author-stalker

well hello there, my pretties. i have neglected you. but how else to keep you keen, no? indeed.
anyhoo, back to business.

it's been a crazy month for me, with a some family stuff and a house move going down at the same time, headspace has been a little crowded. i have, however, been reading a bit - just finished gautam malkani's londonstani a matter of minutes ago and i tell you, my head is still spinning. if you can. get into it as soon as possible. i might have to read it again, slower this time - once you get into the rhythm of the language, you find yourself flying through the story, albeit with an affected limp, gangsta-stylee. the twist in the end slapped me so hard upside the head that i sat there after i'd finished for a while, just going 'what the..?'. it's goood.
another book i mentioned in an earlier post which i have recently finished is alain de botton's the romantic movement. i enjoyed that a lot too - i think boys should read it, they'd learn a whole lot about wimmin, innit - it is written like an enjoyable thesis. that might not sound that appetising, but obviously it is meant as a compliment... i'm currently reading alice garner's the student chronicles, and am at this very second contemplating checking out nicole ritchie's the truth about diamonds. borrowing it, not buying it, that is. balance, people. it's all about balance.

the writers festival has just wrapped up here in melbourne and due to aforementioned factors messing with said headspace, i only managed to get myself along to one panel discussion - all about creative writing courses at universities, and whether they were a good thing. the general consensus was that they were, at the heart of it, great money-spinners for universities. inspirational stuff. apart from that, i went to the festival club twice - once for the sleepers salon starring nick earls, and another time because the new director of the festival, rosemary cameron, was going to be in conversation with jane clifton. oh, and nick earls was going to be doing a reading. so maybe there was a little hero-worship happening there. mild author-stalking, even. serves them right for printing up programmes, i say... then what can you expect but for people like me to turn up? i did get a happy snap with nick, uploaded below for your viewing pleasure -

in other news, we're off to the ubud writers festival at the end of the month - emails have started bouncing back and forth, containing details of events and happenings. exciting!