Sophie Gemmell founder of Literary Feast – a fantastic book club with a difference in Sydney – just emailed to say she’s invited Martin Hughes (Issue 23) to be their special guest on 3 August. All welcome. See Sophie’s email below for details:

I was recently reading Dumbo feather and an interview with Martin Hughes who started Affirm Press – a very cool publishing house that only publishes books that leave an impression. Martin used to work for Lonely Planet as a writer, editor and photographer. He’s had various other jobs in media and publishing, including a three-year stint as the editor of The Big Issue. I read in the Dumbo feather article about a book he published called Lines of Wisdom – which features a collection of Australian writers who interview someone ‘elder’ in their life who they feel has a certain wisdom to pass on to others. It’s a beautiful beautiful book – one that I’ve chosen for us to read this month but also one that you can tap into at any point in your life when you are needing a bit of inspiration. ‘I cannot remember when I last read a book with more heart.’ – The Canberra Times
I also recently went to an event called Wake Up Sydney in the Town Hall – a brilliant concept started by Jono Fisher. His vision is for Sydney to be the kindness capital of the world and he encourages people to do anonymous acts of kindness. The event involves a celebration of wonderful music, dancing and interviews with individuals who have wisdom and insight to ‘awaken’ the audience. Check out this quick video here… http://www.wakeupsydney.com.au/KindnessUpdate.aspx
Anyway – where am I going with all this?! Well – both Martin and Jono have agreed to come to our next Literary Feast to speak and give us a night on wisdom and all that’s good for our soul! Martin is especially coming up from Melbourne for the night. So I hope you are excited as I am to be reading Lines of Wisdom – Affirm Presshas kindly offered Literary Feasters 50% OFF this book – normally retails for $39.95 and for us it will be $20.00 plus $10 postage. You will need to order directly through his publishing house – call Belle (who is at work on Tuesdays and Thursdays) on 03 8561 7476 with your credit card details and address or email affirm[at]affirmpress.com.au. You can also direct deposit the $30 into their account then email the transcript with your postal address:

Account Name: Adidem Enterprise Services
BSB 083-337
Account 544967295
Ref: Affirm/LOW

Details of the next Literary Feast:
Date: 7pm, Tuesday 3rd August
Where: Upstairs at the Lord Dudley, Paddington, Sydney
Membership: Please bring your $30 Literary Feast membership to be paid at the door
Really hope you can make it. Am expecting this event is going to be well attended (well I hope so anyway!)– so it would be great if you could please let me know asap if you can make it so I can have some idea of numbers to organise seating.
Thanks so much and looking forward to catching up with you all again!
Sophie

For those of you whose imaginations were captured by the article in the current issue of Dumbo feather (Issue 21) about Lenka & Michael who wrote letters to every person in a small town in Northern Ireland … here’s your chance to be involved in the next stage of their gorgeous project – ‘Mysterious Letters‘. You see, Michael and Lenka would still like to write a letter to every person in the world, one town at a time. They have their next town pinpointed, but need to raise some $ to get started. Here’s where you come in. In return for a pledge via Kickstarter, they will write you a letter with a difference …

[A sample of pages from 'An Awesome Book' by Dallas Clayton]

There are some things that just capture your imagination and warm the cockles at the same time. ‘An Awesome Book’ is one of them. Last year, ‘writer, illustrator and creator of all things good’, Dallas Clayton wrote a book for his son. He wanted to encourage him to dream, big, crazy, fantastical dreams. He had it printed himself and then suddenly everyone wanted one, and we know why. It’s a simple, beautifully illustrated book with a simple, beautiful message that every child (even big kids) should hear. That we should never stop dreaming great, big, fantastical dreams.

In Australia, copies are available from the Wish to Walk foundation, but peeps everywhere can purchase them from the store on his website. Dallas has also just formed the Awesome World Foundation which, for every book sold, donates a copy of the book to children who might not otherwise be able to get one.

David de Rothschild (Dumbo feather Issue Five) is about to embark on another amazing adventure, this time “to draw attention to the unbelievable mass of garbage (especially plastic) accumulating in our seas.” David and co are building a catamaran, the hull of which is made out of plastic bottles. It’ll be christened The Plastiki in homage to Thor Heyerdahl’s 1947 seminal expedition on the Kon-Tiki. David and a handpicked crew of adventurers, scientists and creatives plan to set sail across the Pacific from San Francisco to Sydney before the end of 2009. You’ll be able to follow the team’s fascinating journey as it unfolds via web cams, tweets, blogging etc here. [There's a great interview with David (and the pics above) in Coco Eco Magazine.]

David de Rothschild : Issue Five : Introduction

Where to start with David de Rothschild? With the organic farm he’s developing as an education centre, the children’s books he’s writing, the naturopathy, the fact that he traversed the Antarctic in record time last year, or that he’s planning on doing the same across the Arctic next year? There’s one consistent motivation to everything David does and that is to create change through education, and to educate by igniting people’s imaginations.

Today we received this gorgeous package of handmade books containing poetry and a typewriter-typed note all bundled together with a piece of twine. Presentation isn’t everything, but there’s something very special about a beautifully-wrapped parcel. Intrigued, we carefully undid it and read on … The bundle’s maker is a first year print media student (there is hope!) who has found Dumbo feather “timeless in expression and so refreshing upon fondle” and would like to intern with us. Unfortunately we’re in the rather fortunate position of having as many interns as we can at the mo (and loving it), but truly appreciated the bundler’s words all the same.

Bowerbird Bazaar

Style-savvy shoppers with a keen eye for beautiful objects to feather their nests will love the new Bowerbird Bazaar in Adelaide. This three-day event (9-11 October) is an opportunity for designer/makers of unique art and handmade wares to peddle their wares to retailers and the public. Stall applications close on 18 September 2009.

I Want To Live Here Film Competition

This year’s theme looks at issues of gentrification and how such cycles effect creative communities and artists in our cities. The film competition aims to reverse the cycle by encouraging people to make a film in 3m or less which addresses the impact of gentrification. The winner gets $3000. Applications close in 77 days.

Bondi Short Film Festival

Now in its 9th year, the Bondi Short Film Festival is on the hunt for the finest short films in the land. Applications close 23 October 2009.

PYD Design Markets

pyd in Sydney’s Waterloo, is hosting its annual design market on October 24 & 25 and is inviting designers of furniture, lighting,
textiles, ceramics, objects, glass & jewellery to participate. If you would like to apply for a stall or for more info visit www.pyd.com.au/designmarkets.

*All the events are free, but you do have to register at the website.

In Issue 17 we did an article about the art of letterpress printing. Had we known about the Melbourne Museum of Printing (MMOP) we would have mentioned it, but sadly we did not. At this fantastic place, you can go to see Michael Isaachsen’s collection of letterpress machinery. Not just a museum, it’s also a working print shop – you can spend an afternoon learning about typesetting and printing by actually doing it.
But, what’s even sadder than us not knowing about it until just recently, is that the MMOP is battling to stay open. This Sunday, there will be an exhibition/fundraiser to try and prevent it closing. Twenty-two artists and designers have made prints that you can buy, including ‘our very own’ John Warwicker (Dumbo feather, Issue 10), and other clever clogs like Studio Round, Pip & Co, and Fabio Ongarato. There’ll be live tunes and bookbinding and typesetting demonstrations.

John Warwicker : Issue Ten : Introduction

It might seem ridiculous for someone widely regarded as one of the world’s best designers to admit, “I don’t know what design is at all”, but John Warwicker understands that embracing the ‘not knowing’ can be your greatest strength. Whether you’re familiar with the work of Tomato (of which John was a founding member in 1991) or not, you’ll no doubt appreciate taking a walk inside his mind. There’s something deeply reassuring in hearing that even someone of John’s calibre, and who has the world’s most design-savvy corporations as clients, is as unsure of his abilities as the rest of us. He too struggles with the difficulties inherent in balancing the demands of a commercial career with nurturing one’s own creativity. John was creative director of Da Gama (1981-1984), head of Art and Video at A&M Records (1984-1987), creative director of Vivid I.D. (1987-1991) and was the first foreigner to be admitted into the Japanese Type Directors’ Club. He directs short films and commercials, designs album covers, treats type like oil on canvas, is about to have his first monograph published, and, after spending most of his career in London, has recently moved to Melbourne… for love… Df

[50 years and going strong V 50 weeks and 'had it']

The 3-in-1 printer at Df HQ gave up the ghost the other day. Apparently it didn’t want to feed itself any more. Worried for its health and our own (on a highly stressful deadline – of course) we searched the Canon website for our local printer doctor. We gave them a call only to receive the advice, “It’ll cost about $80 to fix and you can buy a new, faster one for under $50 these days.” Riiight … don’t need Econ 101 to figure that one out, but what a waste! The printer’s basically fine, still scans, just seems to have a wonky appetite.
We google “printer recycling” and come up with a few places to call, only no-one returns our calls. It seems a bad chewing mechanism just relegated this printer to the footpath. Which brings me to my point … In a nut-shell, they just don’t make ‘em like they used to and we’re so short-term focused that we buy (literally) into that. As consumers, we’re the only ones who can bring back quality, things made to last a lifetime (and then some) and workmanship. What do you reckon?
ps. this rant was inspired by Platform 21’s Repair Manifesto … it’s fantastic.

BEATBOXING WITH MORGANICS | OPEN TO ALL AGES
HIP HOP SKILLS WORKSHOP 1 – 2PM | 28 March 2009
Beatboxing is a form of vocal percussion which primarily involves the art of producing drum beats, rhythm, and musical sounds using one’s mouth, lips, tongue, voice, and more. It may also involve singing, vocal imitation of turntablism, the simulation of horns, strings, and other musical instruments.
The workshops are open to everyone with all levels of experience. Places are limited so it’s best to pre-book your place via Ticketmaster.

Morganics : Issue 18 : Introduction
For Morganics (also known as Morgan Lewis), Hip Hop is not just music, it’s poetry, it’s a tool for working with disadvantaged communities, it’s story-telling, it’s theatre. Hip hop is a passport to the world, into prisons, into remote outback Australia, and around the streets of New York … Df