Literature

**🙋‍♀️**Welcome to FREE FRIDAY Social + language ​exchange meetup. Meet people from many countries and make new friends. 👉We always have MANY people attending our Friday event since this event is listed in 3 different meetup groups. Some people come early some come late, best time is between 6:30pm to 9:30pm. 👉This is a great opportunity to learn to speak English with native and non-native speakers. Many English speakers, Europeans, Chinese, Japanese, Koreans, and other Asians attend our fun and friendly party. 👉It is suitable for international students, working holiday people, professional ex-pats, and local Australians.

Hi Radiant Ladies, Join us for a refreshing Saturday walk at Ruffey Lake Park. 👭 Walk at your own pace 🐕 Dogs welcome ☕ Coffee after 🌦️ We walk every Saturday (unless it’s pouring) New ladies welcome. See you! 

Leanne & Lyn 💕

Join us for an evening of games at Watsonia Library. Every fourth Friday we bring a selection of games from the club’s ever growing library as well as choice games from our own personal collections. Feel free to bring your own! **Venue change:** Due to works in the library activity room, we will be meeting at the Watsonia Neighbourhood House, 47 Lambourn Rd, Watsonia. \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- Where do we play? We play in the community room at Watsonia Library. What do we play? There will be a range of games available, from beginner to more experienced. We play modern board and card games that are fun and relatively easy to learn. We are more than happy for new people of all experience levels to come and we are always eager to teach. How about Food and Drinks? Enjoy some tea on the house. Or bring in your own meal or grab one from one of the fine local places in the neighbourhood.

**Ballarat Day Trip: Autumn Special** 🍂 **Saturday\, 23 May \| 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM** 🌟 Experience the charm of Ballarat in autumn with Bondaroo! Join us for a scenic day trip filled with historic landmarks, cultural discoveries, and beautiful seasonal landscapes. 🏛️✨ Designed especially for international students, this trip blends exploration, connection, and fun group experiences - a great opportunity to discover regional Victoria while enjoying the colours and atmosphere of the autumn season. **📍 Starting Point:** Southern Cross Station platform 5A or 6A **Time:** 8:45 AM sharp **📅 Date:** Saturday (23 May) **💬 RSVP:** Secure your spot on [Eventbrite ](https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/ballarat-day-trip-with-bondaroo-registration-1989444505069?aff=oddtdtcreator)now! **Highlights:** Lake Wendouree, Ballarat Farmers Market, Ballarat Botanical Gardens, Ballarat Tramway Museum, Saint Patrick's Cathedral, Ballarat Town Hall, Chinese Library, and Art Gallery of Ballarat **🎟 Ticket Information** • Please register via **Eventbrite**. This Meetup page is for promotion only — RSVPs here will not be counted in the final attendee list. • **$10 deposit** (secures your spot, non-refundable if cancelled within 24 hours of the event) • **$49 total price including the deposit** (includes BBQ and light refreshments, pay the rest on the day) **⚠️ Important Notes** • Please ensure you have a **valid Myki with sufficient balance** for V/Line travel • Wear comfortable clothing and check the weather * Bring your water bottle to stay hydrated 👉 Limited spots – **book now on Eventbrite:** https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/ballarat-day-trip-with-bondaroo-registration-1989444505069?aff=oddtdtcreator Pack your cameras and ready your senses for a day full of discovery and enchantment in Ballarat with Bondaroo! 🌿🎨 ✨ **Community Rules** ✨ * This is a rain-or-shine event. * 18+ only. * Maintain respect and no unsolicited contact. * No advertising and selling during the event. * By attending this event, you accept our [Terms and Conditions](https://docs.google.com/document/d/11Afnnu5xW6Yhtgl4LGDAVEMSdJ-7M3aC7Cs-s_t0uOo/edit?usp=sharing), including [media consent policy](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rgNOcewZs-tKYUEBt3gV84hob1HdDXydjrGf_tEiXjQ/edit?usp=drive_link), and agree to adhere to our [liability waiver ](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hKqVIMcXMFdzvpjqO3KRf_uQ5xAzd-jt/view?usp=drive_link)

**Meet new people in a relaxed, inclusive and welcoming space! 🤗** **(FREE EVENT).** Join us as we return to one of our favourite drinking spots in Brunswick East to spend a Friday night of chilled mingling over drinks.🍻 The moment you walk into **CRAFTSMAN'S CORNER**, you can't help but feel the welcoming vibes – like entering your local, even though it might be your first time there. Owner Alex is not only a super friendly guy, but he also makes one hell of a cocktail (try his Lemon Meringue Pie! ). 🍹🍸 There are also plenty of tasty bar eats to order on the day if you are feeling peckish. 🌮🍔 **Happy Hour (7pm - 8pm):** **$10** Beer / Wine + Bubbles / Basic Spirits 🍺🍷🥃 **$15** Cocktails 🍹 (select – TBA which ones the day) Come along for some drinks and conversation with new people in a relaxed environment. If you are coming alone, you don't need to worry about not knowing anyone. **Most people attend our events solo!** Just remember, we are all there for the same reason – to meet new people and have fun. 🎉 Check out Melbourne Mingle on [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/melbourne_mingle) or [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61567494869532) 👀

Hello book lovers, Our book for May is *The Director* by Daniel Kehlmann. From 'one of the brightest, most pleasure-giving writers at work today' (Jeffrey Eugenides), visionary tale inspired by the life of the 20th century film director G.W. Pabst, who left Europe for Hollywood to resist the Nazis and then returned to his homeland with his wife and young son and began making films for the German Reich. An artist's life, a pact with the devil, a novel about the dangerous illusions of the silver screen.

**PLEASE NOTE: We're now starting our city meetup at 11am, so it's the same time as our suburb meetup.** Come to our city book club in May! We'll be at the Dymocks Melbourne cafe sitting upstairs in the mezzanine level and we want to hear about what you like to read! For those of you who haven't joined us before, we're a book club with no set book, no homework and no judgement! Come along and tell us what you enjoy reading and what's on your to read list. We ask that you bring no more than four books in total, being a couple you've recently read and/or a couple that are on your to-read list. Given the often adult topics discussed, our meetups aren't suitable for children under the age of 14. **Please note that as advised in our email and post of November 14th 2024 our fees have increased from $5.00 to $6.50 per person per meetup. This is due to Meetup.com doubling the organiser fees for meetup groups. We now pay at least $50 a month to have a Meetup site (unfortunately this cost fluctuates due to Meetup charging us in USD). All fees go towards paying the meetup fees. This can only be accepted via the Meetup site and we do not accept cash on the day.** Similarly, if you are planning to attend, please RSVP on the Meetup site. RSVPs can be made right up until the moment the event starts, we are unable to accept cash on the day or attendances from those who have not RSVPd as we need to plan for attendance numbers and space.

Celebrate the Glorious Revolution! Join us at our Annual Lilac Day crafting event. We can sing about how they rise up, eat a hard boiled egg (BYO egg) or talk while our hands are busy making fun things. You can bring your own crafting projects\* or just chat with other Discworld fans. feel free to bring lunch or snacks. (This does include hard-boiled eggs, but your toast soldiers might go cold between home and the library.) when: 2:00-5:00pm 24th of May Where: private residence in Pahran, address will be given via dm after hitting "going" bring: drinks, snacks and your crafting supplies All the fun, all the games...well, all the enjoyment of making. See how the little angels rise up… This is a free event with no tickets. We only ask that you respond if you are attending or hoping to attend by clicking on the 'Going' button. (\*Darning mushrooms, knitting needles and crotchet hooks are allowed, as long as they are not used as weapons by the Agony Aunts. maybe avoid glitter)

Melbourne Central Food Hall on Level 2. Far back corner near large windows to outside. Look for the colourful piano! See below for exact instructions on finding us. IMPORTANT: Please turn up if you RSVP. Other writers are counting on you being there with them so no one sits alone!!! Currently we have part-time hosts and regulars who will turn up and sit together. EVERYONE, please keep a look out for newly arriving people in the group and make them feel welcome, especially if they say: Are you with the writing group? If you arrive first and have an A4 piece of paper, it is a good idea to write on the paper: Writing Group. This way everyone will find each other. Bring your writing tools, and anything that you have written recently (optional). Remember your earphones if you like to listen to music while you write. There are no rules :) You can write. Or you can chat and write. You can share your work. Or not share your work. (If you need silence to concentrate then headphones are a good idea considering it is in a public space.) Bring pen and paper as a backup. Melbourne Central wifi available. Who: People who write and/or want to write (more) What: An open group of writers who meetup in a stimulating space to write together, share writing and ideas and support each other’s writing goals Why: Inspiration, motivation and space to write. Where: Melbourne Central - see photo for our location. Red shaded area would be ideal if available when you arrive. Detailed instructions if you do not know the area: 1) Go to the Shot Tower (the old building inside Melbourne Central with the big cone glass roof above it). 2) Go up the the escalators (there’s only one set of up- escalators near the Shot Tower, you can’t miss it). 3) You are now on level 2, Dining Hall (there are signs to the right, just slightly, stating this). 4) Top Juice store is to your right. Turn right so you pass Top Juice and walk toward the food hall. 5) You are now in the food hall near a black piano. Go past this. Go to the seating at the far back corner where there are large windows facing outside. 6) Look for us writers. There should be a sign on the table. Call out your hosts name and ask if this is the writing group. We will say YES, here we are! Additional hosts wanted!!! Please contact Mat Clarke. Please only RSVP if you can make it. And also un-RSVP if you need to cancel. Thank You, Melbourne Writers. Great Links: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MelbWriters What we have written so far: www.worldwriterscollective.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/MelbCityWriters Blog: http://melbournewriters.wordpress.com **Help us by adding to these social pages and site**

Join us for an afternoon celebrating the remarkable range of director John Huston, one of Hollywood’s most enduring auteurs. We’ll be discussing two of his most celebrated films — the razor-sharp detective thriller The Maltese Falcon (1941) and his luminous, elegiac final masterpiece The Dead (1987), adapted from James Joyce’s beloved short story. From Humphrey Bogart’s cool, cynical Sam Spade to the quiet emotional devastation of Gabriel Conroy, Huston’s career spanned decades and genres while always returning to the deepest questions of human nature. These two films, bookending his extraordinary filmography, offer a perfect window into what made him such a singular voice in cinema. Whether you’re a longtime Huston devotee or discovering these films for the first time, all are welcome. Come ready to discuss, debate, and reflect. We’ll cover: • Huston’s career arc, from Hollywood noir to intimate literary adaptation • The Maltese Falcon as a defining work of film noir • The Dead as a meditation on memory, love, and mortality • The personal significance of The Dead as Huston’s farewell film • Open discussion and audience favorites Watching the films in advance is encouraged but not required!

KereKere Green in Fitzroy Gardens We will be discussing Philosophize This! Episode 18: Avicenna Can be found on the Philosophize This! website ( https://www.philosophizethis.org/podcast/avicenna-mz68j ), Spotify, YouTube Music, or other places you listen to podcasts. Everyone welcome

We'll meet at The Capital One Café, 167 Easton Town Center, Space A-103. This is in the main mall where the Microsoft store used to be, on your left if you're standing at the bottom of the AMC Theater escalator. Join us on Saturday for an hour of uninterrupted wordmaking! • What we'll do Join us for an hour of writing! We’ve discovered that it’s strikingly helpful to write with other writers. See if it’s true for you at 10AM on Saturday mornings. Be it a book, blog, script, essay, dissertation, resume, melody, poem or just plain work stuff, you are invited to write it with us. No one will see what you've written or give you unsolicited advice. Instead of just thinking about writing, come and get some real writing done. SCHEDULE: 10:00 - SESSION 1: quick intros. 10:10 - timer starts: write for 1 hour. 11:10 - chat / take off / keep writing. OPTIONAL SOCIALIZING happens at 11A-11:30ish. Writing is very solitary. Connecting (and sometimes even commiserating) with other writers is a cool thing. BEING LATE IS OKAY: just show up and get settled, then check-in with me after the session. (I’ll be the person with the Shut Up & Write! sign.) If you were on time, please be willing to make room for the friendly latecomer. Happy writing and I look forward to seeing you! • What to bring Whatever you need to be able to write! Bring earbuds/earplugs if you want to block noise or the occasional conversation by other patrons. Electrical outlets are limited, so charge your devices before whenever possible. See you at The Café on Saturday!

By popular demand, the group wanted to read and discuss the semi-autobiographical novel by Henri-Pierre Roche, that inspired the Truffaut movie we watched last year. The book is available through the Columbus Library's interlibrary loan system. They reported there are twenty-eight copies available in the state of Ohio. If you have a library card, you can file an interlibrary loan request here: https://www.columbuslibrary.org/library-services/ . There are also used copies available on Amazon and eBay for under twenty dollars. You may want to rewatch the movie after reading the book, so we can compare and contrast in our discussion. The Columbus Library has four copies on DVD, and it's streaming on HBOMax.

Join the CONNECTED Westerville Mastermind Group for a dynamic afternoon of B2B networking! This event is perfect for professionals looking to expand their business connections, share insights, and foster collaboration within the community. Whether you are a seasoned entrepreneur or just starting out, this event offers a valuable opportunity to exchange ideas, build relationships, and grow your network in a supportive environment. Connect with like-minded individuals, explore potential partnerships, and discover new opportunities for professional growth. Don't miss out on this chance to enhance your business network and take your career to the next level with CONNECTED Westerville Mastermind Group! We meet the 4th Monday of every month from 11am-1pm. Welcome and general networking from 11am - 11:30am with core meeting 11;30 - 12:30 and a final round of networking from 12:30 - 1pm.

[Columbus library link to book](https://cml.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S105C3351321) Location: The Goat River South 219 S High St, Columbus, OH 43215 Street parking is free on Sundays [Menu](https://static1.squarespace.com/static/686d3ed16745133042482c5f/t/68ff654dbb03b96875430bde/1761568077220/all_brunch-20250311.pdf) Book summary: On a hot day in Bethlehem, a twelve-year-old Palestinian-American girl is yelled at by a group of men outside the Church of the Nativity. She has exposed her legs in a biblical city, an act they deem forbidden, and their judgement will echo on through her adolescence. When our narrator finally admits to her mother that she is queer, her mother's response only intensifies a sense of shame: 'You exist too much,' she tells her daughter. Told in vignettes that flash between the U.S. and the Middle East--from New York to Jordan, Lebanon, and Palestine--Zaina Arafat's debut novel traces her protagonist's progress from blushing teen to sought-after DJ and aspiring writer.

Welcome, readers! Our May read is **_Kindred_ by Octavia E. Butler.** The story follows Dana, a Black woman living in 1976 California, who is suddenly pulled back to a Maryland plantation before the Civil War. She learns her survival is tied to a white slaveholder’s son. Forced to move between centuries, she must endure the brutal realities of slavery while fighting to hold on to her identity. Tense, intimate, and unforgettable, Kindred explores how the past refuses to stay buried. Looking forward to discussing with everyone! We will meet at Zaftig Brewing Co in their event room in the back. We are welcome to bring in our own food, but **drinks must be purchased at the bar.** Happy reading! 📖