Dispatch #026

We hope you’ve all recovered from the City to Surf … especially the afterparties! It was brilliant to see Bondi buzzing with happy people, many of whom were raising money for great causes. We loved serving you and your families. And well done on the $3.5 million raised to date.

Also, to all our Substack subscribers: you will have first access to our upcoming Gertrude & Alice dinner evenings! We’re releasing tickets to you first via this newsletter on Friday, 14th of August, at 9:30 am. Mark your calendars because it’s first in, first served.

Now, to news from the world of books.

MILES FRANKLIN: Omar Musa (below) has been announced as the winner of Australia’s most prestigious literary prize, the Miles Franklin Literary Award, for Fierceland, which is about two siblings who return to Malaysian Borneo for their father’s funeral. Papa made the family’s fortune through oil palm, which involves the destruction of the rainforest and the lands of indigenous people. So it’s complicated, as the kids say. Omar gave a wonderful speech about growing up in the orange-brick flats in Queanbeyan, alongside many other new arrivals to this country. They didn’t have much money, but his Mum published a free arts magazine, so Omar grew up marinating in theatre, music, poetry and books, and he always wanted to be a writer. He’s also a poet, a rapper, a musician, and a woodcutter. You can see a little of his speech here.

IMPOSTER: Also present on the night, last year’s winner, Siang Lu, who gave a terrific speech about imposter syndrome, saying it took him almost a year to accept the fact that if the judges had given him the award, it was because they thought he deserved it. Siang’s book, Ghost Cities, is about those eerie towers in China that are filled with shiny appliances but no people, because nobody ever moved into them. Three cheers to him, too!

BOOK LAUNCH: We were lucky enough to attend the launch of Tech Bros, by John Stensholt and Perry Williams, this week (below left). This is the extraordinary story behind one of Australia’s most successful new businesses, Atlassian, which was built by two Sydney boys who once lived together in a cramped share house. Mike Cannon-Brookes and Scott Farquhar couldn’t have been more different - Cannon-Brookes is the son of a wealthy banker, and he was educated in one of Sydney’s top private schools, Cranbrook; while Farquhar’s western suburbs parents worked multiple jobs to make ends meet, yet together, they rode the software boom, making billionaires of both of them. And then they fell out.

SPICY: The Daily Telegraph reports that a spicy new bookshop has opened in Geelong, Victoria, this week, and it got (only a few!) complaints from locals (and they were mainly to do with the items in the window display). The new owner, Marianne Locke, loves romance (who doesn’t?!) and she says she’s standing ready with great recommendations for explicit or “spicy” books. She’s also got great Instagram game! Follow her here (below right).

AI: Do not use AI to write your book! There’s been another situation, shall we say, in the UK, where a manuscript called Call Me, I’ll Hide the Body, by Jerry Falade, was withdrawn from sale by its agent despite reportedly receiving an offer for more than $2 million as part of a 14-way auction. The book was due out in 2028 but now the agent says: “The manuscript that dazzled us and the top publishing professionals around the world. Unfortunately, we are no longer able to authenticate how the manuscript fully evolved from origin to completion.” Don’t do it, guys! Remember, we want to know what you can create not what a machine can create under your direction.

George R.R. Martin: “It’s been a while, I know …” The great George R. R. Martin penned a short blog post last week, apologising for the delay in the next book in the Songs of Ice and Fire series (which became Games of Thrones), saying: “This year has been… stressful, to say the least. So much has been happening, it’s been overwhelming. Some great things, exciting things. Dreams coming true. But there have been nightmares too. I have lost friends. Battled sadness and depression. The worst may be yet to come. I turned seventy-seven last September, and I tell you, getting old is no fun. But there have been amazing times as well.” He still hopes to complete that book, and obviously we are all cheering for him.

It Could Have Been Her by Lisa Jewell: Newly divorced and feeling a little lost, Jane Trevally agrees to accompany a man she doesn't know to his house in the darkest corner of Hampstead Heath …

Death by Misadventure by Jane Bitomsky: a coroner and a disillusioned young maid try to uncover the events that led to the death of a naked man. This is a debut!

Main Characters by Bobby Palmer: Some love stories are bigger than just two people. This one is told by friends, flatmates, exes and strangers - everybody but the main characters.

Everything Was Beautiful And Nothing Hurt by Ben Reeves: Travis is the cosmic force of Death, visiting people in their final days and hours of life, before shepherding them into whatever happens next.

Big Little Truths by Liane Moriarty: It's been a decade since the school trivia night that changed their lives forever. This is Liane’s first-ever sequel, and it’s out this month.

We got a great crowd for the Yesteryear book club last week, and we would love to see you at any one of these upcoming events!

Dr Norman Swan, An Evening with the Author, Wednesday 2nd of September: Join us as Dr Norman Swan sits down with Fran Kelly to discuss his latest book ‘The Brain Cliff’ at Paddington Uniting Church. Click here for tickets.

Holly Ringland, An Evening with the Author, Monday 7th of September: Join Holly Ringland, in conversation with Michaela Kalowski, to celebrate the release of her new novel ‘The World Beneath Her Feet’ at Paddington Uniting Church. Click here for tickets.

Victoria Hannan, An Evening with the Author, Wednesday 19th of August: Victoria will be in conversation with Benjamin Law to celebrate the launch of her new book ‘I Love the Whole World!’ at Gertrude & Alice. Click here for tickets.

Myf Warhurst, An Evening with the Author, Thursday 8th of September: Myf Warhurst discusses her candid, funny and deeply relatable new book, Middle Rage, at Bondi Pavilion. Gertrude & Alice are the official booksellers. Click here for tickets.

Joshua Hortinela, An Evening with the Author, Wednesday 16th of September: Join Joshua Hortinela in conversation to celebrate the release of his debut novel, Hate You to Love You at Gertrude & Alice. Click here for tickets.

Megan Dalla-Camina, An Evening with the Author, Thursday 17th of September: Join Megan Dalla-Camina in conversation with Alison Brahe Daddo to chat about her new book, She Who Remembers, at Gertrude & Alice. Click here for tickets.

Mick Fanning, An Evening with the Author, Wednesday 30th of September: Join Mick in conversation as he reflects on his journey from the Western suburbs of Sydney to world surfing fame. The wins, the setbacks and the growth in between. Held at Bondi Pavilion. Gertrude & Alice are the official booksellers. Click here for tickets.

And that’s all for today, folks! Thank you for reading, and please do forward our newsletter to your friends so that we can build our community here. We have over 2200 subscribers. We would love to welcome more!

Have something you’d like to include? Our newsletter is compiled by a Bondi local, Caroline Overington. You can follow her on Instagram or Facebook, or get in touch here if you’ve got news to share.