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AGENCY NEWS
August September 2009
Congratulations to Dianne Bates whose latest book, Crossing the Line, published in August 2008 by Ford St has been short listed in the 2009 NSW Premier's Literary Awards. The judges said: 'The subject matter of Crossing the Line is confronting, even gruelling. Sophie, as main character and narrator, moves in and out of therapy, in and out of relationships, craving affection and intimacy, yet simultaneously bristling, defensive and distrustful. Her strong presence dominates the novel. Sophie falls into a transference relationship with her therapist, which leads to emotional obsession and stalking behaviour even more extreme than her acts of self-mutilation. What makes the story believable is the raw intensity of her voice and point of view. Sophie is a troubling and uncomfortable caracter, yet undeniably, overpoweringly real. Dianne Bates's book will be a valuable text to stimulate discussion, especially among teenage girls.'
Congratulations to Robert Adamson whose collection, The Golden Bird: New and selected poems, was published in Australia by Black Inc in 2008 and has been short listed for both The Age Book of the Year (Poetry) and the Victorian Premier's Poetry Awards 2009.
’The sparseness and taut energy of the more recent poems, for all Adamson's famous romanticism, seems classic: as if, like Yeats, he has discovered the exhilaration and enterprise of walking naked‘
~ DAVID MALOUF
Look Who’s Morphing, published by Giramondo and Tom Cho’s first published book, has been short listed for The Age Book of the Year Award (Fiction) 2009. It is a collection of funny, playful, often outlandish ficitons in which, along with his extended family, the central character undergoes a series of transformations, shape-shifting through figures drawn from film and television, music and books, porn flicks and comics. He is Godzilla, a Muppet, and Witney Housten’s bodyguard; the Fonz, a robot, a Ford Bronco 4x4 – and as a climax, a fifty-five metre tall guitar-wielding cock rock star, who performs for the people of Tokyo, and an adoring troupe of sexy fans. Within these fantasies there is a deep intellectual and emotional engagement, a fundamental questioning of the nature of identity, and the way it is constructed in a world filled with the images of popular culture.
’Tom Cho is a rare and original voice in the Australian literary landscape. His stories are eccentric, witty deceptive, and immensely pleasurable. I read this book in one sitting and wanted more.‘
~ TONY AYRES
Watch out for Janine Fraser’s most recent novel for children, Sarindi and the Lucky Buddha, published in September 2009, the sequel to Sarindi and the Lucky Bird first published by HarperCollins in April 2001 and reprinted in 2009 to coincide with the publication of Sarindi and the Lucky Buddha. Both stories are set in Indonesia. In Sarindi and the Lucky Buddha, Sarindi's mother suddenly becomes ill. And when his mother is not getting well, he decides to visit every sacred place he knows, and prays for his mother's good health at each - because who knows which will turn her sickness away?
Sarindi and the Lucky Bird was short listed for the 2002 Children’s Book Council Awards in the Younger Readers category. It was also awarded a Highly Commended Award; in the Younger Readers Category in the Australian Family Therapists Book Awards, as well as being short listed in the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards for 2002. “Sarindi thinks that luck is like a mischievous monkey, playing hide-and-seek, and it seems to be hiding from Sarindi and his family. When Sarindi’s father has an accident and loses his job as a becak driver, he says they must go to the bird market and buy a Lucky Bird. Then perhaps their luck will change. So does the magical song of the Lucky Bird change their luck? ...Or do they make their own luck in the end?”
Sam’s Bush Journey was published by Little Hare in September 2009. Written by Sally Morgan and Ezekiel Kwaymullina and beautifully illustrated by Bronwyn Bancroft, it tells the story of Sam, who hates the bush. However, on visiting his Nanna, who loves the outdoors, he undertakes a journey during which he learnrs there is more to the bush than stinging insects and prickly vegetation.
See also Stopwatch, Book 2: The Land of Mirthful and Stopwatch, Book 1: The Land of Kur published by Walker Books Australia in July and March 2009. These are the first two books in a new fantasy series by Sally Morgan, Ambelin, Blaze and Ezekiel Kwaymullina, action packed and full of earthy humour, perfect for 7 to 9 year olds. A stopwatch has sixty thin black lines, each marking off the seconds in a minute. But in Tom's stopwatch, they are also geateways to sixty different worlds! Sally (best selling author of My Place) has recently been doing a lot of writing for children and several projects she has undertaken with her children, Ambelin, Blaze and Ezekiel Kwaymullina, are in production. They are working on Book 3 right now!
In Two Minds by Paul Valent, published by University Of NSW Press in July 2009, is an epic adventure story that leaves us wiser and more hopeful. It demonstrates that beyond our inner demons we can find sense, health and goodness, and that our struggles in the dark are ultimately understandable and achievable.
Written as a memoir, in this book Valent describes the journey of the struggles and discoveries in his varied career over four decades. Through the fascinating stories of his work with patients and the examination of his own life story, the author articulates and grapples with ubiquitous human issues: What is the nature of the fear of death? What is the source of moral judgements and their variability over time? How do people develop values, beliefs, religions and ideologies? Existential meanings? A sense of sacred? Purpose? What happens when things go drastically wrong? How do victims and perpetrators arrange their minds? What is the nature of irrationality, illness, and evil? How do mind, body and society interact?
Paul Valent confronts the dilemma of human nature. Is our essence substance or soul; mind or brain? Should he use drugs or words to help his patients? If words, what is the power of words? How do they reach the unconscious? And what is the unconscious? Where is it? And why is it there? For more information see Paul Valent's web site at www.paulvalent.com.
100% Hero was published in June 2009 by Random House Australia. This is the second book in a new fast paced and funny series for independent readers by Jayne Lyons. 100% Wolf, which has been included in the WA Young Readers List 2009, was published in Australia in January 2008. It is being published by Atheneum an imprint of Simon & Schuster in the USA in August 2009; and rights for Italy, Indonesia and Chinese have been sold. See reviews at YARA online.
Praise for 100% Wolf
‘Hilarious fun for readers up to about 12. ’
~The Sunday Age
‘This book will keep you on the edge of your seat. I recommend it for people who have a sense of adventure and humour. ’
~Cairns Post
Jayne Lyons was a star performer at the Perth Writers Festival in Jan/Feb 2009 and the All Saints Literature Festival in Perth in March 2009. She will be visiting schools around Perth during Book Week in August.
GOLVAN ARTS MANAGEMENT • PO Box 766, Kew, Victoria 3101 Australia • golvan@ozemail.com.au