While Rollerblading with my friend Liz along the Brisbane River yesterday (well, alongside it on the path, you know what I mean), I had an almost-literal brush with fame.
That is, who jogged past me with inches to spare? Perhaps our most famous Brisbane author - Nick Earls! I almost fell over as I turned my head to look over my shoulder as he went past, just to make sure - then called out to Liz - but too late. He was already a receding figure in black.
Part of me would have loved to say hello, but the greater part of me didn’t want to bother the guy - he was, after all, just out for a jog on a Saturday morning - no time for a fan to hassle him. I’m a big believer in giving people their space - just because someone is famous doesn’t mean they want people noticing them all the time!
So, anyway, it was a bit of a treat.
The thing I think I loved most about his books - Bachelor Kisses, ZigZag Street, and Perfect Skin in particular, was that they were set right here, in Brisbane. You can read novels set in London or New York till the cows come home, but it’s a rare thing to find good, entertaining books set right here in my home city.
Not to mention they are all funny, irreverent, and fantastic studies of the human condition. A good read, all.
Australia
International
