Authors mindful of change

A series of evening seminars in Leichhardt and Balmain will give authors the opportunity to discuss changes in the food industry, journalism and Sydney’s harbour.

Chef and author Michele Cranston will be at Leichhardt Library on February 8 and Balmain Library on February 22. She intends to speak about the evolution of the food industry and the emergence of celebrity chefs.

“There have always been well-known chefs around but there wasn’t that interest in them that there is now. Everyone says they’re kind of the new rock-stars.

“There wasn’t Jamie Oliver. All of those really well known household identities didn’t exist prior to 10 to 12 years ago.”

Ms Cranston’s new cookbook, Marie Claire – Fresh and Easy, was partly inspired by nostalgia for her grandfather’s garden and their rustic approach to dining. “When I was growing up, my grandfather had one of those wonderful backyard vegetable gardens. He had all the carrots, lettuces, tomatoes, herbs and cumquats and lemons. Rhubarb, strawberries.

“We grew up going in and seeing what he had, and pulling carrots out of the ground and seeing if they’d grown.”

Journalism is foremost on Alex Mitchell’s mind as the author of Come the Revolution. On February 16, he plans to debate the future of journalism when he talks at the Leichhardt Library.

“The technology has advanced so much that the profession has fundamentally changed,” he said.

“It’s no longer about gumshoe work, although the gumshoe work is really important. It is now being transformed by new technology: the internet, by iPads, iPhones.”

Kicking off the series of talks on February 1 is historian and award-winning author of Sydney Harbour, Ian Hoskins.  He will speak at Balmain Library about the Sydney Harbour’s changing identities.

“There’s two sides to Sydney Harbour. There’s the beautiful harbour that we all know and have come to love,” he said, “but for many years, in fact for most of its life it was a working port … and one of the busiest ports in the British Empire.”

“That working harbour has pretty well ended by now. There are very few tankers that come into Sydney Harbour. Its identity has changed so much, it’s now a big pond full of yachts.”

“All landscapes change,” Mr Hoskins said. “Sydney Harbour is no different.”