My usual weekly art blog post was on hold for the past two weeks as my life was taken over by Clunes Booktown Festival. It was held last weekend, and this blog post is all about it.
What is it and why am I there? For those new to this blog.
For two days, the historic main street of this beautiful township will transform, once again, into a spectacular book bazaar. Over fifty specialist book traders will offer an extraordinary range – new and second-hand, antiquarian and contemporary, rare and popular – covering every imaginable topic and theme. Clunes Booktown celebrates every aspect of the book – not just writing and reading but making, publishing, retailing, and sharing. Along with the wares on display, you’ll find conversations with writers and storytellers
You Can’t Draw in Books – I draw in old books that are about to be discarded. I draw on one page illustrating an object being described on the page. I draw in watercolour pencils.
This event was two years in the planning. I was successful in my application for a stall in 2020. But after two years of lockdown, this annual event did not take place again until this year, May 2022.
I had many books drawn in but quickly realised that I would need more for a two-day event where the town is filled with book people – I had a captive market. I was drawing in books up until the day before.
I took over 80 ‘drawn in’ books and loose pages with me and my book-themed greeting cards. In these suitcases were also my display stands and tablecloths and signs and assorted other things. Most importantly I had a good friend, Louise who has been planning and assisting since Day One of planning. We carried four large suitcases up and back by train. It is two hours from Melbourne.
Having my stall in the old bluestone church was the perfect place for me. I could not have been happier. You can see the grin on my face in every photo ! My stall neighbours were the State Library of Victoria, with a display from their Egyptology collection, Victorian Book Binders Guild and two booksellers. It was just a short walk from the town main street, where all the stalls were, and close to the Town Hall and other buildings with author talks. I hope that I am giving you a feeling of being there. I was in my happy place and wnt to share it with everyone.
We had lovely conversations with interesting people all day. There were locals, volunteers, other booktraders, day visitors from Melbourne, and further afield. A steady stream of people came through the doors all day. They were of all ages as well as families with young children (there is a children’s activity section in the town). Sometimes we were their first stop on the way in from the showground/carpark. Others were popping by in between author talks and others with bags full, were on their way home. After an initial torrential downpour all Friday night we were blessed with crisp autumnal weather all weekend.
Helen purchased my Poodle drawn in a book and then sent me a photo of it on display in her home. Here is her poodle Rosie giving her look of approval.
Strangely enough, I did not purchase any books. I did not leave the stall often, and I had decided that it was not the focus of my weekend. Every time Louise went into town for a coffee or food, she took a long time to come back and there was always bags in her arms and stories to tell of people she met. But I did pick up two free books (one to read and one to draw in) at a little library at 7am on a bookshelf at the railway station platform – (you get the idea of what sort of town it is)
Now that I am home, I am putting on my ETSY site everything that I did not sell. So if you were at Clunes and considered a book, just watch this space or contact me. I have about 40 to add to ETSY over the next few weeks as I take photographs and add to ETSY My ETSY site has an Australian postage price. Please contact me about overseas postage as this needs to be calculated and due to some parcel changes has gone up so much.
I have added these today.
The weekend could not have been better. It was a joy from start to finish. It is run by a very small number of people and many volunteers. It had a great vibe from the moment we arrived on the Friday to set up, right through to our final farewells. I will put in an application for next year as soon as the organisers have recovered from this one. The only thing I would change would be to bring an extra layer or two !
I went to Clunes BookTown for the first couple of years after it started and loved it. I managed to buy some real treasures for my collections and it was just lovely to be in amongst so many booklovers.
But the third year when it was still just one day was just too crowded for me. It was like being on the escalator in Myers at Christmastime. I think that spreading it out over two days is a really good idea, and I’ll probably be tempted back again next year.