Book it in: Ross Jones from Creswick takes a look at The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
THOUSANDS flocked to Clunes at the weekend for the historic town’s annual Back to Booktown event.There was music, food and fun as Clunes turned on the charm for its biggest few days of the year.Street performers weaved between the teeming masses, entertaining the crowds in all sorts of ways as live music on the streets made for a carnival-like atmosphere.Even former prime minister Bob Hawke stopped in for a visit to sign copies of his biography yesterday, making time to also have photos taken with supporters along the way.Each year, book traders from around Australia gather in the historic village, turning it into a mecca for the book enthusiast.Punters lined the streets and stalls, discovering old literary favourites and a few new gems.Booktown’s Artistic Director Tess Brady said the event was the perfect place to rediscover a love for the written word.“We often have people finding things they haven’t seen since school or something their grandma used to read to them,” she said.“Booktown is for people to enjoy the village, the heritage and the books – what’s not to love?”Ms Brady said about 15,000 people had visited the town at the weekend, which provided a huge boost to the local economy.She said the annual event proved the perfect opportunity to showcase the historic town.“It’s about discovering Clunes,” she said.“It’s about being able to go into historic buildings and explore all these great little places that are usually closed to the public.”Ms Brady said about a third of the town’s population helped prepare for the event, highlighting the pride of the tight-knit community.“Last census we had the highest percentage of volunteers of any town in Victoria,” she said.“There’s just such positive energy about the place and everyone has come together to make this a great event.”For more information on Booktown, visit www.booktown.clunes.org.
