Read All About It

If you’re a proud book worm, then this weekend you need to be in Sydney. On the 30-31 August, the Book Expo Australia will ensure your nose is knee deep in volumes of hard and paper backs. The nation’s largest dedicated event for authors and publishers attracts around 10,000 visitors so if reading is your vice, your timing is perfect. Attendees are a mix of bookshop owners, book reviewers & bloggers, booktubers, families, individuals, teachers, librarians and journalists so enjoy being in educational company.

With over 100 exhibitors, you can check out the Guinness Book of Records attempt for the Longest Chain of Paper Dolls. Yes, you read correctly. Paper Dolls! There are also 6 breakout activity rooms, performance areas including reading and interactive illustrator skills, and a treasure hunt.

Everyone receives a show bag upon arrival and there’s a multitude of food, drinks and entertainment to keep all book lovers involved. Just to keep your energy levels up as the venue is vast and skimming booths may cause you to miss out on hidden gems and limited editions.

Taking place at Exhibition Hall 5 at Sydney Olympic Park, tickets are incredibly reasonable. From $5 AUD for teachers, kids (12-18 years old) librarians, to $20 for family tickets, $8.50 for adults and free passes for children under 12.

At this prime event where die hard readers come to meet well known and favourite authors, you can also hunt for up and coming novelists. The genres are extensive from crime, fantasy, childrens, thriller, action and contemporary to appease all minds. So if you’re really into the rom-com style whodunit with pop up visuals tapping into a modern day thespian theme (is there such a thing?), there may be an exhibiting author who makes your wish come true.

This could also be the time that you explore new innovative learning methods to help yourself or someone with challenged reading. Possibly you have dyslexia; there’s bound to be a book created for you in mind. Or you know a child who just doesn’t get the importance of reading, so is delayed in learning abilities? Snoop around and maybe you’ll find books for the reluctant rugrat.

This is also a great place to buy preview books and with a slight elbow twist, maybe the author will sign the book for you. A great, surprise gift for someone who is a huge fan of the author.

And only 30 minutes drive from the Park, you can then unwind, open your new books and start reading, overlooking the Harbour and downtown skyline. Staying at one of Sydney’s affordable, boutique hotels is the best way to put up your feet with a good novel. At Cremorne Point Manor, you can read between the lines why Tripadvisor gave the Manor a 4^th annual, consecutive Certificate of Excellence Award.