8pm Friday April 16, 2010

Black, white and all shades in between

Sue Turnbull interrogates two award-winning crime writers with books just out:

** Malla Nunn, again tackles race relations, sexual tension and the harsh realities of life within apartheid-era South Africa in Let the Dead Lie, the highly anticipated follow-up to A Beautiful Place to Die. Forced to resign from his position of Detective Sergeant and re-classified as mixed race, Emmanuel Cooper is working to a seemingly impossible deadline to escape the hangman’s noose. A Beautiful Place to Die, which won the 2009 Sisters in Crime Davitt Award (Adult Fiction) has been nominated, along with five other titles, for the most prestigious US crime-writing award — the Edgar — to be announced in New York on April 29.

Malla Nunn grew up in Swaziland, attended university in WA, and then the US. She is also an award-winning filmmaker and now lives in Sydney.

** Sydney Bauer, also lives in Sydney, but took her literary pseudonym from her of her favourite TV characters—Sydney Bristow in Alias and Jack Bauer in 24. She won the 2007 Sisters in Crime Davitt Award (Adult Fiction) for Undertow, the first in her series featuring Boston attorney David Cavanaugh. In Matter of Trust, the fourth in the series, David is plagued by buried family secrets, devastating lies and a seemingly uncatchable killer— but is aided his unlikeliest of allies— the career cop, who is supposed to be working for the prosecution.

Sydney Bauer has worked as a journalist and TV executive and met with revered TV writers such as Steven Bochco and Aaron Sorkin.

$5/$10 (non-members) 10% discount from Benn’s Books stall. Dinner from 6.30pm. No need to book for dinner or event. Men or ‘brothers-in-law’ welcome.

Bell’s Hotel, 157 Moray St., South Melbourne (cnr Coventry). Mel 57, G1. Try 112, 55 or St Kilda Road trams. Free on-street parking after 6pm. No need to book for the event or dinner.

Info: Carmel Shute on 0412 569 356 or go to: http://home.vicnet.net.au/~sincoz/