Bookclub news Dec 2

Bendigo Weekly | Bendigo Weekly | 02-Dec-2011

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Where do you go after Harry Potter? Daniel Radcliffe showed he is serious about developing his career as an actor by playing in a small-budget film made in Australia and based on the novel by Michael Noonan. Now, apparently, at 22 Radcliffe is preparing to take on a role that is as different from Harry as chalk is to cheese: beat poet Allen Ginsberg. It's a move that's being hailed as brave, but a little odd. 

If you ever fancied smacking a kiss on Oscar Wilde's tomb, you no longer can. The officials at Montparnasse cemetery, tired of scrubbing off the marks left by fans of the persecuted wit, have put up a glass barrier around his tomb. It remains to be seen if pilgrims continue to kiss the glass.

Those Prime Minister's Literary Awards just keep getting bigger - pity no one seems to notice who wins them each year. Now they have added a Poetry award, another $100,000 prize, which takes the pot to $600,000. The announcement was made this week that by adding poetry and also a history prize, "the Australian Government is honouring the enormous contribution these two genres make to our cultural wealth". Right.

The Americans have something called NaNoWriMo, which is short for (!) National Novel Writing Month. And what do you know, it's all about numbers. The NaMoWriMo organisers report that a collective total of 3,073,176,540 words were written during this year's program, 273 million more than last year. And every one a gem, no doubt.

Bendigo poet Tru Dowling is celebrating her first book, a small collection published by Mark Time Press. There will be more on this next week in the Bendigo Weekly, but for now, please note details of the launch, which is at Collins' Booksellers in Fountain Court, Sunday December 11, 1pm. 

Thanks to bookclubbers who have sent suggestions for the "best books" list for this year. Any suggestions still welcome, and the list will be published next week.

Not yet a bookclub member? It's easy: just send an email to bookclub@bendigoweekly.com.au, and we'll sign you up. 

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