Thursday, Jun 07, 2012

Join us on Thursday June 7th when author Ian Burnet will be talking at Asia Bookroom about his book Spice Islands.

Ian Burnet takes us on an exotic journey, tracing the lucrative spice trade that led explorers such as Columbus, Vasco da Gama and Magellan to dream of bypassing the Spice Route by sailing directly to the Spice Islands.

The clove tree is indigenous to only five small volcanic islands in Indonesia, namely Ternate, Tidore, Moti, Machian and Bacan. The nutmeg tree is indigenous to the equally small and even more remote islands of Banda, Lontar, Ai and Run, which lie 700 kilometres away in the Banda Sea. The exact location of these islands was long shrouded in myth and mystery, and together they became known as the Spice Islands.

From earliest times, traders sailed from the Spice Islands across vast oceans in leaky boats to bring these clove buds and nutmegs to markets in East Africa, the Middle East, India and China then transported even further across the deserts of Egypt, Arabia and Central Asia before finally reaching the Mediterranean Sea and markets in Europe. The spices travelled half way round the world and the profits and taxes extracted at each stage meant that when demand was highest, these simple buds and seeds were said to be worth their weight in gold.

The stakes were high, but so was the potential profit. So is it any wonder that competition was fierce between the various powers - everyone from the rival Sultans of Ternate and Tidore to the Portuguese, Spanish and the Dutch and English East India Companies - who wanted to monopolise the trade in cloves and nutmeg.

About the Author
Ian Burnet has spent more than twenty years, living, working and travelling in Indonesia. Fascinated by the history of the archipelago, he thought the story of the tiny islands of Ternate and Tidore, and their effect on world history had to be told. His recently published book Spice Islands has received critical acclaim and been described as - "a wonderful book- a triumph of passion and scholarship".

When: 6pm Thursday, 7th June, 2012

Where: Asia Bookroom, Unit 2, 1 - 3 Lawry Place, Macquarie. ACT

RSVP: By 6th of June by phoning 6251 5191 or Email Us

Admission by gold coin donation to the
Indigenous Literacy Foundation

Don't miss this evening, but, if you can't join us on the 7th of June and would like to buy a signed copy let us know and it will be arranged.