Clunes Booktown Festival 2022

There’s power in brevity – telling a short story that can be captivating and satisfying. Wayne Marshall (Shirl), Melissa Manning (Smokehouse), Bryan Andy (Flock) and Alicia Sometimes (From the Outer) are great short story tellers, and will they share how they pack so much punch into a small package, and why they are drawn to short and sharp stories. Clunes Booktown is a covid-safe ticketed event. If you are feeling unwell, please stay home.

Access both days of the weekend for all book-browsing, exhibitions, music performances, kids activities and free talks. 9am-5pm Saturday 9am-4pm Sunday Clunes Booktown is a covid-safe ticketed event. If you are feeling unwell, please stay home. Please be kind to our staff and volunteers. Adults $10 Students $5 Children (under 16) FREE

Broadening the men’s shed movement in the company of men and women. Presented by Prof. Barry Golding. FREE EVENT Clunes Booktown is a covid-safe ticketed event. If you are feeling unwell, please stay home.

Rebecca Lim (Tiger Daughter), Sneha Lees (Good Indian Daughter) and Van Badham, writer and activist, discuss what it is to be a woman in contemporary Australia. Chaired & Presented by Jess Lilley (Triple R) Clunes Booktown is a covid-safe ticketed event. If you are feeling unwell, please stay home.

The staying power of book clubs through the global pandemic has shown us that connecting through books is more important than ever when times are tough. Shay Leighton, founder and director of the Tough Guy Book Club and Bill Collopy, from the Centre for Adult Education talk about what makes for a great tale to discuss at a book club and how to keep interest energised. Chaired by Maryanne Vagg. Clunes Booktown is a covid-safe ticketed event. If you are feeling unwell, please stay home.

10 Independent authors, via Shawline Publishing, join us for a fun event where independent authors give an elevator speech about their work and why they decided to go with independent publishers. Sponsored by Shawline Publishing FREE EVENT Clunes Booktown is a covid-safe ticketed event. If you are feeling unwell, please stay home.

Everyone has the right to seek asylum from persecution but overcoming racism and loneliness can be equally as traumatic as the refugee journey itself. Listen to the touching stories of resilience, courage, love and hope through our panel of authors who have experienced the journey firsthand. This talk will be both moving and powerful. Chaired Ogy Simic, Advocacy Manager at the ASRC. Clunes Booktown is a covid-safe ticketed event. If you are feeling unwell, please stay home.

Don Farrands wrote Courage and Compassion, A Stretcher Bearer’s Journey from No–man's Land and Beyond about his grandfather Nelson Ferguson. Ferguson’s life has been the focus of Hannie Rayson’s play The Glass Soldier and Nigel Westlake’s orchestral piece The Glass Soldier Suite. Farrands shows us what it was about his remarkable grandfather that has made his story so inspiring. Clunes Booktown is a covid-safe ticketed event. If you are feeling unwell, please stay home.

Brad Shaw (Shawline Publishing Group and Jane Willson (Murdoch Books) offers an insight into how independent minded and focused writers can become successful in getting their books to you, the book lover. FREE EVENT Clunes Booktown is a covid-safe ticketed event. If you are feeling unwell, please stay home.

Let’s all move to the regions! It’s more relaxed, people are friendly, living is affordable, and you can enjoy a creative lifestyle. Delve into the stories, the joys, the cliches and realities of what it means to be a man - queer or straight - in regional Australia. With Dale Campisi and Brady Michaels (The Gents) and Dr Barry Golding (Shoulder to Shoulder). Chaired by Douglas Gellatly, Clunes author and podcaster. Ticket holders must show proof of vaccination upon entry.

Scott Ludlam, Ian Lowe and Alex Kelly are thinkers who spend much of their time contemplating possible futures. We have entered the Anthropocene – an era in which humans are changing the earth's climate irreversibly, and political, human and natural systems are on the cusp of collapse. We are headed for radical change and this mob explore the issues we will inevitably face. Chaired by Prof. Tim Lynch. Clunes Booktown is a covid-safe ticketed event. If you are feeling unwell, please stay home.

The Group has a rich diversity of writers, each one with a story to tell - memoirs, short stories, poetry, prose and haikus. Lots of the pieces in the anthology reflect the pandemic experience. Members are eager to directly present their work to real people after months of isolation. FREE EVENT Clunes Booktown is a covid-safe ticketed event. If you are feeling unwell, please stay home.

Arnold Zable in conversation with Kerrie O’Brien (The Age). Arnold is a legendary storyteller. Kerrie will fire him up, with a focus on his latest work The Watermill. This is a quartet of true stories around displacement, survival and resistance that spans the globe and reflects the universal spirit of humanity. He takes us near and far, weaving tales within tales of people compelled to live extraordinary lives. This is a covid-safe ticketed event. If you are feeling unwell, please stay home.

When times are tough, we need a good joke more than ever. Justine Sless the Mistress of Mirth, Fiona Scott-Norman and Sean O'Beirne chat about how to turn the dark into the comedic. Chaired & Presented by Daniel Burt (Triple R) Clunes Booktown is a covid-safe ticketed event. If you are feeling unwell, please stay home.

Publishing your own book is a major challenge but, if successful, the result can be satisfying (and sometimes spectacular). Self-publishers Hugh Wayland, Martine Murray (Parachute Press), Richard Gilbert and DJ Hammond take us through the ups and downs of DIY publishing and tick off the dos and don’ts of this cottage industry with Dr Tess Brady in the Chair. Clunes Booktown is a covid-safe ticketed event. If you are feeling unwell, please stay home.

Join Alicia Sometimes, a poet, musician and co-editor of the Australian literary journal Going Down Swinging, with Lee Kofman, Andy Jackson, Frank Prem and surprise local poets as they read excerts of their work for your enjoyment. Clunes Booktown is a covid-safe ticketed event. If you are feeling unwell, please stay home.

Join us for an exciting and inspirational discussion on gardening, chooks and living the best way you can in your corner of the world, “igniting the skills and knowledge you already have but may not realise”. With Millie Ross (ABC The Thrifty Gardener) Fiona Scott Norman (This Chicken Life) and Jill Teschendorff (Grow Wild) Clunes Booktown is a covid-safe ticketed event. If you are feeling unwell, please stay home.

Jacinta Parsons (Unseen) joins Eliza Hull, disability advocate and editor of "We've Got This: Stories by disabled parents", Nat Bartsch (ARIA-nominated pianist) and Jeremy Hopkins to discuss disability and overcoming adversity in 2022. Clunes Booktown is a covid-safe ticketed event. If you are feeling unwell, please stay home.

Journalist Nicole Haddow is the author of Smashed Avocado: How I Cracked the Property Market and You Can Too and most recently The Ethical Investor in which she presents an essential guide to growing wealth while making a difference. Nicole outlines the steps she takes to ensure her hard-earned cash isn’t going straight into the pockets of toxic companies. Presented by The Courier Clunes Booktown is a covid-safe ticketed event. If you are feeling unwell, please stay home.

Don Watson in conversation with Sean O’Beirne. Don’s latest book Watsonia brings together the best bits of his writing life. Of course, the result is powerful, insightful, and wryly witty. He covers everything from Oz humour to the U.S. gone berserk, from Don Bradman to Oscar Wilde, from birds and horses to history and politics. Clunes Booktown is a covid-safe ticketed event. If you are feeling unwell, please stay home.

At least in the book world, crime always pays. Whether it be an imaginary mystery or a serious documentation, readers devour anything criminal. JP Pomare, Katherine Kovecic and Mary Rose Cuskelly ruminate on our obsession with bad behaviour. Jock Sarong will attempt to keep the discussion legal. Clunes Booktown is a covid-safe ticketed event. If you are feeling unwell, please stay home.

Writers Victoria presents a trio of writers in discussion about the ways in which their work is informed by and explores their relationships with place. Kim Kruger, Madeleine Ryan and Demet Divaroren explore the role of memory, history and literature in shaping the ways in which we engage with landscapes and cities and will perform short readings of their own work. Moderator: Anna Kate Blair (Writers Victoria) Clunes Booktown is a covid-safe event. If you are feeling unwell, please stay home.

Blackfellas do some truth telling. The Melbourne School of Discontent is a collective of Aboriginal and Islander academics, activists, artists, writers,poets and pests. They examine, analyse, and critically dissect the popular and accepted narratives of Australian history. Featuring Gary Foley, Jacqui Katona with Kim Kruger. Clunes Booktown is a covid-safe ticketed event. If you are feeling unwell, please stay home.

Carmel Bird, Lee Kofman and Chloe Hooper discuss the challenges that can be encountered when making the personal public. How lived experience can be transformed into compelling stories. Chaired by Maryanne Vagg. Clunes Booktown is a covid-safe ticketed event. If you are feeling unwell, please stay home.

Benefits of your lifetime membership are - funding to support our Literacy in Schools program & Booktown on Sunday - 10% discount on all ticketed Booktown events - 10% discount on all books purchased at Booktown on Sunday - invitations to the annual Booktown welcoming event & post Booktown Party - acknowledgement by name in the annual Booktown program

This Working Life is the book you need to navigate your career with courage, openness, and a good dose of laughter in these chaotic and uncertain times. Springing off the success of her ABC podcast, Lisa Leong, together with journalist Monique Ross, are bringing a deep curiosity to the world of work. Join us for an afternoon conversation with Lisa Leong, host of ABC Radio National's This Working Life, and Monique Ross, journalist, writer, and editor.

Join us for another expert panel from our series of seven around Publishing. Learn from Pam Brewster Publisher at Hardie Grant Publishing, Bestselling Author of Australian Fiction Jennifer Scoullar who will be in conversation Jen Hutchison, author and independent publisher who champions mature writers.

Join us for an expert panel around Writing & Editing with Anne Gracie, award-winning author of 20 novels published internationally and Lindy Cameron, author, editor and independent publisher of Clan Destine Books in conversation with journalist, strategic communications consultant and non-fiction writer Leslie Falkiner-Rose.

In My Body Keeps Your Secrets, Lucia shares the voices of women and trans and non-binary people around the world, as well as her own deeply moving testimony. Join us for an evening with Lucia Osborne-Crowley, journalist, essayist, writer, and legal researcher in conversation with Christine Gordon from Readings. Date: Wednesday 10 Nov Time: 7pm

Two Steps Onward is the wise, witty and wine-filled follow-up to Two Steps Forward, Graeme Simsion and Anne Buist’s bestselling novel about walking the Camino. It’s about helping the people you love, and knowing when to let go. Figuring out what you really want in life. And seizing your chances, before it’s too late. Join us for an afternoon conversation with Graeme Simsion and Anne Buist chatting to Maryanne Vagg.

This is the true story of Keith Banks, one of Queensland’s most decorated police officers and his experience as a Tactical Operations Specialist Officer in the eighties. After Keith left deep undercover duty - as told in his bestselling first book - Drugs, Guns and Lies - he continued to seek the adrenaline and rush of the sharp end of policing.

FREE EVENT. While most Book Clubs organise themselves, there are still many organised for them. Hear about the experiences of the Council for Adult Education, which started its book club to address isolation on solider settlements after World War II & now has thousands of members. Booktown partner, Readings, has run books club for many years out of its bookstores & have a wealth of knowledge to share on running Book Clubs. Join Maryanne Vagg in conversation with Angela Crocombe & Bill Collopy.

FREE EVENT. One of our aims is to think about how Book Clubs can help bring culturally diverse communities together. In this panel you will hear about working with older Australians, why there was a need to set a book club for south Asian women and how the vision impaired benefit from Book Club membership. Be inspired by our panellist stories from Daizy Maan, Richard Freadman and Sarah Bloedorn. Chaired by Maryanne Vagg.

FREE EVENT. Connecting Authors and Book Clubs. Learn about how book clubs and authors can connect more for mutual benefit in a discussion led by Toni Jordan novelist, with Vikki Petraitis, true crime author and successful podcaster, and Lindy Cameron, author and independent publisher, Clan Destine Books. Book Clubs Hub has set up a searchable author register where book clubs can seek out authors that are happy to meet with them in person or online. This talk will explore what more can be done.

FREE EVENT. The Good, The Bad and The Ugly of Book Clubs. Book Clubs each have their own personality and with that comes myriad positive and negative challenges. Hear from those with long standing book club experience. The aim of this amazing talk is for you to come away with great tips on how to set up, run and/or market your book club better. Join Chair Jennifer Hutchison in conversation with Pam Kershaw, book club veteran, and Shay Leighton, founder and director, Tough Guy Book Club.

Join us for the first national symposium to explore how book clubs connect us with ideas, books, and each other. On May 29 & 30 we will celebrate the power of book clubs; share stories and experiences; discuss the best ways to run different types of clubs; and look at how clubs interact with authors, libraries, the publishing industry, and local communities. Full program on website. Tickets include morning and afternoon tea and a Saturday evening reception with drinks and nibbles.

Many Book Clubs are run out of libraries. How does that benefit both the libraries and the readers? State Library of Victoria CEO, Kate Torrney, will address this question through her Key Note Speech, followed by an audience Q+A. Leading us into: The Book of Tomorrow Where to from here? How can we best support and encourage book clubs around Australia? Audience Discussion led by Cora Trevarthen, member of the Book Clubs Hub Committee.

While most Book Clubs organise themselves, there are still many organised for them. Hear about the experiences of the Council for Adult Education, which started its book club to address isolation on solider settlements after World War II and now has thousands of members. Booktown partner, Readings, has run books club for many years out of its book stores and have a wealth of knowledge to share on running Book Clubs. Maryanne Vagg will be joined by Angela Crocombe and Bill Collopy.

One of our aims is to think about how Book Clubs can help bring culturally diverse communities together. In this panel you will hear about working with older Australians, why there was a need to set a book club for south Asian women and how the vision impaired benefit from Book Club membership. Be inspired by our panellist stories, which include; Richard Freadman, Daizy Maan, Sarah Bloedorn and Nathalie Jones. Chaired by Maryanne Vagg.

Life in the Fast Lane Book Clubber Heather Horrocks, part of our Book Clubs Hub Steering Group, will wrangle those in the room so they can quickly learn about each other and then share the stories discovered as Tale From The Trenches…… Tales From The Trenches Hear about the weird, wonderful and heart-warming range of experiences of book clubbers from around the country.