Our national sponsor

It’s altogether fitting that Paul Hetherington, who, in addition to being a poet and novelist in his own right, is Director of the Publication and Event Branch at the National Library of Australia, should join our board at this time, for the National Library has just renewed it national sponsorship of ABR for another year. Our links with the Library go deep – not just on our covers and thematically, but now in the events domain. Look out for details of our next ABR Forum in Canberra, when Peter Rose will be in conversation with Helen Garner.

Beatrice Davis Fellowship

Many things contribute to making a fine book editor: sound grammar, breadth of knowledge, orthography, sharp eyesight, a lifetime’s supply of erasers. Exposure to other publishing cultures doesn’t hurt, either. The Beatrice Davis Editorial Fellowship sponsored by the Australia Council and the Australian Publishers’ Association, is awarded biennially, and allows an experienced editor to spend twelve weeks in a US publishing house, or houses. Applications close on June 23. Forms and guidelines are available from Mary Kumvaj, Australian Publishers’ Association, 60/89 Jones Street, Ultimo NSW 2007 (e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

Friends, Romans, Anthologists…

Justice Michael Kirby (who reviews Proof & Truth: The Humanist As Expert on page 39) spoke memorably at the launch of the Peter Blazey Fellowship on April 30. He may be in the running for inclusion in a collection of speeches, for at least one such anthologist was in the audience. Remarkably, three collections of Australian speeches arc due for publication this year. In August, Black Inc. will publish the first of these, Well May We Say: The Speeches That Made Australia, with Sally Warhaft at the editorial podium. Kate Darian-Smith and Michael Cathcart are co-editing one for Melbourne University Press. Not to be left out is Michael Fullilove (who reviews James Curran’s book on prime ministerial speechifying in this issue). His anthology will appear later in the year.

Archipelago of ideas

The ninety-sixth Island has just appeared, with a lively guest editorial by Greg Lehman, who writes about the so-called fabrication of Aboriginal history (‘For all your effort, Mr Windschuttle, you have achieved so little’). Other contributors include Carmel Bird and John Mateer, with an affecting article by Andrys Onsman on Truganini’s funeral. The Autumn 2004 issue also contains information about the Gwen Harwood Poetry Prize 2004, worth $1500. Entries close on October 1, so there’s plenty of time to come up with a single poem or suite of them not exceeding 100 lines. To subscribe to Island write to PO Box 210, Sandy Bay, Tasmania 7006, or e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Off the record

Craig Sherborne’s coruscating reviews have won him quite a following among ABR readers. This month, they will be pleased to discover, he reviews Christopher Hope’s memoir, Brushing the Tip of Fame. Egregiously, he quite likes it. But the scourge of cant and spin has a few other strings to his bow. In addition to being a senior writer at the Herald Sun, he is currently working on a memoir of the Sydney of his childhood. A few years back, Sherborne won the Wal Cherry Play of the Year Award. Now he has a new play, Off the Record – a farce set in the offices of a fictional tabloid near you. Playbox is presenting a rehearsed reading at 6.30 p.m. on Monday, June 7. The venue is the Tower Room at the Malthouse, in Melbourne. Strong language is guaranteed – violence too, quite possibly – so you’d better hurry if you want a seat.