Which is why I’m a little cast down that I had to curtail my festival time as I have to plough through this baby for my doctorate...
Looks riveting doesn’t it? (Well, actually it sorta is, but PhDs are like that.)
Still I did get to some great sessions. The university arranged for Steven Amsterdam to provide a workshop for its research higher degree students on the Friday. Steven’s latest novel The Easy Way Out follows the journey of a dying-assistant (regardless of what side of the euthanasia debate you fall on, this is an interesting book). And his workshop provided us with much food for thought. Also, I caught up with a friend I haven’t seen in ages. :-) We’re thinking of forming a writers group.
On Friday night I attended the Newcastle Short Story Award ceremony—this is a prize that’s starting to gain national recognition (as it should—there’s $6000 worth of prize money up for grabs). And in a weird moment of serendipity I found myself talking to a barrister (see what I’ve been reading above). Of course, now I want to write a short story for next year’s prize. Oh, and I caught up with a friend I haven’t seen in ages. We’re doing coffee soon. :-)
I ventured forth on Saturday to attend a book launch for Michael Sala’s The Restorer. Michael did his PhD while I was doing my Masters. He writes beautiful prose (his first book won the NSW Premier’s Award). Also he’s a seriously nice guy. It was one of the nicest launches I’ve ever been to. Afterwards I found myself at the pub with my supervisor, another writer (yesterday’s friend), a senior lecturer in sociology (who kept shooting questions at me about my readership), and a hipster dude who’s co-writing something funky (didn’t catch what) and who dubbed me the coolest person he’d ever met because I’ve been released in Manga format. I left before I could destroy that image. ;-)
And then on Sunday, I attended the launch of a local poetry anthology. One of my book group members is published in the anthology. And there are worse ways to wile away an hour than listening to poems celebrating the painter Margaret Olley. Also, poetry readings make me feel cultured and learned (and despite the fact I’m doing a PhD, this feeling is rare and fleeting so I channel it whenever I can). Oh, and guess what? I ran into old friends I haven’t seen since my postgraduate days (back in the early 90s!). We’re catching up soon for coffee, drinks…or something.
So there you have it. I’ll leave you to decide whether I actually gained more culturally or socially over the weekend. ;-) What about you—do you love a good writers festival, or do they make you want to run away screaming and hide under your bed?
Michelle's The Spanish Tycoon's Takeover is in store now!
Michelle, what a wonderful weekend! So much catching up with friends, and hearing new things and being cool. Yes, of course you're cool - you're published in manga and your books are loved by readers around the world!
ReplyDeleteI don't have a lot of experience of writers' festivals so much as writers' conferences, which I love and readers' festivals which are enormous fun. I'm going to one of those next month and can't wait.
It was a lot of fun. I thought I'd simply be ducking in and out of a couple of things...but then, you know...friends. So coffee and much conversation had to be had. I'm laughing though to find that I'm so "cool." ;-)
DeleteOh, yes, I love writers' conferences too. They are the best! Hope you have a wonderful time at your readers' festival next month. :-)
Michelle, that sounds so fun! We really need to get someone working on developing a teleport machine so we can jump around the country more conveniently!
ReplyDeleteOh, yes, Rach! A teleport machine would be fabulous! And not just so we could attend writers festivals, but for coffee chats and writing retreats. :-)
DeleteI love writers festivals, Michelle - more for the networking than anything else becasue they can be utterly pretentious from time to time :-)
ReplyDeleteThe networking is great, AA.
DeleteI find one gets the whole spectrum at a writers festival, with literary snobbery at one end and unrepentant fandom at the other. And call me weird if you will, but I get a kick out of the highbrow having to contend with mass-market appeal, the literary coming face to face with the commercial, and the scholarly clashing with untutored working-class perspectives. It makes for a great atmosphere—a little charged, sometimes challenging, but full of energy. ;-)
You anarchist, you! :-)
DeleteLOL. I do my best. ;-)
DeleteOnly been to writer's conference and love them to death and what an amazing bunch of ladies and men somewhere mingling with us women. I remember my first one, traveling for the first time alone to Sydney, which I really didn't know and who should be on the same flight as me Melanie. Chattered her ear off for the whole flight, they allowed us to sit together in free seats. Then share a ride, which made it so much easier for me and who was there waiting for me was Cherry and she allowed me to share her room for a night because I had to change flights. Amazing and had never looked back. I think that a sign, I belonged there! Every year somewhere new, loved seeing Melbourne again, lived there for a couple of years in the 80's and Adelaide was amazing. Can't wait for Brisbane so no hiding under the bed, however, have to recover in bed for a week! lol ;) Learn so much, so rewarding.
ReplyDeleteOh, Jan, yes! Writers' conferences (especially RWA ones) are the best! And it sounds as if your very first one set the perfect tone for all the ones to follow. Like you, I love getting to experience different cities. But it's the fellowship of other writers that's the best part. :-)
DeleteCan't say I've ever attended a writer's festival but this one sounds like it was a perfect blend of social and cultural.
ReplyDeleteCan't say much about writer's conferences either though since I haven't attended one in full yet.
This one was a fun festival (at least the events I attended). I hope you get a chance to go to a writers conference, Lyn. They can be amazing on so many levels. :-)
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