Local Library Love

I really love libraries. I love the State Library of Victoria; it’s my happy place. I also love my local library, Belgrave Library. They host my writing group, Mountain Ash Chapter, every month, and look after us so well. I love the other libraries in my local area, the Eastern Regional Libraries. I often visit Realm, Croydon, Ferntree Gully, and recently, Lilydale. Miller’s Homestead is also a branch of the ERL, but is more a cultural hub than a book lending service, and is presided over by the very lovely Michelle Kemp, my dear friend and fellow book lover.

In the last four months I have been attending author talks and workshops, at both local and far-flung community libraries. The value of these talks and workshops is immeasurable, and particularly helpful for a writer starting out. The wealth of knowledge and information, so graciously shared, is phenomenal.

The local author talks I have enjoyed in person include Kerryn Mayne, Kylie Ladd, Jodi Gibson and Philip Kaye. All these women were so happy to share their stories, their processes, and their experiences as writers. I follow Jodi on social media, and was thrilled when she invited me to lunch before the event. We had never met in real life. Several writers whom I had met previously were there, Mary Howley, and Fiona Taylor. I also met Phillipa Kaye, Jodi’s co-host for the afternoon, and Kate Solly, and Simone Wake. I finally met Kylie Orr, who knows everyone I know, but strangely had never crossed paths with, despite living very close to one another. The generosity of all these women and the value of the knowledge shared is an incredible and much appreciated resource.

Last month, my writing group Mountain Ash Chapter hosted ‘Words Aloud’ at Miller’s Homestead. An evening of spoken word and poetry sharing, which was fun, and an excellent opportunity to read our work aloud, in front of an appreciative bunch of library loving writers and readers. We have also been very fortunate to have authors Lian Tanner and Lia Hills come to speak to us, during our monthly sessions. These informal interviews, with lots of time for craft, publishing, process, and anything-else-related questions, are gold. An opportunity to ask relevant queries in an intimate setting.

Two weeks ago, I travelled a little further afield for a two and a half hour workshop, ‘Truth in Fiction,’ with Alli Parker. It was held in the very beautiful, and newly renovated, Sandringham Library. Alli’s book, At The Foot Of The Cherry Tree, has been one of my favourite reads this year, and having the opportunity to sit in a session, learning how she structured her novel from the ground up, was brilliant.

The following day I sat in an online Zoom meeting, through Glen Eira Library, In Conversation with Pip Williams. Pip’s second book, The Bookbinder of Jericho, was the topic of discussion. This book was another favourite read this year. Pip’s insight into the historical fiction writing process was almost a how-to map. I wrote so many notes.

Last week I attended another hands-on workshop, this time at Lilydale Library, ‘Write Your Life’ with Spiri Tsitziras. Spiri has written several memoirs, and a couple of children’s books. She also teaches professional writing at Swinburne University. I was amazed at the amount of content Spiri was able to share in the one hour session. I took five pages of notes, and then followed up with an email.

Although writing is something generally done alone, I have been astounded at how many people I have connected with through social media, writing classes, and these treasured sessions at the library. The writing community I have found is supportive, fun, and understanding. It really makes a difference to hear other people are struggling with similar or different problems. It’s also great to be inspired by other people’s successes. I feel humbled and grateful for these connections.

I learned so much from all of these sessions, and think we are incredibly fortunate to be able to access this calibre of teaching for free, at the library. It makes it accessible to everyone. Given that libraries are the only places you can now sit for an extended period of time without spending money, I am absolutely grateful for all the other services, experiences, and opportunities they so generously offer.

Check out your local library’s events pages. Here’s mine: https://events.yourlibrary.com.au

Some of the photos are from paid events, as I forgot to take photos of the workshops, as I was overwhelmed, and fan-girling.