Hundred Monkeys update.

 

 

We're a group of local creative and professional people that met and fell in love at Desire Books.

We want to launch a creative centre in Manly, where local artists, poets, musicians, scientists, makers and teachers share their skills and passions with community kids.

We believe that by breathing life into a child's ability to think creatively - and
by giving them the tools to realise their unique vision - we will have a profound, far-reaching effect on their capacity to not only adjust to the world they find themselves in, but to envision themselves as co-creators of the world they would like to see.

 

The first team of artists and makers has been assembled, and a handful of monkeys have been rounded up, and the pilot series of Hundred Monkeys will be launched in term 4 of 2012. Stay tuned for more updates and a website very soon! 

 

[Gigantic thanks to Andrew Strauss of straussart.net for our awesome wise and cheeky monkey mascot!]

Bonfire at Desire and official launch of TOE Magazine, May 2012

Join us on Tuesday the 29th of May from 7pm, for installment number ten of Bonfire at Desire open mic night. Bring us your songs, your poems, your short films, your stories, your dad jokes... we don't care what it is, as long as it has your soul dripping from it!

ALSO! This next Bonfire is the official launch of the first issue Theory of Everything Magazine. More details here.

Issue one revolves around the theme of Ritual and the publication itself is a very pretty, limited edition stack of tarot-like cards, each card with its own poem or story or visual work, bound together with a DVD of videos and performances. Fancy! Issues cost $8 for contributors, $10 for others.

FOR DIRECTIONS TO DESIRE BOOKS CLICK HERE.

Bonfire at Desire, March 2012

Poetry, stories, anecdotes, music, film, performance, dance. The shop is your oyster. Come all and all's friends; we love to love your presence!

Tuesday March 27th, from 7pm. 

At Desire Books, 3/3 Whistler St, Manly

BYO beverages and love!

Desire Books' 10th Birthday Extravaganza!

Ten years ago, dear Kree and Adam opened a little bookshop on Whistler Street in Manly... Now Desire is 10 years old and we're going to celebrate!

Upstairs at Hemingway's, we'll be getting our literary freak-on! Dress up! Put a little lippie on your smackers! Weeknight drinks and rump-shakin'! All invited!

Where: Hemingway's, Manly (upstairs bar). 48 North Steyne, Manly (opposite the beach, about 75 metres north of the Corso).

When: Tuesday, March the 6th at 7pm (until late, late, late).

New Desire Book Cover Posters!

For all of you have waited so patiently for us to make good on our Great Poster Promise, THEY'RE READY. We have an amazing range of 20 different A3+ posters; photos we've taken of gorgeous, iconic and/or just plain strange books that have crossed our path. We've got some in store, and we're taking Christmas orders. Get your order in by Dec 18th at the latest... Don't delay, these are the Christmas presents you won't find anywhere else!

 $45 unframed, $100 framed. 

Image size is 31cm x 46.5cm, and will fit in both A3 and 12"x16" framing mats.

Order via email, phone or come by the store between 10am and 5pm (address and number on right top of page)

Here's the first bunch, but we'll be adding many more to the catalogue over time.

(Desire Books watermarks have been added on the reproductions below; actual prints don't have a watermark.)

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 We Are Not the First, by Andrew Tomas

 #WFAT001

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Breakfast of Champions, by Kurt Vonnegut

#BCKV001

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 Chariots of the Gods? by Erich von Daniken

  #CGED001

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Cannibalism and Human Sacrifice, by Garry Hogg

#CHGH001

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The Dharma Bums, by Jack Kerouac

 #DBJK001

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Delta of Venus, by Anais Nin

#DVAN001

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The Fountainhead, by Ayn Rand

#FHAR001

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 Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, by Anita Loos

 #GBAL001

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 A Ghost at Noon, by Alberto Moravia

(dark background)

 #GNAM001

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A Ghost at Noon, by Alberto Moravia

(light background)

 #GNAM002

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Guerrilla Warfare, by Che Guevara

#GWCG001

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The Kandy-Kolored Tangerine-Flake Streamline Baby, by Tom Wolfe

#KBTW001

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The Magic Mountain, by Thomas Mann

 #MMTM001

 

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The Naked Lunch, by William S. Burroughs

#NLWB001

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On the Road, by Jack Kerouac

 #ORJK001

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Post Office, by Charles Bukowski

#POCB001

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 The Girl Nadja, by anonymous

  #TGN001

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Ulysses, by James Joyce

(light background)

#UJJ001

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Ulysses, by James Joyce

(dark background)

 #UJJ002

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Bonfire at Desire, Episode 6

Each Bonfire at Desire comes with a new flavour of magic that nobody can predict. Pack your poems, stories, songs, films, friends and wine and head down to this lovely little bookshop and we'll all have a taste of what the sixth monthly installment brings us.

Tuesday the 29th of November at 7pm at ye olde bookshoppe, Desire Books 3/3 Whistler St, Manly.

New badge packs!

Over the next couple o' months we'll be releasing a bunch of nifty badge packs! (How much is "a bunch"? Our friends at the Institute of Reference Materials and Measurements in Belgium define a bunch as "a smidge more than some".)

The first two:

Great Literary Moustaches


And, Desirable Vintage Portable Typewriters


Available in store now!

Bonfire at Desire, Episode 5

YES! The theme of this Bonfire at Desire will be (but not limited to) Halloween. You know the drill; spooks, spirits, afterlife, witchy wikky wicca, spider poo, vampires, lads, all the things that make you clench your butt cheeks when you think of them. Get to it, my pretties! Winner gets to sacrifice the goat. Tuesday the 25th at the magical witching hour of 7pm.

Thanks for the theme suggestion, Tim!

(That was a joke about the goat; there are no winners or losers at Bonfire. We sacrifice it together.)

2011 Nobel Prize for Literature Competition

Bonfire at Desire, Episode 4

The fourth Bonfire at Desire is coming on the last Tuesday of the first month of spring. Gather round, bring your poems, stories, films, songs, friends, wine, warmth and share them all around.

Tuesday, September 27th, 7:00pm - 10:30pm at:

Desire Books

3/3 Whistler St

Manly, Australia

ALSO!: The sock wrestling continues. Reigning champion Simon wants your dirty, smelly socks. Do you want his?

Bonfire at Desire, Episode 3

It's on again! Your favourite thing to do every four weeks or so.

Bonfire is the night we open Desire Books for an open mic night; open to anyone who has something to share to an open audience. So far we have had poetry, film, live music, spoken word/rap, stories, performances, a children's book reading, choc banana muffins and drinks and this will only be our third night!

Please, come share yourselves.

Tuesday, August 30 · 7:00pm - 10:30pm at:

Desire Books

3/3 Whistler st

Manly, Australia

BYO lack of inhibitions.

Manly Jazz Festival 2010

Manly Jazz Festival is back, again, for its 33rd year...

We're delighted to announce that this year we have a great little be-bop ensemble playing our store. They go by the name of inner west jazz quartet, and they've got a few regular gigs around Sydney and they're sharp and they're hot and they're pretty freakin' smart.

They'll be playing on Sunday the 3rd of October, from 12pm to 4pm (with occasional breaks here and there to cool down, 'cause they're so damn hot).

Our address is: 3/3 Whistler St, Manly. (Click here for directions and map.)

Manly Jazz Festival 2010
Hot Jazz, Cool Surf
October 2-4
For full festival details click here.