Category Archives: For fun

Oh, Don

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It started innocently enough. In preparation for our launch of Don Dunstan, Intimacy and Liberty, we’ve been throwing some costume ideas around the office. Seventies, defs. This is the man who made those hot pink shorts so famous (see the book cover for proof). There’s also that mini yukata from his resignation. The paisley blazer at his 70th. Or whatever it is that’s going on here.

How would we ever live up to his sartorial standards?

And then our very own Michael Deves dug out this little gem:

Michael and Jenny, Santorini
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The white Levis! The leather bag! The sandals! The setting! What a man!

This was promptly followed by Liz’s adorable schoolgirl photo from around the same time:

Claire, Deb and Liz 1972

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If I had that blue dress, I would wear it every day – just by the by. Points for guessing which one’s Liz!

To top it all, Michael Bollen pulled out this doozy:

Michael, mid-seventies

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ain’t nothing can compete with that hair.

And then, just to really get into the mood of the thing, Devesy called our attention to this cultural time capsule:

Someone better come check on us, because WP HQ is timewarping hard right now.

This is but a taste of some of the delights that will be on show at the launch of Don Dunstan, Intimacy and Liberty on the 22 May. Yes, we will be dressing up, and yes, it will be a riot – come join us for the fun!

Don Dunstan launch invite

Wednesday links

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Here’s a few good links for your Wednesday morning:

First of all, Wakefield author Derek Pedley has written a ripper of a piece on the impact of SA police not speaking to the media. This is fascinating from a true crime perspective (get on Dead by Friday if you haven’t already, by the by) but also important reading for every SA citizen.

Next, we have this article about hashtags and how they signify meaning (fascinating and highly recommended for all you wordnerds out there). Contains the brilliant NY Times quote:

When Slate‘s Julia Turner profiled the hashtag in 2012—months before it would be named the American Dialect Society’s Word of the Year—she noticed that it allowed “the best writers to operate in multiple registers at once, in a compressed space.”  She concluded, “It’s the Tuvan throat singing of the Internet.”

Next (and on theme), we have some Tuvan throat singing:

Last but not least, there’s the SA Writers Centre‘s editing boot camp program, which has just been released. I guess we all know about SAWC, about how they were the first of their type in Australia, how they continue to serve as a model for writers’ centres around the world, how they manage to do so much for literary culture in SA … (oh we’re bloody lucky over here).

Happy Wednesday guys!

A new favourite: Benny of Verdun

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Benny operates front of house at the Stanley Bridge Tavern, Verdun. He is a little Jack Russell, adopted by the tavern owners. They have a sign up asking people to ‘like’ Benny on Facebook, but he was apparently kicked off Linked-In for ‘not being a true professional’. This not only hurt Benny’s feelings, but is completely inaccurate. He is a consummate professional, entertaining and relaxing patrons.

For example, here he is keeping a Chesterfield soft and warm for the next occupant:

Benny on Chesterfield

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And here he is keeping guests company:

Benny with guest

And here he is enjoying a glass of red as a knock-off:

Benny having knock-offs

What a handsome boy! He looks like he could do with a book to unwind with though. Maybe Dogs in Australian Art? (Benny would make a great model.) Or I Love My Dog and My Dog Loves Me? Quotable Dogs? Or City Dog Country Dog?

Thanks for the stellar service, Benny!

The wine state

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The thing about SA is that we like a good time.

(The Festival State, is what our number plates used to read, until someone thought that we were giving too much away.)

We like to party, we like to think, and we like to debate.

We also like wine.

Wakefield Press have released many wine titles that have gone on to become classics over the years. Trott’s View is the McLaren Vale book, and the book is as beautiful as the region. John Gladstones’s Wine, Terroir and Climate Change, on the other hand, is a wine industry bible, especially after it was inducted into the Gourmand Wine Books Hall of Fame in 2011. If you want to read James Halliday’s views on that one, just take a look at this pdf.

And now there’s Barossa Shiraz, by Dr Thomas Girgensohn.

I could tell you about how this is a groundbreaking book. I could tell you about Girgensohn’s years of research, his meticulous knowledge of a complex region. How this kind of project has never been done before.

But let’s be honest, Robyn Lewis’s review on VisitVineyards.com says it better.

And the book says it best of all.

Makes for delightful reading over a glass of Barossa red. Of course.

 

 

Breaking bad news

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We get a lot of junk mail sent to the reception email. It’s the downside to a public email address: on the one hand it’s great that everyone can get in touch, on the other hand there are only so many search engine optimisation emails that a girl can handle.

Recently, however, I’ve noticed a change in tenor in our spam. A – fairly drastic, I have to say – change in tack. It started when I found myself accused of committing a felony:

Crash spam

 

Hillary’s so cheerful about our road incident! It really is, when you think about it, very kind of her.

But the felony was nothing on the cancer:

Cancer spam

 

Well, that’s me done for. Guess I’m signing out for good, guys. It’s been great.

Love,

[email address removed] All rights reserved.

 

(SERIOUSLY! But if, by the by, you want a real insight into cancer, Geoff Goodfellow‘s the one to read.)

It’s a tough life …

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Oh dear LORD what a crazy few days it’s been!

Adelaide Writers’ Week kicked off on Saturday, with sessions including big names such as Booker Prize-winner Eleanor Catton, superstar newbie Hannah Kent and Wakefield Press’s very own Philip Jones (yes, you can get the book here!).

Meanwhile, Charlotte did an amazing job putting together a day of food, wine and beautiful locations for the Visiting International Publishers program. We visited SA’s gorgeous McLaren Vale wine region, and everyone had an excellent day. A highlight? Definitely getting to hang out with our sponsors at Fox Creek — these guys are amazing, and so is their wine. Thank you for having us!

At Fox Creek

A big thanks too to Coriole Vineyards and the Star of Greece, and of course Australia Council for organising the program. All up, a perfect McLaren Vale day.

Now we just have the tough choices of the final two weeks of the Festival ahead of us. Which sessions to visit during the last two days of Writers’ Week? To purchase a one-day WOMAD pass, or go all out for the whole weekend? Which world class theatre event to attend?

Decisions, decisions …

On the silver screen …

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SA Tourism have been producing some great ads recently.

There has been a bit of disagreement over the most recent Adelaide ad (see on InDaily here). Amber Petty wasn’t much of a fan. But I think it’s killer, and it is nice to be reminded just how darn beautiful and alive this old state of ours is.

But it’s not all about the big production ads. Through the SA Tourism Through Local Eyes project, a whole bunch of wildly talented South Aussies have been making short films to show their view of the state.

It’s through this project that the most recent Limestone Coast ad has been made – and of course, if we’re going to talk beautiful areas of SA, we’re going to talk Limestone Coast.

The thing that has got all us Wakefieldians so excited, however, takes place at 1:42 exactly:

THAT’S OUR BOOK! ALMOST AN ISLAND HAS GONE AND GROWED UP AND BECOME A MOVIE STAR!

To see more of the innovative advertising SA Tourism have got going on (and you really should – they’ve got some beauties), have a look here.