Blogs by Karen L Wilson
What's Happening in Hobart
9/11/2011 8:13:05 PM
Sundry topics about what it is like living in Hobart and (recent and not so recent) activities in this capital city.
Over the last two weeks I have been trying not to put any strain on my back. Absolutely no lifting. It's so frustrating having additional ex-rays and CT scans done and not knowing the results from those tests. I shall have to wait until next month to find out is going on with my body.
On a brighter note my husband and I drove to Sorell, a little town near Hobart to inspect a new bookshop recently established there. It's name is 'Shambles'. The owners have been working hard to get it up and running. I dropped in two copies of my book on consignment. The owners were enthusiastic and asked me would I talk about my book at a date to be arranged. Eagerly I agreed because book sales have been slow this year.
The year 2011 in Australia has been a tough one for book sales. We've had the Queensland floods - three quarters of the State under water; then the Victorian and Tasmanian floods that were not so badly affected.Consequently book sales have been down, especially since Angus & Robertson and Borders were recently placed into receivership. The retail also has been badly affected.
Hobart is a small capital city, yet this island - per head of population - has more poets than you can poke a stick at! In the Sunday newspaper in the 'Literary Events section' there are at least two book launches per week; sometimes two launches on the one night at the same time. Very irritating for authors. Now that Shambles has entered the Frey it provides another book launching option.Why are Tasmanian writers so prolific one might ask? It must be something to do with the rainy, grey days and freezing Winter evenings that send poets - kitted up with three jumpers, ugg boots polar fleece blankets and mittens - to their freezing dens where they produce prolific anthologies of that genre.
For an island that has maximum population of 500,000 its writing population is well above average. Unfortunately, school children's literacy rates are falling well below the national average. It's a mystery!
I like living in Hobart: it's so easy to drive around the city. Ample parking everywhere, and cop this - the first hour parking is free in the Council car parks. Something I love about this city is the majestic Derwent River that is so deep that oceanic liners have no difficulty docking here. Now that the weather is warming up tourist ships will soon be arriving. Our city is most hospitable to tourists. Volunteer guides are available to show our visitors around the CBD.
On another subject: yesterday I trundled along to our Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery to be filmed for one minute reading from my memoir. I'm glad to say the reading went well. Anybody could turn up to the event. Just think of the publicity I shall be getting. The new films will be made available to the public by the end of this week and I will be able to watch myself on film - that's never previously happened. I shall a lovely narcissistic time watching myself on the screen - a small price to pay - having donated my book to the Reading Room Exhibition.
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More Blogs by Karen L Wilson
• Ted's Itinerary - Monday, March 18, 2013
• Entertaining Ted - Thursday, March 14, 2013
• Entertaiing Ted - Thursday, March 14, 2013
• A Hectic Week Ahead - Monday, March 11, 2013
• Whew! - Monday, February 18, 2013
• The Christmas Season - Sunday, December 30, 2012
• Post Colonoscopy Operation - Thursday, November 29, 2012
• Post Colonoscopy Operation - Thursday, November 29, 2012
• Post Colonoscopy Operation - Thursday, November 29, 2012
• Fasting for the Procedure - Tuesday, November 27, 2012
• One Day at a Time - Wednesday, November 21, 2012
• Hurricane Sandy's Massiive Impact - Wednesday, October 31, 2012
• Update of Illness in the Family - Tuesday, October 30, 2012
• Illness in the Family - Thursday, October 25, 2012
• The Price of Getting Older - Friday, October 19, 2012
• Thursdays - Wednesday, October 10, 2012
• Abduction - Friday, September 28, 2012
• More Than a Coincidence - Monday, August 27, 2012
• Notes on My Recent Cruise in Europe - Wednesday, August 15, 2012
• Mindfulness Exercise - Sunday, August 12, 2012
• Cruising along the Danube and Rhine Rivers - Wednesday, August 01, 2012
• Honouring the Life of James Gavin Paterson - Wednesday, July 04, 2012
• 10 Days to Go - Saturday, May 26, 2012
• Autumn Lingers - Wednesday, May 09, 2012
• Holiday of a Life Time - Sunday, March 11, 2012
• Compassion for Native Animals - Saturday, February 18, 2012
• A Bit of Chichat - Monday, January 09, 2012
• Christmas Time - Friday, December 09, 2011
• Health Issues and Other Matters - Friday, October 07, 2011
• What's Happening in Hobart - Sunday, September 11, 2011
• Wake-Up Call - Saturday, August 27, 2011
• The Connection between Schoolyard and Workplace Bullying - Friday, August 19, 2011
• Winter in Tasmania - Friday, August 05, 2011
• A Synopsis of My Talk at the Republic Bar on 3rd July - Monday, July 04, 2011
• The Rigours of Life - Friday, July 01, 2011
• Update on My writing and Other matters - Wednesday, June 22, 2011
• Such Is Life - Wednesday, June 15, 2011
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