The Tasmanian Book Fair was held on Sunday August 24 from 10am to 4pm in Hobart as part of the Tasmanian Living Writers' Week.

Shannon Challis, special projects officer of arts@work, which coordinated the event, said it was ‘fantastic'. While the free entry means audience numbers are only approximate, Challis said there were definitely well over 1000 visitors throughout the day.

Held in the IXL Atrium on the historic waterfront, the fair featured over 50 publishers and authors from Tasmania and interstate. Panel sessions also took place throughout the day in the Henry Jones Art Hotel beside the Atrium. These included talks with Peter Temple, Kathryn Fox, Julia Leigh, Toni Jordan and Peter Thompson. Challis said these were a ‘great success' and included the announcement of the Gwen Harwood Poetry Prize, which went to Angela Malone (NSW), with three Highly Commended prizes going to Mike Ladd (SA), Kristen Lang (Tas) and Joan Kerr (Vic).

Challis also informed WBN of a Book Fair success story. Self-published author Tanya Hussey thought that the Tasmanian Book Fair and its deadline of August 24 would provide great motivation to write the cook book she had been planning for years. On Sunday Hussey launched her book Kitchen Kisses Bare Baking and Challis said ‘it was greatly received (as were the delights she had baked for the day). Hussey sold over 50 copies on the day and would have to be the highest selling exhibitor considering she only had a single title! I even brought one myself!

http://www.booksellerandpublisher.com.au/articles/2008/08/09300/ 

This article from Thorpe Bowker's Weekly Book Newsletter and Media Extrais reproduced by kind permission of Thorpe-Bowker, a division of R R Bowker LLC. © Copyright 2008, Thorpe-Bowker

Tags: tasmanian living writers week