In a discussion facilitated by Tom Griffiths, Alex Miller will be talking about his latest book, A Brief Affair.
Described as 'hauntingly beautiful', A Brief Affair is a novel about storytelling, truths and love. From the bustling streets of China, to the ominous Cell 16 in an old asylum building, to the familiar sounds and sight of galahs flying over a Victorian farm, A Brief Affair is a tender love story.
Copies of the book can be purchased on the night from the National Library Bookshop and, following the discussion in the Theatre, Alex Miller will be available for book signings in the Foyer.
This event is free to attend but bookings are essential.
On the evening, for those who wish to meet for refreshments prior to the event, Bookplate cafe will remain open until the event starts at 6pm.
For those unable to make it to Canberra for the talk, it will be available to view online via the Library's Facebook page. You do not need to book a ticket to watch the event online.
Photographer credit: Julian Kingma
About the Book
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On the face of it, Dr Frances Egan is a woman who has it all - a loving family and a fine career - until a brief, perfect affair reveals to her an imaginative dimension to her life that is wholly her own.
Fran finds the courage and the inspiration to risk everything and change her direction at the age of 42. This newfound understanding of herself is fortified by the discovery of a long-forgotten diary from the asylum and the story it reveals.
Written with humour, sensitivity and the wisdom for which Miller's work is famous, this exquisitely compassionate novel explores the interior life and the dangerous navigation of love in all its forms.
About Alex Miller
Alex Miller was born in South London. As a boy he worked in the west country of England before travelling alone to Australia at age 16. He studied history and literature at Melbourne University. A Brief Affair is his fifteenth book. He is the award-winning author of 13 novels, one biography and one collection of essays and stories and has been published internationally and widely in translation. He is twice winner of Australia’s premier literary prize, the Miles Franklin Literary Award, first in 1992 for The Ancestor Game and again in 2003 for Journey to the Stone Country.
About Tom Griffiths
Tom Griffiths is a historian whose books and essays have won prizes in literature, history, science, politics and journalism. His books include Hunters and Collectors, Forests of Ash: An Environmental History, Slicing the Silence: Voyaging to Antarctica, Living with Fire and The Art of Time Travel: Historians and their Craft. He writes for Inside Story, Griffith Review, Meanjin and Australian Book Review, and is Emeritus Professor of History at the Australian National University. He has lived in the Macedon Ranges since 2018.
Type
Book event
