Bondi Literary Salon Book Club: Dracula

Join the Bondi Literary Salon for our book club, hosted by Cooper Coe! In our gathering, we will discuss Bram Stoker's Dracula.

WHEN: Thursday, 20th February 2025, at Gertrude & Alice Cafe Bookstore; please arrive at 6.45pm for a prompt 7pm start.

TICKETS: Admission; $25.00 (excluding external fees). Your ticket includes a drink on arrival and nibbles during the evening.

'Alone with the dead! I dare not go out, for I can hear the low howl of the wolf through the broken window.'

About the book: Dracula

When Jonathan Harker visits Transylvania to advise Count Dracula on a London home, he makes a horrifying discovery. Soon afterwards, a number of disturbing incidents unfold in England: an unmanned ship is wrecked at Whitby; strange puncture marks appear on a young woman's neck; and the inmate of a lunatic asylum raves about the arrival of his 'Master', while a determined group of adversaries prepares to face the terrifying Count.

About the author: Bram Stoker

Abraham (Bram) Stoker was born November 8, 1847 in Dublin, Ireland. His father was a civil servant and his mother was a charity worker and writer. Stoker was a sickly child and spent a lot of time in bed. Growing up his mother told him a lot of horror stories which may have influenced his later writings. In 1864 Stoker entered Trinity College Dublin. While attending college he began working as an Irish civil servant. He also worked part time as a free lance journalist and drama critic. In 1876 he met Henry Irving, a famous actor, and they soon became friends. Not long after that, Stoker met and fell in love with an aspiring actress named Florence Balcombe. In 1878 Stoker accepted a job working in London as Irving's personal secretary. According to an announcement in the December 5, 1878 issue of The Freeman's Journal: and Daily Commercial Advertiser Stoker and Balcombe were married on December 4, 1878 at St. Anne's Parish Church, Dublin, by the Rev. Charles W. Benson. On December 9, Stoker and his new wife moved to England to join Irving. His first book "The Duties of Clerks of Petty Sessions in Ireland" though written while he was still in Dublin, was published in 1879. On December 30, 1879 Stoker and his wife had their only child, a son Noel. While in England Stoker also wrote several novels and short stories. His first book of fiction, "Under the Sunset," was published in 1881. Although best known for "Dracula", Stoker wrote eighteen books before his death in 1912. He died of exhaustion at the age of 64.

About the host: Cooper Coe

Our youngest ever book club host, Cooper Coe is 18, and has just completed the HSC where he studied Extension 2 English. He says he would have been very happy to have English every period, and particularly loved the novel Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. When not studying his other favourite, Shakespeare, he played representative rugby. He has already received an offer to study Law in 2025.

A chilling masterpiece of the horror genre, Dracula also illuminated dark corners of Victorian sexuality.

About The Bondi Literary Salon

Bondi Literary Salon was established in 2018, it is the in-house book club of beloved Bondi institution, Gertrude & Alice. The Bondi Literary Salon endeavours to explore the vast world of literature each month, with a selection that reflects a focus on diverse writers and stories; delving into both classic and contemporary fiction, as well as non-fiction. 

Our philosophy has always been to use language and literature not only as a tool for connection and community, but as an insight into worlds we have not had the pleasure of visiting ourselves. We welcome all - young and old, those with a life-long love of literature, or whose relationship may be only beginning. Join us in the unmatched comfort of an after-hours bookstore, accompanied by wine and cheese, for an evening spent discussing books and building community.

About Gertrude & Alice Cafe Bookstore

Rated as one of the top 10 bookstores in the world by National Geographic, Gertrude & Alice Cafe Bookstore is an oasis for writers, readers, and coffee lovers. Books overflow from the shelves of their store, featuring a mix of new, second-hand, antiquarian and rare books. Stay a while & enjoy some home made chai, and amazing coffee, and unearth a book treasure or two. Read more about the bookstore's story here, and about the real Gertrude & Alice here.