Our Bookcase Competition Draw

For the last month, Shearer's has been running a competition to win a bookcase full of books - and we had over a thousand entries!

Books and bookcase compliments of Simon & Schuster Australia. 

Books thanks to:

Allen and Unwin

Hachette Australia
Hardie Grant

HarperCollins Australia

John Wiley & Sons Inc.
Pan Macmillan

New South Books

Penguin Books Australia

Random House Australia.

Text Publishing

Scholastic

and Walker Books.

Plus 5 runners up won a box full of books.

Winners were drawn by Mayor Darcy Byrne at 11am on Saturday May 4th.

Congratulations to all the winners and thank you to all of our customers who entered - we really appreciate your support coming to visit us in our new shop.

Shearer's Moving Competition Winner

Before we moved we asked our customers to send their favourite Shearer's memory to us, to be judged by local author Emily Maguire.

We had lots of great entries! All of them put a smile on our face. Thank you to everybody who took the time to enter and share their Shearer's memories with us.

But we're delighted to announce the winner, chosen by Emily. Congratulations to Peter Farmer, who will be receiving a $100 Shearer's voucher.

His wonderful entry is below.

On rare occasions if we’re lucky enough, we discover a special place of warmth and comfort beyond the walls of our own home. The first few visits may prove uneventful but like a spell its magic slowly takes hold to draw us back. The closest expression I can think of is genius loci, the spirit of the place. It’s often found in the imaginative world of novels but in real life for me it was at Shearer’s Bookshop, Norton Street Leichhardt.

With its concrete ceiling, exposed pipes and limited vista over Norton Street Shearers was hardly beautiful yet there I was week after week, year after year and I confess that even after overseas trips my first port of call was always, you guessed it, Shearers.

Now try dissecting how genius loci or ‘atmosphere’ actually works and you wind up with a glorified shopping list. However this is my challenge so here goes. Firstly it’s all about books. Admittedly a limited range due to the confined space (which I loved!) but what a selection and one of my guilty pleasures was eavesdropping on Barbara rattling through exotic new orders with a sales rep. The book I was after was always there, somewhere.

Another highlight was the guest speakers and although I only heard a handful of authors over the years – recent highlights being Anna Funder and Antonio Carluccio – it was really comforting feeling the inner west was creating its own cultural identity. Thank you Shearer’s!

Of course the cinema helped. Bangs, crashing waves and violins seeping through the walls enhanced that faraway feel as books drew me into their world. The Shearers PA system was more risky. Pastoral music would be displaced on another day by singers sharing what sounded like significant drug issues.

But I can hardly complain. The Shearer’s staff knew me well by sight if not by name as I sat in the cafe deciding, often unsuccessfully, on which book to buy. Forgive me guys! I know I’ve had enough time to read almost every book in your store and I’ve have purchased only a modest amount in return but you’ve given me an extraordinary amount of pleasure as a sanctuary from the summer or icy winter blasts or random cares. You’ve been my home away from home so come back soon. There’ll be tumbleweeds rolling down Norton Street until you do.

Our new shop!

We have been open at MarketPlace Leichhardt for a week now, and we're settling nicely into our new home.

If you haven't had a chance to drop past yet, here are some photos of our new shop!

Our address is

Shop F6, MarketPlace Leichhardt, 122-138 Flood Street, Leichhardt, NSW 2040

Who is taller, Elissa or Karma?

We're Moving!

Author Interview: Ciara Geraghty

Lifesaving for Beginners is the fantastic new novel by Irish bestselling author Ciara Geraghty - a bittersweet, quirky tale about letting love in, and learning to live. Ciara lives in Dublin with her husband, three children and a dog. She popped into Shearer's during her Australian tour to chat with Megan.

Our Moving Sales Begin!

You may or may not know that the Norton Street Palace Cinema will be undergoing a major renovation starting at the beginning of April and will close throughout construction. Sadly this means that Shearer's will also be temporarily relocating from 99 Norton Street to MarketPlace Leichhardt in April 2013.

Our customers are extremely important to us and we want you to know that even though we need to move to a new shop in the interim, Shearer's will always be Shearer's! We'll still have the same great customer service, the same staff, and the same love of books. We really appreciate all your loyal support over the years and hope you'll come and visit us in our temporary new home.

And MarketPlace Leichhardt is only 850 metres away from 99 Norton Street!

850m is only:

- a 2 minute drive

- a 3 minute cycle

- a 5 minute bus trip

- or a 10 minute walk.

 And it only takes 2 minutes to read a page of a novel!

In 3 minutes you could read 1.5 pages,

In 5 minutes you could read 3.5 pages,

And in 10 minutes you could read a short chapter - but watch crossing the intersections if you're reading and walking at the same time!

Click here to see directions to Marketplace Leichhardt.

Speaking of novels, each week until the move we'll be holding a weekly departmental sale - and this week our first sale will be

20% off all Fiction!

This includes all Fiction, Australian Fiction, Crime, and Science Fiction and Fantasy, and Graphic Novels.

You can receive 20% off all fiction titles for 3 days only on

Friday February 15th

Saturday February 16th

 and Sunday February 17th.

If you have any questions about which books are on sale, please speak to our friendly staff who will be happy to help you out.

Our 20% off Fiction sale excludes children's fiction (kids will have their own special promotion coming up soon!). No rainchecks, no rewards, only valid on those 3 days. Unfortunately we're sure you'll understand that Frequent Shoppers won't be able to use their reward vouchers for the 20% off Fiction sale. Gift vouchers are able to be redeemed.

Coffee and Cake Special at Froth Café

During our 20% off Fiction sale, Froth Café are also offering a special coffee and cake promotion! If you buy any fiction title on sale at Shearer's between February 15th and 17th, just show your receipt to the staff at Froth Cafe and for only $6.50 you'll get a regular coffee and any cake (some exclusions may apply, please see their lovely staff for details). Book purchase must be the same day as coffee and cake purchase to be eligible.

Event: Michael Leunig

Shearer’s final author event for 2012 took place on Monday 26th November and what an evening it was! We had a visit from the unique Australian artist, Michael Leunig, to discuss his latest publication, The Essential Leunig: Cartoons from a Winding Path and so popular was he that the event was held next door in the Palace Cinema to cater for the crowd of 180.

Leunig warned us that he didn’t have a prepared ‘spiel’, ‘no pleasing witty talk to deliver’. Instead, he gave us so much more – offerings from his heart and soul as he described for us the 'poetry and spirit in the playful winding path that the semiconscious pen makes on a piece of paper'.

Leunig began by describing the process of collating the 400 pieces, representing his career of over 40 years, for this latest book – many favourites, some never before published and many which had spread out into the world or been kept in public libraries.  Such a process re-awakened various emotions as he was confronted with issues he had lived through and rediscovered parts of himself. The process was not pain-free – expressing yourself over 40 years means making mistakes and airing regrets in public. And he came to realise as he looked upon his odd bunch of drawings, what an odd life he has had!

Leunig’s school experience was not a happy one and he believes he attempted to escape it by creating a mind-space where he could safely invent and creatively express his own view of life. His cartooning career began as a political commentator in a daily newspaper in Melbourne in 1969. Faced with a blank square each day on the Letters page he increasingly felt uneasy about presenting caricatures and point scoring and grew more interested in human nature and wisdom. One day, as an impending deadline grew to a close Leunig, in desperation, drew a duck. To this day he does not know why he chose a duck although he did grow up with them. All he knew was that he wanted the duck.

He grew to realise that it was an image he wanted to offer up, and that the world would be improved with a duck in it. In the political cartoonist’s blank square on the Letters page with its potential commentary on war, death, corruption and political manoeuvres, there went instead an innocent little duck.  And Leunig, himself, was transformed from a commentator into an artist. Now, he told us, he knew that instead of presenting something with a particular meaning or a punchline, he was now offering something lyrical and soulful in its dimensions, opening things up rather than nailing things down. Leunig discovered in this process that the personal is most universal; that the artist’s role is to express what is repressed. This, he explained, can be both the ugly difficult things that embarrass us and the beautiful things that nourish us but which we are too inhibited to express for ourselves. Leunig described sadness as one of the latter – ‘a beautiful door to joy’, a beautiful rich feeling where happiness can appear.

Leunig described his new artistic awareness as getting into a childlike space -more primal, sub-human, messy and daring where good ideas come once the mind is freed up. He described the beauty of watching children paint or draw – how uninhibited and non-judgemental they are. Or the indigenous artists from remote communities in northern and central Australia with whom he has visited and collaborated, who intuitively choose their colours and thoroughly enjoy their ‘mark-making’ and whom he credits with greatly influencing his art, humour and philosophy. Leunig then shared a saying from Lao Tzu to express his philosophy: ‘True art seems artless.’

Leunig’s duck became the catalyst for his receiving a letter from a woman named Marie-Louise, a contemporary of Carl Jung, who wrote of the archetypal significance of the duck in German folklore. He learned that the duck appeared when the protagonists became trapped or blocked on their journey and it would fly them to safety. So, in Jungian terms, the duck represents transcendence or a transition to new territory when the soul becomes blocked. Leunig is rather pleased that his whimsical duck has an eternal meaning, although he also loves whimsy.

Leunig went on to create other whimsical characters such as Mr Curly and Vasco Pyjama as well as the odd teapot. However, a watershed moment came in Leunig's daily cartooning work with the advent of the 'war on terror' following the 9/11 atrocity. As an artist, in dread of its implications and at odds with the political climate of the time, Leunig became filled with sadness and despairing of human nature. His work showed a decline in the more lyrical or gentle themes and he stopped drawing Mr Curly altogether. He eschews the growth of information for the collective masses through TV and movies as much for their hyperactive over-stimulation as for their lack of wisdom. But Leunig continues to try to make meaning of the world otherwise it becomes a trauma.  He offered this as his definition of trauma – an inability to make meaning.

As he grows older, Leunig says he feels more at peace despite the world often ‘going mad’. As he described it, he feels ‘less worldly and more other-worldly.’ He painted a lyrical picture in our minds of little wings fluttering and sometimes lifting him off the ground. And he maintains that it is only the collective that bothers him, the individual is usually lovely.  He still holds a special affection towards his characters, which are always in profile, have large noses, and are of unidentifiable age and sex, yet which portray the human spirit and innocence, mainly through the expression in their eyes. Leunig described the beauty that can be found wherever a human creates something authentic and offers it to the world with love, not for active monetary gain.  He concluded with - ‘Do what you love and offer it to the world.’

Thank you Michael Leunig for carrying us on your wings and transporting us all along your playful winding path of poetry and spirit!

Jane

2012 Christmas Gift Ideas

Books are the perfect Christmas present. There's always a perfect book for every family member, and every difficult-to-buy-for friend. You give more than a gift if you give a book for Christmas: you're giving ideas, stories, dreams, lives, insights, and inspiration. And they're easy to wrap too!

We also offer gift wrapping and are happy to take phone orders. Just give us a ring on (02) 9572 7766.

Here are some of our gift ideas for Christmas this year.

How Music Works by David Byrne
RRP $39.95 (hardback)

From the frontman of Talking Heads comes David Byrne's magnum opus on the subject of music. Touching on the joy, the physics and the business of making music, How Music Works is an irresistible adventure and an impassioned argument for music's liberating, life-affirming power.

Perfect for: the musician in your life

The Science Magpie by Simon Flynn
RRP $29.99

The Science Magpie brings together a hugely diverse collection of classic, common and unusual tidbits from across science and its history. Science, humankind's greatest intellectual achievement, is capable equally of delight and amusement as much as learning and the advancement of knowledge.

Perfect for: anybody you think should learn the Large Hadron Collider rap

Sincerely curated by Marieke Hardy and Michaela McGuire
RRP $29.99

With sold-out live events around the country and a bestselling book, Women of Letters have revived the gentle art of letter writing. In this all-new collection of missives, a dazzling array of noteworthy Australians share their wisdom, wit and wildest dreams.

Perfect for: your pen pal

Flinders by Rob Mundle
RRP $49.99

The exciting story of Matthew Flinders the man who named Australia and the first to chart its coastline. Rob Mundle brings Matthew Flinders fascinating story to life from the heroism and drama of shipwreck, imprisonment and long voyages in appalling conditions, to the heartbreak of being separated from his beloved wife for most of their married life.

Perfect for: geography teachers, history buffs, and map lovers

Give Me Excess of It by Richard Gill
RRP $49.99

Give Me Excess of It is Richard's memoir, tracing his life from school days to the highs (and lows) of conducting and directing an opera company. It's warm, extremely funny, highly opinionated, occasionally rude (where warranted) and always sublimely full of the love of music. We have a limited number of signed copies too.

Perfect for: lovers of music and memoirs

Trains and Lovers by Alexander McCall Smith
RRP $19.99

In the words of Alexander McCall Smith: 'You feel the rocking of the train, you hear the sound of its wheels on the rails; you are in the world rather than suspended somewhere above it. And sometimes there are conversations to be had, which is what the overarching story in this collection is all about...'

Perfect for: those often on trains

The One World Schoolhouse by Salman Khan
RRP $29.99

Like Malcolm Gladwell, Jamie Oliver and even Gareth Malone, Salman is a trailblazer who is radically challenging the way we think about the world's big social and personal issues. A gifted and inspiring speaker, Salman Khan's book summarises the ways in which we can radically improve our experience and use of education.

Perfect for: parents and teachers

Vogue On Designers
RRP $29.95 each or $110 slipcase of four

Vogue on Designers is a new series of fashion books which tell the fascinating stories of iconic designers accompanied by world-class photographs and illustrations from the Vogue archive. Available on: Coco Chanel, Elsa Schiaparelli, Christian Dior, and Alexander McQueen.

Perfect for: fashionista history fans

Mastery by Robert Greene
RRP $29.99

'Live by your own rules' - Robert Greene, the 'modern Machiavelli' debunks the prevailing mythology of success and presents a radical new way to greatness. Mastery builds on the strategies outlined in The 48 Laws of Power to provide a practical guide to greatness - and how to start living by your own rules.

Perfect for: masters of their own destinies

Because I Love You by Barbara Toner
RRP $29.99

One mother acknowledges the universal truth that advice should only ever be offered if sought. She's chosen to ignore it, as any self-respecting mother should, in this heartfelt address to her own three daughters. The result is an indispensable guide to be shared by mothers and daughters of all ages everywhere.

Perfect for: your daughter... or your mother

Black Caviar by Gerard Whateley
RRP $45

Written by acclaimed journalist and broadcaster Gerard Whateley, with a foreword by Peter Moody, Black Caviar documents the career of the racehorse who transcended the track to become an Australian icon. Limited number of copies signed by Gerard Whateley available instore.

Perfect for: punters

The Best of Grand Designs by Kevin McCloud
RRP $45

Grand Designs is broadcast in over 130 countries. Its success, says Kevin, is due to ′good old-fashioned story telling; of joy and sorrow, torment and triumph, expressed tangibly in the making of a building′. Kevin delves into the archives to highlight his favourite projects.

Perfect for: architecture enthusiasts

Underwater Dogs by Seth Casteel
RRP $29.99

With over 80 photographs of dogs of every size, shape and breed in a variety of moods - silly, focussed, surprised, primal.

Perfect for: canine devotees

Grace: A Memoir by Grace Coddington
RRP $39.95

The hotly anticipated memoir of the creative genius at Vogue: a dazzling and beguiling story of fifty years in fashion. For decades, Grace Coddington's personal touch has steered wildly imaginative fashion spreads in Vogue magazine.

Perfect for: the most stylish person you know

Antonio Carluccio: The Collection
RRP $49.95

Antonio Carluccio is an internationally acclaimed cook whose worldwide book sales number in the millions and whose television series have screened in over 20 countries. With over 300 of his best recipes.

Perfect for: the godfather (or godmother) of the kitchen

Bond on Bond by Roger Moore
RRP $34.95

To celebrate the film franchise's wonderful heritage, Roger Moore has written a book that features all the Bond movies, along with a wonderfully witty account of his own involvement in them.

Perfect for: aspiring MI6 agents/actors

The 10 Best Games of All Time by Angels Navarro
RRP $24.95

From well-loved favourites like Solitaire or Snakes and Ladders to lesser-known treats like Bizingo or the Goose Game, there's lots of fun here for everyone!

Perfect for: kids, big and small

Steve McCurry: The Iconic Photographs
RRP $79.95

American photographer Steve McCurry is universally recognized as one of today's finest image-makers and has won many of photography's top awards. This special limited-edition monograph brings together the most memorable and beautiful of his images, taken around the world over the last 30 years.

Perfect for: photography fanatics and travel addicts

Outback by Scott Bridle
RRP $49.99

Helicopter pilot and photographer, Scott Bridle offers a unique view of the vast cattle stations and raw natural beauty of outback Australia.


Perfect for: an overseas friend

Infographica by Martin & Simon Toseland
RRP $19.99

Ever wanted to see the world in a new way? Infographica collects intriguing data from across our planet - including how many people were killed by cows in 2011, the average lifespan of people living on each continent and the number of McDonalds restaurants in different countries.

Perfect for: fact fiends, graphic designers and data scientists

Find and Keep by Beci Orpin
RRP $39.95

This gorgeous ideas and craft book features all of Beci's favourite things, from wall murals such as life-size paper Christmas trees, to embroideries and herb gardens and picnic fare.

Perfect for: crafty creatives

Bradman's War by Malcolm Knox
RRP $45

An absorbing and thoughtful account of Bradman's famous 1948 Ashes team that reveals the idolised leader's controversial ruthlessness in pursuit of their record-breaking undefeated tour of England. We also have copies signed by Malcolm Knox, Arthur Miller and Neil Murray.

Perfect for: everyone who spends summer glued to the cricket

Colour: A Journey by Victoria Alexander
RRP $39.99

Explores the implications, history and cultural meanings of colour. With chapters on individual colours, their history and their influence, Colour will inspire you to make creative choices in your wardrobe, your home and your life.

Perfect for: colourful characters

Event: Phillip Adams

Phillip Adams feels like part of my family. 

For as long as I can remember, Adams' voice was a part of my life. I remember being about seven or eight and crawling into bed for a cuddle from my dad, who was listening to Late Night Live through tiny white earphones so as not to wake my mother. His voice always calmed me, and felt reassuring somehow. 

Twenty years on and The Voice still has that same impact on me. Phillip Adams had the Shearer's crowd at full attention with his fascinating anecdotes when he came to visit on Wednesday November 21 to promote his latest book Bedtime Stories, and with good reason. Many of his tales were so juicy, so scandalous, that I simply cannot share them with you without creating serious legal issues for myself, my employers and Mr Adams. Adams is a fantastic storyteller and isn't afraid to tell it like it is, so I suggest you find a friend who was there on the night to relay those particular little yarns.

To say Adams' media career is impressive is a slight understatement. During his twenty-two years at the ABC he has interviewed some truly fascinating local and international individuals, including Mikhail Gorbachev, Helen Garner, Henry Kissinger, Ramona Koval, Patrick White and Jeffrey Archer, just to name a few. Well-recognised for his leftist leanings, Adams has made his mark on the Australian political scene, laid bare his religious views on multiple occasions, as well as created some of the most familiar advertising campaigns in Australian history, including Slip Slop Slap and Life, Be In It. With all these achievements under his belt, one might expect Adams to have a pretty high opinion of himself, but his words were so full of wisdom and often so self-deprecating and honest, by the end of the night I really just wanted to give him a nice cup of tea and a hug. 

Phillip Adams' chat with the Shearer's crowd was diverse and spanned across a wide range of his experiences. From his first radio interview at 3AW in Victoria in the early 1970's, where he gave a frustrated author a forum to discuss why there should be a service for disabled people requiring sexual relief (They decided to name this 'Feels on Wheels'. Apparently this interview attracted around six hundred complaints from listeners, thrilling Adams' manager), to an unexpectedly silent interview with a Burmese monk who could not speak or understand English. A highlight of the evening was Adams' truly honest way of answering questions from the audience. Sharing his views on refugees, asylum seekers and Indigenous issues, Adams left no stone unturned, and responded with sometimes brutal but always entertaining truth. Referring to himself as the 'Licensed Left Winger' at the Australian, Adams has a great sense of humour and readily shared the big-hearted worldview he has developed by being able to "talk about anything to anybody anywhere on earth". Adams believes everything is interesting, and cited his greatest pleasure in interviewing as being able to help someone new and often not so well-known expose themselves and their talents. 

A great night was had by all, and now I'm finding it's me lying in bed at night with tiny white earphones, listening to the dulcet tones of one of Australia's media greats. 

- Sarah 

Interview: Joe Abercrombie

Joe Abercrombie is a British fantasy writer and film editor. He dropped into Shearer's Bookshop and spoke to Megan about his new book Red Country.

Pre-order Your Ian Rankin Signed Copy

Our event with Ian Rankin on Thursday November 22nd at Leichhardt Town Hall is unfortunately booked out, but you can order a signed copy of his latest novel Standing in Another Man's Grave. It’s twenty-five years since John Rebus first appeared on the scene, and five years since he retired. But 2012 sees his return in Standing in Another Man's Grave. Not only is Rebus as stubborn and anarchic as ever, but he finds himself in trouble with Rankin’s latest creation, Malcolm Fox of Edinburgh’s internal affairs unit.

Pre-order your signed copy by calling Shearer's on (02) 9572 7766.

Event: Lindsay Tanner

Lindsay Tanner struck a sauve figure in his dashing black suit and navy blue tie when he graced Shearer's with his presence on Tuesday October 23. In a parliamentary career spanning 18 years, culminating in his position as minister for finance and deregulation in the Rudd-Gillard Governments, Lindsay Tanner always talked straight, and was always worth reading or listening to. His latest offering, Politics with Purpose, represents the better samples of work from his numerous and varied participation in public debate throughout his years in politics. In the words of the man himself, some of his works are 'lighthearted and whimsical', whereas others are deeply serious and take a thoughtful and considered stance in defending the honour of the Labor Government, which Tanner believes to be 'his duty'.

Just as his years in parliment demonstrated time and time again, Tanner showed us he is a man of true integrity with a real sense of what is right. Whilst he unapologetically carried out his duty to defend the Labor Government, he did so with a critical eye and maintained a focus on the future of progressive politics in Australia and the world as a whole. Some alarming statistics and trends around the Western system of progressive politics were revealed, including the worldwide drop in the Labor vote and how this strongly coincides with the rise of new and pressing issues such as sustainability and the impact of new technologies. Tanner spoke of a new political party gaining traction in Germany, the Pirate Party, that is run by and centred around young people and focuses on digital issues facing Germany. This party has consistently polled at 15% at the local level, and looks set to gain federal seats in the next election. Tanner sees this as a real indication of how absolutely necessary it is that the Labor Party worldwide needs to take a firm and consistent position on the new issues facing our ever-changing world, rather than desperately trying to hold onto an ideal that is becoming more stale and tired with every passing day.  

Of course, what the audience really wanted was the dirt on the ALP and the leadership spill, and Tanner delivered on this with grace and eloquence. He tackled curly questions from the floor with ease and diplomacy, only appearing ever so slightly flustered at the mention of Tony Abbott becoming a world power. He lamented the changing nature of the ALP, taking the audience back to the days where Labor was 'a bit nutty, a bit wacky', but full of members driven by their passion for progress and change for the average Australian. Tanner views the current climate of the ALP as being too focused on winning, and not focused enough on what made them the quintessential progressive party in Australian politics: innovation, new ideas and a real sense of social justice. He fears the fragmentation of the ALP will lead them to failure, and their continual ducking of hard choices, such as making true and committed stances on asylum seekers and climate change, will only further weaken their credibility in the eyes of the public.
 

Tanner's visit to Shearer's was thought-provoking, inspiring and a cold, hard dose of reality. The future of progressive politics in Australia is looking rather bleak, but Tanner holds out hope for a future where the ALP finds its feet again and builds itself up into the strong, inspiring and forward-thinking party it once was. Politics is a game, Tanner does not try to hide or disguise this truth, but he believes it is a game that should be played with dignity and with the big picture in mind. At the end of his visit, even though there was an unavoidable sense of sombreness in the room, there was also the smallest spark of hope for the future of the Left beginning to slowly reignite.    

 - Sarah

 

Interview: Richard Gill

Richard Gill is one of Australia's best-known - and best-loved - musical figures. His career has taken him from teaching music in Sydney's western suburbs to the role of Music Director of the Victorian Opera, and he's been involved with almost every major opera company and orchestra in Australia.  

Richard will be speaking at Shearer's on Wednesday October 31st at 7pm about his love of music and his life's work: from school days to the heights (and lows) of conducting and directing an opera company.  

We asked Richard some questions about his life in music and writing his memoir, Give Me Excess of It.

What was your favourite music as a child?  
My favourite music as a child was the Gregorian Chant and the music of the Mass.   

What did you enjoy most about teaching music - and do you miss it?  
The most enjoyable aspect of teaching music is watching how students uncover musical facts for themselves. I don't miss it as I still teach privately.   

What are the most difficult and the most enjoyable things about conducting?  
Everything about conducting is difficult. Getting to grips with the music properly, for example. The most enjoyable things are when everything is going swimmingly...rarely.   

What's the most important aspect of music to you?  
Its abstractness and its capacity to evoke, suggest and imply.   

What did you enjoy most about writing your memoir?  
When I'd finished. It was actually very cathartic and often very painful. 

Join us for an evening with Richard Gill on Wednesday October 31st at 7pm. Refreshments provided.  Tickets: $10, or $8 for frequent shoppers. Includes $5 off Give Me Excess of It.  Bookings are essential for this event. Purchase your tickets by calling Shearer's on (02) 9572 7766.

Event: Quarterly Essay with David Marr

David Marr candidly addressed a sold-out crowd at Shearer’s Bookshop last week. In true laconic Marr style he left little corner untouched, yet didn’t waste a word.

He warned the audience that if they were after ‘a spirited sectarian attack on Catholicism’ or a blind attack on Abbott, they would be disappointed, as he had aimed instead for a biographical study on a ‘fascinating and complex politician.’ Marr explained that most of the writing he does, he does it because he doesn’t know the answers when he begins, but is curious to find out…to find out what the ‘through-line is with this man [Abbott]’.

In the latest Quarterly Essay entitled Political Animal: The Making of Tony Abbott, award-winning author and journalist David Marr discusses what he sees at the many contradictions of the enigma of the Opposition Leader. For someone who is largely viewed as the most successful Opposition Leader in the last 40 years, he remains fascinatingly deeply unpopular.

The Essay summarises the contradictions of Tony Abbott as [a]n aggressive populist with a sharp tongue; a political animal with lots of charm; a born protégé with ambitions to lead; a big brain but no intellectual; a bluff guy who proved a more than competent minister; a politician with little idea of what he might do if he ever got to the top; and a man profoundly wary of change.

Since the release of the Quarterly Essay on the 10^th September, the contents has spread like wildfire, with many superstitious whispers about the dire impact such a drilling in the Quarterly Essay has had in the past on polling results – particularly in marking the end of Kevin Rudd two years ago. Marr joked that there are those who blame him for not doing his job well enough last time around enough as Rudd keeps on appearing all over the place.

Tony Abbott has the enthusiastic warm-hearted support of News Limited, which Marr claims largely controls the press in this country. Yet Abbott generally avoids the trap of difficult and hard-hitting journalists and interviews with the agility of a hare being hungrily pursued by a pack of rabid sabre-toothed wild dogs. Marr joked that Tony Abbott and Alan Jones have ‘the greatest unconsummated love affair in Australian politics’.

Marr discussed his first and ‘simply bizarre’ confrontation with Abbott in 1991 on Four Corners, with his ‘arch of experience with Tony’ ending with the demand that nothing be reported from an hour-long interview except for the words ‘I didn’t do it’ in regards to claims that after having being defeated by Barbara Ramjan for the SRC presidency during his time at Sydney University, he physically intimidated her.

Marr explains that Abbott’s wrecking strategy ‘works’ but leaves the challenge of winning government with a highly disliked leader. The difference in opinion between the major parties on ‘the boats’ is narrow, and the carbon tax is proving Abbott to be less believable, and subsequently the wrecking ball is facing problems. Abbott hones lines and mantras, and with only 15 words as the mantra for the election - it nearly got him there.

When Marr was queried about Abbott’s apparent aggression towards women, he responded by commenting that he doesn’t agree but thinks Abbott has aggression towards people in positions of authority in general. ‘His blokiness disguises that he is the absolute product of Killara [on Sydney's upper north shore]…and three sisters and a mother that adore him and forgive him…he does not dislike women…people like working for him… His physicality sometimes scares women (although laughing that it sometimes scares men as well).’

Marr’s prophesy is that despite the flicker in the polls this week, Liberal is still in the strong position to win against Labor hands-down. Abbott would have to plummet in the polls and Julia would have to be replaced with Rudd. The polls currently show that Malcolm Turnbull is twice as popular as Abbott, yet both leaders of the major parties are there because their parties want them there rather than the public. The other hurdle for Turnbull is that the Liberal party has been seized by and is being run by ‘climate change deniers.’ Marr concluded by claiming that the principal goal for the Opposition should be Abbott’s 2013 charm-offensive - just as rigorous as his ‘wrecking campaign’ in 2012.

Marr flirted around saucy political commentary with the confidence and spunk of the seasoned intellectual that he is – declaring that Peter Costello is ‘the most gutless politician any of us will ever see’ and that at Sydney University Abbott ‘was loathed…on lavatory walls’. David Marr took questions from the audience with charisma and confidence before flitting through the wine-sipping audience, sharing antidotes and advice.

The Quarterly Essay ‘Political Animal: The Making of Tony Abbott’ by David Marr is available now in store at Shearer’s Bookshop.

By Stef.