Sharyn's Archives

Baggage is an anthology looking at what cultural baggage came into Australia with the stories we told, and continue to tell. With the launch happening just prior to the opening of Aussicon 4, and the knowledge we will have some international guests at the launch, I've been thinking about how to make an Australian theme to the launch, without being too cliche.

Then there was the headlines about the Masterchef contestants making afternoon tea for the C.W.A. (Country Womens Association) and those ladies being somewhat underwhelmed by their efforts. The discussions I had with friends about the difference between what I see as the very basics of cooking and baking, and the fact that the contestants had to cook in a field, made me realise I had something uniquely Australian to offer that perhaps has been lost in the cities.

You see, I'm the daughter, granddaughter and niece of former and current C.W.A. members; and I've worked as a shearers cook. I may not be able to offer the experience of shearing a thousand head of sheep in 43 decgrees Celsius heat, or fencing the last sixty acres when there's icy sleet falling, but I can certainly put on a country style afternoon tea. I need to emphasise that country style. We are not talking about delicate little sandwiches with their crusts cut off, or beautifully decorated miniscule scraps of cake. These things have their place, but they are not great for sustaining a person through a long afternoon.

I'm talking about a real, honest to goodness home baked afternoon tea. With proper sandwiches, and the sort of cakes you'd find in the Country Show Cookbook. I do actually own a copy of this book, not because I needed the recipes, but to support the local Agricultural Show societies. Let the baking commence.

When I first read Life Through Cellophane I was struck by the sense of place in the tale. Stephen King has a similar feel in his work. The reader knows the streets and people almost as imitmately as the author. Gillian's manuscript needed work, of course, but I loved the fact the protagonist wasn't young and beautiful. I especially loved the fact that magic happened despite the lack of young and beautiful.

 So I was pretty chuffed when Ms Elizabeth Smith, her circle of friends, and her ant-eating mirror were nominated on the Ditmar ballot. But since then I've found out a little more about the process of nominations, I found a list of eligible works published in 2009, including some books published by some of my favourite authors; and I have to say I'm absolutely gobsmacked.

And more grateful to those readers who nominated it than I can ever hope to say.

I definitely owe someone some thanks, I just don't know who. In my emails last week was one from the James Tiptree awards committee letting me know that Gillian Polack's Life Through Cellophane has been nominated for consideration by this year's jury. The requested copies have now been sent off, and I hope the jury likes it as much as we do, but no matter what happens from here on with it, I feel like a winner already (good of me to feel that way isn't it, given I'm only the publisher - but I know Gillian feels much the same as I do) Someone who read the book liked it enough to put LtC up for consideration.

A pat on the back doesn't get any more real than that. So thank you to whoever it was that took their time to nominate the book for consideration, you have made those of us involved very happy indeed. 

Steven Scott, toy inventor, was created by Dick Francis in 1975. My original copy of High Stakes, battered, dog eared, well travelled and much loved, recently fell irrevocably to pieces. I've read, and loved other Dick Francis novel, but High Stakes was, for me, the quintessential Dick Francis novel.

So it was with a great deal of sadness I read of his passing this week.

It's been a while, I find myself unable to comprehend the things that have run the full gamut of incredibly right, to yes - this is challenging, and down to oh-my-gosh wrong since I last updated the site.

 Amongst the incredibly right was the launch, finally, of In Bad Dreams Volume Two, and Life Through Cellophane, a novel by Gillian Polack. Finally! It was a tough two years getting IBD2 off the starters blocks, but it's doing nicely, and Gillian's novel is getting some truly wonderful reviews.

Challenging include the continued health issues, and the steep learning curve that came with the diagnosis of high functioning autism for two of my children. While oh-my-gosh bad included the loss of the house I owned in the recent bushfires.

But we are back, and soon I'll be introducing you to some of the behind the scenes workers, and pictures from the double launch, as well as some juicy details about Baggage. So if you've just happened by, or have been checking every now and then to see what I'm up to, then stay tuned. *g* 

It's not often you get authors protesting. In the general manner, writing is a solitary occupation, and we rarely even get to socialise, let alone get het up over political machinations. Not so this week.

 This week saw some very concerned authors protesting outside Dymocks in the center of Brisbane. Why Dymocks, and not Angus and Robertsons? Because Dymocks has become the public face of the Coalition for Cheaper Books, who have lobbied the government to end restrictions on parallel importations. Among other things Dymocks emailed all their book lovers loyalty customers asking them to sign an online petition to to Productivity Commission, stating that they want the restrictions lifted. What they hadn't thought about was among their customers are authors, because we actually read too. And some of us were on that email list.

And this angered us in many ways. because absolutely everyone agrees that lifting these parallel importation restrictions will damage the Australian publishing indutry, as our market is flooded with cheap books from overseas. Effectively Dymocks and their ilk, are pushing for something they know will mean Australian authors will not be able to get published, unless they are already known, because there will be little to no publishing in Australia any more. They are actively campaigning for the loss of jobs in the printing, and publishing industries, at a time of global financial crisis.

What they aren't prepared to do, however, is come clean to the Australian public is how much of a percentage of the books that they sell stay with the company. In this regard book sellers are not like petrol retailers, who make the least from the product they sell, and GST can't be blamed, because it's only ten percent, and both the US and UK have their own sales taxes too. Someone is earning a lot from Australian books, and it's not the authors, illiustrators, editors, copy editors, cover designers, or printers.

But it has got us talking, Sheryl Gwyther, one of the authors at the Brisbane protest, has blogged about it here Jennifer Fallon blogged about it last November, and mentioned the interesting fact that Bob Carr, former Premier of NSW is on the Productivity Commision and the Board of Dymocks. Hmm. The Australian Society of Authors put in a joint submission to the Commission. We've been talking to each other about it on email lists, author sites, and through writing groups. Because what this means is far fewer of us will ever get the chance to be published.

If you happen to agree, and don't want to see the end of Australian authors in print, then please let the Productivity Commission know your thoughts.