SHOES FOR THE MOSCOW CIRCUS: LETA KEENS

Shoes for the Moscow Circus is an atmospheric, lyrical look behind the scenes of a number of Australian trades and industries, many of which are fast disappearing in the modern world. Arts writer Leta Keens, with photographer Oliver Strewe, visited more than 25 factories and workshops - including an umbrella maker and cricket ball factory, a taxidermist and a bicycle maker, a tannery and a dolls' hospital - and discovered far more than simply the history and processes involved in these trades. With an engagingly readable style, she also tells the stories of the characters who inhabit these intriguing and often little-known worlds.