Bookmarks, Beer, and the Bloke Who Swears He Doesn’t Read

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Maree is the kind of senior librarian a country town grows around rather than merely employs. Years at the desk have given her a quiet confidence and an instinctive understanding of books and the people who read them.

She wears her experience lightly. Maree has seen cataloguing systems come and go, watched reading fashions rise and fall, a

Maree is the kind of senior librarian a country town grows around rather than merely employs. Years at the desk have given her a quiet confidence and an instinctive understanding of books and the people who read them.

She wears her experience lightly. Maree has seen cataloguing systems come and go, watched reading fashions rise and fall, and can still locate an obscure title from the faintest clue — a cover colour, a half-remembered plot, a vague description beginning with “it was about…”. To her, books are working tools and companions, and the library is a living record of the town, not a silent archive.

She has a particular eye for the reading lives of men. She knows the ones who insist they “don’t read” but quietly devour histories, manuals or biographies; the farmers who borrow westerns with clockwork regularity; the retirees who drift from crime into philosophy without fanfare. Maree never judges. Instead she nudges, sliding a book across the desk with a casual, “You might like this.”

Her gift is simple and rare: respecting the privacy of reading while gently expanding it, one well-chosen book at a time.

 Shay is a social activist, community organiser, book fan, and creator of Tough Guy Book Club, who has spent 25 years helping people build stronger communities through shared stories and courageous conversations. His work uses personal narrative, collectivism, and community organising frameworks to rebuild civic networks and address issue

 Shay is a social activist, community organiser, book fan, and creator of Tough Guy Book Club, who has spent 25 years helping people build stronger communities through shared stories and courageous conversations. His work uses personal narrative, collectivism, and community organising frameworks to rebuild civic networks and address issues such as community health, literacy, and loneliness. Shay teaches others how to harness their stories, resources, and values to build power within their communities and create meaningful change. His lifelong fascination with people and their stories fuels his passion for helping others find their voice, be heard, and truly listened to.

Janice asks smart questions, listens carefully, and knows exactly when to step in if a speaker starts wandering into their life story. A respected community leader and experienced facilitator, she has chaired conversations on everything from books to big ideas, always with humour, curiosity and impeccable timing. Audiences appreciate her 

Janice asks smart questions, listens carefully, and knows exactly when to step in if a speaker starts wandering into their life story. A respected community leader and experienced facilitator, she has chaired conversations on everything from books to big ideas, always with humour, curiosity and impeccable timing. Audiences appreciate her knack for making discussions feel relaxed, engaging and just a little bit unpredictable.