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Good Reading : March 2009
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readers’ city When Melburnains don’t want to hand over their hard-earned for a book, they usually head for a library. The jewel in the crown is the SLV, a grand building that’s expanded to cover a city block. A highlight for visitors is the vast La Trobe Reading Room, bathed in natural light from the dome high above. Among the many free exhibitions the library hosts is the permanent exhibition Mirror of the World: Books and ideas, which presents significant texts, from the Middle Ages to the present, from its impressive collection. The Independent Type: Books and writing in Victoria, a temporary exhibition of the state’s literary history, opens on April 24. The SLV was an important factor in the UNESCO bid’s success, but the promise of the Centre for Books, Writing and Ideas (CBWI), which will open at the library in the second half of 2009, was a cornerstone. CBWI will house the offices of existing organisations such as the Victorian Writers’ Centre, Melbourne Writers’ Festival and Australian Poetry Centre, as well as functioning as a work and meeting space for writers and project organisers. ‘It will be unique in Australia, and probably the world, as a place where any visitor to the city who’s interested in writing and ideas can connect immediately to what’s happening,’ says Mark Rubbo, who has moved on from the successful City of Literature steering committee to the CBWI board. The centre is expected to host five events per week – some of which will presumably feature writers of real note – perhaps Melbourne ex-pats Germaine Greer and Peter Carey will be tempted? CBWI is likely to be a boon for Melbourne’s writers, including Shane Maloney, Kerry Greenwood, Christos Tsiolkas, Joanna Murray- Smith, Don Watson, Graeme Base and an extraordinary number of poets, such as Chris Wallace-Crabbe. They are supported by numerous literary publications produced in Melbourne - and Penguin’s Australian operations, Melbourne has a thriving independent publishing scene – Text, Hardie Grant, Scribe and Black Inc, for example. So if all this adds up to Melbourne being Australia’s official literary hub, why is its major writers’ festival not the nation’s premier literary event? News that the UNESCO bid had been successful came through just three days before the 2008 Melbourne Writers’ Festival – either a timely sign of a brighter future, or an ominous weight of expectation. From lacklustre attendances and Kerry Germaine Greer Peter Carey Greenwood including Meanjin, Overland, and Going Down Swinging – and organisations and events such as the Centre for Youth Literature and Emerging Writers’ Festival. Though most multinational publishers’ Australian head offices are in Sydney, one-third of those employed in the industry are based in Melbourne. As well as being home to Lonely Planet Christos Tsiolkas programs five years ago, the event has improved under director Rosemary Cameron. Last year the state government boosted the festival’s funding, as part of its remarkably serious commitment to the City of Literature bid. This, plus a move to the CBD’s lively Federation Square, saw the 2008 festival break attendance records. This year’s festival, and the early days of CBWI, will be significant indicators as to whether Melbourne really deserves its international literary stamp of approval. ‘No one wants to lose the designation,’ says Steve Grimwade. ‘If you don’t keep up the good work it could be taken away from you, so there’s pressure to not let this slip.’ VISITING MELBOURNE? Don’t miss these literary hot spots State Library of Victoria: Grand Mag Nation: One of two in Melbourne, La Trobe Reading Room, State Library of Victoria. building with an impressive collection. Visit the beautiful La Trobe Reading Room (including views across it on floors four-to-six) and free exhibitions. 328 Swanston Street, Melbourne; www.slv.vic.gov.au Kay Craddock Antiquarian Bookseller: While its Gothic-revival premises are renovated, this treasure trove of old books is located in temporary digs that are also architecturally significant. Mezzanine, 271 Collins Street, Melbourne (until 2010); www.kaycraddock.com Collected Works: Unique bookshop of poetry and ideas, in a building that’s home to other literary destinations including the Victorian Writers’ Centre. Level 1, Nicholas Building, 37 Swanston Street, Melbourne the city shop is a three-storey magazine paradise offering hundreds of mainstream and niche titles (including Good Reading). 88 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne; www.magnation.com Emerging Writers’ Festival 2009: May 22-31; www.emergingwritersfestival.org.au Melbourne Writers’ Festival 2009: August 21-30; www.mwf.com.au Walking tours: Hidden Secrets recently commenced a tour of Melbourne’s publishing, bookselling and literary history. A government project is soon expected to deliver several maps for even more detailed self-guided walks. www.hiddensecretstours.com MARCH 2009 i goodreading 17
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