mariannedepeirres.jpgderek_motion.jpgJOHNBIRMINGHAM.jpg

I've Shown You Mine, Now Show Me Yours, Part VIII.

The call to 'Show Me Your Writing Desk' has so far given us a voyeuristic peek at the private writing rooms of Dominic Knight, Joshua Cilento, James Bradley, Lindy Cameron, Judith Ridge, Tracey O' Hara, Joshua Lee, Rhys Muldoon, Tara Bradford, Emma Tom, Sophie Ward, Lee Tulloch, Clem Bastow, Morgan Christie, Maggie Alderson, Kathy Charles, Nick Earls, and Sandra Lee. We've seen anarchic and neat, utilitarian and embellished, temporary and purpose-built. Further adding to the theory that there is no 'right' writing space, so long as it works for the writer, The Book Post desk series continues with Marianne de Pierres, Derek Motion and John Birmingham:

Left: The intentionally stark writing corner of Marianne de Pierres, author of the Parrish Plessis and Sentients of Orion science fiction series and Tara Sharp crime series (written under the pseudonym Marianne Delacourt). She says, ‘When we moved house recently, I lost my dedicated office and inherited this open plan space. I hate not being able to shut the door to the world but I love the window onto the garden, and the easy accessibility of the area. The wall is deliberately blank because I’d spend way too much time staring at it otherwise.’

Middle: 
The desk of Derek Motion, published poet, PhD student at CSU and Director of the Booranga Writers’ Centre is sandwiched into a
 closed off fireplace, with the mantel functioning as a poetry shelf. The desk was a gift from his mother, and doesn't have a room of its own. Thus it tends to become ‘a 
graveyard for various oddments, coffee cups, empty cd cases, bunnings
 catalogues etc.’ And a 25 key midi keyboard.

Right: The writing desk of John Birmingham, author of He Died With A Felafel In His Hand, How To Be A Man, Off One's Tits, and the Axis of Time and Without Warning novel series, seen in ‘deadline glory’. The desk area features used coffee cups, wine glasses, and a bottle of Wonga Estate Pinot Noir 2007, and a work bench that runs the length of one wall and is divided into two areas, one digital, one analogue. At the analogue end (right) are two printed manuscripts, ‘one from my local publisher and one from New York’. John's office is purpose built, and overlooks a small rain forest. It is physically cut off from the rest of the house and insulated for sound –‘ has to be with two kids at home’ he explains. And it’s not really as misty as it looks. ‘Scuse the penthouse fuzzy lens. forgot to clean me iPhone.’

Quid pro quo. We've shown you ours, now show us yours, and I'll continue to post the best on The Book Post....

Happy reading,
tara_signature_trans.gif