A week or so ago, Ivor Indyk drew attention in an essay published by the Sydney Review of Books to the problem that bedevils writers and publishers of books in markets that don't value the unusual or different. Discussing two of my favourite Australian authors Brian Castro and Nobel-nominee Gerald Murnane, Indyk pointed out that even when the books of these authors win prizes that recognise their brilliance, sales are low and publication is unprofitable.

And yet, writers of such books persist, and so do their publishers, bringing pleasure to those of us who like to read outside our comfort zones, and perhaps staking a claim to longevity. Because at the end of the day, it is not the easy-to-read bestsellers that appeal to the mainstream that will be remembered in the future, it is the books that challenge us.

Spinoza's Overcoat, published by Transit Lounge, falls into this category. It is a book that will appeal to poets, and to writers and readers of certain kinds of books. Certain kinds of travellers will love it too: compared to Jaireth my pilgrimages to bookish sites are Homage Lite, but I loved reading about his travels to places that matter to me because of the authors who were once there.

To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2020/03/08/spinozas-overcoat-travels-with-writers-and-p... ( )