Lefa Singleton Norton's Blog, page 2

On the Road at Fitzroy Market in Aug/Sept

We’re often asked when and where our mobile bookshop will be heading next. If you’re keen to keep track, the best way is to follow me on Instagram as this is where we announce our comings and goings.

We are about to do a few months of regular attendance in Fitzroy, for those Melbourne folks who have been looking forward to catching us in person. This August and September we’re in iconic Rose Street, Fitzroy. Come say hi!

A Disability Lens on Climate Emergency Exhibition Opening

I had the honour of speaking at the launch of the Disability Lens on Climate Emergency exhibition launch at the CLIMARTE Gallery in Richmond.

Featuring Disabled and d/Deaf artists across Victoria at the CLIMARTE Gallery, this thought-provoking exhibition offered a platform for artists to express their distinct viewpoints on the pressing issues of climate change.

I was asked by curator Louise Marson to speak alongside City of Yarra’s Mayor, Councillor Claudia Nguyen, and artists Jane Tr...

Tea & book pairing: Anam

As I brewed the last leaves of a beautiful batch of Kolipari Summer Gold tea tonight before settling in to start a book I have been looking forward to starting, I noticed how beautifully the pale golden tea complimented the saturated yellow on the cover of André Dao’s Anam.

Both book and tea are things I have been holding off imbibing until I had the time and mental clarity to really appreciate as I know how special they are and I only get to experience them once.

This Indian Assam transforms from...

The Age 2023 Melbourne International Comedy Festival reviews

I’m pleased to be reviewing MICF shows for The Age this year. I first started reviewing MICF in the early 2000s for street press such as Beat magazine and in the years since have published literally hundreds of reviews in newspapers, online publications, zines, and radio programs. Comedy, with its mix of storytelling and/with humour (especially when through the prism of the personal being political), is my favourite live performance art form.

Reviews on The Age to date:

Jordan Gray

...

On the Road Books at Clunes Booktown Festival 2023

We took the cutest little mobile bookstore in town to Clunes Booktown Festival last weekend and it was epic.

We sold over half our stock, met tonnes of lovely booklovers, authors and booksellers. What a terrific event the team at Creative Clunes put together.

Books barely made it onto the shelves before they were snapped up, with Australian books being by far the most popular. It was so exciting to see the enthusiasm for terrific local writers’ work.

On the Road Books will plan to ...

M/other at Wheeler Centre

I was proud to be a part of the M/other event at the Wheeler Centre yesterday. The whole weekend was a dream program with so many amazing people discussing the politics of motherhood and parenting. I cannot recommend enough that you watch the sessions once they are up online on the Wheeler Centre website.

I had the pleasure of talking about the body as it relates to pregnancy and post-partum as part of a panel with April Helen-Horton (The Bodzilla), Frankie Valentine and Eleanor Jackson. ...

Producer: Arts Access Victoria

After a long stint as a freelance producer and writer, I’m pleased to be taking on a role at Arts Access Victoria starting this month.

I first worked with AAV in my role delivering Meeting Place, a three-day forum on access and disability arts which took place as part of Alter State Festival in 2022. It gave me some insight into the team and the vital ongoing work that they do. I had my sights set on finding an opportunity to work with them again after that experience, and I’m really excited...

National Young Writers’ Festival Board

Back in the early 00s, I was fortunate enough to attend iconic arts event This is Not Art, an umbrella festival that included the National Young Writers’ Festival and National Student Media Conference. I fell in love with this exuberant, chaotic weekend in Newcastle that blended artforms and encouraged cross-pollination between artistic communities.

After attending for a couple of years, I was asked to deliver the National Student Media Conference. It was my first time producing a large-s...

You’ve Got Bookmail!

The only thing better than getting books in the mail is getting surprise books in the mail.

Our Bookmail service puts all my years working in bookstores, libraries, literary events, writing organisations and obsessively reading to work finding the ideal books to add to your TBR or that of a loved one.

Each month we curate a selection of books based on a short survey that you (or your gift recipient) fill in and send excellent-quality secondhand books to your door.

Select a one-off d...

Disability and Climate Change

I’m glad to have another opportunity to talk about the unique situation disabled people face as we tackle climate change. I’ll be speaking at this event as part of the Greater Dandenong Sustainability Festival and Libraries After Dark at Springvale Library.

Climate change is happening now, and it affects everyone, including people with disabilities. Join us and several special guests as we discuss this topic and hear your views and thoughts. You will also learn how people with a disability c...