Shelf Life to air on TVS
Sydney free to air TV channel TVS will add a new show to its line up – Shelf Life – a 30 minute literary programme produced by the University of Western Sydney and focused on writers, novels and what everyday people are reading.
The announcement:
A new television show that explores what everyday people are reading and uncovers new writers and novels of interest to both avid readers and bookshelf browsers is set to air on TVS on September 7 at 7pm.
‘Shelf Life’ is a half hour program produced by the University of Western Sydney that delves into book launches, writing groups and the thoughts of both famous local authors and day to day readers to showcase what’s on offer for Australians who are keen to put their bookmark to use.
Presented by Dr Milissa Deitz and Dr Rachel Morley from the UWS School of Communication Arts, ‘Shelf Life’ also explores unique book shops and their owners, and investigates how e-books are reshaping the local publishing landscape.
The new CEO of TVS and Executive Producer of ‘Shelf Life’ Rachel Bentley says universities are hubs for creative thinking and discovering new trends, and UWS is in a great position to expand the public’s enthusiasm for books, novels, and all sorts of writing.
“Despite Australia’s love of sport, libraries remain the most visited cultural institutions in the country, so there’s a huge audience craving a show like Shelf Life,” says Ms Bentley, who is also from the UWS School of Communication Arts.
“This series is focused on discovering new authors and new ideas, and seeing how people access books though libraries and friend’s recommendations.”
Series producer Gerry O’Leary says ‘Shelf Life’ will give viewers unique book recommendations by discovering what people are reading on trains and other public locations around Sydney.
“By approaching people who are reading books as they go about their day to day lives, ‘Shelf Life’ uncovers a host of interesting and often obscure books that may not be on most people’s radar,” Ms O’Leary says.
In the first episode of ‘Shelf Life’, Anita Heiss discusses her latest book ‘Manhattan Dreaming’, and viewers are taken on a tour of the historic wing of the State Library of NSW, the Mitchell Library, for its 100th anniversary.
As the series progresses, viewers are taken from avant-garde poetry and writing jams in Newtown to living, breathing books on offer at Lidcombe Library.
Shelf Life premiers on TVS (Digital Channel 44) on September 7 at 7pm.
Source: UWS press release
