We didn't make it to the Harlot's Ball but more of that later.
The Shuttle did however attend the launch of Mandy Sayer's latest work of fiction : Love In The Year Of Lunacy. It was held at an appropriate venue, the re-vamped Swans Club in Kings Cross in their bar, a haven of leather arm chairs and zebra print cushions.Mandy Sayer was brought up around the Cross and Darlinghurst-her dad was a jazz musician. She's married to writer Louis Nowra and together they make one of Australia's most formidable writing teams.
Nowra is the author of some of our most respected plays The Marvellous Boy and The Emperor of Sydney and he's either won a host of awards or been nominated for them including the Miles Franklin. He's also written quite a few screenplays including the Hollywood epic K19 The Widow Maker and 2 of the top Australian films Cosi and Map of The Human Heart.
The Shuttle has only read one of Mandy's books-Velocity published in 2005-but it was hard to put down once started. Velocity was her second no-holds barred memoir and detailed life with her mother and her mum's abusive relationships and attempted suicides tinged with some wonderful and tender moments.
Love In The Year Of Lunacy is set in and around Kings Cross and Woolloomooloo during the 1940s and is described as: "a moving, tender and compelling story of forbidden love set amid the devastation of war". After snapping up a copy at the launch we're looking forward to a jolly good read.
And the Harlots ?.
Our latest Hollywood discovery Jackie Weaver who is a pal of Sayer was to launch the book but got a sudden call to Los Angeles to sign for her first leading role starring opposite Rhys Ifans.
Into the breach stepped Australian folklore historian and musician Warren Fahey who can liven up any setting. As Mandy's book is set in the '40s Fahey sang us a ditty which he swore is from the era. It's full of dirty words but good fun. Listen below:
Love In The Year Of Lunacy is published by Allen & Unwin and is in book stores now.
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| writers Louis Nowra & Mandy Sawyer |
Nowra is the author of some of our most respected plays The Marvellous Boy and The Emperor of Sydney and he's either won a host of awards or been nominated for them including the Miles Franklin. He's also written quite a few screenplays including the Hollywood epic K19 The Widow Maker and 2 of the top Australian films Cosi and Map of The Human Heart.
The Shuttle has only read one of Mandy's books-Velocity published in 2005-but it was hard to put down once started. Velocity was her second no-holds barred memoir and detailed life with her mother and her mum's abusive relationships and attempted suicides tinged with some wonderful and tender moments.
Love In The Year Of Lunacy is set in and around Kings Cross and Woolloomooloo during the 1940s and is described as: "a moving, tender and compelling story of forbidden love set amid the devastation of war". After snapping up a copy at the launch we're looking forward to a jolly good read.
And the Harlots ?.
Our latest Hollywood discovery Jackie Weaver who is a pal of Sayer was to launch the book but got a sudden call to Los Angeles to sign for her first leading role starring opposite Rhys Ifans.Into the breach stepped Australian folklore historian and musician Warren Fahey who can liven up any setting. As Mandy's book is set in the '40s Fahey sang us a ditty which he swore is from the era. It's full of dirty words but good fun. Listen below:
Love In The Year Of Lunacy is published by Allen & Unwin and is in book stores now.
