It's on tomorrow and Monday - I can't make it Monday, alas, as I'm at work, but there's some pretty good stuff happening and a line-up worthy of a mini Melbourne Writers' Festival. Here's the link if you're in Melbourne and have the time to go.
The speakers aren't all Jewish, but they write on Jewish or sort-of-Jewish themes. There's a rather interesting panel with Arnold Zable talking about his new book on Henry Nissen, boxer and social worker, with whom my sister went out once or twice in her teens. I hadn't planned to attend that one although we'll see if I can slot it in between the ones I am attending and lunch with my friend Mirna, who's doing a Skype interview with an American translator of Primo Levi. Mirna did her PhD on Levi. I'm going to that. I might buy the Zable book, anyway. I promise myself not to buy any more print books than I can help, but just the one...
But first thing, I'm going to hear Anna Ciddor, author of the delightful The Family With Two Front Doors in conversation with Hazel Edwards, co-author of the quirky and funny F2M, which isn't remotely Jewish, but is about "the other", the theme of the panel. The protagonist is a teenage girl who identifies as male and has to tell his/her all-girl rock band. It was as much about punk rock as about bring trans and was utterly delightful. And published by Ford Street, my favourite publisher! Only trouble is, poor Hazel kept getting asked to sign one of her Hippo books instead the day we were signing out Ford Street books.
My final panel for the day is "The H Word", about Holocaust writing, and one of the panel members is the amazing Kate Forsyth, whose recent book In The Beast's Garden is set in Nazi Germany and definitely has Holocaust themes. I know Kate through SF fandom, but In The Beast's Garden is a straight historical novel, though it is inspired by a Grimm's fairy tale, "The Singing, Springing Lark", a sort of Beauty And The Beast story which turns into "East Of The Sun, West Of The Moon" halfway through.
I've reviewed all three novels on this site, you can find them on a search.
Anyway, there's plenty of good stuff going tomorrow, and tonight there will be an opening ceremony at the Glen Eira Town Hall, with music. My brother's friend, the cellist Robert Ekselman, will be playing. Wish I could go, but I have other commitments today.
Why not check out the MJWF web site and go? It's mostly on at Beth Weizmann Hewish community centre in Caulfield and is easy to get to by tram, either the 64 from the city, or the 67. If you know me and are going, get in touch and I'll meet you there. If you're one of my overseas or interstate readers... Well, you'll just have to read about it. Buy some of the books.
The speakers aren't all Jewish, but they write on Jewish or sort-of-Jewish themes. There's a rather interesting panel with Arnold Zable talking about his new book on Henry Nissen, boxer and social worker, with whom my sister went out once or twice in her teens. I hadn't planned to attend that one although we'll see if I can slot it in between the ones I am attending and lunch with my friend Mirna, who's doing a Skype interview with an American translator of Primo Levi. Mirna did her PhD on Levi. I'm going to that. I might buy the Zable book, anyway. I promise myself not to buy any more print books than I can help, but just the one...
But first thing, I'm going to hear Anna Ciddor, author of the delightful The Family With Two Front Doors in conversation with Hazel Edwards, co-author of the quirky and funny F2M, which isn't remotely Jewish, but is about "the other", the theme of the panel. The protagonist is a teenage girl who identifies as male and has to tell his/her all-girl rock band. It was as much about punk rock as about bring trans and was utterly delightful. And published by Ford Street, my favourite publisher! Only trouble is, poor Hazel kept getting asked to sign one of her Hippo books instead the day we were signing out Ford Street books.
My final panel for the day is "The H Word", about Holocaust writing, and one of the panel members is the amazing Kate Forsyth, whose recent book In The Beast's Garden is set in Nazi Germany and definitely has Holocaust themes. I know Kate through SF fandom, but In The Beast's Garden is a straight historical novel, though it is inspired by a Grimm's fairy tale, "The Singing, Springing Lark", a sort of Beauty And The Beast story which turns into "East Of The Sun, West Of The Moon" halfway through.
I've reviewed all three novels on this site, you can find them on a search.
Anyway, there's plenty of good stuff going tomorrow, and tonight there will be an opening ceremony at the Glen Eira Town Hall, with music. My brother's friend, the cellist Robert Ekselman, will be playing. Wish I could go, but I have other commitments today.
Why not check out the MJWF web site and go? It's mostly on at Beth Weizmann Hewish community centre in Caulfield and is easy to get to by tram, either the 64 from the city, or the 67. If you know me and are going, get in touch and I'll meet you there. If you're one of my overseas or interstate readers... Well, you'll just have to read about it. Buy some of the books.
4 comments:
The line up of speakers and events sound exciting. Especially the one about the boxer that your sister went out with! I've never known anyone famous or who anyone wrote a book about - I wonder if your sister will buy the book. Have an awesome time!
Well, my sister didn't know he was going to be famous at the time. :-) But we're a small community, so chances are you know somebody will-known; there were those two musicians who were portrayed in the film Schindler's List, who lived in Melbourne and my Dad knew them. As for the book, I'll probably buy a copy for me, mainly because Arnold Zable, the author, is very good at writing Melbourne-themed books, especially Melbourne-themed Jewish books. If my sister is curious, she can read my copy.
Ooh, I didn't realize Kate Forsyth had a new one coming out! Sounds fascinating!
In The Beast's Garden is already out in Australia, wonderful book! Be patient. If you're curious, I reviewed it when it came out.
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