Plenty Reads

Author Kerry Cue will speak at Ivanhoe Library in August

At the beginning of the year we launched our Plenty Reads program at Ivanhoe Library. This reading campaign aims to promote reading in our region with a visiting author program, a reading wiki and other activities to encourage everyone to read.

August will see more action with the Books Alive - we have 14 authors visiting our branches! Books Alive is a federal government initiative that uses the money from the GST on books to promote reading and publishing in Australia. We are pleased to announce the following program:

Kim McKay will be at Watsonia on Thursday 7 August at 2.00pm

Toni Jordan in conversation with Alison Croggon at Diamond Valley on Monday 11 August at 6.30pm

Chrissie Perry in conversation with Meredith Badger at Rosanna on Saturday 23 August at 10.30am

Debra Adelaide at Mill Park on Monday 25 August at 6.30pm

Children's Adventure Day at Eltham on Sunday 31 August from 1pm - 5pm with Archimede Fusillo, Michael Pryor, Anna Walker, Holly Sievers (13 year old with 2 books!) Nick Place, Marion Roberts

Kerry Cue at Ivanhoe on Thursday 14 August at 6.30pm

Anne Manne at Watsonia on Monday 18 August at 7.00pm

For more information about the authors, dates and times check out YarraPlentyBooks

There has been some debate about the Books Alive program, in particular in the Australian on the weekend. Beth Driscoll says:

Books Alive is an admirable attempt to provide guidance in a world where thousands of new books are printed each year. The campaign uses government money to give literature new market power and provide a boost to overall literacy.
At the same time, Books Alive's popularity-oriented approach flattens culture, mixing literary fiction in with true crime and promoting them all like blockbuster films. It contributes to a publishing culture where a handful of bestselling books are flogged at every opportunity, while the rest sink without a trace.

Do you have a view on Books Alive? we'd love to hear if you do.