Something for everyone

For Melbourne Jewish Book Week festival director Nicolas Brasch, the fact that the community can once again come together in person to celebrate all things Jewish literature and culture is a wonderful thing.

“I think we are all Zoomed out,” he told The AJN when discussing what this year’s program will deliver.

So, what’s different for 2022?

Well, apart from the traditional panels, interviews and performances, attendees at the festival this year will also be able to enjoy the Publishing Hub – a full day of free events including book launches and signings, interviews, a pop-up Readings bookstore and a food area.

This year, the program promises to interrogate subjects that shape who we are, increase our understanding of the world we live in, allow us to celebrate culture, and explore current literary themes and genres. The opening gala – always a highlight – features several writers reading and performing commissioned works on the theme, In Our Nature.

It’s a night of original storytelling with musicians and performers live on stage, including famed concert pianist Simon Tedeschi, who was recently named as the winner of the Calibre Essay Prize for his work This Woman My Grandmother.

In his essay, Tedeschi explores his grandmother’s story – the only survivor of a family who was obliterated by the Nazis – saying he was only recently able to read her memoir which she wrote shortly before she died.

“When I did, it caused not only a torrent of memory to erupt but spurred me to find out more about this tormented woman who, despite her vociferousness and overbearing presence, was the bearer of secrets too painful to divulge,” he said, when discussing his award.

Tedeschi will be discussing the place of memory, music, poetry and prose alongside New Zealand poet Bryan Walpert in conversations with ABC RN radio presenter Sarah Kalowski, in Memory, Music, Poetry and Prose.

“I want people to leave the festival with a sense of satisfaction, but also of curiosity”

As for what else is on the program, it really is as diverse as can possibly be.

“I believe the MJBW 2022 festival program has something for everyone – from profound discussion to pure entertainment, literature to food, politics to music. A Nobel Prize recipient, a Booker Prize winner, and winners of more awards and accolades that I could possible list here. Perhaps most importantly, the festival provides the opportunity to celebrate and support our local authors, at in-person events,” Brasch writes in his director’s welcome.

There are sessions on telling stories through food with “the friendliest voice in Australian food” Alice Zaslavsky; on reporting during times of crisis with a panel of scientists and journalists including Peter Doherty, Margaret Simons, Norman Swan, Zoya Sheftalovich and Deborah Stone; and cultural tensions in Australia, featuring Bram Presser, Lisa Emanuel, Ashley Goldberg and Julie Szego.

There are sessions on grief, climate change and love, and conversations with well-known novelists as well as Yiddish performances and discussions on the long-lost gems by Jewish authors or covering Jewish themes.

Most exciting, there is a conversation with novelist Howard Jacobson, discussing his recent memoir, Mother’s Boy, with Kalowski. And something Brasch is most looking forward to, the keynote conversation with David Grossman.

“Our closing night event is an interview, with David beamed in live to the Classic Cinema where the interviewer and audience will be,” Brasch said. “It’s the first live interview he has ever done for a Melbourne audience.”

There is plenty for the kids to enjoy with a full free program dedicated to the younger generation on Sunday, May 29, including an open-mic night for senior school students. The event, taking place at the Glen Eira Theatrette, will feature students from a range of schools reading original writing, of any genre, fiction, or non-fiction.

For the pre-schoolers, there’s Bubbles of Wonder – a funny show with storytelling used to educate the kids about sustainability – and for primary-aged children, there’s a combined circus skills/writing workshop which is sure to be a unique creative writing experience.

“In putting together the program, I ensured there was something for everyone,” Brasch explained.

“The events are very diverse, particularly in subject matter. I want people to leave the festival with a sense of satisfaction, but also of curiosity in terms of some of the ideas and books they have heard about.

“For two years we have been providing interviews with local and international writers – and our supporters have told us how much these events helped them through. Now it’s time to get back out and experience the events as a community.”

Melbourne Jewish Book Week takes place May 28-31. For more information and tickets: melbournejewishbookweek.com.au

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