Studio Event: BOOK CLUB GROUP - 6 November 2023 - Limited bookings available!

Join our book club program! Do you read to be transported into other places? Would you like to deepen your knowledge of nature beyond what we can see around us? In this book group, we will explore books and writing that ignite our curiosity about the natural world, develop our understanding of issues in conservation and enjoy writing that celebrates and enhances our appreciation of the world around us.

We are a welcoming group who meet to discuss a selected work and the broader questions it raises about conservation and the actions we can take locally to address issues.

• Date:      6 November 2023
• Time:     Monday evening from 6.00pm - 7.30pm
• Venue:   NatureArt Lab Studio, M16 Artspace, 21 Blaxland Crescent, Griffith, ACT
• Price:     NatureArt Lab Members Free, Non-members $20. 

Our Book Group Discussion Topic: 

Wild Sea: A History of the Southern Ocean by Joy McCann

Shortlisted for ACT Book of the Year

A beautifully written account that brings to life the history of this relatively under-studied expanse of water, its ecological and cultural significance and the pressures it faces due to human impact and climate change.

Publisher’s Description:

'An apparition of an adult wandering albatross comes into view. A small flutter and powerful wings arch upward in a slow, poised descent to feed the waiting mouth. Fluffy chicks, half-grown, huddle close to the grass. One strides over to a neighbouring giant petrel chick and picks a fight. They remind me of bored teenagers filling in time between snacks.'

Latitude 54° 02′ South, Longitude 37° 14' West: Prion Island, South Georgia

Unimpeded by any landmass, the mysterious Southern Ocean flows completely around Earth from west to east between the seasonally shifting icy continent of Antarctica and the coastlines and islands of Australia, New Zealand, South America and South Africa.

Weaving together sea captains' journals, whalers' log books, explorers' letters, scientific research and ancient beliefs with her own voyage of discovery, Joy McCann reveals the secrets of a little-known ocean and its importance as a barometer of climate change.

https://www.newsouthbooks.com.au/books/wild-sea/

Further Resources:

Book Reviews

The City of Tongues:

https://cityoftongues.com/non-fiction/joy-mccann-wild-sea-a-history-of-the-southern-ocean/

Global Maritime History

https://globalmaritimehistory.com/review-mccann-wild-sea/

Interviews:

The New Books Network:

https://newbooksnetwork.com/joy-mccann-wild-sea-a-history-of-the-southern-ocean-newsouth-publishing-2018

Conversations on ABC Radio with Sarah Kanowski:

https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/conversations/conversations/9876546

About our facilitator: 

Julie Hotchin is a historian who loves walking in the bush and other wild places. She is fascinated with birds and is just starting to hone her skills in photography. Julie is an avid reader who in recent years has developed a great interest in nature writing and literature that engages our senses and prompts us to connect with the world around us through the power of language. Julie is a member of the Friends of Black Mountain and is involved in a project to record the oral histories of several people who have been involved in conservation, community education and scientific study of the remarkable biodiversity of Black Mountain since it was declared a nature reserve in 1970. She loves conversations about the wonders of the natural world and looks forward to exploring writing about nature and issues in conservation more deeply with others through this book group.