Luca goes to London (& Adelaide

Luca Antara (the book) is going to the London Book Fair, which this year is concentrating on work from the Antipodes. Also to Adelaide, where it will be read by a new publisher who thus far seem mostly to have done books on food and wine, along with Lindy Chamberlain-Creighton's autobiography 'Through My Eyes'. They are publishing a book on early Portuguese voyages to Australia, which is how the Luca connection came about. For the London package, my agent asked for a Content's page to go along with the cv, synopsis, excerpt and so forth. I don't usually like representing a whole with a part, but I enjoyed doing the Contents page in the manner of 19th century explorers' books - not a too far-fetched analogy. Here it is, as a teaser (it's just the words):

CONTENTS

I : Castaway

Antiquarian Books – Taxi Driving – The Ern Malley Affair – Fernando Pessoa – Simon & Margit – the QVB – the Marquesas – Jean Cabri – Pekio? – the Russian American Company – the Hordern Building – Leroy, Lautréamont & the Ville d’Orleans – Rouault & McCahon – Demolition

II : Salvation

The Cova da Iria Apparitions – Johnny Bear – Ricardo Reis at Fátima – Womerah Lane – the Third Secret Revealed – Elle – the Heroin Weddings – Essay on Poetry – the Wreck of the Batavia – Gnosticism – Houtmans Abrolhos – Heironymo & Lucretia – Jimmy Bonus – a Stranding – Convicts – Ventriloquism

III : Voyage

Pearl Beach – Portuguese Ventures – Manoel Godinho de Eredia – the MBRAS – Henry Klang – the Voyage of António da Nova – Mataram – Waingapu – the Timor Sea – Kaju Djawa – Marege – Estrela, the Degredado’s Daughter – the Aru Islands – Tanimbar – Malacca – Aftermath

IV : Return

Across Australia – Kuala Lumpur – Melaka – Museums – Henry Klang again – the Ray Bradbury Experience – MBRAS again – Ubud – the Wallace Line – Lombok – Sumbawa by Night – Labuanbajo – Mirror Cave – Rinca – Darwin – Da Nova’s Boat – Sydney – the Drowned Continent of Sundaland


... would you want to read a book like this?