The Great Unknown Southern Land

A native Scot, I’ve spent a few years working in and around the Edinburgh book trade in many different guises, including bookseller (buyer and events manager), marketing manager for a publishing professional body, short term contracts with book festivals and reviewer. In 2007, I went travelling round Australia, taking in the dramatic Red Centre, the striking East Coast and ending up in cosmopolitan, literary Melbourne where I volunteered as a venue manager for the Melbourne Writers’ Festival. I met other like-minded volunteers and staff; chaired events with Australian and international authors; saw plays, read books, drank flat whites and local vin... and knew I’d be back.


So I am now tying up some books in a polkadot knapsack and taking myself to the Great Unknown Southern Land. I’m arriving on the 12th October in pursuit of a little sun, a little wine and lots of literary activity.


I’ll be blogging about the differences between the Australian and UK book trades; the City of Literature status, and the ways Edinburgh and Melbourne use and build on it; and writing about books which capture my imagination.


So, hello! I hope to hear from many interested booklovers from any and all parts of the world and hope this blog will be a fun and useful resource for people once it gets going.