Double-page plate following Dedication; “Museum room, including crocodile on the ceiling”.By: Ferrante Imperato 1599. Courtesy of the Smithsonian.

We are delighted to announce the dates and theme for the 2021 Centre for the Book Symposium.  All details and a partial list of possible topics are in this PDF.

We are especially pleased to be able to have the Manager of the Australian Biodiversity Heritage Library, Nicole Kearney, joining us for the public lecture on Thursday evening, 18 November.  We will then reconvene in Archway 2 on Friday the 19th of November, for a plenary lecture by Dr. Rosi Crane and a variety of stimulating panels created from the abundance of abstracts we anticipate in response to this call for papers.

Proposals for talks are due no later than 1 September, emailed to books@otago.ac.nz.  We hope to have a programme ironed out within a fortnight of the deadline, and look forward to seeing lots of familiar faces and welcoming new ones.

Alas, the raffle had no takers.  Whether that was due to lack of visibility or the too-clever question (answer: William Cowper) is not clear, but the co-directors will now seek recipients more directly.  And we’ll hope to see lots of you at the Festival.

And everybody loves the Dunedin Writers and Readers Festival.

As a sponsor for Catherine Chidgey’s talk about her new novel, Remote Sympathy, the Centre has two vouchers redeemable for one ticket each to a session at the Festival.  In keeping with our democratic ethos, we have decided to raffle them off.  To enter, just send your answer to the question below to books@otago.ac.nz.  The names of all those submitting correct answers by 5 pm this Thursday, 15 April, will be entered into a draw and the winners announced on Friday.

Be in to win!

Who said, “Books are not seldom talismans and spells”?