But before it really hits Melbourne, I have several interesting events to attend by the end of May, that involve literature and music.
I could include art in that, but I’m holding off on the Vincent Van Gogh exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria for a month or so, and plan to visit when the crowds have died down.
The Wheeler Centre is having a mini literature festival this May and two of the International writers who will be visiting Melbourne at the time are of interest to me, so I’ve booked tickets to see them at local venue, Northcote Town Hall.
 | The writers in question are American authors Colson Whitehead, author of the 2017 Pulitzer Prize winning novel The Underground Railroad, and George Saunders, renowned for his short stories, whose latest work is also his first novel, Lincoln in the Bardo. I have read The Underground Railroad on my Kindle and found it an absorbing impressive novel and quite harrowing, the subject matter dealing as it does with black slavery in the USA. |
 | As for George Saunders, I have copies of his first two collections of short stories, Civilwarland In Bad Decline and Pastoralia, both of which I enjoyed enormously, the quirkyness of his writing style and subject matter appealing to my taste for peculiar literature. I am currently reading Lincoln in the Bardo on my Kindle and it certainly is a strange novel, which I am not sure I’m enjoying all that much. |
So seeing both these authors soon, George Saunders on 21 May and Colson Whitehead on 24 May, will be interesting to say the least.
I have noted that Irish author Anne Enright is also part of the mini literary carnival, but have eschewed attending her event as I hated her Booker winning novel The Gathering and consequently felt no desire to read any of her other books.
It will be a busy week as far as events are concerned for the long awaited and highly anticipated concert of my all time favourite singer songwriter, Ryan Adams is on 26 May at Margaret Court Arena.
That will be the icing on the cultural cake as far as I’m concerned.
2 comments:
Why did you hate The gathering Anne? (I recollect liking it, but at the time wondering about it's win and it hasn't stuck with me with sort of supports my original impression. But, I didn't hate it.)
I haven't read The underground railroad but that would interest me. I hope you write up your impressions after the event.
(BTW, as I've responded with my WordPress account I won't know whether you've replied to me or not so please not think I'm rude it I don't respond again.)
I can't really remember why I hated The Gathering as it's years since I read it, but perhaps I found the characters unlikeable, and I do prefer to have one character in a book to cheer for. Perhaps "hate" is too strong a word, but the book didn't grab me at all, and I wondered at it winning the Booker.
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