Melbourne Launch of The Poison of Polygamy with Guest Speaker Prof. John Fitzgerald
It was a pleasure to welcome friends, family, and many familiar and unfamiliar faces to this second book launch for The Poison of Polygamy, which took place on Tuesday 22nd October 2019 at Readings Carlton.
Please see the relevant posts on The Poison of Polygamy Facebook page for Prof. John Fitzgerald’s guest-speaker presentation and my translator’s presentation.
Honoured guests present on the occasion included Ms. Rowena Armstrong AO QC; chefs Ms. Elizabeth Chong AM and Ms. Angie Chong, Mr. Michael Chong, and other members of the author’s extended family; journalist and author Ms. Helene Chung; Dr. Sophie Couchman; Dr. Emily Dunn; Prof. Antonia Finnane; Mr. Peter Hack; Dr. Tamar Lewit; Dr. Lewis Mayo; Prof. Anne McLaren; Dr. Craig Smith; Mr. Tsebin Tchen; and New Zealand author Ms. Alison Wong and her husband Rev. Dr. Kevin Yelverton. To them and all attendees, especially those who travelled large distances, I extend my heartfelt thanks.
For an author or translator, a book launch is a frenetic and memorable affair, and I have many recollections from the evening; among the most distinct of these was my first meeting with the impressive Elizabeth Chong, who was so good as to relate that she had already read and thoroughly enjoyed the novel, and to share her illuminating insights into how her memories of Melbourne’s early Chinese community resonated with it.
For those who missed the launch, the book can be ordered through bookstores or purchased from the publisher.