is all about my time there, why I went, what I experienced, and my adventures getting to know the culture and lifestyle.

From your perspective in design, what is it about Paris that makes it such a fascinating place?
I think it's the history of the city that makes it so fascinating for me. I love the oldness of everything - the bridges, the stone buildings, the wooden parquetry floors, the antique fireplaces. There is no escaping the history of the place - it's so present, so alive, and for me I find that incredibly inspiring. I love old things, old design.

Photo courtesy of Pia Jane Bijkerk

Whereabouts in the city were your favourite haunts?
I have many, most of which are in my first book Paris: Made by Hand which is a guide book with chapters defined as 'wanders' - in each wander I feature a number of boutiques and studios specialising in unique pieces made by hand, and I also mention some of the lovely little cafés and restaurants you might find along the way.

One of my favourite wanders these past couple of years has been in the 10th arrondissement - around Canal St Martin. It has a great vibe, there are lots of new, interesting shops and bars opening up all the time.

There are some beautiful posts on your blog where you describe weekends and visits in Paris, what would the ultimate-one-weekend-only Pia Jane tour of Paris be?
Thank you. My ultimate-one-weekend-only 'tour' changes all the time, according to new boutiques and cafes I've heard or read about and want to explore further. For me, I think the ultimate is to combine a bit of history, a lot of eating, and a bit of window shopping. My partner and I often revolve our weekend trips in Paris around restaurants we like or want to try out - so if there is one in Montmatre we'll spend the afternoon in the area, wandering toward our food destination. At the moment I don't have an ultimate weekend there, but my favourite arrondissements are the 10th, the 18th, the 6th and the 3rd.

Photo courtesy of Pia Jane Bijkerk

Do you think you will ever live in Paris again?
Who knows what the future holds, it might happen, although at the moment I'm more in love with the idea of living in the French countryside as I love being surrounded by nature, and I love french food - it would be nice to live amongst the fields.

You've released several books including Paris: Made by Hand, Amsterdam: Made by Hand and My Heart Wanders, is there one that is especially meaningful for you?
My Heart Wanders is such a personal, intimate story about my journey to follow my heart. It took me a couple of years to write, photograph and design the book, which makes it especially meaningful for me. But I have put my heart and soul into each book, so each one holds a special place in my heart - Paris: Made by Hand was my first ever book, and travelling around Paris, visiting each of the artisans, photographing their creations and interviewing them was an incredible experience. Researching and writing Amsterdam: Made by Hand was very special because although it's a foreign city, I felt I could call it home the moment I moved there at the end of 2007.

What materials do you find yourself most comfortable working with?
I think the camera is the most comfortable for me - as soon as I pick it up and have my subject in front of me, I enter a world slightly separate from this one… it makes me feel very much in the present, like nothing else matters. Pen and paper do the same thing, I can be completely absorbed in the present moment while I write.

Photo courtesy of Pia Jane Bijkerk

What are the biggest creative challenges you face when working on a project?
Time management! The creative parts are always the easiest, most free flowing parts of a project, but since I often do lots of different jobs for any one project - from writing, to research, to photographing, styling, and crafting, I find it hard to juggle each role and dedicate the time I want to each element as there is always a looming deadline. Somehow I manage, but it takes its toll on my everyday life.

Pia made a beautiful window display for us.

What are you working on next?
I have a few projects in the early research phases at this moment, but I won't persue anything until next year - I need this year to rejuvenate my creative energy.

Thanks for your time!
Thank you for having me!

My Heart Wanders, Paris: Made by Hand and Amsterdam: Made by Hand are all available now. You can visit Pia's blog here.