The Australian Book of Atheism

NOVEMBER 2010 RELEASE – AVAILABLE ALL GOOD BOOKSTORES INCLUDING ABC SHOPS, READINGS BOOKS & BOOKTOPIA, OR PRE-ORDER NOW FROM EMBIGGEN BOOKS.

Over 18 months ago, Warren Bonett and I were having dinner in a pub at Noosa. He said, “I’m thinking of doing a book on Australian atheism.”
I said, “Great idea! I’ll help.”

I hurried home and drew up a long list of possible contributors and Warren pretty well did all the rest!

I can remember Woz and I swapping excited emails as amazing people we’d admired from afar said, “Yes, we’ll contribute!”

I don’t think either of us had any clue just how much work it would involve and Warren – with help from his partner, Kirsty Bruce, Karen Stollznow and our friend, Jode – has done the vast bulk of the work while also running his science-based bookshop Embiggen Books at Noosaville (also online).

There were worried weeks when we wondered whether it would find a publisher and then jubilation when Henry Rosenbloom, the founder of Scribe, contacted Warren personally to accept the book.

Weeks of editing followed and, now that the book is in its final stages, Scribe has announced a publication date of December 2010. Scribe is touting The Australian Book of Atheism as its ‘anti-Christmas’ book. The book is an anthology of essays from around 35 Australian authors including:

Educator, skeptic, blogger and podcaster Kylie Sturgess aka PodBlack Cat;
Bioethicist, Leslie Cannold;
Radio National’s Robyn Williams (the Science Show);
Former nun, Colette Livermore;
Former Hillsong member, Tanya Levin;
Academic and philosopher, Russell Blackford;
Entertainer, Tim Minchin;
Karen Stollznow, skeptic and presenter of the Point of Inquiry radio show and podcast;
Former senator Lyn Allison;
Author, social commentator and media personality, Jane Caro (Gruen Nation);
Journalist and author, Michael Bachelard;
Politician,Lee Rhiannon,
Philosopher of religion, Professor Graham Oppy,
Academic, Max Wallace, director of the Australia New Zealand Secular Association and author of The Purple Economy;
Me (on the history of Australian atheism) and many more.

My chapter took months to research and more months to write and polish. Ambitiously (OK – over ambitiously) it covers the history of Australian atheism and freethought from 1788 to the present. I was astounded at the amount of material I uncovered – some of it hilariously funny and some it heart-breakingly sad. I finished the chapter feeling that this country’s heritage and national identity owes a good deal more to irreligion than to Christianity.

And now, in just a few short months, our book will be on the shelves of Australia’s major book stores! I really can’t describe the excitement to see this little idea, hatched over a couple of glasses of wine in a pub, come to fruition!

I do hope my readers will add it to their ‘Mythmas’ list.

Pre-orders can be made now, for a discounted price at Embiggen Books.

Chrys Stevenson

Update

19 August 2010 – The chapter list for The Australian Book of Atheism has been released. I’m very proud to be in with the first chapter and amongst such prestigious company. Take a look! Pre-orders available now – publication late November/December:

Chrys Stevenson [Historian], Felons, Ratbags, Commies and Left-Wing Loonies [The history of Australian atheism]

Max Wallace [Australia New Zealand Secular Assoc], The Constitution, Belief and the State

Clarence Wright [Lawyer], Religion, and the Law in Australia

Robyn Williams [The Science Show, Radio National], A Part-time Atheist

Dr Colette Livermore [former Sister of Mercy nun], Atheism: an explanation for the believer

Tanya Levin [former Hillsong member, feminist, author People In Glass Houses], Above Rubies

Hon. Lee Rhiannon [former MP, Senate candidate], Growing up Atheist

David Horton [BA, BSc, MSc, PhD, DLitt – biologist, archaeologist], Agnostics are Nowhere Men

Tim Minchin [entertainer], Storm

Hugh Wilson [Australian Secular Lobby], Public Education in Queensland

Peter Ellerton [Australian Skeptics, Winner of the 2008 Prize for Critical Thinking], Theology is Not Philosophy

Professor Graham Oppy [Philosopher of Religion], Evolution vs Creationism in Australian Schools

Graeme Lindenmayer [Rationalist Society of Australia], Intelligent Design as a Scientific Theory

Kylie Sturgess [Podblack Cat/Token Skeptic], Atheism 2.0

Dr Martin Bridgstock [Senior Lecturer, Biomolecular and Physical Sciences], Religion, Fundamentalism & Science

Dr Philip Nitschke [Founder/Director Exit International], Atheism & Euthanasia

Alex McCullie [blogger, CAE tutor on Atheist Philosophy], Progressive Christianity: A Secular Response

Dr Leslie Cannold [Bioethicist], Abortion in Australia

Jane Caro [Author, Social Commentator], Why Gods are Man-Made

Dr Karen Stollznow, Spiritualism & Pseudoscience

Rosslyn Ives [Council of Australian Humanist Societies] Life, Dying & Death

Hon. Ian Hunter MLC, Prayers in Australian Parliament

Lyn Allison [former Senator], Ever Wondered Why God is a Bloke?

Michael Bachelard [Journalist], Politics and The Exclusive Brethren

Dr Russell Blackford [Philosopher, co-editor 50 Voices of Disbelief], Free Speech

Dr John S Wilkins [Philosopheer], The Role of Secularism in Protecting Religion

Warren Bonett [Editor], Why a Book on Atheist Thought in Australia?

Dr Robin Craig [Geneticist, Philosopher], Good without God

Ian Robinson [Rationalist Society of Australia], Atheism as a Spiritual Path

Professor Peter Woolcock [Humanist, Ethicist], Atheism & the Meaning of Life

Dr Tamas Pataki [Philosopher], Religion & Violence

Dr Adam Hamlin [Neuroscientist], The Neurobiology of Religious Experience

Dr Rosemary Lyndall Wemm [Neuropsychologist], The Neurology of Belief

Here, courtesy of Embiggen Books, are some wonderful videos of presentations by Warren Bonett, editor of the Australian Book of Atheism, and Russell Blackford one of the authors.

Gladly’s Book Recommendations

Gladly’s looking forward to a very large pot of honey once those royalties start rolling in! If you can’t wait until December to read a great book on atheism, try these books which you can order online from Embiggen Books.