Sydney University is holding its annual Chancellor's Committee Bookfest this Saturday through Wednesday. Georg at Stack intimates that it’s good to get there early. The Great Hall opens for business at 10:00 a.m. But, warns Georg: “Got there about 9.35 and there were already about a hundred people waiting in the queue.”

So, I plan to leave the house at about 8:00 a.m. to arrive by, say, 8:30. I’ll take along some magazines to keep myself entertained while I wait in line outside the big, wooden doors of the hall and the yellow, sandstone towers of the Quadrangle that houses it. Hopefully it won’t rain: it‘s started to rain tonight.

At 10 the doors were opened and the queue starting moving. For perhaps one of the least athletic groups of people I have ever seen the movement was swift. Everyone maintained their manners until the last moment when some old well-dressed bloke decided he couldn’t wait any longer and was trying to force his way past those ahead of him. He tried to act like he had somewhere important to be and the rest of us were holding him up. The problem was, that’s how we all felt.

The last book sales I went to were the 2MBS Book and Record Bazaars in July in Chatswood and June in Balmain where I spent about $50 each time. And I got there at the crack of, on both occasions.

I’ll have to drop by the bank on Friday to ensure I have enough of the ready for the purpose.

I wonder where the money goes, when it’s all collected at the end of the day? And I also wonder where the books come from. From excess library inventory? Donations? (I’ve heard nothing about it myself.)