Readings Personal Shopper Author Auction

Welcome to the inaugural Readings Personal Shopper Author Auction. Sponsored by Penguin Random House (with all proceeds going to the Readings Foundation) this is a unique opportunity to spend one-on-one time with your favourite author.

If you’re lucky enough to be the highest bidder, you and a friend will attend an exclusive cocktail party on Tuesday 28 May 2019, where your personal shopper will guide you around the shelves of Readings at the State Library of Victoria. As well as recommending some excellent books, your author will share their guilty pleasures, divulge what (and who) inspires them, and lead you around the parts of the shop they always gravitate towards.

As part of your winning bid, you’ll also receive a goodies bag from Penguin Random House and a $50 Readings gift voucher!

So what are you waiting for? Choose your favourite author and get bidding!

*Please note that this event will take place on 28 May at the Readings shop at the State Library of Victoria

Established by Readings’ managing director Mark Rubbo in 2009, the Readings Foundation assists Victorian organisations that support the development of literacy, community integration and the arts.

The aims of the Foundation are to:

Aid the work of organisations that respond to the needs of disadvantaged groups living in our community;

Increase the community’s enjoyment of the word in all its forms, including screenwriting, music, theatre, art and the written word;

Honour the importance of creativity in community-driven work.

The Readings Foundation grant committee includes Readings managing director Mark Rubbo, author Helen Garner, former managing director of publisher John Wiley Australia Peter Donoughue, and Gerald Smith (Phase III Business Consulting), along with current Readings' staff members.

For the 2019 grants round, the committee chose to allocate funding to the following organisations that are delivering strong literacy and education support to the most disadvantaged people in our community:

Aboriginal Literacy Foundation – $20,000
Ballarat Foundation – $19,700
Banksia Gardens Community Service – $20,000
Church of All Nations – $20,000
Kids Under Cover – $5,000
Mallee Family Care – $10,000
Parkville College – $20,000
The Smith Family – $12,000
The Wheeler Centre – $20,000