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Literary Festivals 2010

judij — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 01:00:40 +0000

Dreaming, as one does, of travel and always thinking about books and reading, Fiction Focus has compiled a far-from-complete list of 2010 literary festivals that bring together two of life’s most rewarding pursuits. Happy to add others if you bring them to our attention.

26 February-1 March: Perth. Perth Writers Festival
28 February –5 March: Adelaide. Writers Week
6-8 March: Dublin. Dublin Book Festival
12-14 March: Tucson, AZ, USA. Tucson Festival of Books
15-19 March: Mudgeeraba, Queensland. Somerset Celebration of Literature
17-19 March: Bullcreek, WA. All Saints Lit Fest of Young Adult and Children’s Literature
20-21 March: Faulconbridge, NSW. Norman Lindsay Festival of Children’s Literature
1-5 April. Perth. Swancon : WA Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention
14-16 May: Darwin. Wordstorm 2010
12-16 May: Auckland. Auckland Writers and Readers Festival
17-23 May: Sydney. Sydney Writers Festival
21-30 May: Melbourne. Emerging Writers Festival
15-18 July: Mildura, Victoria. Mildura Writers Festival
6-8 August: Byron Bay, NSW. Byron Bay Writers Festival
14-30 August: Edinburgh. Edinburgh Book Festival
1-5 September. Brisbane. Brisbane Writers Festival
2-6 September: Melbourne. AussieCon4 – World Science Fiction Convention
8-12 September. Santiago de Compostela, Spain. IBBY 32 Congress
27 September-1 October. Brisbane. SLAQ/IASL Conference, with a literature strand
late October. Dates to be confirmed. Waiheke Island, Auckland NZ. Words on a Small Island. Read about the inaugural festival.
6-10 October. Ubud, Bali. Ubud Writers Festival

Please note that not all of the above websites contain 2010 content, although the dates are correct at the time of publication.

Oh for the Lotto life!

Image of The Bookman from The Gnome King of Oz (1927) used under Creative Commons licence

National Book Festival

judij — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 02:07:52 +0000

The US National Book Festival, that is. It’s in full swing in Washington right now, and the tweets are flying.

To attend in a virtual sort of way, the Twitter hashtag is #nbf. Works well in Twitter clients such as Tweetdeck.

Here’s the children’s and YA lineup and webcasts will be happening, too.

Brisbane Writers Festival

judij — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 08:49:03 +0000

Came across the brochure for Word Play, the youth segment of the soon-to-be Brisbane Writers Festival (9-13 September).

The lineup is impressive:

Andy Griffiths – Brian Falkner – Belinda Jeffrey – Colin Thompson – Charlotte McConaghy – Carole Wilkinson - Melaina Faranda – Pat Flynn – Jackie French – Tristan Bancks – Tempany Deckert – Richard Newsome – Jack Heath – James Roy – James Moloney – Michael Gerard Bauer – Pamela Rushby – Sherryl Clark – Peter Carnavas and Scott Monk.

so if you are in the vicinity, check it out. There is a related online literature festival happening as we type for students and teachers across Australia. This one finishes on 18 September.

MWF 2009

judij — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 03:31:26 +0000

It’s soon the turn of the City of Literature to host a Writers Festival. Dates: August 21-30.

Here’s the lineup of writers for young people. Something of a Who’s Who for a Book Week crossover event.

The times they have a’changed …

judij — Thu, 28 May 2009 02:07:45 +0000

From the White House:

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama will serve as Honorary Chairs of the 2009 National Book Festival, organized and sponsored by the Library of Congress. Now in its ninth year, this popular event celebrating the joys of reading and lifelong literacy …

Read on and sigh.

The heads-up came from the Joy of Childen’s Literature, for which we are both grateful and envious of our US cousins. A new slogan? ‘All the way with BO and M). C’mon Aussie, C’mon’. (Overseas readers will almost certainly need the hyperlinks here for the popular culture references).

An hour with James McBride

judij — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 02:57:45 +0000

Well, the promised Perth Writers Festival summation didn’t happen for all sorts of reasons but the ABC podcasts are stll being posted. Do yourself a favour and spend an hour with James McBride, the latest of the sessions to go online. The author of The Color of Water was possibly the coolest and certainly one of the most entertaining (of many entertaining people) at the Festival.

And when the Sebastian Barry podcast is posted (soon) transport yourself to Ireland. To be there to hear him read from The Secret Scripture was a privilege and a highlight of the weekend.

Perth Writers Festival 2009

judij — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 00:40:24 +0000

Another day to go and still digesting the two just past. Wondering which of the many books purchased to be read first – they are all begging. A more relective post later. Meanwhile, don’t forget the podcasts.

Last night’s highlight? The Moth. Yet another podcast to help the kilometres click past on long journeys.

Look who’s coming to Perth

judij — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 00:32:36 +0000

At the end of the month the Perth Writers Festival takes place at the University of Western Australia. Part of PIAF, the 2009 Writers Festival will see a number of children’s and YA authors and ilustrators in attendance, including:

Friday 27 February

Libby Gleeson, on writing picture books
Leigh Hobbs, on illustrating picture books
Sally Rippin and Alice Pung, on compassion
Mem Fox in conversation

Saturday 28 February (all sessions free)

Leigh Hobbs again, this time with Carole Wilkinson
A panel session on censorship in YA writing chaired by Julia Lawrinson. With Sally Rippin, Libby Gleeson and AJ Betts
Leigh Hobbs, Andrew Nicoll and James Phelan on characterisation
Tristan Bancks, Barry Jonsberg and Justine Larbalestier on writing for YA
Libby Gleeson and Robert Hillman on refugee stories

Sunday 1 March (all sessions free)

Alice Pung, James McBride and Imran Ahmad on writing about race
Carole Wilkinson, Hannah Holmes and Bridget Curran on historical research
Sonya Hartnett, Rana Dasgupta and Arnold Zable on fable

Monday 2 March (all sessions free)

Sonya Hartnett and Cate Kennedy on the inspiration of the everyday

This is just a taste. There are many more writers in attendance in a rich and varied program. In something of a coup, Sebastian Barry, last week announced the winner of Costa Book of the Year Award, is a guest and will close the Festival in conversation with Liz Byrski.

For full details, click on the logo.