Sophie Cunningham is the next Summer Read author blogging from 26 – 30 November.

Sophie has worked as an editor, publisher and journalist since 1989. Her first novel, Geography, was published in 2004. She is currently the editor of Meanjin and working on a novel This Devastating Fever, about Leonard Woolf’s time as a colonial administrator in Ceylon.

Her book Bird is one of the books on the Summer Read shortlist.

Bird tells the story of Ana-Sofia’s mother Anna Davidoff – ‘Bird’ – a famous wartime refugee, fifties movie starlet, sixties party girl and drug-charged acolyte of the jazz greats. Anna Davidoff went on to become a Buddhist nun and finally died alone in a Himalyan cave. Ana-Sofia now feels the need to confront the ghosts of the past; to find out who Anna was.

As part of the free Summer Read events across Victoria, Sophie will be appearing at:

- Yea Library on Tuesday 3 February 2009, 7.00 – 8.00 pm
For more information phone 5797 2209

- Mildura Library on Wednesday 11 February 2009, 7.30 – 8.00 pm
For more information phone 5018 8350

What Sophie says about summer reading
“Summer is a time I try to read for fun, rather than work. This often means a thriller of science fiction novel – two genres that I enjoy a lot, and that have the advantage of not triggering the ‘at work’ part of my brain. I also like to read books about the place I’m holidaying in. This year I’m lucky enough to be going to Vietnam so I plan to read a book that I’ve never read but always wanted to: The Quiet American by Graham Greene.”

Over summer the authors on the Summer Read shortlist will be blogging about their books, writing, favourite reads, summer memories - in fact, anything that takes their fancy!

Here’s who’s blogging and when…

• Alice Pung, editor of Growing up Asian in Australia�
  22 November - 25 November
• Sophie Cunningham, author of Bird
  26 November - 30 November
• Steven Conte, author of The Zookeeper’s War
  1 December - 5 December
• Toni Jordan, author of Addition
  6 December - 10 December
• Jared Henry, author of Blood Sunset
  11 December -15 December
• Fiona Capp, author Musk & Byrne
  18 December -20 December
• Ann Blainey, author of I am Melba
  21 December - 24 December
• Greg de Moore, author Tom Wills
  26 December - 30 December
• Catherine Dyson, author of Swing by Sailor
  31December - 5 January
• Dennis McIntosh, author Beaten by a Blow
  6 January - 10 January
• Charmaine O’Brien, author of Flavours of Melbourne
  11 January - 15 January
• Nam Le, author The Boat
  16 January - 20 January
• Jeff Sparrow & Jill Sparrow, authors of Radical Melbourne
  21 January - 25 January
• Arnold Zable, author of Sea of Many Returns
  26 January - 29 January
• Carolyn Landon, author of Cup with No Handles
  31 January - 4 February
• Authors featured in Dreaming Again
  5 February - 9 February
• Jacinta Halloran, author of Dissection
  10 February - 14 February
• Peter Steele, author White Knight with Beebox
  15 February - 19 February
• Jack Dann, editor of Dreaming Again
  20 February - 24 February
• Chloe Hooper, author of The Tall Man
  25 February - 28 February

The authors would love to hear from you. Ask them who their favourite writers are, what their favourite reads are, how their reading influences what they write, or anything else you’d like to know.