See Patricia Wolf, author of Opal, in conversation with James Dunbar, author of Mole Creek.

Tickets available here.

“The thing about friendships formed in childhood … is that they’re like an invisible tattoo. They mark you and mould you. They’re under your skin.”

When a last collection of songs by British musical icon, James Bennett, is discovered in an old Somerset house, rumours about his mysterious death during a wild midsummer party more than fifty years ago begin to swirl again. An accident? Suicide? Or murder?

The only person still alive who knows what happened is frail but indomitable Ruth Henderson. She now lives in a Sydney apartment, but back in 1972 she was staying in Somerset with her closest friend, Adela McMahon, who was married to James.

From very different backgrounds, Ruth and Adela became inseparable while growing up in an isolated New South Wales rural town. And they longed to escape. Adela fled first, to the bright lights and hectic whirl of swinging London, where she soon met James. But all was not as gilded as it seemed. Ruth was a witness to her beloved friend’s tempestuous and troubling relationship – and she was by Adela’s side the night James died.

Journalists are clamouring to hear Ruth’s story. Of them all, Ruth chooses young and ambitious Kate Griffin, who will do anything to boost her career. But as the past and the present begin to collide, an unexpected friendship grows between the two women and deciding what really matters proves life changing for them both.

A new local voice in the oh-so popular romance genre, Anna Maynard will be in conversation with Hannah Moloney (Good Life Permaculture, ABC’s Gardening Australia).

Can the path to true love ever flow as smoothly as honey?

Sunny Moritz needs a change. She’s thirty-three, single, weary of?tedious romances with the wrong kind of men?and, according to her disappointed parents, drifting about like a tumbleweed. Her former high school crush, orthopaedic surgeon Adam Harrison,?might be meeting all her physical demands (and requiring a subtotal of zero emotional headspace), but what about the rest of her life?

When Sunny decides to start beekeeping, the man with the information she needs is an?odd, enigmatic and indecently sexy Antarctic scientist. Surely, though, she’s way?too pragmatic to be affected by his magnetism … But as her hunger for meaning starts to bloom, Sunny begins to think that maybe it’s not too late to reconnect with her parents, maybe it’s time to start dancing again and maybe even?she?could have a lasting relationship.

Dancing with Bees is easy to read, but hard to put down. In the tradition of Emily Henry and Marian Keyes, this delightful novel bubbles with charm, warmth and humour, but also speaks of the important things in life – like love.

Anna Maynard’s experience as a writer had largely been restricted to referral letters and discharge summaries through her years of medical training. So after finishing her specialist exams she decided to turn her hand to romance. When she’s not dreaming up fictional heroines and swoony love interests, Anna can be found working in the emergency department, pottering in her garden or playing songs with her pop band. Anna lives in Tasmania with her husband and children.

Join Anna and Hannah at the Afterword Cafe. Tickets include a glass of wine or soft drink. Tickets cost $12 and are available here.

Studies show that music education helps improve cognitive function and literacy. Increasingly crowded curriculums and finite resources have seen schools cut back on music programs, resulting in thousands of children leaving primary with no formal music education. Many schools that try to retain some music in their curriculum often deliver it by a generalist teacher who has received 17 hours of music education in their four-year degree, compared with 350 hours for a generalist teacher in South Korea. How do we ensure policymakers and educators see the bigger picture of the value and importance of music education to every child’s development?

Panel: Max Holzner, Josh Piterman, Katherine Wiles, Gillian Wills

Host: Suzanne Leal

Ticket cost $22. Book here.

Katherine Wiles is not a household name, and that’s how she likes it, by choice. She has built a career by being part of the chorus of Opera Australia since 2007. And she writes about it in her memoir No Autographs, Please! balancing charming self-deprecation with professional style and confidence and in respectful homage to her chorus colleagues.

Ticket cost $22. Book here.

Two deeply personal journeys that explore episodic mental health breakdowns, the path to recovery, and achieving a new equilibrium.

Psychologist Ariane Beeston (Because I’m Not Myself, You See) provides an intimate look at her struggles with post-partum depression and hallucinations.

Craig Semple (Getting Back Up Again) shares his experience after dealing with post-traumatic stress and severe depression following 25 years as a detective.

Together, their memoirs illuminate what is needed to confront unexpected and unforeseen challenges and the courage to rebuild a fulfilling life.

Host: Tracey Kirkland

Ticket cost $22. Book here.

We discuss Australian historical stories from 18th century England to World War II with three authors.

Free by Meg Keneally blends storytelling with social critique in the story of Molly Thistle, who is
transported to the new penal colony after stealing a horse and defies convention to create a commercial empire.

All the Golden Light by Siobhan O’Brien sees the struggle that takes place at home after World War I, where everyone is affected: returned soldiers by post- traumatic stress and women wanting independence and purpose.

To Sing of War by Catherine McKinnon weaves together an Australian nurse and soldier in New Guinea, scientists in Los Alamos, and a mother in Japan, connected in a moment of history in a tale of friendship, love, and war.

Host: Victoria Haskins

Ticket cost $22. Book here.

Step into the evocative landscapes of Australian crime fiction with two rising stars of the genre. Hayley Scrivenor (Girl Falling) and Patricia Wolf (Opal) bring their richly atmospheric settings to life, where the land itself becomes a character shaping the stories of secrets, resilience, and survival. From the tightly woven community dynamics of a small town in Scrivenor’s first book, Dirt Town , to the vast, untamed outback of Wolf’s DS Lucas Walker series, this session explores how the sunburned country amplifies tension, deepens mysteries, and provides a canvas for gripping storytelling.

Host: Tim Ayliffe

Ticket cost $22. Book here.

Join TV and radio host James O’Loghlin in conversation with Suzanne Leal about James’s latest book, Liars, a murder mystery set in a sleepy coastal town where all is not as it seems. Both are former criminal lawyers turned writers, so expect a lively conversation about practising in crime and writing – and where the two may intersect.

Tickets are limited, so book early.

Amanda Goff (Misfit), a journalist, has written two previous memoirs, but this is the first as herself, Amanda. She was diagnosed with bipolar at age 48 after having spent the previous ten years as a high- profile escort.

Sarah Martin (Dear Psychosis) writes of her daughter suffering a psychotic episode while travelling in Turkey, a subsequent diagnosis of bipolar, and the confronting impact on her family.

Jacqui Louise Swallow (The Bipolar Runner) navigated school and university despite a troubled teenage and, as a young mum, realised that keeping active helped her manage bipolar better than anything and set herself a goal of running the Melbourne Marathon.

Host: Suzanne Leal

Ticket cost $22. Book here.

Heidi Coupland’s husband, Peter, a grief counsellor, was diagnosed with leukaemia.

Anthony Sobb’s wife, Kim, a solicitor with the DPP and a non-smoker, was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer.

Michelle Lesh’s husband, Mark Raphael Baker, Associate Professor of Holocaust and Genocide Studies, wrote his memoir while dealing with pancreatic cancer.

Their respective memoirs, A Single Lifeline, My Business Is Now North and A Season of Death, share the story of diagnosis, treatment, fight for survival, their relationships, looking after children, acceptance, and the most personal of experiences for which there is no textbook—the grieving process.

With host Michaela Kalowski.

Ticket cost $22. Book here.

Heather Morris hails from a somewhat familiar New Zealand upbringing in a small rural community, part of a large family surrounded by several generations, excelling in sports, doing okay at school, and devouring information and stories. Heather indulged in her passion for writing with a scriptwriting course while raising a family and working as a social worker at a medical centre in Melbourne. Then, in 2003, she was introduced to Lale Sokolov, and the rest is history! It is a meeting that resulted in a screenplay and, secondly, in a book on Lale’s story known as The Tattooist of Auschwitz (2018). She has since published three more Holocaust novels, and her latest book, Sisters Under the Rising Sun (2023), is set in a Japanese POW camp in Indonesia in World War II.

Heather is in conversation with Michael Brissenden.

Ticket cost $22. Book here.

See Patricia Wolf, author of Opal, in conversation with James Dunbar, author of Mole Creek.

Tickets available here.

A small mining community. A murderer at large. And a flood that has trapped them all.

DS Lucas Walker is off duty. His young half-sister Grace is visiting from Boston, and he’s supposed to be spending time with her at his home in Caloodie in outback Queensland. But instead they’ve driven 400 kilometres west to the tiny mining town of Kanpara to pick up Walker’s cousin Blair, who’s been digging for boulder opals and is suddenly very keen to get out. It’s not like Blair to quit so easily.

On their arrival, the atmosphere is already tense with rumours of a life-changing opal discovery. The following day, they awake to find that Kanpara has been completely cut off by a flood and the roads will be closed for days. Then Blair receives a shocking phone call. 

A man and a woman have been found brutally murdered. 

The murdered woman’s husband is an immediate suspect, but Walker isn’t convinced. Could the killings be connected to the rumoured opal find? When the police take Blair in for questioning, the stakes couldn’t be higher for Walker. Can he unravel the mystery quickly enough to save his cousin and keep Grace safe? 

The thrilling third instalment in the bestselling DS Lucas Walker series, Opal is full of breathtaking twists and dark turns.

In partnership with Sisters in Crime

Join us to hear Patricia Wolf in conversation to discuss her latest novel, Opal.

The thrilling third instalment in the bestselling DS Lucas Walker series, Opal is full of breathtaking twists and dark turns.

Free, but bookings are essential.

Please book here.

Patricia Wolf speaks to Claire Halliday about her new novel, Opal.

Opal is the thrilling third instalment in the bestselling DS Walker series, which began with the runaway success of books one and two, Outback and Paradise.

What trouble does DS Walker find himself in this time? Find out more in this special event (we promise there will be no spoilers!).

Recommended for adult audiences. Bookings are required for every attendee and can be made here.

About the book: A small mining community. A murderer at large. And a flood that has trapped them all.

DS Lucas Walker is off duty. His young half-sister Grace is visiting from Boston, and he’s supposed to be spending time with her at his home in Caloodie in outback Queensland. But instead they’ve driven 400 kilometres west to the tiny mining town of Kanpara to pick up Walker’s cousin Blair, who’s been digging for boulder opals and is suddenly very keen to get out. It’s not like Blair to quit so easily. Walker has the definite sense that something is off.

On their arrival, the atmosphere is already tense with rumours of a life-changing opal discovery. The following day, they awake to find that Kanpara has been completely cut off by a flood and the roads will be closed for days. As they take in their predicament, Blair receives a shocking phone call.

A man and a woman have been found brutally murdered.

The murdered woman’s husband is an immediate suspect, but Walker isn’t convinced. Could the killings be connected to the rumoured opal find? When the police take Blair in for questioning, the stakes couldn’t be higher for Walker. He must now work with his fellow officers to uncover the killer in the community’s midst before the waters recede and make escape possible. Can he unravel the mystery quickly enough to save his cousin and keep Grace safe?

The thrilling third instalment in the bestselling DS Lucas Walker series, Opal is full of breathtaking twists and dark turns.

Campbelltown Public Library are excited to host author Patricia Wolf while she is touring Australia to promote her latest release Opal, the thrilling third instalment in the bestselling DS Walker series following her best-selling books Outback and Paradise.  

Join us to listen to Patricia chat about Opal, her writing journey with time for questions about her series. Ticket price includes 1 x glass of wine and a cheese plate. 

Copies of Opal will be available on the night to purchase and have signed by Patricia. 

Tickets are $5 and bookings are essential.

Step into the thrilling world of Australian outback crime fiction with bestselling author Patricia Wolf. Hear more about her latest stories and get your own copy signed. Books available for purchase with thanks to QBD Elizabeth.

Her latest book 'Opal' is a gripping outback crime thriller, the third in her acclaimed DS Walker series, and plunges readers into the heart of a small mining town beset by a double murder, a relentless flood, and a killer lurking among its trapped residents.

Born in Queensland and currently living in Berlin, don’t miss this opportunity to meet one of Australia’s bestselling crime writers.

Starting at 1pm, please arrive from 12.30pm for seating. Reserve your spot for free here.

Join us for a for a wonderful evening with author Patricia Wolf as we learn about her latest novel, Opal.

Patricia Wolf grew up in the mining town of Mount Isa and despite her love of the outback's indigo sky and wide horizons, Patricia left Australia to travel the world and became a journalist, she now lives in Berlin, Germany.

DS Lucas Walker and his stories came to be in 2019 when Patricia spent two months in northwest Queensland surrounded by the beauty and rugged harshness of the outback. The first two novels have been a runaway success, with Outback becoming the 4th fastest-selling debut Aussie crime novel in 2023, Opal looks set to continue this trend.

We look forward to learning more about Patricia and hopefully she will provide a hint of what strife DS Walker has found himself in this third installment.

Cost: $15 per person
Ages: 16+
Doors Open: 5.45pm for 6pm start
Light supper will be provided, drinks available for purchase on the night.

Book your tickets here.

Step into the thrilling world of crime fiction as the City of Salisbury proudly launches the 2025 Salisbury Author Series with a captivating event featuring bestselling Australian author Patricia Wolf.

Join us on Friday 28 February 2025, from 2pm to 3pm at the Ingle Farm Library, where Patricia will present her latest book, Opal. This gripping outback crime thriller, the third in her acclaimed DS Walker series, plunges readers into the heart of a small mining town beset by a double murder, a relentless flood, and a killer lurking among its trapped residents.

Born in Queensland and currently living in Berlin, don’t miss this opportunity to meet one of Australia’s bestselling crime writers.

What to expect:

• An engaging discussion about Patricia’s writing journey and the inspiration behind Opal and the DS Walker series.

• An interactive Q&A session where you can ask your burning questions.

• A chance to meet Patricia in person, purchase her books, and have them signed.

• Complimentary light refreshments to enjoy.

This is a free event, but bookings are essential.

Don’t miss this opportunity to meet one of Australia’s leading crime writers and delve into the dark and thrilling world of Opal!

Join us for the thrilling third instalment in the bestselling DS Walker series. Opal is full of breathtaking
twists and dark turns.

Patricia Wolf grew up in Queensland, Australia, and now lives in Berlin. She likes whisky and strong coffee, busy cities, surf beaches and wild places. A journalist for almost twenty years, Patricia is a regular contributor to newspapers including The Guardian, The Financial Times and the Daily Telegraph.

Light refreshments provided.

Age: 16+
Price: FREE
Bookings: Book here - bookings essential as spaces are limited

Join University of Technology Sydney academic Dr Lisa Portolan for an enthralling examination of how dating apps have changed the face of modern romance.

From hookups to catch ups, and from love-bombing to ghosting, apps have come to dominate contemporary dating, and the majority of relationships in Australia now begin via digital devices. For most of human history, however, most people have met their intimate partners face to face, and these unprecedented changes have revolutionised the nature of love and intimacy.

Lisa Portolan, an academic at the University of Technology Sydney, is one of the first researchers to ever examine the effects of dating apps on contemporary romance and intimacy, and is better placed than anyone to analyse these issues.

Join us for what promises to be a deeply thought-provoking examination of what our ever-growing dependence upon technologically-facilitated romance means for us, followed by audience Q&A.

Book your free tickets here.

After nearly twenty-five years as a cop - riding high on the excitement, danger and stress of his work, feeling invincible - Craig Semple realised he could no longer outrun the symptoms of post- traumatic stress disorder. His first book, The Cop Who Fell to Earth, is his story of transformation and profound personal growth. His second book, Getting Back Up Again, shines a light on strategies for navigating, surviving and growing through life's challenges.

See Craig in conversation at Alstonville Library. Reserve your spot by calling (02) 6628 5527 or email alstonville@rtrl.nsw.go.au.

RSVPs essential: https://gleebooks.com.au/event/lisa-portolan-ten-ways-to-find-love/

Everyone is looking for love … but the search for love in the 21st century is fraught with obstacles (not least among them pandemics), uncertainties (does romantic love really exist, and if it does, are we worthy of it?) and contradictions (the popularity of dating apps versus our cynicism about them).

Although modern society and media have sold us the fairytale of that one big, romantic love, most people don’t think it can be discovered on dating apps. Sure, you can find a hook-up, but that person needs to be announced by some special, face-to-face, meet-cute experience.

Complicating the issue is our consumer culture’s fixation on the disposable and the new. When it comes to finding love, many of us become stuck in a cycle of looking for the next, even better relationship. Ironically, while we’re on this quest for romantic novelty, we may also be craving long-term partnerships, feeling like failures if we don’t achieve them.

How can we reconcile these conflicting desires?

A media commentator, podcaster and academic, with a PhD in dating apps and intimacy, Dr Lisa Portolan has conducted hundreds of interviews over many years on the question of what love looks like in the digital age. Drawing on her findings, she presents strategies to help you navigate the complexities of real-world relationships in order to achieve – and maintain – a successful, committed partnership. Case studies are woven throughout, representing all aspects of the seeking, finding and keeping of love.

And what is the most profound lesson to be drawn from this incisive, compassionate, often humorous handbook? Ultimately, the pursuit of love is not just about finding a soulmate – it’s about becoming a better version of ourselves in the process.

We live in a dangerous world. And the stories of war and terrorism that fill our screens are brought to us by brave journalists who put their lives on the line. They will always face peril, but now they can work in much greater safety, thanks to the determination and dedication of one remarkable man.

Tony Loughran's life has been all about risk – taking it, preventing it. He survived a tough childhood in working-class Liverpool, then joined the navy, where he excelled. Next came a career as an elite commando medic, a demanding role that required doctor-level training. He dealt with serious physical injury and a stint in Belfast left him with psychological scars.

His life changed when he took responsibility for safety and security at the BBC. Among much else, he provided the security for the notorious Martin Bashir interview with Princess Diana and protected Panorama journalists in Northern Ireland.Then came a new life in Australia and the establishment of his own security consultancy company, ZeroRisk International. The work is always challenging: investigating the deaths of well-known journalist John Schofield and cameraman Nazeh Darwazeh, escaping when he himself came extremely close to being captured in Kabul, advising media during the Lindt Café siege and getting people out of Afghanistan when the Taliban returned.

This page-turning, hard-to-put-down account of an extraordinary career is full of nail-biting excitement, engaging humour, compassion and brutal honesty. Once you read Zero Risk, the world will never seem quite the same again.

Copies of the books will be available for purchase and be signed by the author.

For more information on any Members events please email memberevents@sea.museum

The Lost Recipes is “a glorious endeavour” Nigella Lawson. 

Ross Dobson’s bookThe Lost Recipes, takes us through over 90 rediscovered and revived Australian classics – thrifty, no-waste recipes from a time that honoured seasonal, locally grown ingredients and truly understood the value of food as comfort. Nostalgic, yes, but completely relevant to today’s kitchens. 
 
Chef and bestselling cookbook author Ross Dobson has a hobby: scouring old journals, newspapers and books for Australia’s ‘forgotten’ recipes. While his research has revealed some shockers not worth repeating, he has come across many more worthy dishes that are missing from the repertoire of modern-day cooks. InThe Lost Recipeshe sets about righting this culinary injustice by presenting a selection of bygone gems, savoury and sweet, dating from the Victorian era through to the 1950s. 
 
‘There isn’t one recipe in this book that wasn’t, in essence, once a lovely idea. It has been a privilege and joy to bring them back to life – and in a workable condition.’ Ross Dobson 
 
Ross Dobson runs the popular Cafe Royce in Penrith. Ross has been having a great deal of fun and success working in the international publishing industry for 20 years. Ross’ first cookbook,Chinatown(Murdoch Books) was published in 2004. His most recent tome,Australia: The Cookbook(Phaidon) was published in 2021. In between, Ross has published some 20 cookbook titles. Ross has also been busy working as a magazine food editor forBBC Good Foodand operating several highly regarded eating establishments in Sydney’s western suburbs. 

Tea, coffee and light refreshments will be provided. 

QBD Books will be there. Purchase one of Ross's books to have it personally signed.    

Tickets available here.

Meg Keneally at Erina Library

Meet popular Australian author, Meg Keneally and hear about her latest release 'Free', when she returns to the Coast this November. Be inspired by Meg's passion for writing historical fiction and bringing history to life.

'From horse thief to the merchant queen of Sydney Cove – how did one woman rise so far?
It is a harsh land – yes, for you especially – but people can also rise here …’

Inspired by historical figures and actual events, 'Free' shines a light on the indomitable figure, Molly Thistle, who first made her appearance in 'The Wreck'. Meg conveys Molly's story with warmth and compassion for all those who struggled, survived and sometimes even prevailed – and for those who did not.

Book Face Erina will be attending for those wishing to purchase a copy of 'Free', and there will be time after the talk for photos and book signing.

Bookings are essential. Book online from this page, ask in any library branch or phone 4304 7650.

Thursday 28 November 2024 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM (UTC+10)

Get directions

Erina Library, The Hive, Erina Fair Shopping Centre, North-South Rd, Erina New South Wales 2250

Book here: https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1300015

Tickets available here.

Natalie Conyer is the author of Present Tense, which won the Ned Kelly Award for best debut crime novel of 2020, was shortlisted for the Davitt Awards and was nominated as one of 2020’s best reads by The Australian. Her short stories have won several awards and been featured in anthologies such as The Only One in the World and Dark Deeds Down Under Volume 2. They are also shortly to be published as a collection. Natalie Conyer’s most recent title, Shadow City is a tense, gritty and insightful look into crime and corruption in Sydney, South Africa and across the world. 

Daniel Tamone grew up in Sydney. He now lives on the NSW Central Coast with his wife Lisa and three children, Arielle, Levi and Benji. He played several seasons with the Parramatta Two Blues as part of the Shute Shield rugby competition before 'retiring' from the sport. Daniel works in financial services and has contributed to financial news providerLivewire Markets. 
 
The Fists of the Fatheris his debut novel. Set in the heart of Western Sydney, three generations of men in a family of champion boxers are trapped in a cycle of violence. Will one have the courage to walk away from his family’s volatile legacy? 

Bookshop Darlinghurst will be hosting Joshua Fox in-store this Saturday 9th November from 1pm for a book signing event! Come along and meet him and get a book signed and personalised.

And if you can't make it on Saturday, they can always arrange to get a book signed for you when you pre-pay and even post it out. Or you can arrange by ringing 02 9331 1103.

Join Meg Keneally and Tea Cooper as their discuss their respective titles Free and The Golden Thread. Inspired by real people and events, Meg and Tea weave fact and fiction together to bring their heroines vividly to life.

Meg Keneally has worked as a journalist, corporate affairs professional and SCUBA diving instructor. She is co-author with Tom Keneally of The Soldier’s Curse and three other books in the Monsarrat series. Her first solo novel was Fled, published by Echo Publishing in 2019, followed by The Wreck (2020).

Gold coin donation upon entry

Books available for sale and signing

Presented by History Illuminated

In all theatre, the spotlight follows the leads, making it easy for the audience to overlook the role of the singers, dancers and actors who bring a production to life. Katherine Wiles is used to being dismissed as ‘singing wallpaper’ by those who incorrectly assume she’s an opera chorister because she ‘didn’t quite make it’. But she and her proud and passionate chorus colleagues are exactly where they want to be.

Join Katherine as she offers a rare glimpse into a fascinating world that fans of opera – and the performing arts in general – know very little about.

Learn more and purchase tickets to Words at Pearls, a new one-day literary celebration here.