A civilised day

The smell of grass, warming sun, a cooling breeze, just a hint of autumn to come. It’s a haven from the mayhem and madness of Fringe, the gentle cadences of intelligent discourse and dialogue a murmuring under the trees. It must be Adelaide Writers’ Week.

Under the boughs at Adelaide Writers’ Week

This is where the old (and I mean old) Adelaidian intelligentsia emerge from their cloisters, blinking in the sun under their straw hats in the Pioneer Women’s Memorial Garden for their annual lit-fest. Here we receive insights from, and get to quiz the stars of the English language literary scene: Christos Tjolkas (the Slap, Barracuda), Elizabeth Gilbert (Eat, Pray, Love) and many, many others, including the hilarious Alexander McCall Smith (the No. 1 Lady’s Detective Agency). A pop-up bookstore, bar and bistro and, most importantly, the signing table where you can meet your literary idols, make for a…