Entries Tagged 'Festivals' ↓

A writer has brought this to my attention: a recruitment notice on the job site Seek for writers of children’s books. While it certainly seems to be an exciting opportunity, this approach raises a few questions: how does a publisher responsibly handle the potentially high number of submissions resulting from such a wide call out? How does a writer investigate the suitablity and credibility of the publisher involved, when so little information is supplied? And note, the burden of proof here is on the aspiring author, who must provide a CV and a sample, while the publisher provides only an email address. I’m interested to know, would you respond to this type of call out for manuscripts?

Over at Publishers Weekly there’s an amazing example of how digital publishing is both challenging and complementing traditional publishing: Kemble Scott released an e-reader edition of his second The Sower through scridbd.com, and quickly gained interest from a range of publishers. Since it was available as print-on-demand, The Sower did not have to wait the standard year or more to work it’s way through the traditional publishing process, which kept its contemporary cultural references fresh. Scott clearly understands marketing very well, and has great relationships with independent booksellers in the Bay Area. Now published in a limited hardcover edition, The Sower has reached the San Francisco Chronicle bestseller list. Says Scott, "This book was completely done outside all of the traditional gatekeepers of publishing… [P]eople can read the book for its merits and its content and not for the way it was published.”

Lastly folks, TINA is nearly upon us! This Is Not Art: Independent, Emerging and Experimental Arts Festival includes the National Young Writers Festival, as well as the Crack Theatre Festival, Sound Summit, Electrofringe and Critical Animals. So if you like writing, poetry, spoken word, zines or comics, get involved! TINA runs from 1-5 October in Newcastle Australia, so go for the festivals, and check out the beaches while you’re there…

Write on!

Melbourne Writers Festival update:

Robert Sessions left the UK for Australia looking for the promised land, or at least a gig in publishing. He found both, and 47 years later has headed publishing in Penguin Australia for 20 years. He spoke for nearly an hour at The Whole Shebang this morning. I wish he’d spoken for two, because he only had time to hint at issues on the horizon like digital publishing and the parallel importation of books.

He gave a brief history of Australian publishing. Did you know that, back in the day, Penguin attempted to open a bookstore? Nobody came, because readers don’t want the restriction of one publisher and its imprints – they want to graze across the full range of titles published. A sage lesson for contemporary publishers who seek to establish their house brand over author recognition.

Sessions told us about the halcyon days when the ratio of front list (new titles) to back list was 40%-60%. Nowadays it’s more like 70-30%. That means venerable old titles are written off, and vulnerable new titles have a crucial window in which to Sell or Die.
Sessions’s top tip: Penguin likes to hear from you by email. Send your synopsis through, when your project is ready, and you’ll hear back reasonably promptly as to whether they want to read more. (This from a man who carries around 60+ manuscripts on his eReader – I wonder when publishers have time to read for, y’know, pleasure. Methinks it is an enjoyment foregone by those who love the artform most – quite a sacrifice).

The next Whole Shebang presenter, Louise Swinn from Sleepers Publishing, is a younger but no less invaluable contributor to the Australian publishing landscape. Louise spoke with Brendan Gullifer (debut author of Sold) about the journey of his book. Louise, Zoe (publisher with Sleepers also) and Brendan all still have their day jobs – and perhaps we would expect this of an author, but to think of a respected literary publishing house being fueled by the passion and dedication of a pair of moonlighters is as surprising as it is inspiring.

Most fascinating insight from this panel: Louise sees books in colour, a synaesthesiac editor – her explanation of how she comprehends and develops manuscripts was like hearing Michelangelo discussing his plans for the ceiling of the Cistine!
‘There’s only one thing more painful than being a writer, and that’s being married to one.’ Brendan Gullifer’s wife approved the sale of the family home to support his writing. They have three kids. Such are the sacrifices writers are willing to make to develop their career.  And his novel sounds like an interesting window into the real estate idealism dominating the Australian psyche.

That’s a plug, folks…

So many books in the festival bookstore, so little cash to spend. I’m going with Lisa Lutz, but that’s cos I’m a crime fic fan girl. Did I mention I bagged an invite to the Davitt Awards tonight? Squeeeeeee!

Okay, Now I’ve finished my Borek (Turkish spanikopota) and my blog post, I’ll get back into The Whole Shebang. It’s another incredible opportunity  to learn about the Australian literary community. Arts VIC, City of Lit, VWC … more juicy facts and figures about what’s available for writers.

Byron Bay Writers Festival has been and gone for another year. The writers, the weather, co-chairing the Nuts&Bolts professional development seminar , doing vox pops with authors, and chairing a session on historical fiction in the SCU Marquee – it all added up to an immersive experience in the world of writing and publishing that will nourish me for months to come.

Now I am preparing for Melbourne Writers Festival. Busy month. But before I move on from Byron enitrely, I want to continue the wrap up. I had the chance to speak at length with Peter Bishop, Creative Director of Varuna, a man I am dubbing Australia’s least known and most important contributor to literary culture.

Peter spoke about his life, and how he did not follow the beaten track to get where he is. Writing is an industry of a million written and unwritten rules, but he argues that following them does not guarantee results. Rather, Peter encourages writers to be rebels, not to kotow to any particular rules or guidelines for success, but to devote your energies to challenging yourself and finding your voice. It was thought-provoking stuff for one to hear who had just spent a day involved in delivering a professional development seminar for writers. Had I just spent a day involved in telling writers the rules to follow, the recipe for success?

Upon reflection, I realise that my passion for community and professional development for writers is more about linking people together – online writing peers, industry leaders, regional writers, etc – than providing instructions. There is a wealth of resources available for writers to tap into to develop themselves and their craft, but at different points in a writer’s career, it can be difficult to know where those resources are. Writing is a craft: there are masters, apprentices, cohorts. There are a raft of tools and approaches that different writers can select for their toolkit, tailored to their own interests, genres, and stages of career.

Beyond that, Peter’s final point is one that struck a deep chord in me. There is a crucial and lively conversation, between writers and on writing, extending through the whole literary world from publishers to readers. I encourage every writer to nuture their imaginative space by finding ways to connect with this broader conversation: through festivals, writers groups, courses, writers centres, fellowships … Wherever and however you can, find your peers, your buddies, your mentors and teachers - because that will help you find your own stories and develop your own voice.

Tristan Bancks is running a BBWF 09 workshop You’ve got to be kidding! on writing novels for children. He has also co-authored a YA novel its yr life with former Home and Away co-star Tempany Deckhart. They teamed up between Australia and LA via email to write a suspense novel filled with links, web references and partly written in text-speak: interesting that the online collaboration method of writing is reflected in the composition and digital enrichment of the book itself.

The Write Around the Murray Festival offers events, workshops, school programs and more, reflecting the vibrant literary culture around Albury City and region.

Check out SavingAussieBooks – go for the lols, but stay for Darren Groth’s irrefutable ’stache-tastic logic in The Magnum PI Arguwrite Against PI.

Today was the final day for submissions to Hachette Australia and QWC’s national manuscript development competition, with QWC receiving close to 200 submissions. To everyone who submitted, hearty congratulations for taking that big step and putting your manuscript out there… Give yourself a pat on the back, and enjoy a glass of your preferred celebratory beverage!

Have a happy writing weekend, all.

A lucky Speakeasy reader is on a writer’s retreat in Fiji with Australian fantasy author, Kate Forsyth. Katrina has taken the time to drop us a line and let us know how it’s going…

Hi Meg!

Katrina

Thanks, Katrina – sounds inspiring! Speakeasy is always happy to hear from writers about how you develop your craft.

Byron Bay Writers Festival Special Price
Feeling inspired to nurture your knowledge about the art and busines of writing? Byron Bay Writers Festival is offering AWMonline subscribers the special price of $55 (normal price is $75) if they book into the all-day seminar ‘Nuts and Bolts: so you want to be a writer’ at the Bryon Bay Writers Festival, presented by The Australian Writer’s Marketplace on Thursday 6 August. 

Please note: This discount is a special one-off offer for the Nuts and Bolts seminar only and does not include entry to the full festival.

Hula Hoop virtuosa, Judith Lanigan

Did you know the hula hoop was first sold in Australia?

Hula Hoop virtuosa and ASA Mentorship Award recipient, Judith Lanigan, writes for and about circus, and will be attending her first Byron Bay Writers Festival this year to discuss her forthcoming book A True History of the Hula Hoop. I recovered from my flu/school holidays double whammy sufficiently to catch up with Judith, to find out her top tips for festival fun, and how her unique book came into being…

MV: What is it you look forward to most about BBWF 09?

The release of my first novel, and also talking on a panel with Louis Nowra about historical research for historical fiction, having read his book Ice, about a man’s attempt to bring an iceberg to Sydney before refrigeration, towed behind a ship. It was fascinating and the thorough research he so obviously did into the time made it a very evocative story.

MV: I will be chairing that session (Sunday 12.15pm SCU Marquee) – can’t wait! Did attending writers festivals help develop your writing craft/career when you were a developing writer?

I found that listening to writers talk about their development process informed me as to opportunities to take advantage of, like the Australian Society of Authors mentorship award, which led to me being published by Picador, and the Varuna Award, in the early stages of the book, which allowed me to have a consultation with Peter Bishop, who gave me very valuable advice.

MV: What are your Top Tips for making the most of Byron Bay Writers Festival?

The Writers Cabaret!

MV: What other sessions are you doing at BBWF ‘09?

I will be speaking on a panel about transitions from the stage to the page. For me, as a performer you learn (eventually) that the state the audience is in is the responsibility of the performer. There is no such thing as a bad audience. The performer should be able to take them to the mood or emotion, where the audience is then open to being taken where the performer wants them to go, and I think that is the same for a book. If I get the chance I would also like to disucss the theories of modern clown as it applies to constructing characters for story. The way the essential vulnerability of the character is essential to the story arc, and the emotional involvement of the audience/reader. And I am interested in hearing what Denise Scott and Tristan Bancks have to say about their experience. 

MV: Your book sounds like an amazing project – part personal experience, part history, part fiction. How did you develop the idea for your book?

A True History of the Hula Hoop is a bit of a documentation in fiction, of the work I have been doing during the past ten years. I originally started it as three separate stories, and after discussing them with Peter Bishop of Varuna, I mentioned that I usually lied to people about what I did because it was hard to answer all the questions – for example from taxi drivers etc. He suggested that a combination of my stories could answer all those questions, in a fictional novel.

I had become fascinated at one point with the origin of the hula hoop, not believing that it was "invented" in America in the late 50’s, so I set out to trace its development, and found that it was actually first sold in Australia.

At the same time I was researching the history of female clown, and found the first mentions of a company of clowns that were kidnapped on their way to do a gig for the KIng of France in 1572. And in writing my own personal history of the hula hoop in a fiction form, I found what ties those stories together.

MV: Thank you so much, Judtih, for sharing your thoughts with our Speakeasy readers. I look forward to chatting with you more at BBWF’09!

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A quick reminder that the Writing Race is on again tonight for AWMonline subscribers. Log in at 7.45pm to let us know your writing goals, then Race to get as much as you can done between 8-9pm. Last week, John Birmingham joined us to provide inspiration and motivation – he gave some great feedback to our beginner writers to help them move forward through their writing projects. Thanks, John!

For current updates on celebrity guest Racers, follow AWMonline on twitter, or join our Facebook group.

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Alice Hoffman (Practical Magic) has discovered a creative new application for Twitter: revenge, After a less-than-glowing review of her new book, she tweeted critic Roberta Silman’s phone number and email address, urging fans to communicate their displeasure with ’snarky critics’. Fortunately, Hoffman got the number wrong, and Silman enjoyed her weekend away uninterrupted. Neither was her inbox inundated with complaints. Hoffman has apologised, her reputation in tatters. Here’s a good article summarising the spat, with links to sites that still have some of the original tweets (Hoffman’s Twitter account is no more). It certainly gives pause to consider the issues this has raised in terms of an author’s online presence.

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The Queensland literary scene is on fire this year, with ten (and counting) debut authors launching their books across a range off genres. One of the reasons for this surge in publications has been the mentoring and fostering of new writers by established authors, and a prime mover in establishing this supportive literary community has been author Nick Earls. Today we talk with Nick , fresh from his rocking book launch at the Powerhouse last night, about Byron Bay Writers Festival.

Sp: Have you attended/appeared at BBWF before – if so, what is your favourite BBWF moment?

NE: Yes. The time I was on a panel with a major TV star who is now also a writer, and he appeared to be hungover after the night before but turned out to be still drunk. The panel was unchairable, but compelling. I’d always heard about the panels at previous festivals where someone had gone feral. Finally I was part of it.

Sp: What is it you most value or look forward to about BBWF 09?

NE: The environment is hard to beat. The audience members behave like they love to be there. And there’s a beach to run on.

Sp: Did attending writers festivals help develop your writing craft/career when you were a developing/emerging writer?

NE: Yes, I quite often learned something, and not always from the big-name novelists. Once I heard Wendy Harmer (back when she was a comedian and hadn’t written books) talk about writing comedy, and about when to be general and when to be specific, and how differently they worked. Sometimes you should say biscuit, sometimes it just has to be Tim Tam. She’s right, and what she said still has a bearing on my writing. 

Sp: What are your Top Tips for making the most of Byron Bay Writers Festival?

NE: For authors: eat and drink anything free that comes your way. Okay, eat everything, but maybe don’t drink everything. Do try to deliver when it’s your turn to speak.

For audience members: make the most of the laid-back atmosphere. If you see a writer you want to talk to, go up and talk to them. 

Sp: Can you please select a topic from your BBWF session/s, and briefly share your thoughts on it?

NE: ‘Meet Nick Earls’ – surely that topic’s irresistible. I hear sometimes he throws cash into the audience. (Okay, maybe not …)

SP: Please tell us about your current book/project.

NE: This year’s story, The True Story of Butterfish, exists as both a novel and a play. The central character, Curtis Holland, is 35 and after his band breaks up he moves back to Brisbane to reconnect with his brother and work out what’s next in his life. I realised he wanted a small world and that the best way to tell the story was with as few characters as possible. I ended up with six and, as I got to know them, they felt like a more natural fit as a play cast than any of my four novels that have been adapted for theatre. So I wrote the story as a play as well as a novel, and I alternated drafts. The novel’s out now, the play is on at the Powerhouse in Brisbane in Oct.

You can follow Nick on Twitter at twitter.com/nickearls. He’s as hilarious as he is generous.

~

Also at Nick’s book launch last night was author John Birmingham, who took a break from his Spartan writing regime to enjoy the festivities. John will be joining us at AWMonline next Tuesday night to lead us on to great word counts at the Writing Race: log in around 7.45pm AEST for an hour’s dedicated writing time from 8-9pm. If John’s tweets are anything to go by, the man is a (fabulous) writing machine. Can’t wait!

Have a lovely weekend, folks, and happy writing.

Writers festivals, that is. Our festival roundup today includes a peek at the Voices on the Coast youth literary festival line-up, as well as a brief interview with the wonderful Australian author Linda Jaivin about the Byron Bay Writers Festival.

Byron Bay Writers Festival runs from 7-9 August 2009 (Workshops from 3 August). BBWF guest Linda Jaivin’s first novel, the comic-erotic Eat Me became an international bestseller, published in a dozen countries and almost as many languages. Now an internationally published novelist, essayist, cultural commentator, playwright, specialist writer on China and translator (from Chinese), Linda shares with us her thoughts on BBWF past and present.

Sp: Have you attended/appeared at BBWF before – if so, what is your favourite BBWF moment?

LJ: Probably the conversation I did with Di Morrissey in which she told a hilarious story involving her lawn, a cage, a nightgown, and a delivery boy. Also, the rather evocative signing by the interpreter for the deaf during a rather racy conversation about erotic literature; we kept upping the ante just to see how what we were talking about would be translated.

Sp: What is it you most value or look forward to about BBWF 09?

LJ: The chance to see old friends and make new ones, and to watch the sun come up over the ocean. Cages, nightgowns, delivery boys.

Sp: What are your Top Tips for making the most of Byron Bay (or any) Writers Festival?

LJ: Go to hear at least one author about whom you know nothing. Find some time to sit down with a good book. Eat, drink, be merry.

Sp: Can you please select a topic from your BBWF session/s, and briefly share your thoughts on it?

LJ: I’d like to talk about the insights that the writing of my new book, A Most Immoral Woman, gave me into the possibilities and limitations of historical fiction, women’s sexuality at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, and the portrayal of China in fiction. 

[You can hear Ramona Koval of The Book Show interview Linda about A Most Immoral Woman here.]

Sp: Please tell us about your current book/project.

LJ: I’ve started a new novel which, like A Most Immoral Woman, is largely set in the waning years of Qing Dynasty China. I’m also writing the libretto for an opera based on a Ming Dynasty story which, if all goes to plan, will premiere in Beijing with a leading Peking Opera company next year.

Sp: Thank you for sharing these BBWF insights with us, Linda. I have the good fortune to be chairing a BBWF session featuring Linda on Sunday 9 August – it will be a fantastic opportunity to explore the issues she mentions here. Joining Linda will be Keven Rabalais, Louis Nowra, and Judith Lanagan, so it will be a fun and fascinating session!

~

Voices on the Coast (Buderim, Qld) presents an interesting line-up of wonderful YA authors, including Morris Gleitzman, Shaun Tan, James Moloney, Maureen McCarthy and Hilary Badger (associate to the author H.I. Larry of Zac Power fame).

The dates for the festival are Wednesday 15 July – Secondary School Day and Thursday 16 July – Primary School Day, Week One of Term Three. Talks will be priced at $6.50 and workshops will be $12.50 per person.

View the winners of the Voices on the Coast writing competition here.

 ~

Speakeasy chats with Lisette Ogg, Queensland writer and panelist at the Emerging Writers’ Festival, about her experiences at EWF last week:

Sp: This was your 3rd visit to EWF, is that right? How was the festival overall this year, in terms of organization, venue, and quality of panels? Can you give us a feel for the vibe?

LO: This was my second visit to EWF. My first was in 2007, whilst I was being mentored as part of Youth Arts Queensland’s Young Artists Mentoring Program. In that first, fateful visit to EWF, I met a talented visual artist that contributed to my artist book, among other young artists and industry professionals that I continue to keep in contact with to this day. Whilst I had been to the National Young Writers Festival in Newcastle during university, 2007 marked my first visit to EWF and I was one of those young whippity-snippets who attended every session and sat down the front, hungry to absorb.

At the year’s festival, I was older and wiser, but no less excited. I took my invitation as a panelist quite seriously (it is the rampant nerd in me), and concentrated on a few core things to avoid burn out. In particular, I put a lot of preparation into my panel ‘The great state divide’, which looked at the distinct literary voices of Australia. Queensland literature as vast as the land itself, and I felt a great responsibility to do it justice in six minutes. [The full text of Lisette's presentation is available here.]

The vibe was electric; lots of people, lots of discussion, lots of connection. That’s what I like about EWF. It doesn’t have the barriers that the bigger writing festivals may do for new and emerging writers, because it’s still defining what it is and why it exists. I think emerging authors feel cushioned by this; as if they are ok to make mistakes. Just like the audience it caters for. The bones are still settling and there is room for experimentation, bold voices and a quiet sympathy for fresh nerves. Whilst it caters for emerging writers, don’t be fooled into thinking this Festival only caters for the young. The vibe is nurturing, professional and dynamic, where talent is looked at for what it is whether you’re 14 or 40. 

Sp: What range of issues did this year’s festival cover?

LO: Now that it runs over 10 days, EWF covers many issues! ‘Truth and honesty in writing’ looked at how much a non-fiction writer can bend the truth and claim it is ‘correct’? Queensland’s Krissy Kneen was on the panel and had everyone eating out of her hand in the lead up to the release of her debut novel Affection ­ – the true story of a woman, her body and the extraordinary adventures they’ve shared. ‘Just write dammit’ was a helpful panel, looking at techniques for starting a piece, finishing a piece, and how to structure this within your day; which is something I think every writer grapples with at some stage! Other issues covered looked at comic book writing, funding bodies, writing for film and TV, copywriting, bringing your work to market, ghostwriting, promoting yourself online, and working with an editor. 

Sp: Which authors/panels inspired you?

LO: The ‘From Here to There’ session with Queensland poet, Nathan Sheperdson, was grounding and inspired. So much so, that I rushed out to buy his book What Marion Drew Never Told Me About Light. I love the idea of this work; where one artist is inspired to create by the work of another. I often think that poetry is painting with words, and I am enamoured by the potential collaborative nature of visual and lyrical imagery.

Christopher Currie had a ‘From Here to There’ session too, looking at his work on www.furioushorses.com. I’ve been watching his writing since university and he’s always made it look so effortless. Sadly, I missed his session as it was on at the same time as mine. But he’s definitely a writer to watch.

Sp: How was the zine fair?

I tend to get vaguely dizzy at EWF’s zine fair, as my eyes can’t stop looking at everything at once. Bibliophile’s beware! You may think you will only bring home one or two publications, but this is never so. You will cram your bag full until you run out of money. There are so many luscious artists creating, crafting and collaborating on independent and small scale publications, all in one place, that I can’t help but think of EWF as a beehive of Australia’s small-scale writing producers. 

Sp: Did your professional development as a writer benefit from attending and participating in EWF this year?

After a big year of writing in 2007, I didn’t write at all in 2008. It was what I refer to as my composting year… breaking down all the debris and creating some rich, fertile soil in which new projects can grow. Whilst I’ve been taking some time off writing myself, I’ve been filling myself up with the lives and words of renowned Queensland writers, and it was an honour to speak as a representative of their exceptional work through this Festival. EWF is one of fortuitous influences that are gently luring me back to the page. In terms of my professional development, attending Festivals like EWF is crucial to be aware of current industry trends; to look at who’s doing well and why; to gain tools and advice to achieve your goals; to meet people who may help your artistic and professional practice; and just to get caught up in something bigger than yourself. 

Sp: Did you speak with the Director or organisers, and get any sense of future directions for EWF?

I had a discussion with David Ryding, the Festival Directory and visionary behind bringing the Festival from 3 to 10 days. I admire his persistence in making it work, when so many people said it would fail. It’s a slick thing now, EWF. With a good team of people behind it. Some people may write it off because it’s a Festival for emerging, not established, writers, but David has brought a lot of professional clout to the organisation and a clarification of where it sits in the market – and why it’s essential to Australia’s literature sector. He mentioned that EWF doesn’t necessarily have to be based in Melbourne, as it is a national festival. So I’d love to see where this could go. I’m excited to work with him in the future, and will definitely be keeping a close eye on his future moves. 

Sp: Any suggestions for future EWFs?

More Queensland writers! Perhaps something involving AWM? I’d love to see a stronger web presence of the Festival too, perhaps were writers could network and particpate in forums or watch live webstreams. There’s many writers who can’t physically attend the venue, but would still benefit from accessing the wealth of information and talent on offer. And… that they keep on doing what they do!

Thank you, Lisette, for taking the time to keep Speakeasy readers up to date with the Australian writers festival scene.

It is a busy time here at AWMonline!

Next week we have a live online Q&A forum with Children’s/Young Adult author (and total sweetie) Michael Gerard  Bauer. I’ll be posting details next week, but for now just mark the date in your diary: next Wednesday 29 April at 11am-12pm.

This Tuesday we welcomed guest Writing Racer Christine Bongers, who inspired Racers on to our greatest word count yet, bringing the total tally up to a massive 34,112 words!

We are also starting to get some firm details about the program for the Byron Bay Writers Festival, with early Bird ticket sales having just opened. AWMonline will be hosting an all day pre-festival publishing seminar … but more about that later.

This week, a Keitai character presents a few of our favourite links for your clicking interest:

• The territorial copyright debate on our little island is making international news: The Guardian reports the issues more clearly than  most Australian news outlets.
• Keitai books take off: ‘If Shakespeare were alive now, he would be a mobile phone novelist‘.
• The Screen Producers Association of Australia (SPAA) are conducting a series of one-day seminars in the east coast cities of Australia. Check out multiplatform producer Kelly Chapman’s blog about it.
• The Tweenbot art experiment restores faith in human (well, New Yorker) nature. I so want to program one of these adorable gizmos to perform random literary readings, and record the results.
• Business cards for the econopocalypse, featuring meat and lasers. Extra handy for writers: informative and edible!

Wishing you all a happy writerly weekend.