The launch of Patricia Sykes collection of poetry the Abbotsford Mysteries was held last weekend. It was a moving and special event, made all the more special as it was held at the book's namesake: The Abbotsford Convent, the place where Patricia and her sisters were sent to live after their mother's death. Singer and songwriter, Kavisha Mazzella, gave a beautiful performance of her song Hail Mary. Jennifer Strauss was our wonderful launcher and Patricia mesmerised the crowd when she read several of her poems.



For more photos of the launch visit our Facebook page

Big Porn Inc had two further launches in Brisbane and Sydney during October. In Brisbane, Scott Stephens from ABC's Compass program launched the book and Erica Bartle, blogger of Girl with a Sathcel MCd. Several of the books contributers spoke to an inspired and appreciative audience. At the Sydney launch at Parliament House both editors Abigail Bray and Melinda Tankard Reist spoke, as did some of the books contributors. Parliamentarians and the general public came along to what was a moving and insightful launch. Some of the contirbutors pictured below.




FORTHCOMING

Spinifex Press director Susan Hawthorne has written a moving Chapbook, Valence: Considering War through Poetry and Theory. Susan creates a space we can empathise with, from watching wars unfold on TV, to it's personal impact. Susan writes, I had been thinking about war, about the roles played by my mother and grandmother in the twentieth-century wars. Then there was my mother's brother, imprisoned in Changi who never really recovered. How do you measure this loss?
Available 18th November

LAUNCH DATES

Valence
When: Friday 2nd December, 6 for 6.30pm
Where: Collected Works, Level 1, Nicolas Building, 37 Swanston Street, Melbourne
Launched by: Robyn Rowland who along with Susan will read poems about war and its impact
RSVP: 30th November on 9329-6088 or women@spinifexpress.com.au


NEWS WRAP

Spinifex Press publishers and authors Renate Klein and Susan Hawthorne have returned from an exciting and exhausting trip to the Frankfurt Book Fair. They met with international publishers, agents, distributors and ebook marketeers. We look forward to new titles and events in 2012 coming out of these meetings.

Spinifex author Kathleen Barry's book Unmaking War, Remaking Men is receiving high praise in its use a a college text. If you are in charge of setting texts, or in a book group please consider using Spinifex titles. What we need: your position; where the course or book group is run; how many students or readers involved; is it set text or recommended reading. We are happy to discuss desk copies, but in order to do this we need the above information first.

Spinifex Press is delighted to welcome Imogen Kandel onto the team as a Digital intern.


EVENTS

Bite Your Tongue by Francesca Rendle-Short is to be launched in Byron Bay at the Ethical Imaginations: Writing Worlds 16th  Annual Conference of the Australasian Association of Writing Programs  to be held from the 23-25 November. Details are yet to be finalised so  stay tuned to their website or our events page.

The new edition of Anticlimax by Sheila Jeffreys will be available at the launch of her latest book Man's Dominion.
When: Tuesday 15th November, 5:30-7pm
Where: University of Melbourne, John Medley Building-Faculty Function room, 5th Floor
For further information contact Sheila Jeffreys: sheila@unimelb.edu.au

Classical Reception Theory Conference, 1-2nd December, University of Melbourne
Susan Hawthorne is reading from her poetry collection Cow and giving a paper in the session immediately following
When: Friday 2nd December, 10-11am
Where: Melbourne University

Asian-Australian Identities conference: New Communities, New Racisms
Spinifex author Merlinda Bobis is presenting a paper at the conference titled 'Sounding Transnational Communities'
When: 10-11th November
Where: Melbourne Universtity main campus, Building 148

NOW AVAILABLE

The following titles have arrived back from another print run: Feminist Fables by Suniti Namjoshi, Daughters of the Dreaming by Diane Bell, Getting Real edited by Melinda Tankard Reist, Big Porn Inc edited by Melinda Tankard Reist and Abigail Bray and Cow by Susan Hawthorne.


CHRISTMAS IDEAS & GIVEAWAY

With Christmas just around the corner why not get a few names ticked off your list early. Christmas is a time of being around your family, whether by birth or choice they come with us on our life's journey. Bite Your Tongue by Francesca Rendle-Short is one zany family story and would make a great summer read. Abbotsford Mysteries is a stirring collection of poetry, it is great for lovers of poetry or those who think they just don't get it. For your friends who want something to galvanise them into action, wrap up Big Porn Inc for them, it's a gift to dip in and out of. And for a feminist classic, Remember the Tarantella by Finola Moorhead. But don't stop here we have so much more, including a wide collection of books relating to indigenous, environmental and feminist concerns.

And to celebrate the launch of Abbotsford Mysteries we're giving away a copy to the first person to tell us the year Spinifex Press was founded. Send your answer to women@spinifexpress.com.au

BLOG

Check out our own Danielle Binks blog Dichotomy of Ideals a fascinating read about the women of 'Occupy Wall Street' how they were judged on their appearance and an attempt was made to silence them.

HUNGRY FOR MORE?

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