EVENTS
Forthcoming events - 2021
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Books at the Brewery
A series of literary events held in partnership with the Shedshaker Brewing Company.
Join us for a beer, wine or cider (or two) and pizza while listening to some of Australia's finest writers for both adults and children.
BOOKS@THE BREWERY - Meet Chloe Wilson
Dark and dangerous, brilliantly unsettling and chillingly funny, this extraordinary debut shows us what we usually deny – the uneasy truce we make with our ruthless desires and gothic fears, and how easily it can be broken. Prize-winning author Chloe Wilson’s stories will pin you to the page.
I LOVED these short stories so I really hope you can join us for an evening with one of Australia's most interesting debut authors as she discusses her collection of short stories: Hold Your Fire.
Date: 20 April 2021
Time: 5 30pm – 8pm
Cost: $5
Venue: The Taproom
Bookings can be made HERE


May 2021
BOOKS@THE BREWERY - Meet Kate Holden
On a country road in Croppa Creek, farmer Ian Turnbull faced environmental officer Glen Turner. What happened next shocked Australia.
An epic true story of greed, power and a desire for legacy from an acclaimed Australian storyteller.
July 2014, a lonely road at twilight outside Croppa Creek, New South Wales: 80-year-old farmer Ian Turnbull takes out a .22 and shoots environmental officer Glen Turner in the back.
On one side, a farmer hoping to secure his family’s wealth on the richest agricultural soil in the country. On the other, his obsession: the government man trying to apply environmental laws.
The brutal killing of Glen Turner splits open the story of our place on this land. Is our time on this soil a tale of tragedy or triumph – are we reaping what we’ve sown? Do we owe protection to the land, or does it owe us a living? And what happens when, in pursuit of a legacy, a man creates terrible consequences?
Kate Holden brings her discerning eye to a gripping tale of law, land and inheritance. It is the story of Australia.
About Kate:
Kate Holden is the author of two acclaimed memoirs, In My Skin and The Romantic, and a regular contributor to The Saturday Paper, The Monthly and The Age.

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When: Wednesday May 5
Time: 6 – 8 00pm
Venue: The Taproom, 9 Walker Street, Castlemaine
Cost: $5 ...bookings are essential.
Bookings HERE https://www.trybooking.com/BPYGX
BOOKS@THE BREWERY - Meet Katherine Firkin
When: Wednesday May 12
Time: 6 – 8 00pm
Venue: The Taproom, 9 Walker Street, Castlemaine
Cost: $5 ...bookings are essential.
Bookings HERE https://www.trybooking.com/BPYGZ


A chilling police thriller set in a small coastal town on the Mornington Peninsula, where the discovery of human bones on an isolated beach has reawakened a twenty-year-old cold case…
'Australian crime fiction has just found an exciting new voice.' Marie Claire
On the evening of September 22, 1998, three teenage girls venture out for a night of mischief in the coastal town of Blairgowrie. But only two return . . .
For over twenty years the disappearance of fifteen-year-old Cecilia May remains a baffling cold case - until human bones are discovered on an isolated beach.
Now it’s up to Detective Emmett Corban and his team to dig up decades of trauma, and find the missing piece of an investigation that’s as complex as it is tragic.
Does the answer lie with the only suspect, a registered sex offender who confessed, then immediately provided a rock-solid alibi? Or with the two teen survivors – neither of whom can keep their story straight?
But the police aren’t the only ones hunting for the truth: someone else has arrived in the seaside town. And she’s prepared to do whatever it takes to find her own version of justice…
'A strong debut that marks Firkin out as a writer to watch out for.' Canberra Weekly on Sticks and Stones
'A gritty police procedural . . . hopefully this is the start of a great new series.' New Idea on Sticks and Stones
'This twisted and thrilling novel is a must-read for any fan of true crime.' Stellar Magazine on Sticks and Stones
About Katherine:
Katherine Firkin is a Melbourne journalist, currently with CBS New York.
She has over a decade of experience and has worked across every medium – print, online, television and radio.
Katherine began her career at the Herald Sun newspaper (News Corp), where she specialised in sports reporting (winning an AFL Media award in 2008), before moving to breaking news, including crime and court reporting. During this time, she covered some of Victoria’s most notorious criminal affairs, including the death and funeral of underworld figure Carl Williams.
She has also worked for Seven West Media (7 News, 7 Sport), 3AW Radio, the Nine Network's Today show, and Network Ten, and has been a regular international correspondent for multiple global outlets.
Katherine has been writing fiction from a young age, and she studied literature and journalism at university. Her debut novel is inspired by the many criminal trials she has covered.
Teacher Librarian Event
When: Wednesday May 18
Time: 6 – 8 00pm
Venue: The Taproom, 9 Walker Street, Castlemaine
Cost: $20 ...bookings are essential.
Bookings HERE https://www.trybooking.com/BPUUN

A LITERACY FEAST
Engaging Reluctant Readers, Extending Enthusiastic Readers and Immersing Indigenous Literature into your Literacy programme
Join us as Sarah Mayor Cox offers valuable advice for keeping all readers reading, guest presenter Maryann Ballantyne talks to us about her role as a publisher of Indigenous literature for children with Magabala Books and publisher at Wild Dog Books John Paton from Epsom Primary School will share their strategy for having a more representative library of literacy resources for their classrooms and I’ll introduce some brand new books to you.
Delegates will receive a showbag of goodies, a certificate of participation and a whole lot of great ideas to take back to the classroom and library.
BOOKS@THE BREWERY – Meet Jenny Valentish
Join us for the launch of Jenny Valentish’s
Everything Harder than Everyone Else: Why Some of Us Push Our Bodies to Extremes.
In the follow up to her addiction memoir Woman of Substances, Valentish meets porn stars, bare-knuckle boxers, performance artists and BDSM lifers, revealing what their endeavours in endurance can teach us about the human condition.
Jenny will be in conversation with Guardian journo, Brigid Delaney and we're thrilled to have them both back to The Taproom
Date: 8 June 2021
Time: 6 – 8pm
Cost: $5
Venue: The Taproom
Bookings can be made HERE https://www.trybooking.com/BQJQU




Penny Ryan photography
