Khouri Undercover
Sydney Morning Herald Literary Editor, Malcolm Knox created headlines in late July with his exposé of Norma Khouri and her 'factual' account of honour killings in Jordan. Published in 2003, Forbidden Love purported to be an account of Khouri's friendship with a Muslim woman who fell in love with a Christian man. Khouri wrote that when the woman's family discovered the relationship she was killed by her father. Following extensive research, Knox uncovered serious inconsistencies in Khouri's account of her own life as well as factual errors in her book. As a result of liaison with the Jordanian National Commission for Women, Knox revealed that Khouri's 'descriptions of Jordanian law were exaggerated and often incorrect. Opinions and myths were presented as factual statements.' (Sydney Morning Herald, 24-25 July 2004) So concerned was the Commission by Khouri's misrepresentations that they had contacted her US publisher, Random House in September 2003 with a list of 73 errors. At that time, Khouri rebutted all the claims to Random House's satisfaction.

Suspicion around Khouri deepened when Knox discovered that she had been living in the Chicago area for most of her life (not in Jordan as she had claimed). In the weeks following the initial revelations, further details of Khouri's life emerged. Her mother, siblings and friends in Chicago were contacted and confirmation of her childhood and marriage in the USA obtained. Additionally, the Chicago police are continuing investigations into Khouri regarding several cases of suspected property fraud.

When Khouri was unable to satisfy a new request from Random House for verification of her version of events, the publisher withdrew support from the author and decided not to publish her follow-up book, A Matter of Honour, originally due for release in November. The exposure of Khouri's deception has also thrown her residency in Australia into doubt. Khouri had been sponsored by Random House Australia for a temporary residence visa. The Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs is now examining her case to determine whether there have been any breaches of the Migration Act.

Khouri's fabrication has sparked a range of questions about fiction versus non-fiction and the publisher-writer relationship. Commenting in the Sydney Morning Herald (26 July 2004), Sophie Masson examined the prevailing notion among publishers that '"reality" writing is somehow better than fiction'. She concludes 'Maybe the industry needed a reality check like this.' Following a similar theme Gaby Naher (Bulletin, 10 August 2004) asked 'is the Norma Khouri story every publisher, editor and agent's worst nightmare?' Although defending the editorial standards of Australian publishers, Naher asserts that if the Norma Khouri affair 'makes readers and publishers more discerning, more questioning, then there will be a single positive outcome to arise from the whole charade.'

To refresh your memory on previous Australian literary hoaxes visit:

• Ern Malley : The Official Website

and

• Helen Darville's Homepage

(Darville's site is no longer available 'live' on the Internet, but has been preserved by the PANDORA Archive.)

Coming up, the October issue of Australian Literary Studies will be devoted to literary hoaxes and questions of imposture and identity in Australian literature. And in the meantime, John Bayley, literary agent for Leon Carmen, has just published Daylight Corroboree : A First-Hand Account of the 'Wanda Koolmatrie' Hoax.

Flying Under the Radar
While much media attention has been focused on the exploits of Norma Khouri and the truth/falsehood dichotomy, Azhar Abidi's 'The Secret History of the Flying Carpet' has created a minor disturbance of its own. Published in the current issue of Meanjin, Abidi's essay purports to uncover new evidence pointing to the existence of flying carpets. Abidi reveals details supposedly garnered from his own translations of newly discovered 13th century Persian manuscripts. He documents the disappearance of the flying carpet due to a combination of political, ideological and economic factors.

On 10 August Abidi was interviewed on ABC Radio National's Life Matters programme. A few days later, the programme's host, Julie McCrossin reported that Life Matters had 'received letters from listeners disappointed that we should air such a claim. Information just to hand does indeed show that Azhar Abidi constructed a seemingly scholarly piece for the magazine Meanjin. That piece went through the normal editing process … and … that piece has subsequently been found to be a fabrication. Azhar Abidi says that in these troubled and difficult times, we should never pass up the opportunity to fantasise, indulge in whimsy.' (ABC Radio National website)

However, Abidi's ploy was known to Meanjin prior to the airing of the original ABC programme. Kate Legge reported on the subterfuge in the Weekend Australian of 7-8 August. She writes that Meanjin's chief sub-editor became suspicious when checking Abidi's sources. The sub-editor contacted editor-in-chief Ian Britain who 'laughed and confessed that Abidi was an honourable trickster "taking readers for a ride", in the tradition of Argentinean writer Jorge Luis Borges...'

The Pakistani-born, British-educated Abidi lives in Melbourne where he works as an industry fund manager. He has recently been contracted to write a novella by Penguin (USA). Abidi's essay has been published online by Iran News and has generated some weblog discussion.

Jeannie Baker's Belonging Featured in Exhibition
Jeannie Baker's latest picture book, Belonging is the subject of a new exhibition at the Australian Museum in Sydney. The exhibition features the original collages composed by Baker for her children's book. The three-dimensional collages are made from natural materials such as foliage, hair and feathers. In Belonging, a companion volume to Window, 'an alienating city street gradually becomes a place to call home.' Exploring the 're-greening of the city' Baker's story demonstrates 'the role of community, the empowerment of people and the significance of children, family and neighbourhood in changing their urban environment. The streets gradually become places for safe children's play, and community activity and places for nature and wonder.'( Jeannie Baker's website)

The exhibition opens on Wednesday, 15 September and continues until Sunday, 28 November.

Indigenous Publisher a Hit at Children's Book Fair
Western Australian publisher Magabala Books received wide praise at the 2004 Bologna Children's Book Fair. Attending the Fair on Magabala's behalf, committee member Maria Pedersen reported 'There were people who loved the Indigenous books and illustrations. There was a noticeable response to the Aboriginal books with bilingual content. [...] There was a lot of interest from publishers based in Canada, Korea and Japan. We hope to develop a relationship with those professionals who asked about our books.' Pedersen noted that 'As a Magabala committee member it was a fantastic experience to also get a better understanding of Magabala Books and the work is really valuable. It's helping our languages survive and hopefully through our stories people will get a better understanding of our people and culture.' (Koori Mail, 28 July 2004)

Twenty-two Australian children's publishers were represented at Bologna. They included Five Mile Press, Koala Books, Lothian and Scholastic.

Weaver's Death a Blow for Books Alive
The sudden death of Shane Weaver proved a setback in the run-up to this year's Books Alive campaign. Weaver (see Time & Tide below) was expected to join other Books Alive authors in a tour of Australia and had planned to speak at a range of events. Also absent from the tour, due to the death of her mother, was Belinda Alexandra. The remaining authors – Duncan Ball, Robert Drewe, Nikki Gemmell, Mary Moody and Gabrielle Lord – took part in over 70 events across the country. The events began with an 'invitation only' gathering in Sydney on 30 July and ended with a book signing by Nikki Gemmell in Darwin on 14 August. In the two intervening weeks the writers visited all Australian states and territories.

Lord's Spiking the Girl Picked as Women's Weekly Book of the Month
Gabrielle's Lord's third novel in the Gemma Lincoln P. I. series has received a double sales boost. In addition to being part of a special promotion in the Books Alive campaign, Spiking the Girl was the Australian Women's Weekly (AWW) Book of the Month selection for August.

In an interview with Carol George of the AWW, Lord admits that there are bits of herself in the Gemma Lincoln character, 'She's my wild side, I guess, although she's much more sensible in many ways – I don't think I could run a business like she does. She's a composite character, more foolhardy than I am...' Lord further describes her lead character as 'the sort of woman who goes very fast to avoid a lot of internal driven-ness. And I think she is starting now to become more aware that she needs to become more aware. I'd say that's where she is in her character journey and boy, is this latest development going to introduce her to hard reality. I think she's been a party girl and successful to a degree. Her business is tough.'

The full interview with Lord is available on the AWW website in the Book Club section.

Literary Fellowships Underway at UNSW
Frank Moorhouse and Linda Jaivin have each begun Literary Fellowships at the University of New South Wales (UNSW). The Fellowships, valued at $12,000 are offered every two years to 'a distinguished writer who would benefit from a period at the University, and is willing to contribute to university life'. Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education & Quality Improvement), Professor Adrian Lee noted that 'The field of applicants in this round was of such remarkable quality that the Selection Committee decided to offer two awards'. (UNSW media release, 4 May 2004)

During his Fellowship, Moorhouse will work on two projects – 'The State of Australian Writing' and a proposed book 'Martini a Memoir'. Jaivin will continue work on a novel-in-progress tentatively titled 'Any Time of the Year'.

'Top 50 Contemporary Reads' in the UK Includes Two Australians
Rosie Scott's Faith Singer and Tim Winton's Cloudstreet have been named in a publicly-voted 'Top Reads' list sponsored by the Orange Prize for Fiction. Co-founder of the Orange Prize, Kate Moss commented that 'Usually, "must read" lists focus on classics, therefore the dead tend to do better than the living! In keeping with the Orange Prize's aim to support contemporary writers, we therefore decided to ask male and female readers which books by living writers they would nominate as an essential read. The top 50 is a satisfyingly international list and is a wonderful indication of the wealth of contemporary fiction published today.' The full list can be viewed at Orange's website by following the 'Press' link.

Literary Fake Inspires Prize-Winning Art
Garry Shead has won the 2004 Dobell Prize for Drawing with his ink on paper diptych Colloquy with John Keats inspired by the Ern Malley poem of the same name. Shead's drawing depicts Malley poets James McAuley and Harold Stewart, and Angry Penguins publisher Max Harris. It also contains fragments of Malley poems and other symbolic representations of the Malley affair and its participants.

On winning the Dobell Prize, Shead commented 'It's the largest drawing I've done and I hope I expressed something of the inspiration the poetry has given me, and the whole historical meaning of the event.' Noting that his paintings always have a connection with his own life, Shead continued 'I was born in 1942 and that was a thing I remember from my early life and people are still talking about it.' (Weekend Australian, 21-22 August 2004)

Shead has previously drawn inspiration from the 1940s hoax. His series of paintings The Apotheosis of Ern Malley was exhibited in Sydney in 2003. Colloquy with John Keats can be viewed at the Art Gallery of New South Wales until 17 October.

Reality Bites in 2004 Children's Book Council Awards
Violent fathers, depressed mothers, dysfunctional families and tragic deaths were all represented in the shortlisted works for this year's Children's Book Council Book of the Year Awards. When the awards were announced on 20 August some books with these themes triumphed, but so too did stories of redemptive relationships.

In the Older Readers category, Melina Marchetta's Saving Francesca took the Book of the Year prize – a second win for Marchetta who won the same division with her first novel Looking for Alibrandi. Marchetta's 17-year-old lead character faces challenges at home and school, but finds some resolution through her own friendships and in understanding her mother's depression.

In the Younger Readers section, Carole Wilkinson's fantasy novel, Dragonkeeper took the winner's prize. Breaking with an expected fantasy tradition, Wilkinson was concerned that her female protagonist should not overcome through magic. She wanted her character to be 'an inspiration for girls [who are] a bit like me when I was a child – you don't have any obvious talents, you're not particularly sporty, you're not a natural musician, you're not always top of the class, you're just an average sort of kid ... But that doesn't mean you haven't got talent and skills that can be unearthed.' (Weekend Australian, 21-22 August 2004)

The Early Childhood winner for 2004 was Grandpa and Thomas, written and illustrated by Pamela Allen. Thomas and his grandfather enjoy a day at the beach, basking in the sand, the sea and each other. An intergenerational relationship is also prominent in one of the Younger Readers Honour Books – Steven Herrick's Do-Wrong Ron. Ron is something of a loner until he strikes up a friendship with his elderly neighbour and her visiting granddaughter. Redemption through friendship features again in the other Honour Book for the Younger Readers section, The Naming of Tishkin Silk by Glenda Millard. Griffin Silk finds new hope through his effervescent school friend, Layla.

A full list of winners is available on the Children's Book Council of Australia website.

Wilderness Win for Crew
Gary Crew has won the Wilderness Society's 2004 Environment Award for Children's Literature for his Extinct Series of picture books. The annual award for Australian children's fiction and non-fiction recognises 'books that best encourage an attitude of caring, wonder and understanding of the natural world, or those that promote an awareness of environmental issues.' (The Wilderness Society website)

This year's Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Tricia Oktober. A full list of shortlisted works is available on the Society's website (follow the links from the About section).

Male Writers Take the Age Book of the Year by Storm
Three men have been successful in this year's Age Book of the Year Award. Luke Davies took the overall award in addition to the poetry prize for Totem : Totem Poem Plus 40 Love Poems. The fiction award went to Andrew McGahan for White Earth and the non-fiction prize to Peter Robb for A Death in Brazil : A Book of Omissions.

The publication of A Death in Brazil, a mix of history, politics, travel and memoir, has led to plagiarism accusations being levelled at Robb. Two Brazilian journalists contend that Robb has copied sections from their books. Mario Sergio Conti, author of Noticias do Planalto, first made the charge in June. His concern was followed by a further claim in August from Lucas Figueiredo, author of Morcegos Negros. The books of both writers deal with the allegedly corrupt presidency of Fernando Collor, as does Robb's work.

Although not using footnotes in A Death in Brazil, Robb does include a comprehensive section on 'Sources and Readings'. Robb has been contacted for comment on the accusations by the Brazilian newspaper Folha de Sao Paulo and the Sydney Morning Herald has reported the story in Australia. Speaking to the Herald, Robb said 'It is normal practice for historians and journalists to draw on previous published sources for their own work, and correct practice to acknowledge and cite them. I do both. Facts are public property.' (Sydney Morning Herald, 3 July 2004) Robb and his publisher, Michael Duffy reject the plagiarism claims.

Luke Davies won a total of $20,000 for his two awards. The inspiration for Totem came to Davies in 1999 during a residency at the Australia Centre in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Speaking to Jason Steger (Age, 21 August 2004), Davies said 'In a two-day period I had written the first line of 'Totem Poem' and understood immediately that it would be a very big juicy grand love poem, a kind of hymn to life. The very next day I had written the first of that sort of song cycle, the little kind of metaphysical love poems and there were lines echoing between the two things ... It was a fantastic moment because it's never really happened to me before like that – the creation of a body of work and you know very clearly what it will be. And you spend the next four years trying to get there.'

Davies has also recently won the Philip Hodgins Memorial Medal for Poetry.

Inheritance Shines in Helpmann Awards
Hannie Rayson's Inheritance has won Best New Australian Work in the 2004 Helpmann Awards. The 2003 Melbourne Theatre Company production of the drama also took out the Best Play and Best Direction awards.

Also nominated for Best New Australian Work and Best Play was Stephen Sewell's Myth, Propaganda and Disaster in Nazi Germany and Contemporary America : A Drama in 30 Scenes.

The Helpmann Awards, named in honour of Sir Robert Helpmann and inaugurated in 2001, recognise 'distinguished artistic achievement and excellence in the many disciplines of Australia's vibrant live performing arts sectors, including musical theatre, contemporary music, opera, classical music, dance and physical theatre.' Full details of all winners and nominees are available on the Awards website.

Allen & Unwin Voted Publisher of the Year
Allen & Unwin has been selected as the 2004 Publisher of the Year. The award was announced in Canberra in August at the annual conference of the Australian Booksellers Association. Allen & Unwin became an independent company in 1990 following the purchase of its UK-based parent company by HarperCollins. The Australian company has since won Publisher of the Year on six occasions, including successive wins over the last four years.

Allen & Unwin's recent publications include Penny Sumner's Tree of Angels, Kerry Greenwood's Queen of the Flowers, Steven Herrick's By the River and two of the Age Book of the Year winners, White Earth by Andrew McGahan and Totem by Luke Davies. Allen & Unwin are also the Australian distributors for J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter books.

Longlist for Booker Announced
The longlist of 22 works for the 2004 Booker Prize includes three books with Australian connections:

• The Great Fire by Shirley Hazzard
• Sixty Lights by Gail Jones

and

• Snowleg by Nicholas Shakespeare

(Over the last five years, Shakespeare has spent six months of each year in Tasmania.)

While Jones' book has only just been published, Hazzard's novel has been available for almost 12 months. The Great Fire has already won the Miles Franklin Literary Award in Australia and the National Book Award (Fiction) in the USA.

The shortlist for the Booker will be announced on 21 September and the winner declared on 19 October at a ceremony at the Royal Horticultural Halls in London. The latest information on the Prize can be found on the Man Booker website.

Readers and Writers Crossing Over
Feature writers have recently drawn attention to the 'crossing over' phenomenon whereby readers are delving into books marketed for age groups other than their own, and writers are stepping across genre boundaries. Sue Williams (Weekend Australian, 3-4 July 2004) notes that many young readers are following a favoured author and crossing over from children's to adult fantasy. For instance, fans of Gillian Rubinstein's Beyond the Labyrinth and Foxspell are now moving onto her Tales of the Otori trilogy. Jodie Minus, also writing in the Australian newspaper (21-22 August 2004), reports the comments of the Children's Book Council Award judges in relation to the absence of taboo subjects in the Older Readers category. Minus observes that this 'highlighted the trend towards crossover books, which appeal to both teenagers and adults.'

Further exploring this phenomenon was Suzanne Eggins, Senior Lecturer in the School of English at the University of New South Wales. In a recent article for the Australian independent monthly magazine, Good Reading (August 2004) Eggins cites the marketing success of Mark Haddon's Whitbread Award winner, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and the runaway sales for J. K. Rowlings' Harry Potter series and asks, 'Are we seeing a welcome erosion of artificial boundaries between writing for children and adults?

'According to publishers, writers and academics, the crossover phenomenon has been triggered by a complex web of factors including clever marketing, adult nostalgia, writers' creative needs to experiment, their desire for social recognition, and the emergence of new social groups in Australian culture.' To further develop the theme of writers' recognition, Eggins talked with Phillip Gwynne, Sonya Hartnett and Catherine Jinks. Gwynne expresses a desire to 'play with the big boys' and see his books 'at the front of the bookshop'. Hartnett, whose novel Of a Boy is about a nine-year-old but is marketed to an adult audience due to its moral complexity and adult themes, observes that she is now given greater respect and increased publicity in the media and at writers' festivals. Jinks echoes these remarks and adds that she receives better advances from her publisher for adult titles than for her children's books.

Ultimately however, Eggins queries whether 'boundary crossings' are really a new phenomenon. 'Academics have long suggested that children's books characteristically imply two readerships: the child who is the "official reader" and the adult, an equally genuine addressee.' So perhaps, she concludes, '"crossing over" is what our best writers have always made possible: novels that can be read by many different readers, who take what is appropriate given their age and maturity. What matters is not whether children's literature is taking over, but whether we enable our children to acquire a lifelong pleasure in reading good books ...'

Getting into Election Mood
With an Australian Federal election due on 9 October, readers may like to get into the mood by dipping into some political fiction. In recent years Australian novels with a political bent have tended to fall into two groups – those with a humorous or satirical strand and those on the crime/thriller trail. In the former group are:

• Whaddya Mean You're Allergic to Rubber by Rachel Berger
• Perverse Acts by Camilla Nelson

and

• Left, Right and Centre : A Tale of Greed, Sex and Power by Tim Ferguson

Books with a crime/thriller perspective include:

• The Haha Man by Sandy McCutcheon
• Last Drinks by Andrew McGahan

and

• Lightning Mine by Philip McLaren

Combining both the humour and crime elements is Shane Maloney's Murray Whelan Series. The five novels in the series, published over the last ten years, provide a quirky insight into the world of Labor Party politics in Victoria. Maloney's anti-hero, Murray Whelan, mixes the life of a political staffer with single parenthood and encounters corruption, ethnic conflicts, murder and romance along the way.

Two of the novels, Stiff and The Brush-Off, have been adapted for television under the guiding hand of comedian John Clarke. The Seven Network broadcast Stiff in June and The Brush-Off airs in September. Both telemovies star David Wenham in the lead role.

Children's Publisher Looks Back
Walter McVitty, educator, publisher and passionate promoter of children's literature has written a personal account of his own life and the life of Walter McVitty Books. McVitty began his professional career as a school teacher and school librarian before moving into academia at Melbourne Teachers College. In 1985 he founded his own publishing company which he ran until its sale to Lothian in 1997. McVitty's reflections in A Life in Children's Books comprise two parts. The first focuses on the personal and the second on the business of running Walter McVitty Books.

According to Margaret Robson Kett (Australian Book Review, August 2004), McVitty's book is an expansion of explanatory notes he wrote to accompany his substantial donation to the Lu Rees Archives. In 1992 McVitty donated 3,000 children's titles to the Archives. This gift was followed in 2000 with the complete publishing records of Walter McVitty Books and then, in 2001, McVitty's personal research files and photograph collection. (A finding aid to the McVitty collections is available on the Lu Rees website.)

New Scholarly Edition of Cambridge's A Marked Man
The latest volume in the Colonial Texts Series, Ada Cambridge's A Marked Man : Some Episodes in His Life, was launched by Professor Elizabeth Webby at the 2004 conference of the Association for the Study of Australian Literature.

This scholarly edition of Cambridge's novel is based on the serialised version first published in the Age from July 1888 to January 1889. The new edition, using the serialisation title A Black Sheep : Some Episodes in His Life : The Serial Version of A Marked Man, was launched 126 years to the day after the first instalment appeared in the Melbourne newspaper.

Websites Promote Australian Children's Writers
An increasing number of Australian children's writers are promoting themselves and their books via websites tailored to appeal to children, parents and teachers. The websites generally incorporate children's activities and teachers' notes in addition to author profiles, bibliographies, book reviews, sample chapters, guest books for comments and details of the writer's availability for speaking engagements. Being geared towards children, the sites use plenty of colour, animation, photographs and illustrations.

Sample some of the websites by clicking on the author names below:

• Mem Fox
• Jackie French
• Andy Griffiths
• Libby Gleeson
• Libby Hathorn
• Steven Herrick

and

• Paul Jennings

ABR Reviewing Competition
Australian Book Review (ABR) is calling for previously unpublished reviews of fiction, non-fiction and children's literature. Reviews should be '800 words and of an Australian book (by an Australian or with Australian themes) published in 2003 or 2004.' Judges for the award are Peter Rose, Dianne Schallmeiner and Aviva Tuffield. The winners will be announced in the December 2004/January 2005 issue of ABR.

Further details and an entry form are available on the ABR website. Entries close on 30 September.

Human Rights Medal and Awards
The Human Rights and Equal Opportunities Commission (HREOC) requests nominations for the annual Human Rights Medal and Human Rights Awards. The Medal recognises 'the exceptional achievements of an individual promoting human rights in Australia' and the Awards are presented to an individual or organisation who has made a significant contribution 'in the areas of Law, Community, Arts (Non-Fiction), Television, Radio and Print Media'.

The Human Rights Medal and Awards website contains further information and entry forms. Entries close on 8 October and the winners will be announced in Sydney on International Human Rights Day, 10 December.

Previous winners of a HREOC Award include Archie Weller for Land of the Golden Clouds and Marilyn Lake for Faith : Faith Bandler, Gentle Activist. Bandler won the Human Rights Medal herself in 1997.

Thea Astley – from Brisbane to Byron Bay
Thea Astley, one of Australia's most celebrated, respected and highly awarded writers has died in northern New South Wales from a heart attack. Described by publisher Ray Coffey as 'the mother of Australian literature', Astley was revered for her meticulous and controlled use of language and her portrayals of the Queensland landscape and character; she was renowned for her quick wit, raspy voice and ever-present cigarettes.

Born and educated in Brisbane, Astley studied Arts at the University of Queensland during World War II and went on to teach at three levels of education. She worked in primary and secondary schools in Queensland and New South Wales and from 1968 to 1980 she taught at Macquarie University. Recounting Astley's time at the University, doctoral candidate Pauline Leonard writes that Astley 'became a figurehead for aspiring young writers' through her teaching of fiction and 'engaged actively in more informal writing programs with her students', including being the patron of The Macquarie University Literary Society. (Northern District Times, 25 August 2004)

Following her 'retirement' Astley and her husband, accountant Jack Gregson, moved from Sydney to Kuranda in north Queensland and then to Nowra on the New South Wales south coast. After Gregson's death in 2003, Astley relocated to Byron Bay to be near her son, Ed Gregson.

Publishing her first novel, Girl with a Monkey in 1958, Astley wrote a further twelve novels, ending with Drylands : A Book for the World's Last Reader in 1999. She also published several collections of short stories. Astley was rewarded with the Miles Franklin Literary Award on four occasions (a record number of wins to date) and collected numerous other prizes including the Australian Literature Society Gold Medal. She was personally honoured with a Doctor of Letters from the University of Queensland (1988), the Patrick White Award (1989) and the New South Wales Premier's Special Award (2002), the latter marking her 'lifetime's achievement in literature'. Astley received two Order of Australia accolades – she was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 1980 and became an Officer in 1992.

Just a few weeks before her death, Astley appeared on stage at the Byron Bay Writers' Festival reading a selection from her story, 'Why I Wrote a Short Story Called "Diesel Epiphany"'. Sharing the stage was first-time novelist, Wayne Ashton. Ashton writes that 'Astley packed 'em in, young and old, three generations, and read to gales of laughter. They loved her to bits. The audience was bursting into that out-of-control gut laugh, the highest grade there is ...' (Bulletin, 31 August 2004)

It was during the Festival that Astley sought out the town's mayor over a matter of great civic importance. Her son Ed Gregson tells the story: 'Her last great literary campaign was to have a seat re-installed outside the Byron Library so that she could smoke there and wait for the library to open. She was always early. Not long after she died, I returned the library books she had taken to hospital. A new seat was being put into position. It was an ironic moment that Thea would have savoured.' (Sydney Morning Herald, 19 August 2004)

Sudden Death of Blacktown Author
Shane Weaver, one of the featured writers in this year's Books Alive promotion, has died in Hong Kong as the result of liver cancer. Weaver had been working as the Creative Director of the international advertising company, Ogilvy and Mather and it was while holding this position (and winning advertising awards) that he wrote his autobiographical work, Blacktown. Surviving a violent and uncertain childhood in Sydney's western suburbs, Weaver won a scholarship to university although he did not complete his degree. Instead he become Australian light middleweight boxing champion, but struggled with drug and alcohol abuse. Weaver also worked as a kitchenhand and a psychiatric nurse before moving into copywriting and establishing a successful career in advertising.

Mary Poppins: 70th Anniversary
2004 marks 70 years since the publication of P. L. Travers's first Mary Poppins novel (and 40 years since Disney's film adaptation). Travers's series began in 1934 with the eponymously titled Mary Poppins and was followed by a further five novels. The last two books were not published until the 1980s with Mary Poppins In Cherry Tree Lane appearing in 1982 and Mary Poppins and the House Next Door reaching the public in 1988. Travers's novels have been translated into over 20 languages ranging from Japanese and Chinese to Finnish and Icelandic.

Although Mary Poppins and the House Next Door was Travers's last published work of fiction, she continued to write on themes of myth, symbol and spirituality. At the time of her death, she was still regularly publishing articles in Parabola, a quarterly journal on myth and tradition.

In mid-September Cameron Macintosh's original stage production of Mary Poppins will premiere at Bristol's Hippodrome prior to opening at the Prince Edward Theatre, London on 15 December.

New AustLit Records
During July and August 2004, the Content Development Team added:

• 4,802 new works
• 1,084 new agents (individuals and organisations)

In addition to these new records, over 6,000 existing work and agent records have been upgraded and enhanced.

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