EXCITED: Author Alice Pung will feature at this weekend's Booktown event at Clunes.
A RISING star of the Australian literary scene is set to return to Clunes for this weekend's Booktown Festival.
Author, lawyer and teacher Alice Pung will take part in a panel discussion about the relationships between fathers and daughters and will discuss her latest book Her Father's Daughter.
She said the book told the story of her father, a survivor of Cambodia's killing fields.
"The book took me 10 years to research in China and Cambodia and another five years to write so I am looking forward to discussing it at Clunes," she said.
"I am excited to come back for the festival, as I love a good second-hand bookshop."
Click here for photos from last year's Booktown
Ms Pung was born in Footscray and grew up in Braybrook in Melbourne's western suburbs. Her best-selling memoir Unpolished Gem received critical acclaim in 2006.
She said Clunes held a sentimental meaning for her.
"My very first boyfriend at university was from Clunes and I think of it as a lovely small community like others I have lived in," she said.
Ms Pung is a regular contributor to
"Authors don't get many opportunities to sell their books, so I especially like taking part in festivals and panel discussions like at Clunes, as the best way to get people to read your book is a soft sell," Ms Pung said.
For more information or to see the Clunes Booktown Festival program, visit