Lifeline Bookfair

Lifeline Book Fair

Every six months, over a long weekend (Australia Day/Queens Birthday), Lifeline holds a bookfair. It's on right now and this year it's going for five whole days.

And every time it happens I ritually go. It's part of the cycle of the Brisbane year for all us book addicts.

Each day of the fair they recharge the stock to keep us coming back and we all know by now that all the second hand book sellers come in early each day and cart out the good stuff. And that on the last day they try to shift everything that's left by making it ultra cheap so that by the time you get there on any day what's left and what's there can be pretty erratic.

I'm not an early riser, particularly on a weekend when I'm working but I managed to get there on Saturday by 10 am to meet up with Obake. There were already queues going back 20 people at the counters. As per usual, I went to the unpriced section and flicked through the texts, the craft, the computer and the paperback fiction. Then to check out the SF and vid's as well in the priced and high quality sections. We didn't have as long as we needed but I managed to get some cool stuff for less than 20 dollars.

One of the nifty things about being into stuff that not everyone else is, is that you can pick up really cool stuff at bargain prices because they don't know what it's worth to you. I found two books by Roland Barthes, a book on Stratification (sociological theory in response to inequality and class) and a book on web identity: Life on the Screen - Identity in the Age of the Internet by Shirley Turkle. RFB, my man, was privileged to get R.O.T.O.R and Timerunner (with Mark Hammill) on video. R.O.T.O.R is a trashy post apocalyptic movie, 67th worst film ever according to one source, and RFB has an addiction to afflicting these things on everyone. I put back the psychology text on Behaviour Modification, worried about cost - shouldn't have been.

It's interesting watching the people and comparing what types of books and things are there each year. The first time I went, mum took me after I'd split up with a boy and I'd returned from Sydney, and I bought romances galore - my Prozac. There was hardly anything in the way of computer books or SF, then. They've always had an SF selection, but it was pretty inadequate. Now they have an SF section in the priced and high quality sections and you can pick up some pretty good stuff. Obake got Sing the Fifth Quarter by Tanya Huff and one of the out of print Tanith Lee Flat Earth novels (both of which I already own or would have grabbed) and I found China Mountain Zhang by Maureen F. McHugh which I loved the first time I read it. (Hey look: unconscious theme to all of those stories - gay characters) The craft sections change contents from year to year too. Very little in the way of sewing or beading stuff this year, although I managed to pick up a book on couture that is pretty rock.

There were a lot more people early on in the day, too. And you could hire trolleys which we did to carry our already heavy bags. There was this one couple who had filled two trolleys with paperback novels and where going through tables checking things against what they needed to get people. Very kawaii. People were spread out against the walls to go through their treasures because the (expensive) cafeteria was overflowing.

This year they also produced a fashion parade which we heard twice while not looking up from our book search. The couple of glances showed a fairly average selection of clothes and they kept on fading the music to nothing behind the voice of the amateur presenter. A little disconcerting as you try to hum along to the songs. This was the first year where I noticed that they were so busy relaying messages and book requests that no music played. I'm not sure if it ever did but I'm pretty sure that the announcer had more of a work out this year.

The book fair is run by volunteers who do a great job of handling such large crowds and remaining friendly by the time you get to the counter.

It's a fun day out and I'll probably go back on Wednesday, sneaking RFB in.

Links:

Lifeline Bookfair - outdated official write up.

Details:

What: Lifeline Bookfair

When: Australia Day Long Weekend (January) and Queen's Birthday Long Weekend (June)

Where: Southbank Convention Centre - most public transport stops pretty close at Southbank and it's the big building behind the train station with the white dome-esque rooves.

Cost: Free, but take along $$ for the books!

Hints:

• if you really want the good books, go early. Otherwise it's really good for a day out and leisurely browse.


• The information desk will do announces for things your particularly searching for.


• The last day is best for the cheapest most books - they'll sell bags of books for only a couple of dollars.

Did you go? Did you get anything cool? Do you have any other hints to make the next journey better? Comment NOW!