LITERATURE LANE, CITY

2012 is the National Year of Reading in Australia. It is a year where people are encouraged to read more, it is about children learning to read competently at early, and it is for keen readers to discover new authors. The year is about supporting reading initiatives while respecting the oral tradition of storytelling. It is about helping people discover and rediscover the magic of books. Quite importantly, it is about Australians becoming a nation of avid readers. Although Australia’s literacy rate is quoted as 99%, it is unfortunate that nearly half of our population cannot read with any fluency or great confidence.

In order to make Australia a nation of avid readers, it is important for all Australians to understand the benefits of reading as a life skill and a catalyst for well-being. This understanding begins early in life and more at home than in at school. A reading culture should be promoted in every home. There is no better way for children to become readers than for parents and caregivers to share books with their children every day.

State libraries across Australia and all public libraries support all sorts of activities this year in order to promote the National Year of Reading 2012. More information is available in all libraries.

Literature Lane runs parallel to Elizabeth St close to La Trobe St in the City. It is decorated with the cover pages of some wonderful Australian literary works, as well as some branding relating  to the National Year of Reading, the State Library and Melbourne City of Literature. One of the books illustrated is "The Mystery of a Hansom Cab", which is a mystery fiction novel by English writer Fergus Hume. The book was first published in Australia in 1886. Set in Melbourne, the story focuses on the investigation of a homicide involving a body discovered in a hansom cab, as well as an exploration into the social class divide in the city. Sales of the book were successful in Australia, with 100,000 copies sold in the first two print runs. The book was subsequently published in Britain and the United States, and sold over 500,000 copies in both countries. The Mystery of a Hansom Cab became an international bestseller and outsold the worldwide 1887 publication of the Sherlock Holmes novel A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle.

Quite by chance, a couple of weeks ago I chanced upon a video crew int eh City, shooting a TV series based on this book. The series will be shortly broadcast on ABC TV here in Australia. Of course, I took a few photos!

This post is part of Lesley's Signs, Signs meme.