MEDIA RELEASE Friday 5 March 2010

Celebrate a Summer of Reading with Author Steven Amsterdam

Yarra Plenty Regional Library celebrates a summer of reading with an evening with The Age
Book of the Year author Steven Amsterdam at its Eltham branch on Thursday 25 March from
7.00pm until 8.00pm
The event marks the end of the 2009 - 2010 Summer Read program developed by the State
Library of Victoria in collaboration with the Public Libraries Victoria Network. The program
celebrates the diversity of Victorian writing and encourages Victorians to enjoy a good book
over summer.
The Summer Read book list of 10 books included Steven Amsterdam’s lauded Things We Didn’t
See Coming, which contains a series of connected short stories set in a corrupted, post-
apocalyptic world where climate change is a blasted reality and humanity has stumbled further
down the path of self-annihilation.
The book won The Age 2009 Fiction Book of The Year and Book of the Year, has been selected
for Barnes & Noble’s discover great new writers series in the United States, and has been
chosen for the VCE reading list for year 11 and year 12 students, beginning in 2011.
Steven Amsterdam will appear in conversation with journalist Matt de Neef. Attendees will be
able to hear about Steven’s book, discover why he once got yelled at by actor Sean Penn and
why he loves to make elaborate cakes.
Steven Amsterdam was born and raised in Manhattan and graduated from the Bronx High
School of Science, the University of Chicago and the University of Melbourne. He lives in
Melbourne with his partner and their two chickens and works as a psychiatric and palliative care
nurse.
YPRL Acting Reading and Literacy Coordinator Blaise van Hecke said everyone is welcome at
the event. “We’re excited about having Steven speak at Eltham library. This event is one of
many author events we have planned for the year at all our eight branches,” she said.
YPRL chairperson Lewis Brock encourages local readers to attend. “This is a fantastic
opportunity to meet one of Australia’s rising writing talents,” he said.
Eltham Library
Panther Place Eltham
7.00pm – 8.00pm
Refreshments provided.

MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES:
• A photograph of Steven Amsterdam is available for publication.
-ENDS-
For further information:
Suzanne Male
Marketing & Media Coordinator
Yarra Plenty Regional Library
Phone: 9401 0755
Email: smale@yprl.vic.gov.au