In books lies the soul of the whole past time
the articulate audible voice of the past
when the body and material substance of it
has altogether vanished like a dream.
– Thomas Carlyle, 1840
Cited by Marion Roubos-Bennett (Festival Director, Events and Program Coordinator) at the opening of the Batemans Bay Writers' and Readers' Festival.
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| Jane during her entertaining workshop |
Paul Brunton from the State Library of NSW moderated a debate with a difference. Waving their latest paperbacks in the air the 'government' (Jeff Apter, Rita Wagner, and Jane Cornelius) described the emotional disconnect with an ebook compared to the tactile delight of reading a 'real book' with Jane showing how she smelled, stroked, and hugged her first book. Her closing words 'a real book is a hunk of love'. The 'opposition' (Sue Mackenzie, Nikki Cooper, and Gary Kelly) passionate about literacy and reading argued 'form follows function' and that the Kindle is part of the evolution of reading. 'Questions without notice' took a serious turn with Pippa Carron asking if the 'paperbacks' would apologise to the trees, and Linda Jaivin if the 'kindlings' were aware of the effect of built in obsolescence and the impact of ewaste, particularly on children who are exposed to dangerous chemicals while dismantling electronic equipment. After the ''referendum' Paul declared the 'government' the winners.
'A passion for poetry' workshop facilitated by Kathy Kituai and Hazel Hall sent me back to the Australia picture theatre in Lords place Orange:
Saturday arvo flicks
Jaffas
orange stuffed with brown
bouncing down the aisle
Serials
Gene Autrey dangling on a cliff
until next week
Leaving
eyes squinting
back to unwanted reality
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