'What I say is, a town isn’t a town without a bookstore. It may call itself a town, but unless it’s got a bookstore, it knows it’s not foolin’ a soul.' ― Neil Gaiman In an age of Internet sales a humble bookshop could seem archaic. In a march to digitise and automate, something so small as a bookshop could be considered an afterthought. Yet, those of us who frequent shelves and bookstalls, who know…
Continue readingRhondda Harris came across something fascinating when researching in the State Records of South Australia at Gepps Cross for an archaeological dig at the old Adelaide Gaol: a long-lost journal written by the gaol's first governor, William Baker Ashton. But we'll let Rhondda introduce the journal herself through this short preamble from her book, Ashton's Hotel. This includes an excerpt from the journal itself which, yes, may contain some 'mistakes'. As Rhondda says in the book, 'I have turned off the autocorrect and…
Continue readingWhile most of Adelaide has settled down for a well-deserved nap following the end of festival season, one favourite festival venue has no time to rest. Her Majesty's Theatre is continuing its campaign to raise funds for its major upgrade, due to be completed in 2019. In 2013 Her Majesty's Theatre celebrated its centenary with a beautiful book, Her Majesty's Pleasure. What better time to look back on Adelaide's beginnings as a 'theatre town' and the birth…
Continue readingOne of the coolest things about the Wakefield community is that we get to see the latest that our bright and busy authors are producing – and then we can share it with you! This time we have new work from Geoff Goodfellow, who is in fine form this early (drizzly) spring, with a new poem musing on fashion trends in his beloved Semaphore. Just a little something to get you through your Monday. Enjoy!…
Continue readingWith the upcoming launch of Quiet City by Carol Lefevre on Sunday at West Terrace Cemetery, we couldn't resist sharing another extract. This one comes from the chapter "Darkness in Daylight" and the illustration is by Anthony Nocera. But there is, too, a long and more troubling list of activities that eventually became the focus of a government investigation. They involved the appropriation of bodies for dissection, especially from public institutions such as the gaol, the lunatic…
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