Yes, that's right - in under two weeks we've managed to sell nearly 150 books (not counting contributors' copies, National Libary copies, and a few other sundries). Only one shop stocks it (as far as we know) - Parson's Bookshop in Wellesley Street - but I suspect that their copies have already been sold on to libraries and special collections by now.
So I'm sorry if any of you particularly wanted a copy and were just waiting for payday. That is the way the cookie crumbles, though. I mean, how often do you get a line-up of authors like that, with a hand-screenprinted, individually coloured dustjacket, all for the bargain price of $25?
Never, that's when.
You can find further details about the launch on the Pania website here.
We're very happy - and very grateful to everyone who's helped with the project: our contributors (of course), my parents for volunteering their garden for the launch, Bronwyn's parents for selling so many copies, and all the rest of our intrepid sales-team (Greg, Sheryl and Fiona, I mean you ...)
This is Culture-Power at its best, I think.
[Michele Leggott launching Orange Roughy]
[Bronwyn reading out a message from Therese]
[Bronwyn & me outside the bach]
[A few of the "Orange Roughians"(l-r):Emma Smith, Greg Lloyd, Anna Tozer, Mike & Margot Lloyd ...]
[Michael Steven in festive mood - Raewyn Alexander & June Ross behind him ...][photographs 1, 3 & 4 by June Ross / 2 & 5 by Greg Lloyd]
There is something wrong or (other words) in the State of Denmark if poetry sells too well!
ReplyDeleteOh, I dunno. Maybe it was the stories which made it go -- personally, I think it was the Old Friends factor ...
ReplyDeleteAh! The stories -I love short stories!!
ReplyDeleteI would have bought a book by mail as I see there are some good writers there...
I just read Sebald's
"Rings of Saturn " and I have read two books by Edmond, his book about Philip Clairmont, and one that is a kind of factual thing (vaguely like Sebald's altho I 'discovered' the latter by chance after I had read Edmond; and they are different I can see that...) ...I would like to get his essays I did read one... and there is certain J Ross who is always interesting... despite or because he is no longer the wild man of yore.. (I also like Murray's work esp his plays)...
I gather dimly that poor old Alistair is ill? That is sad if he is...
I'm obscenely healthy for a 60 year old (touches wood and head); I just noticed Michael is in there also and Leggott and B Hall and I believe Wilkins is pretty evil (don't know the others but they are all probably also very "wicked" as they say......hmmm...I missed out it appears...I was dragged into a weekend chess tournament much against my will (!!) I mean to feed my addiction ... I mean ..whooops! Absurd but fascinating and very difficult game...
Just reading about Barthes and enjoying his "Emopiereof Signs" -like the way he writes regardless...(the Ant states that Postmodernism is finished - Que? Si? No?) - very interesting writer (Barthes) ... the point that writing needs to be 'written' by the reader and so on - so significant and challenging poetry (or writing and
or texts) almost necessarily if it is 'working' so to speak - what ever that is - may always be "unpopular" - that that said, without Loneyising the whole thing too much -
but we all like to sell or get read our 'work' (not that anything I do / have done can be so called!) ... in my case my pathetic scrawllings ... but we sneak the corse into the course of the writing so to speak.. ...
...and here there is a "Blog author"...