Cats may not write books, but they’ve certainly helped quite a few get written…

Join author and literary lecturer Susannah Fullerton for a talk on her latest book, Great Writers and the Cats that Owned Them.

In this illustrated talk, Susannah will explore the special bond between renowned writers and their feline companions.

She will discuss how from Dickens to Hemingway cats have inspired literary works, brought comfort and become cherished muses.

Susannah has been President of the Jane Austen Society of Australia for 30 years, and was awarded an OAM for her Services to Literature.

The talk will be held on Thursday 23 October with doors opening at 5:40pm for a 6:00pm start. This event is free for both members and non-members. Bookings can be made through Trybooking using this link.

Our 2025 artist-in-residence, sculptor William Eicholtz, will return to the library on Saturday 18 October to unveil the sculpture he worked on during his residency and to speak about his art.

William was a terrific addition to our library and was a star attraction during the Open House Melbourne weekend. He revelled in speaking about his work to library members and visitors, and spoke warmly about his long-held connection with the Ath.

William worked here in the early 1980s as a prop maker and sculptor, and decided to reference one of the productions he worked on, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, when creating an artwork as part of his residency. William created a beautiful wax sculpture that has been cast in bronze and will be added to our collection of artworks.

The event will be held on Saturday 18 October at 3:00pm. This event is free for members and non-members. Bookings can be made through Trybooking using this link.

Esteemed Melbourne violinist Jaso Sasaki and cellist Rosanne Hunt will present rarely performed yet exquisite solo sonatas by Ysayë, and then combine for the ravishing Schulhof duo, full of profound melodic lines as well as earthy folk themes.

Eugène-Auguste Ysaÿe (1858–1931) was a Belgian virtuoso violinist, composer and conductor, regarded as The King of the Violin. Erwin Schulhof (1894-1942) was one of the most popular Czech composers of his time, but his premature death in the Wülzburg concentration camp in 1942 signalled the almost total erasure of his work from music history.

Finnish violinist Jaso Sasaki is renowned in his own right as a virtuoso player and he performs widely in Melbourne. Rosanne Hunt is a well-known Melbourne cellist with an eclectic career embracing early music and contemporary repertoire and everything in between.

The programme will consist of Passacaglia (on a theme of Handel) for violin and cello by Johan Halvorsen, followed by Ysaÿe solo violin sonata No. 5 and Ysaÿe solo cello sonata, finishing with Schulhof duo for violin and cello.

The performance will be held on Friday 24 October with doors opening at 5:40pm for a 6:00pm performance. This event is free for members and $20 for non-members. Bookings can be made through Trybooking using this link.