Leisa Morton: Reflecting on Albany’s book loving community and connecting with authors all over the world

Makuru/winter has settled in Kinjarling/Albany and with it the misty, crisp mornings and evenings that pair so well with a bracing walk or a steaming cup of tea. This season invites us all to slow down and enjoy the small things in life that bring us joy — reading bedtime stories to tiny tots, coffee with a friend, putting that last jigsaw piece into place in the puzzle you started in January . . . Time often seems to race by. Days slip past and become months, and before you know it what seemed to be a distant future has rapidly become part of your past. Reflecting on this after our latest book club session, I wanted to pause and celebrate how fantastic the first half of 2024 has been. It is a joy to meet and get to know members of our fantastic community of readers, and each month we have been so fortunate to have heard from immensely talented authors from across the country (and internationally) who love reading as much as we do. Rachael Johns kicked off our reading year in person with a joyous love letter to reading and its communities, as well as a lively nod to Bridget Jones in her latest, The Other Bridget. Adrian Hyland had us uncovering wrongdoing with Jessie Redpath and bringing a host of villains to their knees in The Wiregrass. Amy Brown’s genre-bending My Brilliant Sister was a blend of autofiction and historical fiction in which we spent some time with Linda Franklin, sister to Stella Miles Franklin (of the many Australian literary awards — yes that one!). Anne Buist and Graeme Simsion met us halfway through their Great Australian Bookshop Tour, traversing the country with The Glass House, which breaks down barriers and invites discussion around mental health. Bobby Palmer Zoomed in to us from the UK and we dove into Small Hours, a beautiful novel about family and nature. As a devotee of Bobby’s bookish podcasts with Pandora Sykes, this one was a particular joy. We’ve just finished speaking with Sharlene Allsopp as I write this, and her debut novel is a triumph. The Great Undoing is an incredible example of the richness and value of multi-voiced narratives and conversations. Books, words, stories — voices. We talked about how we are informed not only by our lived experiences but through the stories that we read and the voices we surround ourselves with. The joy of this medium, and community, is how wide it makes our world. Whether from the comfort of a cosy armchair or among our fellow bookworms, sharing a wine at Six Degrees, these words bring us together, all while challenging us to ask questions, be curious, and have empathy. To me, that is just absolute magic. We love seeing new faces at the meetings, so if you are interested in attending our last Wednesday of the month sessions, email events@paperbarks.com.au to register for free and join in the fun. In July, we will be chatting with Miles Franklin Winner Shankari Chandran. Leisa Morton is manager of Paperbark Merchants, Albany.