Meanwhile festival-going has become a dim memory of heat and one more mineral water. The Perrier theme has travelled from Sydney Writers’ Week to Adelaide’s Writers’ Week and the bubbles, seemed to this particular viewer, to have been left out of both occasions. Apart from a moving piece from Bob Ellis on the demise of the sixties in Sydney’s Town Hall and a little critical spark from Susan McKernan in the Tent, both events suffered from a surfeit of bonhomie. Of course muffled rumblings were heard as Robert McCrum told us Australian publishing was inexpert and Jill Hickson fondled publicly her excitement at playing off international publishers in book auctions. But the atmosphere remained as they say so ‘laidback’ the audience seemed almost horizontal at times. Perhaps Warana will prove livelier?

Next to the couch this month are:

1. Jessica Anderson An Ordinary Lunacy

2. Roger Milliss Serpent’s Tooth

NBC/Banjo Awards

The 1988 National Book Council/Banjo Awards for Australian Literature are almost upon us. The shortlist announced on 21 March proved yet again to the reading public the enormous variety and richness of Australian writing. The judges were Geoffrey Dutton, Barbara Jefferis, Barry Oakley and Louise Adler.The shortlist they arrived at after much discussion and lunching was:

Manning Clark A History of Australia — Vol. 6
Jessica Anderson Stories from the Warm Zone
Sally Morgan My Place
John Sligo Final Things
Morris Lurie Whole Life
Brian Matthews Louisa

There are to be two awards announced. The Gold Banjo, of $10,000, is for a book which has made an outstanding contribution to Australian Literature and the Silver Banjo, $7,500, is for a book of the highest literary merit in another category. This shortlist can be seen as a set of histories both personal and general. Manning Clark reads our collective past for our present while Brian Matthews writes the biography of Louisa Lawson through the personal biographer’s voice. Sally Morgan makes the notion of black identity and origins specific in her own autobiography. Morris Lurie rewrites the burial of his parents with love and honour. Jessica Anderson and John Sligo both trace the topography of memory and the desire to place oneself. These books all share this obsession with place and self and the final judges’ meeting should prove lively.

In a phone poll our leading readers and cultural commentators placed their bets for the Gold and Silver Banjo Awards:

Andrew Sant 1. My Place 2. A History of Australia
Race Mathews 1. A History of Australia 2. Louisa
Veronica Brady 1. My Place 2. Louisa
Don Anderson 1. Louisa 2. A History of Australia

The winners will be announced on 11 April in Melbourne.