Come visit us at Clunes Booktown Festival
Bookseller Angela Crocombe sets the scene for the Clunes Booktown Festival which is happening this coming weekend (1 May - 2 May). We’re excited to have a Readings stall there for the very first time!
I know Clunes fairly well. This small town has an active local community and everyone is very friendly. There is an abundance of bookshops (five at my last count), one pub and no fast food joints. The streets are gloriously wide, many old buildings date back over 100 years, and right now, the autumn leaves are a kaleidoscope of colours and the crisp air is just right for cosying up with a good book. Clunes is quaint and quiet most of the time but this weekend this gorgeous country town comes alive with the book extravaganza that has seen it named ‘Australia’s First Booktown’. There is a plethora of famous authors to hear, thousands of new and second-hand books to browse, photography and art exhibitions, music and performance, a kid’s village and much more.
If you’re an art lover, come meet photographer and filmmaker William Yang and Korean photographer Koo Bohnchang. These two will be presenting an exhibition of commissioned photographs of Clunes and Paju Book City in Korea. There will also be artist discussions and an accompanying documentary. Or, if you’re a Shakespeare lover, Federation University Australia runs their own tent throughout the festival which features students performing Shakespeare’s love poems, as well as talks on a variety of topics. A late addition to the program is performance poet and novelist, Omar Musa.
This year’s program also has a strong focus on biography: Merv Collins will discuss virtuoso James Morrison, Helen Trinca will discuss Madeleine St John and Hannie Rayson will discuss her memoir. In addition, Readings’ own Mark Rubbo will be interviewing David Day, biographer of Paul Keating, and others on the challenges of writing biography.
Over in the Children’s Village, author Christopher Faille and illustrator Danny Snell will be hosting workshops for youngsters. Bestselling Korean author Hwang Sun-Mi will also be in attendance this year to talk on her stunning parable about striving for freedom, The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly.
I’m also looking forward to hearing last year’s Stella Prize-winner, Clare Wright, who will talk on the women behind Eureka, and this year’s Stella Prize-winner, Emily Bitto, who will close the festival with a discussion on her book The Strays.
Adding to the atmosphere will be an old-fashioned music-maker, the Dumbo Feather Airstream, horse and cart rides, face painting and, of course, dozens of book traders with thousands-upon-thousands of books. Plus, don’t forget to sample the local food and coffee trader. My personal favourites are Lucky Strike and Widow Twankeys.
Clunes Booktown Festival really does make for a fabulous day out, so rug up and come along to a true book lover’s paradise. (And don’t forget to say hello to Mark and I at the Readings stall!)
