WE LOVE UNSTACKING our collection of vintage Sebel chairs and throwing open our doors for the occasional event: author talks, art exhibition openings, creative workshops and launches.

Here’s what’s coming up!

---

Dark Deeds in the Highlands: an afternoon of crime writing
Date: Saturday December 6, 2-4pm
Cost: Just turn up for FREE drinks, nibbles, book sales + signings

Join New England-based crime writer Michael Burge to celebrate the launch of Dirt Trap, the sequel to his acclaimed debut rural crime novel Tank Water.

Michael will be in conversation with writers Chris McIntosh and D’Arcy Lloyd, co-authors of Diving Into Deep Water (a short fiction collection published by High Country Books with stories of mystery, history, speculative fiction and horror) in a session moderated by Yolanda Sanders and hosted by writer Brydie O’Shea.

This stop on Michael’s national book tour is a free event. Come for a drink and a nibble, snap up some thrilling reads for Christmas and have them signed by the authors, all at Deepwater’s little indie bookshop.

Praise for Dirt Trap:

“Everything you love about classic rural noir but with diverse characters who better represent the complexity of Australian country towns.”
Gabrielle Chan, author of Rusted Off

“Lays bare the human cost of silence within the closed ranks of a rural Australian town – and what it takes to break it.”
R.W.R. McDonald, author of The Nancys

Praise for Diving Into Deep Water:

“A testament to the breadth of writing talent that exists in rural areas.”
Kristy Reading, ABC New England North West

Guests:

Michael Burge
A journalist and author who lives at Deepwater, Michael’s debut crime novel Tank Water and its sequel Dirt Trap are a storytelling cycle about homophobia and justice in the bush, released by MidnightSun Publishing. His journalism has appeared in the Guardian, Fairfax Media and The Journal of Australian Studies.

D’Arcy Lloyd
Strategic and analytical by nature, education and practice, it is no surprise that these traits have followed D’Arcy’s late-life transition from corporate advice to creative writing. Long-term consequences of historical decisions made – or not – lie at the centre of D’Arcy’s works-in-progress, drawing on fragments of historical facts from a celebrated station in the Matheson Valley.

Chris McIntosh
Chris has always wanted to tell stories. His parents met in a band, and he grew up an only child in a small country town – surrounded by creative people and with plenty of time and space to think, explore and dream. He has lived in coastal cities and the bush, and worked in graphic design and website development before returning to the family farm in northern NSW.

Moderator:

Yolanda Sanders
A former NSW Police officer in rural and metro commands, Yolanda has made a career of life coaching and currently works with Corrective Services NSW as a probation and parole officer. A regular at the High Country Writers group, she participated in the Diving Into Deep Water project, and has plans to continue exploring her life experience in creative writing.

Host:

Brydie O’Shea
A former mounted policewoman and now prolific gardener who lives in the New England region, Brydie’s mystery-themed micro-fiction features in Diving Into Deep Water. Her short stories appear in Dark Sky Dreamings, Outer Space Inner Minds and This Is Not A Horror Story. Her poem ‘The Min Min Lights’ was long-listed for the Heroines Women’s Writing Prize.