Clunes
14–15 May
Readers and writers love a good book festival, and if you've been heading to gorgeous Clunes for the last few years, you might not want more people to know about this gem.
The workshops and talks are always worth the trip, but what excites every visitor is the streets filled with book shops and stalls. Yep, streets full of new, pre-read and hard-to-find books – without a Kindle in sight.
Director, writer and Clunes local Tess Brady says, "Our town is building a future on books – books as valued objects, that people want to pick up and keep on their bookshelves, pass on to their family and friends and dip back into. Despite the seeming doom and gloom in the industry we do see that quality printed books will continue long into the future."
For all the current hoo ha about online shops killing physical bookshops and electronic books destroying the printed ones; we know that we still love experience of holding and reading a book – and that isn't going to change. (This is a great blog about it all.)
The workshops are already nearly sold out, but there are plenty of free talks, workshops for children (including a look at the lovely Mannie and the Long Brave Day by Martine Murray and Sally Rippin), food stalls, cafes for afternoon tea and you will go home with more of those things we put bookshelves, read on the tram and pile up next to our beds.
