Books Alive 2009 - Back and bigger than ever

Australia’s largest annual promotion of books and reading, Books Alive, will encourage everyone to get reading this September with a giveaway book of 10 short stories and a national television campaign.

The 50 Books You Can’t Put Down guide will continue to be the centerpiece of the campaign. The list of 50 of the year’s best books – including 26 fiction, 14 non-fiction and 10 children’s titles – will be available free at book retailers all around the country.

Readers who purchase any of the 50 Books You Can’t Put Down will receive a free book of specially commissioned short stories written by 10 of Australia’s leading authors: Robert Drewe, Anita Heiss, Toni Jordan, Tom Keneally, Kathy Lette, Monica McInerney, William McInnes, Melina Marchetta, Jack Marx and Peter Temple.

Alternatively, readers can choose to receive a free new children’s book from the popular GRUG series, also exclusive to Books Alive 2009.

A series of television commercials is being produced featuring several high-profile ambassadors, including TV talk-show legend Michael Parkinson and the iconic author Tom Keneally.

Also new this year was a competition to find the best book cover for the specially commissioned free book. The $2500 prize was won by Perth designer Charmaine Cave, whose winning cover will be reproduced on over 200,000 copies of the free book.
‘Books Alive 2009 will run in the first month of spring, and we’ve got some fresh new developments, such as the giveaway book of 10 great Australian short stories and exciting new TVC,’ said Sandra Yates AO, chair of Books Alive.

Books Alive is now in its eighth year. Since 2001 the campaign has directly resulted in the sale of an extra 1.4 million books in Australia, valued at over $12 million.
Books Alive is an Australian Government initiative developed via the Australia Council for the Arts.

For more information about Books Alive contact booksalive@capma.com.au

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