Lily Brett's Blog, page 39

The first thing I do when I arrive in Melbourne is go straight...

The first thing I do when I arrive in Melbourne is go straight to Pellegrini’s in Bourke Street. I hope nothing about it has changed. I started going to Pellegrini’s when I was at high school. I thought sitting on a stool at the bar having a coffee was the most sophisticated thing in the world to do. I still do.

Lily Brett’s Australian LOLA BENSKY tour begins in...

Lily Brett’s Australian LOLA BENSKY tour begins in Sydney:

October 8, 2012

2:00pm -3:30pm

Art Gallery of NSW

Sydney NSW

$25

Call 02-9225-1878 for tickets

I am thrilled to announce my Australian book tour for LOLA...

I am thrilled to announce my Australian book tour for LOLA BENSKY beginning in Sydney, 8 October, 2012.

An interesting thing, apart from me eating too much of the...

An interesting thing, apart from me eating too much of the absolutely fabulous bread in Germany, is that women in Berlin, Cologne and Stuttgart asked me to sign a copy of LOLA BENSKY for them and a copy for their daughter. I asked the first woman how old her daughter was. Her daughter was 6. The other women’s daughters were all around the same age, 6, 7, 9. All of the women were building a collection of books to give to their daughters when the daughter was older. I was so touched. Books can say so much. And all gifts say as much about the giver as the gift.

A strange thing has been happening on this book tour of Germany....

A strange thing has been happening on this book tour of Germany. Something that’s never happened to me before. People have been coveting my coat. First they have asked me where I got my coat. That part has been okay. I explain that it was made by Graham Long, an Australian designer who is a friend of mine. This apparently daunts them because more than one person has said they would like to have my coat. I love my coat. And besides which I need it. The weather has been relatively cool.

This has been happening at book signings where I’ve moved from a fairly warm stage to the book signing area which can often be in a relatively chilly hall. My editor suggested I should sell my coat to the highest bidder.

I arrived in Munich for my book reading just in time for the...

I arrived in Munich for my book reading just in time for the beginning of Oktoberfest. If you’d left your Oktoberfest outfit at home, you could purchase a variety of them at the railway station. You could buy dirndl and lederhosen and all sorts of accoutrements like the seemingly mandatory jewelry worn around one’s waist or neck or wrists.

The Oktoberfest outfits on sale at the Munich railway station are no match for the fine leather lederhosen and shoes and some of the dirndls that can cost over $1000.

You also don’t usually see acres of cleavage at most major railway stations in Germany, but yesterday, when I arrived everyone who had a bust that could be lifted and pushed to the forefront had it on display. It was an Oktoberfest tradition, a young German man  explained to me, to show off and support your breasts. I wasn’t sure whether he meant it was a tradition to be emotionally supportive of your breasts or to support them by keeping them as upright as possible. I guess either interpretation  is a good thing.

Before my reading in Berlin. I am having watered-down decaf...

Before my reading in Berlin. I am having watered-down decaf coffee. I am nervous. I know the event is sold out. On David’s side of the table are two of the biggest schnitzels you’ve ever seen, lying on a bed of roasted, sliced potatoes. Aft…er almost every mouthful he says how delicious it is. I can’t eat a thing - one of the few times nerves make me eat less rather than eat more. I do however make up for it later. A reader brings me what feels like a five pound loaf of organic whole wheat, multigrain bread. It is a glorious looking loaf. I take it back to the hotel. Before I know it, I’ve had three thick slices. It was so delicious. German bread is just the best. It’s lucky I don’t live here.

Lily Brett’s LOLA BENSKY book tour continues in...

Lily Brett’s LOLA BENSKY book tour continues in Munich

Friday, 28 September, 2012

8:00pm

Amerika Haus

Lily Brett’s LOLA BENSKY book tour continues in...

Lily Brett’s LOLA BENSKY book tour continues in Hamburg:

Thursday, 27 September, 2012

8:00pm

Bucerius Law School

LOLA BENSKY on display in the Dussmann Kulturkaufhaus window in...

LOLA BENSKY on display in the Dussmann Kulturkaufhaus window in Berlin. This photo was taken at night after Monday’s reading by one of the many wonderful people at my German publisher, Surhkamp.