WPDN Book Club

The WPDN Bookclub was founded in 2008 as an initiative of the WPDN Steering Committee and is open to all members of the University of Adelaide community.

Why should you attend?

Bookclub provides an opportunity to meet and network with staff who have a shared interest in reading and writing from broad cross-section of the University.

Feedback from previous years' attendees indicates these sessions provide a much needed 'brain boost' - providing a break from work that energises, inspires and re-charges.

Check out our Reading Women blog for ideas and conversations about books and reading.

Join the Bookclub mail list for news and invitations to events.

2012 Bookclub

National Year of Reading: WPDN Book Club Launch

2012 is the National Year of Reading in Australia. Come to the WPDN Book Club launch to hear Paul Duldig, Chad Habel, Associate Professor Wendy Ingman talk about the difference that reading has made in their careers.

You'll also find about our programme of lunchtime events for the year and see our new blog, Reading Women.

BYF Book: Networking with a difference

BYF (Bring Your Favourite) Book to this networking session. The art of networking is about ‘what do you say after you’ve said hello?’ It’s easy if you enjoy reading: you can talk about books!

Come to this networking session, bring your favourite book (fiction, non-fiction, magazine, Kindle), have a conversation with other WPDN members who enjoy reading.

You might discover a new author as well as meeting different people from around the university.

Books and Reading for Children

Guest Speaker: Deborah Toomey

Children's Librarian Deborah Toomey will talk about parents, children and reading: how to read to your children, how to choose books with them, how to encourage them to read.

Read the Book, Meet the Author: Amy Matthews

Guest Speaker: Amy Matthews

Amy Matthews teaches in the English and Creative Writing discipline here at the University of Adelaide.

Her novel End of the Night Girl won the Adelaide Festival Award for Best Unpublished Manuscript and was published by Wakefield Press last year. Amy's first novel has been described as "An addictive read, and an example of another fine Adelaide voice".

Read the Book, Meet the Author: Kerryn Goldsworthy

Guest Speaker: Kerryn Goldsworthy

Kerryn Goldsworthy is a well-known Australian writer; her latest book was nominated as one of the South Australian books for the National Year of Reading. Come and hear Kerryn talk about Adelaide, her experience of writing a vivid and enlightening portrait of our city.

More about 'The City Series'

2011 Bookclub Archive

First WPDN Bookclub

Guest Speaker: Allayne Webster

Allayne will talk about her upcoming book Stresshead, which asks the question: ‘Would life be better if I wasn't such a stresshead?’. While aimed at young adults, the novel is being marketed as a ‘cross-over’ novel – one for both adults and teens. Stresshead will be presented at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair in Italy this year – this event sees more than 1200 exhibitors from 67 countries buy and sell the rights to the best of children’s publishing from around the world. Allayne will also speak about the trials and tribulations of writing, working, life and (maybe) her treasured collection of novels signed by Judy Blume – or anything else you would like to ask her about!

Book here

Second WPDN Bookclub: Guest Author Vikki Wakefield

Join our Special Guest Author Vikki Wakefield, who will speak about her remarkable first novel All I Ever Wanted. An excellent read for anyone who has teenagers in their life – or who was one once!

What Vikki says about her inspiration for the novel:

As a teenager, I always had one leg dangling over the wrong side of the tracks. When I was seventeen I went to house-sit for a friend who was an unmarried teenage mother. It was a half-house in a lost street in a forgotten suburb – just like the book.

It wasn’t hard to dredge up memories of that month – I lived in a perpetual state of fear and desperation. I dared myself to stay there. During the day the street was deserted; at night it was alive and menacing and I was terrified. Law seemed to exist outside of that street, but by the end of the month I was braver, wiser and I’d changed my mind about some of the residents. The people who lived there didn’t have money or material things – but what they did have was pride, a sense of community and bucketloads of humanity.

Book here

Special WPDN Bookclub Event: Get Reading with Jessica Rudd!

Join our Special Literary Lunchtime Event ‘Get Reading! Guaranteed: Book You Can’t Put Down’ with Jessica Rudd. From the author of the extremely enjoyable debut fiction, Campaign Ruby, comes another light-hearted comedy of political manners.

Jessica Rudd’s sequel – Ruby Blues – picks up after the election balloons have sagged and Ruby is finding out just how hard it is to have – or keep – it all. Jessica will talk about her latest book, life in bustling Beijing, and how she has coped with four career changes – from law, to PR, to politics, to full-time writer – in as many years (on top of being the daughter of one of the country’s most infamous ex-Prime Ministers!). Unibooks will have copies of Jessica’s books for sale on the day, and Jessica will be available to sign them. 12.30pm for a 12.45pm start! Coffee and tea provided.

Book here (for University staff and students) Book here (Alumni and Friends) + event flyer