Vale Glen Tomasetti

Glen Tomasetti (born in 1929) – author, poet and folksinger – died on June 25. Tomasetti’s 1976 novel, Thoroughly Decent People, was the first book published by McPhee Gribble (the second was Helen Garner’s Monkey Grip). Her novel Man of Letters was adapted for the ABC by Alma de Groen. Tomasetti continued to write poetry into her last months. Her uncompleted biography of Hepzibah Menuhin was almost twenty years in the making.

… and Clem Christesen

C.B. (‘Clem’) Christesen – founding Editor of Meanjin – died on June 28, aged ninety-two. Christesen established the journal in Brisbane at the end of 1940, and relocated it to Melbourne in 1945. Ever since, it has been based at the University of Melbourne. Bimonthly at first, it has been quarterly since 1943.

… and Oriel Gray

Oriel Gray, a pioneer and stalwart of Australian theatre, died on June 30, aged eighty-three. In 1955 Gray’s The Torrents was voted the best play by the Playwrights’ Advisory Board, sharing this award with Ray Lawler’s Summer of the Seventeenth Doll. Gray also wrote for radio and television, and published a memoir, Exit Left: Memoirs of a Scarlet Woman (1985), and a novel, The Animal Shop (1990).

A Second Salt-lick

The second issue (‘Winter 2003’) of this bright new poetry quarterly looks every bit as impressive as the first, with poems by Thomas Shapcott, Anthony Lawrence, Jill Jones and Judith Beveridge (one of our two featured poets this month), among many others. Now all Salt-lick needs to do is to clear that notorious third-issue hurdle. Help it over by subscribing: 104 Rennie Street, East Coburg, or email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

 Good Works

Australian author–illustrator Bob Graham has won this year’s Kate Greenaway Medal for his illustrations in the picture book Jethro Bryde, Fairy Child. This is the UK’s leading award for illustrators. Laudably, Graham has donated his prize money (£5000) to groups assisting asylum seekers and refugees in Australia and the UK.

Off to Shep

Readers in northern Victoria and southern New South Wales will be interested in the 2003 Country Festival of Writing, which will be held at the Goulbourn-Ovens Institute of TAFE, Shepparton, from September 5 to 7. Presenters will include Morag Fraser, Michael McGirr and Aileen Kelly. Contact Pat or Bev Crudden on (03) 5821 8217 or write to PO Box 2155, Shepparton 3632.

National Australian Maritime Museum

Oceans of Stories: Illustrations from Australian Children’s Books is a new exhibition assembled by the National Australian Maritime Museum and the Children’s Book Council. The theme, Oceans of Stories, will apply to Children’s Book Week in August this year. The exhibition, featuring more than 100 works by nineteen leading Australian children’s book illustrators, runs until November 2.

My Life As a Celebrity Author

Andreas Gaile reviews Peter Carey’s new novel on page 10. The author will discuss My Life As a Fake at the Seymour Centre on August 18, at 7 pm On August 25, at the same time, but this time at its bookshop, Gleebooks will also feature Annie Proulx, back in Australia to take part in the Melbourne Writers’ Festival.

This issue has been produced at a time of some difficulty. I am indebted to Anne-Marie Thomas (working on her first issue as Assistant Editor) and Dianne Schallmeiner for all their support in recent weeks. Ed.