Events August to December, 2014
“Unlikely Pilgrims” author talk, Word for Word National Non-Fiction Festival, Geelong, Sunday 17 August, 1:30pm-2:30pm
With Tom Doig (Moron to Moron) and Tom Trumble (Unholy Pilgrims)
Cost: $12 full/$8 concession
Details: http://www.wordforwordfestival.com.au/sunday/
“Pedal-Powered Essay”, Melbourne Writers Festival, Sunday 14 August & Saturday 30 August, 1pm, leaving Fed Square
Get out of your armchair and into the saddle on a journey that brings the facts about cycling to life. Join Greg Foyster, author of Changing Gears, on this ‘rolling argument’ through past, present and future, explaining why bicycles are the healthiest, cleanest – and yes, even the fastest – way to get around.
Sunday 24 August 1pm, leaving from Fed Square: http://www.mwf.com.au/session/ride-pedal-powered-essay/
Saturday 30 August 1pm, leaving from Fed Square: http://www.mwf.com.au/session/ride-pedal-powered-essay-2/
Cost: $40
(Note: This is a social ride for people of average fitness, not a race. BYO bike.)
“Paperback Riders”, Melbourne Writers Festival, Saturday 23 August, 1:30pm
Footscray Community Arts Centre
Come for a bike ride with writers and riders Greg Foyster, Tom Doig, Emma Ayres, Ianto Ware and your host Hilary Harper as they head to Footscray Community Arts Centre for a series of illustrated talks that combine their passion for the road with creative pursuits including piano, viola and writing.
The bicycle ride will start at 1.30pm at The Henry Turner Memorial Reserve (see map), at the rear of Victoria University’s Footscray Park Campus. The illustrated talk will commence at 2.30pm and runs for 90 minutes. Your ticket gives you access to the illustrated talk and the bike ride.
Cost: $22 full, $19 concession
Bookings: http://www.mwf.com.au/session/paperback-riders/
Changing Gears author talk, Carlton Library, Tuesday 2 September
Carlton Library, 667 Rathdowne St, North Carlton, 3054
Cost: free
Changing Gears author talk, Brunswick Library, Wednesday 24 September, 7:45pm
Brunswick Library, 233 Sydney Road, Brunswick 3056
Cost: free
“Changing Gears: A Pedal Powered Detour from the Rat Race” (lecture and visual presentation), Duneira Mt Macedon, Saturday 11 October, 4:15pm-5:15pm
Duneira, Officer Lane, Mt. Macedon
Cost: $25 full/$20 concession
Bookings essential. Visit duneira.com.au or call 5426 1490
Previous events
Changing Gears author talk, Rosanna Library, Thursday July 24, 7pm- 8pm
Changing Gears author talk, Ivanhoe Library, Tuesday August 12, 7pm-8pm
“Spoke ‘n’ Word”, Williamstown Literary Festival, May 2014
“Read & Ride” (in conversation with Gregg Borschmann from ABC), Sydney Writers’ Festival and Varuna, May 2014
“Simple Living” and “Life on Two Wheels”, Sydney Writers’ Festival, May 2014
“World’s Biggest Green Drinks”, launch of Sustainable Living Festival, Fed Square, February 2014
“Living Simply in the City”, Sustainable Living Festival, Fed Square, February 2014
“The New Joneses School Talks”, Fed Square, February 2014 (A series of talks to primary and high school students as part of The New Joneses project at Federation Square, Melbourne.)
“In Conversation with Craig Reucassel (The Chaser)”, Gleebooks Sydney, November 2014
“The Great Pedal-Powered Book Tour”, 23 author talks over 60 days, September-November 2013 (Including Yarraville, Williamstown, Geelong, Queenscliff, Ocean Grove, Torquay, Ballarat, Woodend, Castlemaine, Kyneton, Bendigo, Shepparton, Wangaratta, Albury, Beechworth, Canberra, Bega, Batemans Bay, Nowra, Sydney and Eltham.)
“Bike City”, Melbourne Writers’ Festival, May 2013
“Against Advertising”, The Wheeler Centre, April 2013
“Seeking the Simple Life”, Sustainable Living Festival, February 2013
“Creative for a Cause”, Emerging Writers Festival, 2011
Testimonials from “Read & Ride” at Sydney Writers’ Festival, May 2014
“The writers talk was great, loved hearing the stories first hand, and also the response to questions were well thought out, non-judgmental and frightfully insightful. Appreciated the effort that Greg put into researching the history of cycling in the Blue Mountains and the storytelling at the various locations (Three Sisters) by Greg was enjoyable.”
– Jon Lindley
“I enjoyed the fact the event combined an interesting talk that explored themes of sustainable living, philosophy, history and literature with the simple joys of bike riding… I think the potential for combining a social bike ride with readings of literature and philosophy in a beautiful natural setting is great.” – Tony Gasparre
“I couldn’t have picked a better host than Greg Foyster for a ride around Katoomba on a beautiful autumn day… Greg shared interesting stories of Australia’s bicycling history and suggestions for our bicycling future.” – Elizabeth Cage
Testimonials from library talks
“Greg’s session on Changing Gears was authentic and inspirational. We had a great turn out and the audience really responded to his delightful account of his and Sophie’s trip up the east coast of Australia, and how this changed their worldview to be more self-aware and to ‘live simply’. It generated a lot of talk, and we’d love to have him again at Yarra Plenty Regional Library.”
Louise Milne, Youth Services Coordinator, Yarra Plenty Regional Library
“Greg and Sophie’s talk was thought provoking, genuine and honest, delivered with professionalism and humour. The audience was inspired by the story of their epic bike journey, interwoven with a philosophy of living a simpler, less materialistic lifestyle and the importance of protecting our natural environment as a source of our own wellbeing. Feedback from the evening was extremely positive.”
Annette Lewis, Learning Coordinator, Ivanhoe Library
“Our library patrons enjoyed Greg and Sophie’s talk about t