Luke Horton’s ‘The Fogging’ follows a young academic couple who are caught in a spraying of pesticides known as “the fogging” during a trip to Bali, their first holiday in years. In the time that follows, their relationship slowly begins to disintegrate.

Luke recently joined us to discuss his debut novel, the challenges of launching a book during lockdown and writing anxiety with Ellen Cregan for the Kill Your Darlings First Book Club. It made for a fascinating discussion and we hope you enjoy this recording.

Kill Your Darlings is an online journal championing great Australian writing from emerging and established authors. You can find their work at https://www.killyourdarlings.com.au/

Luke Horton’s ‘The Fogging’ is out now from Scribe Publications. You can find it and the new Kill Your Darlings book “New Australian Fiction 2020” at all good bookstores, as well as finding ‘The Fogging’ in our e-book collection through Cloud Library. You can place both these items on hold through our website.

This event was in partnership with Kill Your Darlings. This is an edited recording. Our theme song is Add And by Broke for Free.

Yarra Libraries Recommends:

The Fogging – Luke Horton (available on Cloud Library)

New Australian Fiction 2019 – Kill Your Darlings

New Australian Fiction 2020 – Kill Your Darlings

Weather – Jenny Offill

The Glad Shout – Alice Robinson

My Struggle – Knausgaard (also available through Cloud Library)

Leaving the Atocha Station - Ben Lerner (also available through Cloud Library)

The Catcher in the Rye – J.D. Salinger

The Life to Come – Michelle de Kretser (available through Cloud Library)

“The best thing about Kurt Vonnegut is that he never really gives us an answer – there are always lots of different layers, and it’s about us reading it from our own experiences to take from it what we will.”

In this episode, Nell and Marcia discuss gender, nature, and the sometimes violent life of bees in Kurt Vonnegut’s ‘The Drone King’ before moving on to their current isolation reading.

This discussion is best enjoyed after you've read ‘The Drone King’ so follow the link below if you haven’t read it before.

If you’d like to join The Short Story Club (currently meeting online) then book in for the morning or evening meetings through our events page at library.yarracity.vic.gov.au, where you’ll also find information on how to access each fortnight’s story. Otherwise, keep an eye on our podcast and our social media channels to follow along from home. We have stories by Elizabeth Harrower and Celeste Ng coming up soon.

You can access Kurt Vonnegut’s ‘The Drone King’ at https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/10/kurt-vonnegut-the-drone-king/537870/

Nell and Marcia Recommend:

Maurice Maeterlinck – The Life of the Bee (available on Project Gutenberg)

Kurt Vonnegut – A Man Without a Country

Kurt Vonnegut – Miss Temptation (available online at The Saturday Evening Post)

Siri Hustvedt – The Summer Without Men

Martha Wells – All Systems Red (The Murderbot Series)

Yarra Libraries Recommends:

Kurt Vonnegut - We are what we pretend to be : the first and last works – Kurt Vonnegut

Kurt Vonnegut – Slaughterhouse-five, or The children's crusade : a duty-dance with death

“She's not a black suit and pearls in a South Yarra gallery kind of art dealer, she’s a Blundstone boots and grubby jeans kind of girl.” — Katherine Kovacic on Alex Clayton

Katherine Kovacic started out as a vet before making her way into the art world, where she discovered it wasn’t quite as safe and wholesome as it seemed. Her series of detective novels, starring the inimitable art dealer and sleuth Alex Clayton, have taken us from 1930s art scene Melbourne to mid-2000s sheep farming Hamilton, all with her Irish Wolfhound sidekick Hogarth at her side.

She discussed her latest in the series, ‘The Shifting Landscape’ with Sisters in Crime’s Robyn Walton at a special after-hours Zoom author talk in June 2020. This is an edited recording.

Katherine Kovacic is a former veterinarian turned art historian who works with a wide variety of museums, galleries, and historic houses. She lives in Melbourne with a Borzoi and a Scottish Deerhound. ‘The Portrait of Molly Dean’ was her debut novel and the first Alex Clayton art mystery.

Robyn Walton is Vice-President of Sisters in Crime Australia, has a Ph.D. in English literature and cultural history, and has taught in universities in Melbourne and Sydney. She has had short fiction and essays published and is a past winner of The Australian/Vogel Literary Award. Robyn reviews crime and other books for The Weekend Australian Review, interviews authors for the Sisters in Crime website – the Q&As – and is a judge for two short story awards.

Our theme is Add And by Broke for Free.

Yarra Libraries Recommends

‘The Shifting Landscape’ - Katherine Kovacic (ebook on Cloud Library)

‘Cocaine Blues’ - Kerry Greenwood (ebook on Cloud Library, audiobook on Borrowbox)

‘Sisters in crime’: early detective and mystery stories by women - Michael Ashley

‘Intrepide: Australian women artists in early twentieth-century France’ - Clem Gorman

‘Murder in the Telephone Exchange’ - June Wright

Yarra Libraries has partnered with the Melbourne School of Philosophy to deliver a series of free Philosophy workshops for the Yarra Libraries community. In this discussion with Peter Farago from the School of Philosophy, we talk about everything from wonder, to meditation, to spirituality, and how practical philosophy can be constructive in everyday life.

The Philosophy Begins in Wonder sessions at Yarra Libraries are currently booked out, but you can join the waitlist for any of the 6 sessions via our website.

You can find out more about the Melbourne School of Philosophy at https://www.schoolofphilosophy.org.au/

Yarra Libraries Recommends

‘A good life : philosophy from cradle to grave’ – Mark Rowlands

‘How to teach philosophy to your dog : a quirky introduction to the big questions of philosophy’ – Anthony McGowan

‘Prime movers : the real stories of twelve great thinkers from Pericles to Gandhi’ - Ferdinand Mount

‘Get smart: philosophy : the big ideas you should know’ – Marcus Weeks

Philosophy Now [magazine]

Our theme song is ‘Add And’ by Broke for Free

Yarra Libraries presents Andrea Goldsmith speaking on ‘Invented Lives’. In this Carlton After Hours recording she explores exile, character development and the importance of the right career (for them) through her latest novel. This is an edited recording, with some questions revoiced for clarity.

‘Invented Lives’ tells a story of exile- exile from country, exile at home, and exile from one's true self. It is a story about Russia, 1980s Australia, and love. It’s out with Scribe Publications right now, and you can find it through our e-book service, Cloud Library, here: https://ebook.yourcloudlibrary.com/library/yarra/Featured

Andrea Goldsmith originally trained as a speech pathologist and was a pioneer in the development of communication aids for people unable to speak. Her first novel, ‘Gracious Living’, was published in 1989. This was followed by ‘Modern Interiors’, ‘Facing the Music’, ‘Under the Knife’, and ‘The Prosperous Thief’, which was shortlisted for the 2003 Miles Franklin Literary Award. ‘Reunion’ was published in 2009, and ‘The Memory Trap’ was awarded the 2015 Melbourne Prize. Her literary essays have appeared in Meanjin, Australian Book Review, Best Australian Essays, and numerous anthologies. She has mentored many emerging writers.

Yarra Libraries Recommends

Invented Lives – Andrea Goldsmith (available through Cloud Library)

The Memory Trap – Andrea Goldsmith (available through Cloud Library)

In this episode of the Yarra Libraries Podcast we’re continuing (with the help of some experts) to bring nature to you – perfect for when your ability to visit it is a little more restricted than usual.

Forest Therapy, or Shinrin-yoku, literally translates to “forest bathing”. This practice gained traction during the early 90s in Japan as the country looked for a solution to increases stress in the country. In this recording, Forest Therapists Susan Joachim ( Director of In My Nature and President of The International Nature and Forest Therapy Alliance ) and Dr. Dieter Kotte (Secretary of The International Nature and Forest Therapy Alliance) introduce you to Forest Therapy and its reported benefits. Together, we invite you to slow down and connect intimately with the world around you.

If you haven’t already, please prepare yourself for the session by finding a suitable spot where you can either be in or see nature without breaking restrictions. If restrictions don’t apply where you are, then read Susan’s advice on choosing an ideal sit spot at https://inmynature.life/ideal-sit-spot/

You can find the International Nature and Forest Therapy Alliance (INFTA) at https://infta.net/

You can find their Australian accredited training provider, In My Nature, at https://inmynature.life/

Susan Joachim is the President of the INFTA headquartered in Melbourne, Australia. She is also a Certified Forest Therapy Guide and Mentor. Susan's affinity to the natural world began when she found herself on a work assignment in Rwanda tracking Mountain Gorillas! She spends most weekends leading bushwalks around Australia and New Zealand with her hiking club. Susan has committed herself to promote Forest Therapy globally as a preventative Public health practice by collaborating with government organizations, education and research institutes, allied health organizations and nature and Forest Therapy practitioners.

INFTA is the international peak body promoting the preventative public health practice of Forest Therapy. INFTA collaborates globally with a range of government agencies, research groups and public health stakeholders (especially in these times of pandemic) to promote the benefits of Forest Therapy to the wider community through its network of international advisors and certified Forest Therapy Guides. The organization collaborates with botanic gardens and local councils to reach a wider audience of people who are looking for ways to connect to nature as a means to alleviate the stresses of life coping with the pandemic. They hope that through this podcast, people will connect to nature (even in their own gardens), and notice the benefits of connection to nearby nature. They believe that Forest Therapy can play a role in alleviating the increasing mental health issues and lifestyle diseases faced in Australia - aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic. They invite listeners to visit their website and social media pages for more information and daily inspiration.

Yarra Libraries Suggests

Into the forest : how trees can help you find health and happiness – Qing Li

Shinrin-yoku : the art and science of forest bathing – Qing Li

Shinrin-yoku : the Japanese way of forest bathing for health and relaxation - Yoshifumi Miyazaki

The healing magic of forest bathing : finding calm, creativity, and connection in the natural world – Julia Plevin

“You shouldn’t be scared about living in a small space. I think Australians have to change their train of thought about living in a smaller space.” – Jason Chongue

In this episode, Yarra Libraries welcomes back plant-expert Jason Chongue who runs through the basics of indoor gardening and plant-based styling.

Jason visited Bargoonga Nganjin, North Fitzroy Library in early 2020. Today, we’re particularly glad to bring you Jason’s talk in the hopes it inspires you to bring a little more greenery into your home – where you’re probably spending a little more time than usual.

Jason is the author of “Plant Society,” and, most recently, “Green” - a essential guides to indoor gardening, small spaces, and dropping the guilt should your plants drop their mortal coil (or leaves) a little sooner than expected. Jason is also the owner of the “The Plant Society” his Collingwood-based plant store and consultancy, which you can find at www.theplantsociety.com.au Currently they’re offering free local delivery, and have some short videos available on bringing plants into your home.

You can find some of the pictures Jason describes in this talk in his books. If you enjoyed this talk, might enjoy our earlier episode where he discusses his first title, ‘Plant Society’ in a Q&A. Please see much earlier in our podcast feed, or search on our Soundcloud page.

Yarra Libraries Recommends

‘Green’ – Jason Chongue

‘Plant Society’ – Jason Chongue

This is an edited recording. Our theme song is Add And by Broke for Free.

“Fantasy and Sci-Fi provide a really wonderful trojan horse way of talking about things that really matter in our lives and the things that are difficult to talk about”

The Short Story Club discusses a short story every meeting, before moving on to other reading recommendations. In this episode, Tegan and Connor discuss the activist potential of science fiction, drop out culture vs social collectivism, and other questions provoked by Ursula K. Le Guin’s ‘The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas’, before moving on to their current isolation reading.

This discussion is best enjoyed after you've read The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas, so search for the story online now or read it in Le Guin’s ‘Outer Space, Inner Lands’.

If you’d like to join The Short Story Club (currently meeting online) then book in for our fortnightly meetings through our events page at library.yarracity.vic.gov.au, where you’ll also find information on how to access each week’s story. Otherwise, keep an eye on our podcast and our social media channels to follow along from home.

Connor and Tegan Recommend:

‘The Left Hand of Darkness’ - Ursula K. Le Guin (BBC Dramatization available on Borrowbox)

The Ones Who Stay and Fight’ - N.K Jemisin (Available online through Lightspeed Magazine)

‘An Unkindness of Ghosts’ – Rivers Solomon

‘In the Dream House’ – Carmen Maria Machado (available on Cloud Library)

‘Normal People’ – Hulu Adaptation

‘Normal People’ – Sally Rooney (available on Cloud Library)

“Lizzie couldn’t ring up Darcy and say ‘hey I think we got off on the wrong foot would you like to have a coffee?’” – Toni Jordan

In this episode, let Yarra Libraries sweep you off your feet with bestselling authors Minnie Darke (The Lost Love Song) and Toni Jordan (The Fragments). The two romantic experts speak about their latest work, as well as their experiences as readers and writers of romantic fiction. They delve into some of the challenges associated with writing romance set in the present day, what they think makes a good romantic hero/heroine, and why Pretty Woman is actually not a very romantic film. To our delight they also take on some of their favourite (and least favourite) romantic tropes, from ‘Hate at First Sight’ and ‘Old Lovers Reunited’ to the ever popular ‘Successful in her business, Hopeless in her personal life.’

“Once upon a time you might actually be able to lose someone, these days you just google them. You’re going to find them, aren’t you?” – Minnie Darke

Search for Minnie and Toni’s books in the Yarra Libraries catalogue today, or try Borrowbox (audiobooks) or Cloud Library (ebooks) for romantic reads from these authors and more.

Yarra Libraries Recommends

Books

The Fragments – Toni Jordan (ebook on Cloud Library and audiobook on Borrowbox)

Fall Girl – Toni Jordan

Star Crossed – Minnie Darke (ebook on Cloud Library and audiobook on Borrowbox)

The Lost Love Song – Minnie Darke (ebook on Cloud Library and audiobook on Borrowbox)

Strong Poison – Dorothy L. Sayers

Possession – A.S. Byatt

Grown Ups – Marian Keyes (ebook on Cloud Library)

Giver of Stars – Jojo Moyes (ebook on Cloud Library and audiobook on RB Digital)

Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen

Red, White and Royal Blue – Casey McQuiston

The Hating Game – Sally Thorne

The Kiss Quotient – Helen Hoang

Films

Amelie

Love Actually

Notting Hill

Theme song by Broke for Free

Photo by Karolina Grabowska from Pexels

“There are a numbers of parallels between laws passed during COVID and laws passed during the first world war.” – Associate Professor Catherine Bond

Yarra Libraries and The Ewing Trust present:

On this podcast, Cat Woods interviews author Catherine Bond about her book ‘Law in War’, which looks at the dangerous consequences of legislation passed for the purpose of winning a conflict. ‘Law in War’ primarily looks at laws relating to freedoms and restrictions in Australia during World War 1, but its themes are relevant to any time when people are affected by laws created in the name of victory.

Law in War author Catherine Bond is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Law, UNSW Sydney. In 2016 she published her first book ‘Anzac: The Landing, The Legend, The Law’. As part of that work Catherine became interested in the little-considered topic of how law affected the Australian community during the First World War leading to this, her second book.

Cat Woods is a Melbourne based freelance journalist, who has written on books, music, arts and travel for various publications and websites.

Yarra Libraries Recommends:

Law in War – Catherine Bond

ANZAC : The Landing, The Legend, The Law – Catherine Bond