UPDATE, 27/10/11: I am reliably informed that the AGNSW did indeed have copies of the other books and had either sold them all or not unpacked them yet. I take it all back. This post was written with a small bit of my tongue in my cheek, in a knee-jerk reaction (if you will forgive the involvement of all these body parts) of a non-eastern-stater to Syd/Melb hegemonic etc etc. Mea culpa.
Cruising around the gallery shop yesterday at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, I was glad for the sake of their respective authors, Delia Falconer and Sophie Cunningham, to see on display for sale a little stack of copies of Sydney
and another little stack of copies of Melbourne.
But alas, that was all.
Having put a great deal of time and effort into writing a book that could be read for pleasure and instruction not only by Adelaideans but also by interstaters and overseasers, I couldn't help thinking that surely visitors to the gallery shop might be largely from elsewhere, and therefore perhaps interested in Australia as a whole. And that even the Sydneysiders might interested in broadening their horizons by also reading Adelaide,
Brisbane,
and In Search of Hobart.
Or is it really true that Melbourne and Sydney people think that the Hume Highway and everything to the east and at each end of it = Australia?
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30 comments:
I think you're right; I live in Melbourne and like visiting Sydney. The others (especially Brisbane) don't interest me at all.
Mind you, I'd get off my bum to visit Darwin, it seems a bit exotic.
Oh my goodness: comment number three but I can't leave Hobart out; always interesting.
Maybe they sold all their copies? no, I didn't think so.
I think you struck the right note in your post title but, just the same, being left out of the collection of stuff sold in that shop is not that great an insult, perhaps. Last time I was there they were trying to flog pairs of socks with one sock yellow and the other one pink.
How rude of them. Should I ever see such a thing I shall haughtily enquire as to the whereabouts of Adelaide et al and then flounce out. Unless I haven't done my Xmas shopping yet and need a copy. Then I will do my best to pay in a scathing manner or something.
Ms Tartan, they are indeed still trying to flog those socks. Seemed to have a lot of them, too.
I'm only surprised that the Melbourne book was in stock. TFA
It mightn't be at the Art Gallery of NSW but I've noticed that our friendly local library has got 3 copies already.
I'll look out for the Adelaide book. Congratulations on your achievement.
They should indeed stock all those books. And their magazine has just published a little skite about how much better their newly refurbished bookshop is. But I have not had a chance yet to see whether it has in fact re-opened.
I have always been able to resist the Edmund Capon socks, being quite capable of choosing (should such a strange desire smite me) my own odd socks.
"I'd get off my bum to visit Darwin"
I'm doing the one on Darwin. It will be fiction. Lots of violence, depression staring at the sea, teenagers desperate to get away, anywhere.
My visit was about 14 years longer than most so I guess I'd find it hard to bang on about wonderful tropically laid back crap like the local government does.
A couple of times I've heard Sydney referred to as 'VERY North Melbourne...'
TimT -- many Melburnians also regard Adelaide as Far West Melbourne, Hobart as Far South Melbourne, etc. It's a quaint illusion that the rest of Australia tolerantly allows them/you to retain. I once saw Peter Craven write somewhere that 'Melbourne' was synecdochic for 'Australia', and I don't think he was joking. For some, Australia's border is a join-the-dots line through Melton, Kinglake, Emerald and the Rip. (Approx.)
But why "In Search of Hobart"? Is it missing?
Hobart was the first book in the series, so it hadn't yet settled down into the current minimalist pattern of titles. I'm sure Peter explains somewhere in the book the rationale of 'in search', but I can't remember what it was.
Can you take comfort for the NSW Gallery's slip-up by having 'Adelaide' nominated on the shortlist of Sth Aust books for the 2012 National year of Reading?
And a really good review ny Gai Bilson in Australian Book Review?
Karen
perth?
Karen -- yes, I most certainly can! firstkitten -- Perth is in the pipeline AFAIK. Also Canberra. You might be able to find out more at the New South Books website.
It's possible (re: Sydney /Melbourne). I've always thought the Syd-Melb rivalry was largely Melbourne-based, and that Sydneysiders mistake Sydney for Australia, if not the world.
I did buy a copy of Adelaide in Readings today, and Lulu tried to rip it out of its bag when I got home, if that's any consolation.
Yes indeed, cats are animals of taste and discrimination. Tortoiseshells more than most. Readings has listed it as a recommended read, bless them.
Agree about Melbourne and Sydney, BTW. Melbourne tortures itself jealously about imagined rivalry, Sydney doesn't care. Too busy thinking about money, weather, harbour views and good times.
Yes, tho their lifestyle is incredibly arduous (not even just to maintain), which they don't seem to realize. Mind you, Melbourne is headed the same way.
Great review in today's 'Age'. congratulations.
The Book is excellent. I enjoyed it a great deal.
Here's a Playford anecdote you may not have heard. My late father told me that, when the South Eastern Freeway was being planned, Playford said to the Highways Dept engineer responsible for the thing, "Make sure it goes through that bastard Downer's place." Of course dad might've just been making it up ...
kerryn, can you tell who is writing the perth book, or any idea of its publication date?
and congratulations on the reception of your book.
wv: hypum. seems appropriate.
Great review in The Age on Saturday. For many Victorians, the book is not readily available outside the metropolitan area. I now live in northern Victoria and the closest bookshop which is stocking the book is at Castlemaine - a long way away from here. In any event if I had to go to Castlemaine I'd drive the extra hour or so and have a day in Melbourne. Rest assured there are many Victorians who love Adelaide and all the other capital cities and are truly appreciative of books like yours which reveal the implicit life of a city as well as the explicit.
The "museum of memory" referred to in the Melbourne review brought to mind Orhan Pamuk's book on muesums of memories which used memory to great effect.
I'm looking forward to getting my hands on a copy of your book.
Hi Kerryn,
My name is Olivia and I'm a University of Sydney student. I don't have your email address, so I'd like to use this comment area to invite you to the book launch of the USYD 2011 Student Anthology. It's held this Friday (28 October) at 6pm at the Coop Bookstore, USYD. If you are interested in attending, could you please email me at opor4495@uni.sydney.edu.au
Kind regards,
Olivia
Of course, you could have it all wrong. Maybe all of the copies of Adelaide have sold out, and they're waiting on a new shipment. Then they'll stick Sydney and Melbourne into the remainders bin to make more room for Adelaide on the display shelf.
Heh. I wish!
"Cattywumpus"?
Up to 167 and up it pops like Jacky..had intended to investigate earlier and got turned to consideration of other things, but, later back to the book, it was patiently lurking in ambush, like Worrell and Bunning.
Have a suspicion your 65-66 heatwave was the one when my dad took me to Grange beach to try out my snorkel and flippers, worst sunburn ever, after- nearly a hundred that day and clear, and real misery as the next couple of days nudged a hundred and ten (unless it was the year after?)
DI(nr) -- thank you! Glad you enjoyed it. Lovely story about Playford, and it has the ring of truth.
Regarding 'cattywumpus': Google is our friend.
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