Inaugural "Australian Festival of the Book"

Come and celebrate the 200th Anniversary of the first book printed in Australia

A collaboration between the South Coast Writers' Centre, Wingecarribee Shire Council and the Southern Highlands Booksellers Association, the Festival will be an exciting weekend of readings by regional and well known Australian authors; an Antiquarian Book Fair with booksellers from all around Australia trading for 3 days; talks by publishers and editors and academics, including a symposium on the future of the book; a printing museum; calligraphy demonstrations; bookbinding, paper making and book making demonstrations; poetry in the Courthouse; exhibitions including the History of the Book in Australia and 80 years of Ginger Meggs; demonstrations by illustrators; storytelling for children and adults; cartooning workshops... in fact everything about books from making paper to printing, binding, the writing process, editing, publishing - and everyone associated with them for everyone who loves books.

The Festival will feature several star literary attractions including Gerda and David Foster, Les Murray, Frank Moorhouse, Ruby Langford, and Jennifer Compton amongst other luminaries and will be based around the Bowral Memorial Hall, Old Town Hall, Library, Bowral Primary School and vicinity.

CLICK on these links for further info:

Book Now for the First Event of the Festival - Limited Places!

Gerda & David Foster talking about their recently released book, A Year of Slow Food

David Foster is an author of many books and winner of the prestigious Miles Franklin Award in 1997 for A Glade Within the Grove. David and his partner & co-author, Gerda, live in the Southern Highlands at Bundanoon.

A Literary Breakfast with David & Gerda Foster at the Manning Hotel, Kangaloon Rd., Bowral

Friday 26th April at 8.30am.

Tickets $25

Purchase from Browns Bookshop Bong Bong Street Bowral 02 4861 3447

Tourism Southern Highlands 02 4871 2888

South Coast Writers' Centre Wollongong 02 4228 0151

Official opening Friday 26th from 5pm at the Memorial Hall with Jazz and Les Murray.
Friday 26th - 5 to 9pm, Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th - 10am to 5pm.

Festival updates at www.booktown.com.au or printed programs can be obtained from Tourism Southern Highlands PH (02) 4871 2888 CLICK HERE for full PROGRAM details

We wish to acknowledge our generous sponsors:

The Festival has been made possible by a major grant from the IMB Community Foundation.
The Festival Signage Program is sponsored by Telstra CountryWide
The Festival Exhibitions and Promotion are sponsored by Wingecarribee Shire Council & Public Library
The Festival television advertising campaign is sponsored by WIN Television
The Festival program printing is sponsored by Bowral Print & Design
Festival publicity, website hosting and info pages sponsored by BiblioQuest International & BibliOZ.com
E-Book reader prize donated by eInfo Solutions
Antiquarian Book Fair co-ordinated by The Antiquariat Bowral
Book Exhibition items kindly lent by Messrs Berkelouw, Frank Morris & Wingecarribee Library
Festival film coverage and television production by Richard Snashall, Spinning Reel Audio Visual	spinning reel audio visual

 

Organising committee:

Amanda Field - Cultural Development Officer, Wingecarribee Shire Council amanda.field@wsc.nsw.gov.au

Annie McNamara - Director, South Coast Writer's Centre scwc@1earth.net

Gordon Hughes - Vice President, Southern Highlands Booksellers Association rarebook@hinet.net.au

Paul McShane - Secretary, Southern Highlands Booksellers Association & Convenor - BookTown Australia info@booktown.com.au

FOR MORE INFORMATION

PHONE: 0408 65 9896

EMAIL: info@booktown.com.au