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The final leg of the book tour . . . In Perth I caught up with Aunty Margaret and cousin Susanne who came to my literary lunch on Remembrance Day. With the 90th Anniversary of the Armistice and now the resurgence of interest in the Battle of the Somme and the huge losses at Fromelle I thought of my grandfather who was a stretcher bearer at that battle. I used some of his stories in my book The Valley.
In Perth it was nice to have dinner with my friend Marilyn at her beautiful home in Cottesloe filled with extraordinary art - Aboriginal and European. I also lunched with my artist pal Murray Gill who is one of the great talented characters of the West.
However Adelaide got my vote for the best food and wine. I stayed at the Hilton where TV chef Simon Bryant (other half of The Cook and The Chef with Maggie Beer)is responsible for the terrific food in The Brasserie. Everything on the breakfast menu was organic and local from the bacon to the figs and muesli. The hotel is next door to the fantastic central markets but everywhere in Adelaide people prize their local produce. There's a big store at the airport and I came home with some amazing concoctions to add to Xmas stockings.
I did some work too, including an evening radio show with delightful Peter Goers, which was live from the State Library with a large audience. He played a nostalgic recording of my mentor Chips Rafferty reciting The Man From Snowy River. I also had an in-depth conversation on a serious literary radio show where the nice interviewer referred to my books as "romances" as they have a love story in them. I pointed out that Bryce Courtenay and Tim Winton also have love themes but you wouldn't call them romance writers would you? Silence as he was lost for words before conceding my point.
Anxious to unwind now before Editor Liz starts cracking the stockwhip to start the next one! She's very excited as local boy Adam Gilchrist is signing his book in Lismore Dymocks next Friday.
Cheers
Di’s latest book The Islands, published by Pan Macmillan, is now on sale.
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