Yearly Archives: 2012

Woman Playing the Cello - Róbert Berény — Finally, silence. The sultriness with which the day began had not diminished and by the time I alighted from the train, the sky had become a threatening blue-grey. Dollops of summer rain flopped onto my boots as I trudged homeward. I opened the gate, and the rain wept down a […]

Finally, silence

November 11, 2012 in Bach / Cello / Lucy Straughan / Music by francis

Janette Beard’s fascinatingly detailed 1983 Sydney University thesis Newtown 1892-1922: A Social Sketch became a valuable roadmap for researching life in 1920s Newtown, where Lucy lives. It was quite a fashionable place to live, and King Street became the first important shopping strip outside the city. Newtown retail advertising in […]

Newtown 1892-1922: A Social Sketch

November 10, 2012 in Newtown / Sydney by francis

‘Mathematically, the Fibonacci sequence would be represented as Fn = Fn-1 + Fn-2. ’Tis a numerical sequence whereby the ratio of two consecutive numbers converges on the golden ratio. You can see fibonacci patterns in nature, in the arrangement of petals in flowers or branches on trees. The sum of—’ ‘Very good […]

Disorder

November 9, 2012 in Lucy Straughan by francis

One of Lucy’s passions is mathematics, and this little book published in 1917 means a lot to her. Watch out, though – some of these puzzles are really tricky! Check it out at Project Gutenberg: Amusements in Mathematics.

Amusements in Mathematics, by Henry Ernest Dudeney

November 8, 2012 in Lucy Straughan by francis

After reading Chapter 1 of A Distant Prospect, perhaps you’d like to hear the cello piece which Lucy played, as the rain thundered down outside after her eventful first day. Here’s Pablo Casals recorded in London in 1936 (with surface noise standing in for the rain): J.S. Bach Prelude from […]

J.S. Bach Prelude from Cello Suite No.2 in D minor, ...

November 7, 2012 in Bach / Cello / Lucy Straughan / Music by francis

In A Distant Prospect, several characters travel out to Mascot airfield to watch Bert Hinkler arrive after his record-breaking flight. Here you can listen to Australian aviator Bert Hinkler recounting the incidents of his solo flight from England to Australia in February 1928. Recorded at Homebush, Sydney, Australia, in March […]

Bert Hinkler – Incidents of my England to Sydney Flight ...

November 7, 2012 in Aviators / Bert Hinkler tagged Bert Hinkler by francis

Thank you all for the pre-orders! So far we have recovered 10% of the expensive first printing costs through early sales. This also means we are on track to sell out the first printing by Christmas (and break even, so we can finance the second printing!). Bookstore owners are also […]

Thank you for your pre-orders!

November 7, 2012 in Book production by francis

We are getting so much very excited feedback from many people keen to know more about Annette’s first novel! To whet your appetite even further, here’s a Sample of Chapter 1 (PDF 326 KB). The whole book runs to nearly 500 pages in 58 chapters, and you will certainly need […]

Try a sample chapter!

November 5, 2012 in Book production by francis

Pre-orders of A Distant Prospect are now being accepted in our store. All paid orders will be shipped promptly when the first printing arrives back from Griffin Press.

Preorders now available

November 3, 2012 in Book production by francis

Well, the cover and text of A Distant Prospect have gone to Griffin Press and we await a proof copy some time after Melbourne Cup day. We are starting with a modest first printing of 200 copies, which will sell out by January and give us an idea of the demand […]

A Distant Prospect – ISBN 9780987435101