Read ‘em and weep
Back to Booktown, 2009!
So, we went. Again. To the quiet town of Clunes. It is an annual pilgrimage to forage for the elusive Cronin, Allende, Fleming, and an illustrated book of the history of cowboy boots (score!)
Tally
Matt: 2 books about fishing
Ron: 0 books and one regret
Margaret: 3 books
Angie: 24 books and NO regrets
Among my selections are:
The aforementioned cowboy boot book
An Illustrated History of Choppers (the motorcycle, not Chopper Reed)
Daphne (about the author of Rebecca)
The Frankston Murders (signed by the author whom I had met before)
The Sexual History of Food
Plastered: A Book of Music Posters
A Mickey Spillane pprbk
4 Fleming pprbks
The Spy’s Bedside Companion
2 Wodehouse (new but pprbk)
Looking for Mr. Goodbar
Naming the World (writing exercises)
Masquerade
The Exhibitionist
And that’s all I can recall from memory
If you are a fan of any of these...please comment.
Below is a little background on Clunes...
Town Hall
Nestling in a picturesque valley, a 25 minutes drive north of Ballarat, is Clunes, Victoria's First Gold Town. Clunes was the site of the first official gold discovery in Victoria, made by James Esmoud on July 1st. 1851. Esmoud's discovery triggered Victoria's world famous gold rushes.
Clunes remains one of the most original and intact gold towns in Australia and there are over 50 buildings of historical significance. Many reflect the opulence and confidence of the boom period of the 1850s. The Town Hall & Court House, the Churches, the several old bank buildings and the verandahed shops in the central part of the town provide the basis of a living museum.
Fraser Street
Photo Margaret Finnegan
Today, Clunes has a population of only 850 but it has recently undergone a major transformation and resurgence following the decision by Wesley College, Australia's largest co-educational private school, to establish a campus for Year 9 students. Each term, over 100 Wesley students take up residency in the 'Wesley Village', located in the town centre, and become part of the local community.
Clunes has also been used as a film location site for such movies as 'Mad Max', the remake of the 1950s classic 'On the Beach' and recent ABC television series 'Queen Kat, Carmel & St Jude' and 'Something in the Air'.
Clunes is centrally located to Ballarat, Daylesford, Maryborough and is within an easy drive to over 20 wineries.
Back to Booktown
Event
2 - 3 May 2009
Address
Fraser St
Clunes VIC 3370
Phone
0428307329
Email
Web
The historic township of Clunes hit 'gold' with its inaugural Booktown event. Now book lovers can set aside the first weekend in May each year as the town transforms itself into a European-styled Booktown.
For just one weekend each year, visiting booksellers set up shop in the old gold town's heritage buildings - bringing with them one the largest collections of rare, antiquarian and second-hand books ever gathered in one place in Victoria. Book lovers can fossick through the thousands of books while enjoying the heritage character of the town which features one of the most intact gold era streetscapes in Victoria.
This year's event is being held over the weekend of 2-3 May.
A popular addition to the Booktown program is the free writer’s talks. This year the internationally acclaimed Frank Moorhouse will join fellow writers Eva Hornung (Sallis), Julienne Van Loon and Mathew Condon in panel sessions hosted by Nigel Krauth.
A massive "nothing over $5" bookstall will also be held to raise funds for CFA brigades across the region, and give book lovers a further chance to uncover a hidden treasure.
There will also be fine food, wine and free entertainment including live music, a traditional Punch and Judy show, and demonstrations of children's book illustrations, paper-making and marbelling.
Event Pricing Information:
This event has free entry
Books I bought in Clune
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
