EVENTS
Jaclyn regularly moderates events at writers festivals, literary organisations like The Wheeler Centre and Writers Victoria, as well as bookshops. She gives author talks about gardening and making pasta at libraries, community centres and food stores. Jaclyn also runs gardening workshops for children. She is regularly on ABC Radio reviewing books and making reading recommendations.
Veronica Sullivan, Festival Director,
Melbourne Writers Festival
“Jaclyn Crupi is one of my favourite people to program. Whether speaking with debut local writers or high-profile international guests, the hallmarks of Jaclyn’s interviewing style are her genuine warmth and passion for all things literary and/or culinary. Jaclyn invariably brings impeccable readerly acumen, wise and curious engagement with books, and infectious enthusiasm to every event she hosts.”
Jennifer Down, Miles-Franklin Award winning author of Bodies of Light
“Jaclyn is a shrewd and empathetic reader – traits that make her an excellent interviewer. Whether in conversation with Jaclyn myself, or watching her speak with another writer, I always feel I’m in the safe hands of someone who wants to share her passion and her intellectual curiosity with the reading public. She knows my books better, I suspect, than I do.”
Natalie Paull, Beatrix Bakes
“It’s an immense delight to be interviewed by Jaclyn. As soon as you are ushered through the discussion doorway with her generously flattering and impeccably researched introduction, the chat is like you are sitting with a close friend! Jaclyn makes you feel comfortable being yourself, encourages a giggle (or several) and gives you room to explore deeper emotions. She is a confident and charismatic conduit of conversation. ”
Sarah Krasnostein, multi-award winning author of The Trauma Cleaner and The Believer
“The depth of her reading and the breadth of her thinking make Jaclyn a rare and wonderful interviewer. Our conversation back in 2018 remains, for me, a highlight of my writing career.”
Upcoming Events
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Book Lovers Social
Wednesday 26 August, 6.30pm
FITZROY NORTH LIBRARYMeet like-minded bibliophiles at the Book Lovers Social this winter!
What was your favourite book this season? Come along to our Book Lovers Social to share your favourite reads, discover new recommendations, and connect with fellow book lovers.
This fun speed-dating style event is a celebration of all things reading and books, hosted by Warm Winter Read amabassador and author Jaclyn Crupi.
Light refreshments and non-alcoholic beverages will be available on the night, bookings are essential to reserve your place!
Whether you are sociable or shy, you are welcome at the Book Lovers Social. Led by our host, this event will include a series of conversation prompts about reading and books, including new recommendations. Seating arrangements will rotate throughout the night in a timed structure. Expect chatter, a friendly and fun atmosphere, a gentle soundtrack and some treats to keep you going!
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New Releases Round-Up (& Industry Goss)
Wednesday 2 September, 7pm
SUBSTACKNew Release Roundup + Industry Fireside Chat with Jaclyn Crupi & Bri Lee
Allow us to help you cut through the noise and never-ending lists, and bring your attention to the best of book world each month.
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Author Talk and Propagation Demo
Thursday 3 September, 6.30pm
BENTLEIGH LIBRARYWant to help the native wildlife in your area but not sure how to start? Are you keen to grow more native plants but have a small budget? Would you like to attract native birds, bees and butterflies to your outdoor spaces?
Countless Australian species of birds, bees and butterflies are in decline or threatened with extinction, but you can help. Writer and gardener Jaclyn Crupi shows us that protecting and fostering precious native wildlife starts in our own backyards. The first step: start planting! And choose native plants where possible. This alone presents endless opportunities for habitat creation – sometimes it’s the smallest actions that make the biggest difference. Providing a well-placed dish of water on a hot day, building and installing a simple insect hotel or allowing leaf litter to stay where it falls are among the many other super simple ways you can make your garden more attractive to native birds, bees and butterflies, and in turn benefit all species. Loads of practical advice for gardeners and novices alike.
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Eat the Book: Natalie Paull
Saturday 5 September, 10.30am
BRUNSWICK MECHANICS INSTITUTESweet Heart is a collection of recipes to satisfy every sweet craving from the legendary baker and author behind Beatrix Bakes.
This unmissable collection serves up classics and inspired flavour twists, and includes everything from Natalie's most straightforward recipes – many can be whipped up simply with hand beaters – to treats for those in the mood for a baking adventure. These are recipes so heart-burstingly good, they will make you weep with joy.
Featuring a concise 'bake-tionary' and top tips derived from decades of baking wisdom, along with Nat's classic Adaptrix advice so you can mix and match to your dessert desire's delight, this gorgeously photographed and illustrated collection is one to hold close always. -
Preserving family recipes with Jaclyn Crupi
Saturday 12 September, 2pm
ASCOT VALE LIBRARYDo you have a special family recipe? This writing workshop, hosted by author Jaclyn Crupi, will teach you how to record those memories and celebrate your family history.
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Body of Work: Charlotte Wood
Thursday 24 September, 6pm
THE EDGE, FED SQAward-winning author Charlotte Wood is the author of seven works of fiction and three non-fiction books, and has been celebrated for her stylistic originality, psychological depth and embodied prose.
From her debut Pieces of a Girl to her Booker Prize-shortlisted Stone Yard Devotional, her works of fiction have reflected on ideas of agency, control and chaos, climate catastrophe, female rage and grief.
This in-conversation event will be a close study of the creative risks Charlotte Wood has taken with each new project over her nearly 30-year writing career – from her Stella Prize-winning dystopian novel The Natural Way of Things to her works of non-fiction such as Love & Hunger: Thoughts on the Gift of Food.
This event is presented as part of Body of Work – a free, in-conversation series with some of Australia’s greatest living literary icons, presented by Fed Square and curated by author and bookseller Jaclyn Crupi.
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Scran Launch
Wednesday 14 October, 6pm
HILL OF CONTENT
Join us for a conversation between Scottish chef Ali Stoner and Jaclyn Crupi!"This is more than a cookbook; its an invitation into Scotland's heart. Every page bursts with warmth & authenticity" - Sam Heughan
Scran is a new collection of more than 100 nostalgic and traditional Scottish recipes, seen through a modern lens. From celebrated Scottish home cook Ali Stoner (@rovinghaggis) come old favourites, classic bakery treats and creative new recipes inspired by Scotland, its landscapes and its traditions.
Ali Stoner or 'Roving Haggis' as she is known on social media, is a Scottish cook, previous Masterchef Australia contestant and social media influencer. Born in Glasgow, she currently lives in Melbourne, Australia with her husband, family and two dogs. In 2022, she was a contestant on Masterchef Australia. On the show, her creativity and inventiveness were a stand out and the experience encouraged her to take her food journey further. In May 2023, Ali launched her Instagram and presence under the Roving Haggis moniker and has seen her audience grow rapidly with a large global following, particularly in North America, Canada and of course Scotland and the UK.
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Susan Orlean: Joyride
Wednesday 15 October, 6.30pm
THE WHEELER CENTREAcclaimed writer Susan Orlean returns to Melbourne to reflect on a remarkable career of curiosity and storytelling.
Susan Orlean is widely regarded as one of the great narrative non-fiction writers of her generation. Best known for The Orchid Thief – turned into the popular 2002 film Adaptation – and The Library Book, she has also spent decades as a beloved writer for The New Yorker. Guided by an insatiable curiosity, she has built a remarkable career finding extraordinary stories in unexpected places.
In Joyride, Orlean turns her keen eye towards her own life, reflecting on a body of work shaped by curiosity, observation and an enduring fascination with the people and world around her. Hailed by David Sedaris as ‘wise and exuberant’, the book is both a celebration of a life in writing and a testament to the wonder that comes from paying close attention.
Join Orlean in conversation with host Jaclyn Crupi as she reflects on the art of finding stories worth telling.
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Eat the Book: Simple Pleasures
Thursday 29 October, 6pm
THE BRUNSWICK MECHANICS INSTITUTETicket includes one copy of Simple Pleasures, a cooking demonstration by Julia Busuttil Nishimura and a glass of wine from Organic Wines. A delicious meal will be served from recipes featured in the cookbook.
Join us at The Brunswick Mechanics Institute for a pleasurable evening with Julia Busuttil Nishimura. Julia will be giving a cooking demo and discussing her approach to cooking, food and developing recipes with Brunswick Bound’s Jaclyn Crupi.
Simple Pleasures is a book of recipes for you to fall in love with every day. With an emphasis on ease and enjoyment, Julia shows you how to turn household staples into something truly special. Weeknight dinner favourites include a punchy ginger and coriander one-pan chicken, lemony tomato and bean broth, and pasta with caramelised fennel and sausage, while side dishes like fennel gratin and a delightful nectarine, cucumber and feta salad are stars in their own right.
With sweet and savoury bakes such as potato, onion and gruyère tart and coconut and lemon cake with passionfruit icing, plus a whole chapter of desserts including Julia's classic chocolate mousse, Simple Pleasures is an essential book for the modern home cook.
PAST EVENT
New York Times-bestselling author Sloane Crosley was live in conversation with Jaclyn Crupi exploring the sharp comic edges of reality, writing the surreal and the fear of running into your ex.
Jaclyn in conversation with Sloane Crosley
Jaclyn has four author talks based on her book Garden Like a Nonno: Soil and Seeds, The Winter Productive Garden, The Autumn Productive Garden and The Spring Productive Garden. In each talk she shares wisdom and gardening knowledge taught to her by her grandfathers.
PAST EVENT
Jaclyn in conversation with Stephanie Alexander
Hear Stephanie Alexander reflect on her unparalleled five-decade career as a cook, writer and restaurateur, and the legacy she has built for generations of professionals and amateurs in kitchens around the country.
PAST EVENT
Jaclyn moderated several panels at the inaugural Sorrento Writers Festival and interviewed Chris Hammer, Sofie Laguna, Megan Rogers, Andre Dao, Saman Shad, Pirooz Jafari, Armando Lucas Correa, Joelle Gergis, Sam Vincent and Simon Holmes a Court.
Sorrento Writers Festival
PAST EVENT
Over a seasonal lunch prepared with Indigenous Australian ingredients, a panel of culinary superstars met at Big Esso to discuss their approaches to cooking and sharing food, and the intersections and impact of multiculturalism, immigration and First Nations cuisine on Australian food culture. Inspired by Griffith Review: A Matter of Taste, the event featured Mabu Mabu owner and head chef Nornie Bero and author and broadcaster Alice Zaslavsky with host Jaclyn Crupi.
On the Table: A Matter of Taste
PAST EVENT
Super Bloom: Jaclyn in conversation with Jac Semmler
Jaclyn Crupi visits Heartland, the home garden of Jac Semmler, author of Super Bloom: a field guide to flowers for every gardener to talk gardening, beauty, the book and of course maximum flowers in a special one off podcast.
PAST EVENT
Jaclyn in conversation with Anna Krien and Favel Parrett
For October’s Double Booked Club, we’ll hear from two acclaimed Australian authors, whose new works of fiction take readers to distant corners of the globe … and back again.
PAST EVENT
Jaclyn has programmed and hosted many events at Hill of Content Bookshop
The Writers on the Hill event program began in 2018 and has gone from strength to strength. Authors interviewed include Sarah Krasnostein, Helen Goh, Chloe Hooper, Laura Elizabeth Woollett, Jennifer Down, Paul Kelly, Alice Robinson, Guy Grossi, Jane Lopes, Charlotte Wood, David Holmgren, Kirsten Bradley, Nick Ratar, Belinda Jeffery, Natalie Paull, Scott Pickett, Lesley Harding and Kendrah Morgan.
Jaclyn was interviewed by The Age journalist Cara Waters at Basils Farm as part of Queenscliffe Writers Festival
PAST EVENT
This lunch event sold out in record time. Diners enjoyed Italian dishes, some of them from recipes in Jaclyn’s books, and good conversation about the Italian art of living well.
PAST EVENT
Soil and Seeds
The Winter Productive Garden
The Autumn Productive Garden
The Spring Productive Garden
