“When you've got books, you've got hope. When times are bad, they're what you need because they're there whenever you need them.”
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Acclaimed Australian author Jackie French was in the process of giving away lots of hope on Saturday, donating more than 200 books to Tathra residents who lost their homes in devastating bushfires last month.
Ms French was in Canberra over the weekend and is one of many authors who have donated new books to the Book Love for Tathra drive organised by author Melissa Pouliot.
While the South Coast town is in the process of rebuilding, Ms French said the donated books would be a lifeline to many in the community.
“The houses will be built again, but there's a lot more to a house that ends up making it a home,” she said.
“The book drive is a way of showing them that we're thinking of them.”
Among the books donated by Ms French were works for both children and adults, however, there were some of her novels that weren't included.
“The selection of books was as broad as possible, but I've written two books on bushfires and one on cyclones, and I didn't want to include those for obvious reasons,” she said.
“Apart from a bit of censorship, there's a wide range of books.”
It isn't just fiction books that will be donated to Tathra residents, with several Australian Women's Weekly cookbooks also among the list.
“The kitchen really is the heart of the house, and I know that if my house burns down, that will be one of the things I grieve for the most, those books covered in flour and bits of butter over the years,” she said.
The initial aim of the book drive is to give 7000 new books to the community, 100 for each of the homes ravaged by the blaze.
The first donations are expected to be handed over at the end of this month.
Other authors contributing to the drive include Craig Cormick, Robert Macklin, Kerry Malone and Cate Whittle.
Ms French said the close bonds shared by many in the Tathra community have helped the bushfire recovery efforts come together.
“Sometimes you get coastal villages that aren't really communities, but Tathra is a lovely community and they are really nice people,” she said.
If people would like to donate new books they can post them to Book Love for Tathra, PO Box 7255, Tathra NSW 2550, or drop them into the ACT Writers Centre in Canberra on Fridays.
Melissa Pouliot will distribute the books to people who’ve lost their homes at a special event later in the year, and welcomes any of those Tathra families who are ready for new books to contact her via Facebook and she will put together a special Book Love package for them.
Andrew Brown
I've been part of the Canberra Times since 2016, after reporting at local papers in Sydney's north-west. Since starting at the paper I've had stints on the Sunday Times, on the early morning breaking news round, and now as a general reporter, covering the ins and outs of anything and everything happening in Canberra, with a focus on health.
I've been part of the Canberra Times since 2016, after reporting at local papers in Sydney's north-west. Since starting at the paper I've had stints on the Sunday Times, on the early morning breaking news round, and now as a general reporter, covering the ins and outs of anything and everything happening in Canberra, with a focus on health.
