THE READING HOUR - SATURDAY 15TH ON 3MFM RADIO

Each August for the last couple of years we have had the pleasure of hosting a program in conjunction with our local community radio station 3mFM for the National Reading Hour.  


In 2012, Australian libraries, library associations and booksellers came together behind the National Year of Reading.  There were more than 4,000 events, $5.6 million in in-kind support, $26 million-worth of media coverage, much of it highlighting the fact that nearly half the population struggles without the literacy skills to meet the most basic demands of everyday life and work. They identified at the time there were 46% of Australians who can't read newspapers; follow a recipe; make sense of timetables, or understand the instructions on a medicine bottle.  Following on from the success of the National Year of Reading campaign, the 15 founder partners decided to carry forward the Love2read brand into 2013 and 2014, making the most of the momentum that had been created during the National Year of Reading.  And now in 2015 the project is still new and still effective.

Our program goes to air on Saturday 15th at 5.00pm, various libraries around the country will hold their reading hour on Tuesday 18th between 6pm and 7pm and booksellers will conduct events throughout this coming week.

Tune your dial on Saturday to 88.1, 89.1, 89.5 or online at http://www.3mfm.com.au/ for the program streamed live, as we talk about the importance of books to children with learning difficulties. 

Here's a link to a great video highlighting the importance of reading.  Hope you enjoy it as much as we did.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5F5Kdc1UVA


 

AUSTRALIAN WOMEN WRITERS - 2012

To help celebrate International Women's Day 2012 on March 8th, join the Australian Women Writers Challenge. Go to the AWWC website here and join up to read and review some of the worlds best writers.

We have established a separate category for Australian women writers on our ebook website, go here and click on the Australian Women Writers tab . There are writers who have won the Man Booker prize, the Miles Franklin Award, Australian Romance Readers Assoc. Award, the Aurealis Award, the Ditmar Award, Ned Kelly Award, Christina Stead Award, The Age Book of the Year, West Australian Premiers Award, the Barbara Jefferies Award, the Indie Award and many more. The are authors who have been short and longlisted for all of the above awards. It is quite an impressive list.

You could determine your next book club list for 12months or more just from the list of women writers. Wouldn't that be an interesting year of reading.

NATIONAL YEAR OF READING - 2012 AUSTRALIA'S BOOK CHOICE

Between November 2011 and January 2012, more than 16,200 readers voted online to choose eight titles, one for each state and territory, which would provide the basis for Australia's biggest book group for 2012. The winners were announced on February 14th at the National Library of Australia in Canberra. The books are:

Well Done Those Men by Barry Heard for Victoria

Jasper Jones By Graig Silvey for Western Australia

Wanting by Richard Flanagan for Tasmania

Time's Long Ruin by Stephen Orr for South Australia

TheWhite Earth by Andrew McGahan for Queensland

Listening to Country by Ros Moriarty for the Northern Territory

The Idea of Home by John Hughes for New South Wales

Smoke & Mirrors by Kel Robertson for the Australian Capital Territory

What a great list of books for any book club's list for 2012. If you decide to add these titles to your club's list please send us a review on all or any of them for our website.

NATIONAL YEAR OF READING - 2012

Nearly half the Australian population struggles through their life without the literacy skills to meet the most basic demands of everyday life and work. There are 46% of Australians who can't read newspapers; follow a recipe; make sense of timetables, or understand the instructions on a medicine bottle.

This National Year of Reading is about children learning to read and keen readers finding new sources of inspiration. It's about supporting reading initiatives while respecting the oral tradition of storytelling. It's about helping people discover and rediscover the magic of books. And most of all, it's about Australians becoming a nation of readers.

The National Year of Reading is supported by some familiar names. William McInnes is the Patron and the list of Ambasadors covers authors, booksellers, politicians, sports women and men, professors, radio and television identities. The children's authors include Felice Arena, Graeme Base, Alison Lester, Andy Griffiths, Jackie French and Shaun Tan. To read more about the National Year of Reading visit the official website here. We are pleased to be involved in this Australia wide movement.