The Book Launch of Walking to the Edge, Lesbians Are Everywhere: An Australian Lesbian Travel Anthology Edited by Long Breast Press, held at Jika Jika Community Centre Plant Street Northcote on Sunday 21 March, 2 - 4 pm (Images from the day are here.)
 
After Jean had acknowledged the traditional custodians of the land we were meeting on, the Wurundjeri Woiwurrung people of the Kulin Nation, Claudia was the emcee who welcomed everyone to the launch, gave a short informative talk about Long Breast Breast, which had its 15th anniversary in 2020, gave brief explanations about the six books we’ve published so far leading into our seventh and did a great job of introducing everyone.
 
Liz Smith did an absolutely fabulous Launch of the book with some very complimentary comments about the book itself and in particular the contributions from the 26 writers. She also highlighted a few of the stories to give an idea of the variety and some similarities of the travels by lesbians to various parts of the world as well as Australia in pursuit of lesbian events and places to visit.
 
The readings by several of the authors gave everyone present a more detailed idea of the kind of travel stories they could expect to read for themselves after they’d bought the book: Wendy Suiter’s Intersections; Barbary Clarke’s Displaced - and Belonging; Ardy Tibby branched out and partly read from Out and AbOUT and partly told stories; Chris Sitka read parts of the two stories she contributed, Planet Stausebach and Coasting; and Jean Taylor read an extract from Lesbians Are Lovely, Lesbians Are Radical Feminists, Lesbians Are Travellers.
 
Claudia thanked all the contributor’s whose stories are sometimes illustrated by coloured photos and drawings, a first for LBP, thanked Liz for launching the book so wonderfully, thanked Pat Michell for documenting the event by taking the photos that are now on the LBP website, and urged everyone to continue buying books being sold by Ardy and Barbary while we mingled and chatted and ate all cheese and fruit platters and pavlova on offer, with many thanks to everyone who attended to make this a very enjoyable launch.
 
If you prefer to browse the shelves of a bookshop, you can find Walking to the Edge at these bookshops:
 
 
 

Helen Lee

Picture of Helen by Ardy Tibby

(Gallery of Photos from the day are here)

About thirty lesbians gathered at the East Reservoir Senior Citizens Centre at 7A Strathmerton Street at 2 pm on Sunday 27 May 2018 to enjoy the sumptuous High Tea prepared by Claudia and Liz, thanks to a generous donation from Helen. Partway through this splendid occasion of much chatting and eating and drinking Long Breast Press launched Helen Lee’s book of poetry tthemada. 

Anneke from the Matrix Guild did the acknowledgement of Wunrundjeri country followed by a brief overview of the significant work of the Matrix Guild before the Savoury High Tea was served by Claudia and Liz and we could all help ourselves to the feast on offer with drinks including sparkling wine.

Ardy as the emcee, gave a brief overview of the books Long Breast Press has published and  the reasons we published Helen’s book, partly because she asked us 

tthemada was beautifully launched with a heart-felt speech by Helen’s surviving partner Rachel who read excerpts from Helen’s poetry to illustrate just how brilliant her work is. 

Anneke talked about the drawings of grasses she was asked to do by Helen before she died and which give the book another artistic dimension.

Coleen, Barbary and Jean read several of Helen’s poems to give the audience a taste of the depth and breadth of Helen’s poems and as an encouragement to buy the book.

The Dyke Divas took to the stage and sang several songs as a tribute to Helen and to round out the launch proceedings in an uplifting manner.   

Claudia and Liz then served the Sweet High Tea with the scones, bush tucker jam, carrot cake, custard and other sweet delights.    

And this very delightful afternoon of tribute and celebration was wrapped up with sales of Helen’s book, a bargain at $15, as well as the selling of the other five LBP books by Barbary and Ardy, and much mingling of participants.

Thanks to everyone who attended and helped make this celebration a tribute to Helen’s life and poetry and especially to those who bought books to keep Helen’s poetry and lesbian writing alive and well-read.

Ardy, Barbary, Claudia and Jean

You can contact us in the following ways:

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PO Box 168

Brunswick East

Melbourne

Victoria 3057

Australia

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Amazon Acres: You BeautyAmazon Acres, You Beauty: Stories of Women’s Lands, Australia curated by Sand Hall, Shall Publishing, 2016

Evolving from the enthusiasm of the Women's Liberation Movement of the early 1970s, Amazon Acres are Women's Lands of the Mid-North Coast of NSW, Australia. 

Sand Hall, activist from the 1970s, calls on her radical feminism and bush-cred to curate and publish this collection.