What About Those Books, Then?










People keep asking me this. (Hey, it's nice that they're impatient.) 

Examining the hard copy printer's proofs resulted in some changes and improvements. It has taken time to get everything right. The two poetry books are done; I am still waiting on the final printing of the memoir, which is under way.

Meanwhile, the date of the 'Voice' referendum here in Australia has been announced as October 14th – when I was thinking of doing a Zoom launch for interested parties who don't live close enough to me to attend in person. 

I've decide it would be insane to have a launch on the same date as such a major national event. Instead I'm going to start with the in-person local launch on November 12th (my 84th birthday). So there is not quite such a big hurry to get the physical volumes into all our hot little hands.

Will I have a Zoom launch at all? I'm not sure at this point, but if I do it will be some time before Christmas. Maybe advance orders will be enough. Or perhaps I'll get the live launch videoed so it's available forever.

I'm starting to plan things like where to send review copies, who to invite to the launch (partly influenced by how many the space can hold) and who I'll ask to read poems on that occasion on behalf of interstate poets who can't attend. (While two of the books are all poetry, even the memoir contains some poems, not all mine.)

My wonderful local friend, brilliant poet Sarah Temporal, has kindly agreed to do the official launching, i.e. the speechifying to open the proceedings. Another dear friend offered, unasked, to help with refreshments.

I sometimes feel that I'm in a sort of limbo, but really everything is moving forward, just somewhat invisibly for now.