Merry Christmas

Hello book lovers,

Well, we did "shoot" another "film" at the Sleepers Xmas drinks but it was late and dark and people had had one too many cranberry juice so it was a little hard to make out. Various people talked about their favourite book of the year, and we realised we haven't discussed Junot Diaz yet. Plenty of time for that in the new year, of course. In the meantime, have a lovely and relaxing Xmas break and here's to a big and exciting new decade: what will the book become?

Let us know any recommendations you have for holiday reading in the meantime, too – there's still time for some last-minute shopping.

Love, and lots of it. xxx

The Centre of All Things

Hello! Would you like to join us on a virtual tour of Melbourne's brand spanking new Wheeler Centre for Books Writing and Ideas? Excellent, cause that's what's in store this episode. Apologies in advance for the shoddy camera work, but it adds real authenticity, we think. Especially if you happen to be mildly soused when you get a tour of the centre in real life one day. And one more thing, at the beginning of this episode Zoe absentmindedly says that the public launch for the centre is next week. This is completely not true. It's next year, which is what she meant to say. What a difference a word makes, eh.

Episode 14 - Steven Amsterdam's Fowl Language

Steven Amsterdam is the author of the 2009 Age Book of the Year, Things We Didn't See Coming. But what else does he do with his time? Maybe he has other things on his mind other than the next award winning book. Here, we delve deep, and find out what's going down in the coop.

Episode 13 - Generation Doug

When Douglas Coupland burst onto the scene with Generation X in 1991, he wasn't necessarily counting on defining a generation. But we can count on this: we're X-ers, and we love Coupland. Here we make small talk of his latest novel Generation A.

Episode Twelve - On a Boat

As promised, this week's episode comes to you from a boat, sans Lou, avec special guest Nick. Due to the location of the shoot, we're talking about stories of survival and adventure. They're so good to read - but what does it take to write one? We barely touched the surface really, suffice to say that you're taking your life in your hands every time you call Telstra...

Episode 11 - So good, it's criminal

This episode we talk about a bit of crime writing, with specific mention, and hats off to, Peter Temple and his latest book Truth. Also, we finally crack the code on what it takes to write a winning crime novel. You might think it all comes down to things like character, style and, like having a crime of some kind. Well if that's what you think, um, yep, that's what we think too.

Episode Ten - New Ozzie Fiction

We've been reading a lot of new Australian fiction this week, and ahead of our Big Special Sleepers Salon this Thursday Oct 15th, we're talking about Patrick Cullen, Emily Maguire (both of whom will be appearing at our Melbourne Salon) and Karen Hitchcock. Karen and Patrick are Sleepers Almanacs regulars (sort of, irregularly) so we're wrapped that their books are doing so well. Also, what books do you wish you'd never read just so you could read them for the first time? Do you know what I mean? That whole "we'll always have Paris" feeling you get when a book blows your socks off?