On stage and within reach

Happy (belated) International Women's... The extraordinary Ron McCallum is my ...

On stage and within reach

Dear Friends,It's hard to believe that this time last year, I was busily ordering up champagne for the launch of my novel, The Deceptions, and preparing for the many live events and festivals to which I'd been invited. Covid was something that belonged overseas - not here in Australia - until it suddenly hurtled its way into all our lives, wreaking havoc everywhere, perhaps most particularly on stage.

Like a long winter that appears to be passing, live events are returning, theatres are reporting full houses and music is creeping back again. Last week, Sydney Writers' Festival launched its 2021 program: Within Reach. And what a program it is! So many great Australian writers will be appearing in person with international stars including Kazuo Ishiguro, Rachel Cusk and Judy Blume coming to us on screen. I'm delighted to be in conversation with Danielle Celermajer, author of Summertime: Reflections on a Vanishing Future and Jonica Newby, author of Beyond Climate Grief. You can find the full festival program here.
NEWS

Debra Oswald is a two-time winner of the NSW Premier’s Literary Award and creator of the successful TV series Offspring. Her latest novel, The Family Doctor, is a gripping contemporary thriller about whether a good person can justify taking a life to save a life.

As part of the BAD All Year program brought to you by BAD Sydney Crime Writers Festival, I'll be talking to Debra Oswald about The Family Doctor.

Book your FREE TICKET here to watch the event online.

EVENT: Debra Oswald in Conversation with Suzanne Leal

WHEN: On Wednesday, 31st of March 2021 at 6:00 PM

TICKETS: Free!

WHERE: Zoom (Online Platform)

Host of podcast, Books, Books, Books, Nicole Abadee is presenting interviews at the State Library with prominent Australian authors, Anna Funder and Markus Zusak. You can find all the details here

I’ll look forward to your company at Thursday Book Club this week.

What is Thursday Book Club? Thursday Book Club is a relaxed, friendly book club connecting readers online. Each Thursday we meet on Zoom from 8 - 8.30pm. There are no scheduled books to read: we simply chat about books we like and books we’re reading. Every now and then, I invite a guest writer to join us.

On 25 March, Professor Ron McCallum will be my guest.

In his memoir, Born at the Right Time, Ron explains how, despite being blind from birth, he became the first in his family to attend university and went on to become the Dean of Sydney University Law School and Senior Australian of the Year. I'm so looking forward to talking to Ron about his life, family and achievements.

In the meantime, I’ll look forward to your company at Thursday Book Club this week.
Zoom in as you can – it doesn’t matter if you’re late or have to leave early. Just join my Zoom conference room between 8pm and 8.30pm on Thursdays by clicking on this link: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/8521042343

If prompted, here are the details to manually enter:

Meeting ID: 852 104 2343

Password: 886196

Thursday Book Club Recommendations

My Recommendation

The Vagrants by Yiyun Li

Your Recommendations

Barbie R
The Codebreakers by Alii Sinclair
Sardines and the Angels by Bettina Ehrlich
The Devil You Know by Ben Sanders

Noela A
Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard
Arctic Dreams by Barry Lopez

Ravi S
Cardinal by Louise Milligan
Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood

Take care,

PS. Would you like me to drop in to your book club?

If your book club has chosen to read The Deceptions or The Teacher’s Secret, I’d be delighted to attend your meeting by Zoom (whether your group is meeting online or gathering together in person) to answer any of your questions. To schedule a date, please email me here.