It’s time to highlight another week of storytelling in Voice by the staff and volunteers at the Seanchai Library. As always, all times SLT, and events are held at the Library’s home in Nowhereville, unless otherwise indicated. Note that the schedule below may be subject to change during the week, please refer to the Seanchai Library website for the latest information through the week.
Sunday, July 11th, 13:00: Tea-Time At the Movies: The African Queen
As World War I reaches the heart of the African jungle, Charlie Allnutt, a dishevelled trader and Rose Sayer, an English spinster missionary, find themselves thrown together by circumstance. With the Germans closing in on them, they must fight time, heat, malaria, and bullets to make their escape on the rickety steamboat The African Queen, pausing only to hatch their own outrageous military plan.
Originally published in 1935, The African Queen is a tale replete with vintage Forester drama – unrelenting suspense, reckless heroism, impromptu military manoeuvres, near-death experiences and a good old-fashioned love story.
Most famously, perhaps it became a 1951 film directed by John Huston and produced by Sam Spiegel and John Woolf. It starred Humphrey Bogart as the hard-nosed, crusty Allnut, and Katharine Hepburn as the prim and proper Methodist missionary. Unable to provide an English (or more specifically, a Cockney) accent, Bogart’s Charlie Allnut was re-cast as a Canadian.
The film opened to somewhat polarised reviews by critics who either found it “contrived” and “implausible” or who saw it as two powerful performances by two exceptionally well-matched Hollywood talents which, together with Huston’s panache behind the camera, elevated the film to worthy Oscar status, something reflected in the fact that Bogart’s performance as Allnutt gained him his only Oscar.
A year after the film’s release, the script – written by Houston working with James Agee, Peter Viertel, and John Collier, was turned into a radio presentation by Lux Hollywood and with Academy Award winner Greer Garson taking over the role of Rose Sayer.
So why not join Corwyn Allen, Gloriana Maertens, Kayden Oconnell & Elrik Merlin in the first of a series of special garden presentations, celebrating great movies of the 20th Century?
Monday, July 12th 19:00: The Weigher
A world ruled by sentiment big cats where the rule of law is enforced by the Weighers, a combination of judge, peacemaker and accountant through a brutal code of honour and combat. Without their violent intervention in things, all-out war and anarchy would ensue.
When two human explorers – fragile, weak and potentially easy prey – arrive on that world, Slasher, a Weigher of skill and talent in physical combat, finds herself defending them. In doing so, she finds herself a disgraced outcast.
Join Gyro Muggins as he read the story by Eric Vinicoff and Marcia Martin.
Tuesday, July 13th
12:00 Noon: Russell Eponym, Live in the Glen
Music, poetry, and stories.
19:00: TBA
Check the Seanchai Library website for updates.
Wednesday, July 14th, 19:00 Hogwarts An Incomplete and Unreliable Guide
a collection of J.K. Rowling’s writing from the Pottermore archives: short reads originally featured on pottermore.com. These eBooks, with writing curated by Pottermore, will take you beyond the Harry Potter stories as J.K. Rowling reveals her inspiration, intricate details of characters’ lives and surprises from the wizarding world.
Hogwarts An Incomplete and Unreliable Guide takes you on a journey to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. You’ll venture into the Hogwarts grounds, become better acquainted with its more permanent residents, learn more about lessons and discover secrets of the castle . . . all at the turn of a page.
With Caledonia Skytower.
Thursday, July 15th
19:00: The Dragon of Og
With Shandon Loring.
21:00: Seanchai Late Night
Contemporary sci-fi and fantasy read by Finn Zeddmore.
Friday, July 16th, 14:30: Terry Pratchett’s Unseen Academicals
Football in Ankh-Morpork is not as we might know it. Rather than being comprised of rules and played within a recognisable ground, it is far more akin to the somewhat violent mob football of medieval Europe.
Not that this is a concern for the elderly, mostly indolent and (some might be tempted to think) somewhat inept old wizards making up the faculty staff at the city’s school of wizardry, the Unseen University. Until, that is, their very handsome annual endowment becomes subject to their playing the game themselves.
Thus, Archchancellor Mustrum Ridcully sets out a two-pronged strategy: to ensure the city’s version of football is restructured with proper (and favourable?) rules, and to put team preparations at the university in the hands of the talented candle dribbler, Mr. Nutt and his assistant, Trevor Likely, the son of the city’s most famous (if deceased – did I mention the game can be violent?) player, who are in turn supported by Glenda Sugarbean, who runs the university’s night kitchen and her assistant Juliet Stollop.
Except Mr. Nutt soon discovers he has problems of his own to deal with, and Trevor has promised his Mum he’ll never get involved in the game. Meanwhile, Glenda has the daily responsibility of baking the Discworld’s best pies, and Juliet is about to find herself whisked towards the heights of fame as a fashion model, thus potentially leaving the team a little short on practical advice…
Join Caledonia Skytower as she presents the 37th novel in the Discworld series, and possibly one of its greatest satirical undertakings encompassing football, academia, traditions, the fashion industry, politics, love, fandom, and which mixes in more serious themes of identity, crab mentality and self-worth.
Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld 