BOOKSHELF by Annabelle Hickson
In Good Company Sophie Hansen Murdoch Books, $39.99 Sophie Hansen has done it again. The Orange-based cookery writer has a knack for creating go-to cookbooks for particular occasions. For example, if I have to make a picnic, or if a friend has just had a baby, or if I have to bring a platter to a community event, I reach for Sophie’s second book A Basket By the Door, where she’ll guide me through not only what to make, but also the practicalities of making and moving transportable food. In her new book, Sophie acts as a kind of fairy godmother for feeding groups of people at home. She gives you the recipes you need when you’re having people over and you want to feed them in a way that won’t send you into an anxiety spiral. Sophie’s recipes are reliable, never overly complicated and full of joy. Every country kitchen needs a copy on its shelves.
Ken Done: Art Design Life Amber Creswell Bell Thames & Hudson, $80 This magnificent book chronicles the 40 years of art, doona covers and businesssmarts of Ken Done, one of Australia’s most original and iconic artists, who did so much to help us throw off the cultural cringe and authentically embrace what it meant to be Australian. From Done’s ideas for a new Australian flag to the covers of a weekly Japanese women’s magazine he illustrated for 15 years, this book explores many facets of his art and life. ‘You see one of Ken’s drawings or paintings and you suddenly feel glad and proud that you belong to a country that can inspire such a joyous response,’ playwright David Williamson says in the book, and that is exactly how I felt after reading it.
Spirit of the Garden Trisha Dixon National Library of Australia, $65 The best gardens are those that consult the spirit of the place, according to Monaro-based author and photographer Trisha Dixon. Just as Maya Angelou believes that it’s not what people say that you remember but rather how they make you feel, Trisha believes the feeling of the garden is what matters. Trees, shrubs, plants, design and sculpture are secondary. This beautiful book made me reflect on why we garden and how, instead of imposing total control over the landscape, we might work with the natural surrounds and value and respect its own particular genius loci. On a more superficial note, it also made me audibly gasp when I saw the photo of Trisha’s book-lined reading room in her Monaro farmhouse.
