Writers @ Stanton: Lech Blaine

Writers @ Stanton: Lech Blaine

Lech Blaine shares the gripping story of his family — of the tangled fates of two couples and the foster children trapped between them.

Date and time

Tue, 12 Nov 2024 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM AEDT

Location

Stanton Library, Level 1

234 Miller St North Sydney, NSW 2060 Australia

About this event

  • Event lasts 1 hour

Michael and Mary Shelley are Christian fanatics who loathe their fellow Australians – especially their 'reckless indulgence of alcohol and obsession with idiotic ball sports'. Lenore and Tom Blaine are working-class Queensland publicans raising a large family in a raucous, loving, sports-obsessed home.

There's just one problem. Lenore and Tom are foster parents to three of Michael and Mary's children, who were removed from the Shelleys as infants. And the Shelleys are prepared to do anything to get them back. Anything.

Australian Gospel is the true story of Lech Blaine's family, a stranger-than-fiction tale that is heartbreaking, hilarious and altogether astonishing.

About the author

Lech Blaine is the author of the memoir Car Crash and the Quarterly Essays Top Blokes and Bad Cop. He is the 2023 Charles Perkins Centre writer in residence. His writing has appeared in Good Weekend, Griffith Review, The Guardian and The Monthly. His forthcoming book is Australian Gospel.

Organised in partnership with Constant Reader Bookshop.

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Stanton Library

Stanton Library is located in the heart of vibrant North Sydney – a major hub for residents, workers, students, and visitors. Our library is a dynamic and exciting public space spanning four levels that includes the North Sydney Heritage Centre, comfortable spaces for reading and study, relaxing garden courtyards and a cafe. Learn a new skill, be entertained or make new friends. It’s free to join.

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