Join Inga Simpson as she discusses her latest book Willowman with Holly Ferling
Entry is free to this event but bookings are essential. You do not need to book a ticket to watch the event online.
Following the discussion in the Theatre, Inga Simpson will be available for book signings in the Foyer.
About the book
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'Willowman may well be the perfect Australian novel' Readings
'Beguiling and entertaining' Peter Lalor, Weekend Australian
'A sweet strike that goes beyond the boundary' The Age
Reader Cricket Bats, one of the last traditional batmakers back in England, has a contemporary home in the Antipodes, with Allan Reader keeping the family business alive in a small workshop in Melbourne. When Todd Harrow, a gifted young batter, catches Allan's eye, a spark is lit and Allan decides to make a Reader bat for him, selecting the best piece of willow he's harvested in years to do so.
As Harrow charts a meteoric rise to the highest echelons of the sport, leaving his equally talented sister's dreams in his wake, Allan's magical bat takes centre stage as well, awakening something in him. But can Allan's fledgling renaissance - hanging as it does on the magic of that bat - carry on after Harrow is stricken by injury and a strained personal life?
About Inga Simpson
Inga Simpson is an Australian novelist and nature writer. She has PhDs in creative writing and English literature, with her most recent thesis exploring the history of Australian nature writing. Her short stories and essays have been published in Wonderground, Chicago Quarterly Review, Openbook, Review of Australian Fiction, Griffith Review, Clues, Writing Queensland and The Dictionary of Literary Biography. Inga was also the winner of the (final) Eric Rolls nature writing prize for her essay Triangulation.
Inga's latest book, Willowman, has been longlisted for the 2023 Indie Book Awards. The Last Woman in the World (Hachette, 2021) was shortlisted for the Margaret and Colin Roderick literary Award and the Indie Book Award for Fiction. Her first novel, Mr Wigg (Hachette, 2013), was shortlisted for the Indie Award for Debut Fiction. Nest (Hachette, 2014) was longlisted for the Miles Franklin, the Stella Prize, and shortlisted for the ALS Gold Medal. And Where the Trees Were (Hachette, 2016) was longlisted for the Miles Franklin, an ABIA Award for Fiction, The Green Carnation Prize, and shortlisted for the Indie Award for Fiction. Understory: a life with trees (Hachette, 2017), Inga's first book-length work of nature writing, was shortlisted for the Adelaide Writers Week prize for nonfiction. The Book of Australian Trees (Lothian, 2021) illustrated by Alicia Rogerson is Inga's first book for children.
Inga's first career was as a professional writer and researcher, including for federal Parliament and the Commonwealth Ombudsman.
She grew up in central west NSW, and has lived in Canberra, Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast hinterland. She has now settled on the far south coast of NSW.
About Holly Ferling
Becoming a cricket sensation at only 14 years old after securing a hat-trick in her first 3 balls of her men’s grade debut, Holly has forever strived to better herself on and off the cricket pitch. She debuted for the Australian Women’s Cricket Team at age 17, in all 3 formats - ODI, T20 and Test Cricket - all while completing her schooling in Kingaroy, in country Queensland. Holly now proudly represents the Melbourne Stars, Queensland Fire, Western Suburbs Districts CC. As a devastating right arm fast-med pace bowler, she flourishes under the pressure of big stage matches at all levels of competition.
Off the field, Holly has worked as a journalist for 3 years in a commercial radio newsroom for Macquarie Media, as well as reporting and commentating for Channel 7, FOX Sports and ABC Grandstand. Remarkably, Holly balances these commitments while continuing to study at university. She works alongside a number of household brand names as an ambassador, while continuing to promote the game, and women’s sport.
Type
Book event
