Litbits July 7 2018
Macklin morsels
Canberra writer Robert Macklin reports a number of recent achievements. His Dragon and Kangaroo, the history of Australia-China relations for the last 200 years, has gone into its third printing. And speaking of China, two of his earlier books, Fire in the Blood, about Australian bushranging, and Dark Paradise, on the savage history of Norfolk island, will be translated into Mandarin and published in China this year, making a total of five of his books that have reached the Chinese market. He’s also signed a film agreement with Hollywood producer Daniel Collins for a film or TV series from his first novel, The Queenslander, published in 1975.
What's on
July 7: Writing Place with Kim Mahood, 10am-4pm, hosted by ACT Writers Centre at Gorman Arts Centre. Places and living environments underpin all human experience—but how do we evoke them on the page? Rich settings should act as characters, with personalities louder than mere description. Book online: http://bit.ly/2LxRAw6.
July 7: Final day of The Literary Interface, the 2018 Literary Studies Convention hosted by The ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences. Writers Ellen van Neerven, Erin Gough, Nigel Featherstone and J. R. Latham will be in conversation with Ika Willis on how the writing of gender, sex and sexual orientation has changed in the era of #metoo and the same sex marriage plebiscite.Later that evening will be a session on Writing and Political Change. See: anu.edu.au.
July 9: Writer and literary critic Jorge Carrion will discus his extended essay Bookshops at Paperchain Manuka at 6pm. RSVP info@paperchainbookstore.com.au or phone 6295 9723
July 9: 2013 Australian Slam Poetry Champion CJ Bowerbird and performance artist Jacqui Malins (and Julia Horvath, cellist) will be at That Poetry Thing, at Smith's Alternative, 76 Alinga St, Civic.$5 entry, open mic.
July 11: The next Poetry at the House is at 7.30pm in the Fellows Bar of University House (1 Balmain Crescent, Acton). It will feature Stephen Edgar (Sydney) and Sarah Day (Hobart). $10 waged, $5 unwaged. Bookings: gpage40@bigpond.net.au.
July 12: Nine News political journalist Chris Uhlmann will deliver the 19th Manning Clark Lecture: Secret City: Fact, fiction and Australian Politics. From Kevin Rudd to Donald Trump, Uhlmann will dish up some detail, insights and perspectives. 7pm, RN Robertson Lecture Theatre, Building 46, Australian National University. Tickets from $25. Bookings at manningclark.org.au.
July 16: Not Very Quiet Journal Presents Electric Eclectic (PS Cottier, Mary Besemeres, Kendall Kirkwood): tjree female Canberra poets speculating, translating, performing. $5 on the door, shorter open mic. Smith's Alternative, 76 Alinga St Canberra City, 7-9pm.
July 18: At 6pm in the Molonglo Lecture Theatre, Crawford Building, ANU in a free ANU/Canberra Times Meet the Author event, Professor David Christian, co-founder with Bill Gates of The Big History Project, will be talking about his new book, Origin Story. A Big History of Everything, an epic story of the universe and our place in it. Bookings at anu.edu.au/events or 6125 4144.
July 23: That Poetry Thing: Ross Gibson and Steven Amsterdam (NSW) $5 on the door, includes open mic. Smith's Alternative, 76 Alinga St Canberra City, 7-9pm.
July 30: That Poetry Thing: Hilary Davidson and Harry Laing (both NSW) $5 on the door, includes open mic. Smith's Alternative, 76 Alinga St Canberra City, 7-9pm.
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