BEST LITERARY FESTIVAL – BOOROWA

Books having a moment —

Boorowa's Justin Fleming (left), guest author Kimberley Allsop 

and Festival Director Jeremy Clarke ready to roll.

One of the best literary festivals I’ve been to! The 4th Boorowa Literary Festival just held on the weekend was a raging success. Fascinating writers’ conversations lead by community facilitators who were already fans or who had read the books especially, and now were fans. They were as interested in hearing more about the books, the writers’ lives, routines and processes as the audience was. 

(Yes, I have sat through dry interview style sessions and some that were more about the facilitator/interviewer than the author.) And not only that but all the writers were fabulous speakers – informative, intriguing, entertaining. And there was a bit of inside goss. Fun. 

In order of appearance: Kimberley Allsop, Sulari Gentill, Sam Guthrie, Caroline Overington, Alli Parker, Chris Hammer. Buy their books. 

Kimberley Allsop, author of Love and Other Puzzles and Rise and Shine works at Harper Collins and is also published by them. ‘There is the butcher and the sausage,’ she said, and she is both. Rise and Shine is a love story that happens ten years into a marriage. There’s a dog and a lemon tree. And the lemon tree she bought for research. 

‘A lot [of books] end with a kiss and it’s all wonderful, but that’s not life. I’m interested in life.’ 

She is open and witty and makes me want to read romance. I may or may not be able to report back ... 

Latest book: Rise and Shine (Harper Collins) 

Gabriela Corcoran (left) in conversation with Sulari Gentill 

 

Sulari Gentill is a fascinating speaker who can’t avoid thinking and talking about murder. She studied astrophysics and became a corporate lawyer before turning to mystery and fantasy. She describes herself as a mid-list author until the USA success of Woman in the Library (Hardie Grant). 

As of writing she said, ‘It felt like I was breathing right for the first time in my life.’ 

Sulari believes you need to give your reader a resolution but leave a bit of doubt, so you give them something to think about. She likes to make it possible for readers to dance with her. 

She says she’s an extreme pantser. [i.e. Pantsers dive in and write by the seat of their pants as opposed to plotters who like to plan it all out before starting. Plantsers are a combination.] 

I enjoyed Woman in the Library and after this talk I’m thinking I may read more mystery and fantasy – more Sulari Gentill. 

Latest book: Five Found Dead (Hardie Grant) 

Jeremy Clarke (left) in conversation with guest Sam Guthrie

 

Sam Guthrie writes international political thrillers informed by a 25-year career in international relations and is still celebrating his debut novel The Peak. It begins with a shocking act inside Parliament House and unravels 30-year-old secrets from the 1997 Hong Kong handover. Facilitator and Festival Director Jeremy Clarke described The Peak as a Letter to Hong Kong. 

A love-triangle is part of the story. Sam talked about the characters being to some extent based on friendship experiences from school. Friendships were pivotal to this conversation, and it was touching to listen to Sam’s reminisces along with how his novel developed. 

Latest book: The Peak (Harper Collins) 

Guest Caroline Overington (left)
speaks with Boorowa's Janette Fryer

Caroline Overington, Literary Editor of the Book pages in The Weekend Review spoke passionately about books, writing, reading and reviewing. Do you know she receives 300 books a week from publishers and writers hopeful of a review? Do you know that 50% of books in Australia sell less than 200 copies and 90% less than 1000? Support an Australian author – buy a book today! 

[I used to work in publishing and I loved loved loved having access to this kind of info.] 

Do you know that Rupert Murdoch likes to read a book review every day and that The Weekend Review pages are his gift to Australia to celebrate the arts? 

‘Books are having a moment,’ says Caroline. ‘If you have a book in your back pocket you’re the sexiest person in the world!’ That’s from an award winning journalist and author of sixteen fiction and non-fiction books. 

Latest book: Looking for Eden (Harper Collins) 

Mary Johnson (left) does the honours for guest Alli Parker

Alli Parker says that in the Australian landscape we tend to tell a lot of crime stories … she isn’t sure why. With a background in screen writing and editing which includes episodes of Jack Irish and Miss Fisher I’m sure she’ll ponder on this some more. 

Her first book however is historical fiction. At the Foot of the Cherry Tree is based on the true story of the first Japanese war bride and Alli’s grandmother. Alli talked about Japanese residents not only being put in camps during the war but being deported after the war, even though they had lived here for fifty or sixty years. 

Alli likes having conversations about race and wants to have them. She says it’s easier for her as she has light skin. She hopes this will in turn make conversations less awkward for her grandmother who looks more Japanese. 

The book title comes from her grandmother’s name Nobuko which means ‘cherry tree root,’ or ‘at the foot of the cherry tree.’ This was a moving and eye-opening session. 

Latest book: Until the Red Leaves Fall 

And her next book? ‘A small carrot ... I will say it’s historic fiction … set in the 70s.’ Wait. What? The historic 1970s?! 

Jeremy Clarke (right) introducing the next
conversation – Chris Hammer with Sue Corcoran

Chris Hammer under every armpit!

‘We do half the creative process and the reader does the other half,’ said mystery writer Chris Hammer on the topic of what characters look like. Readers can have firm impressions about the look of a main character, and they can have strong feelings about it. There were stories around that that had the audience laughing and nodding. 

Chris Hammer loves writing. ‘I’m addicted to writing. It sounds disciplinary but it’s addiction … There are times when it is absolutely magical.’ 

Landscape is a feature of Chris Hammer’s books and it was very interesting to hear him talk about different traits including his description of floodplains and ‘tin roof country.’ Likewise, the towns the stories are set in. Sue Corcoran, a local fan and pharmacist, prides herself on being able to pick which town this author based his fictional town on in each book. She put it to the test and got big ticks. Just one good reason why she was selected as the facilitator for this ‘In Conversation.’ 

Latest book: Legacy (Allen & Unwin) 

And there were ukele players!
Thank you Grenfell Ukestra including Sue Aylen in the green

Great thanks to Boorowa Literary Festival Director Dr Jeremy Clarke and his team of facilitators (in order of appearance): Justin Fleming, Gariela Corcoran, Jeremy Clarke, Janette Fryer, Mary Johnson and the above mentioned, Sue Corcoran. Thank you also to behind-the-scenes team members. 

Up to 95 people per session

Also it was great to be back in the Old Boorowa Courthouse – many a poetry reading there back in the day. 

Watch for occasional author talks at Jeremy’s Absolutely Superb Bibliotheque and Occasional Wine Bar near the clock roundabout on the main street. 

PS In case you missed it – it was a bit of a kangaroo court :)

And of course there was a Binalong contingent.
UN-officials Emma (left), Robyn, moi, making ourselves at home.
Thank you to the Courthouse tearooms.
And there was dinner and wine too.