Desperately on Sunday morning at 9 am, I rang Berkelouw’s Bookshop Paddington and IGOR answered.
‘Help’ – I have a book launch of ‘Alien Shores’ at The Hughenden Hotel this afternoon except there are NO books for sale.
Igor organised the Berkelouws’ bookshops to help me out. I drove from Mona Vale, to Balgowlah to Rose Bay to Newtown collecting ‘Alien Shores’ books on the way.
The Book launch was saved – and all the books sold out at the event too!
The Consul General for India, editor Meenakshi Bharat and Sharon Rundle, authors Linda Jaivlin, Rosie Scott, David Malouf, Andrew Kwong, Mabel Lee, writers, readers and people packed the Hughenden sun lounge for readings that moved us about those who are dislocated by war and poverty to seek new lives.
Roanna Gonzales writer was the MC for the event.
It was a fantastic launch with sweet treats baked by The Hughenden chef and plenty of talking and celebrations.
Great little reviews in Sydney’s Sun Herald and Melbourne’s The Age:-
‘This collection is overall strong and affecting.’
Geoffrey Rush, in his speech as Australian of the Year, put out a call to the writers of Australia,
saying that he wanted to see the ‘stories of people wanting to come here at great peril to their lives,
with such extraordinary bravery’, adding that: ‘we’re not finding that human scale in the story and
I think it’d be good if we did that because I think people would discuss the arguments
with less overly emotive responses to primal knee-jerk reactions.’
Alien Shores is a cross Indian-Australian anthology of renowned Australian and Indian authors and a powerful response to Geoffrey Rush’s call.
To be launched at The Hughenden with special guest The Indian Consul General and authors Linda Jaivlin, Rosie Scott, Susanne Gervay, Sharon Rundle, Meenakshi Bharat, Michelle Cahill, Andrew Kwong … hosted by Roanna Gonsalvez
Published by Brass Monkey Books Australia, imprint of UQP.
Editors: Meenakshi Bharat and Sharon Rundle (Eds)
Publish Date: May 2012
ISBN-13:9780980863932; ISBN-10:0980863937
Where?: UTS Art Gallery, Sydney
What? An evening in discussion about the impact of terror on our lives
How? With a panel of 5 authors and 2 editors from the anthology ‘Fear Factor: Terror Incognito’
Who?
Panel Chair: Devleena Ghosh, Director of Transforming Cultures, Associate Professor Social Inquiry Program UTS
Editors: Professor Meenaskshi Bharat University of Delhi; Sharon Rundle, Lecturer UTS
Authors: Andrew Kwong, Susanne Gervay, Rosie Scott, Sujata Sankranti, Meenakshi Bharat
Audience: Academics, authors, students, general public.
Special guests: Authors Mabel Lee renowned translator of Nobel Prize winning Chinese author Gao Xingjian’s ‘Soul Mountain’
Authors: Hazel Edwards and Moya Simons
Storytellers: Sue Alveraz
Outcome?: Exciting discussion opening a wide range of views and emotions on terrorism from refugees by Rosie Scott, escape from China by Andrew Kwong, young people drawn into terrorism by Sujata Sankranti and recognition of the difficult and important journey by Australian editor Sharon Rundle and Indian editor Meenakshi Bharat to create an anthology that opens vital discourse on terrorism.
