Panel sessions
The engine room of the Festival
A range of conversations covering the art, craft and business of being a writer. All the questions you may have about moving forward in your career - answered by the emerging and the emerged.
Crashing and bashing and smashing through
Sunday 31st May 10 to 11am.
How do writers move forward in their career - finding time to write, and make money to have the time to write? What are the secrets to breaking down the walls that stop us from calling ourselves a writer? Is it worth having an agent, and how useful is networking? With Sarah Ayoub, Kathryn Heyman, Chris Morphew, & Bel Schenk
Hosted by Brendan Guillifer
Out of the mouths of babes
Sunday 31st May 11am to 12pm.
Speech writers, comedians, and ghost writers discuss the tricky art of writing for someone else, or as someone else. Loose lips contrast the writer’s tight lips when someone else receives the praise for your words.
With Matt Davies, Rhod Ellis-Jones, Melita Granger and Adam Rozenbachs
Hosted by Daan Spijer
The revolution will be downloaded
Saturday 30th May 3 to 4pm
In this age of electronic enlightenment there are so many ways for writers to get their work read, as well as promoting themselves as a writer. We look at new ways of getting your words out, as well as at how the electronic world could work in getting your traditional work read more.
With Rachel Hills, Angela Meyer, Darren Rowse and James Stuart
Hosted by Karen Andrews
Truth and honesty in writing
Saturday 30th May 1.45 to 2.45pm
How much can a non-fiction writer bend the truth claim is ‘correct’? When can biographers fudge facts? Is Verbatim theatre about the history or the possibilities? What are the consequences when your truth is too personal and you hurt the people you are writing about?
With Lisa Dempster, Krissy Kneen, David Mence and Scott-Patrick Mitchell
Hosted by Dale Campisi
Art vs Craft?
Sunday 31st May 12.30 to 1.30pm
One of our special Two Sides of the Coin debates where writers debate with themselves. Is it all about lyrical musings regardless of plot and structure, or can you put any old a pap down if the plot rocks? Obviously you need both…obviously. Obviously?
With Nathan Curnow, Elise Hurst, Kathryn Heyman and Krissy Kneen
Hosted by Susan Hayes
The Pitch
Saturday 30th May 4 to 5pm.
The art of pitching your work told by Publishers as they pitch how they would like to be pitched to. Presented by the finest selection of publishers, editors and other people wanting your work.
I can say yes now but in the end it will be no
Sunday 31st May 1.45 to 2.45pm
You spend hours deliberating over your punctuation, only to have actors, artists, directors and all and sundry throw out semi colons with barely a thought! This panel looks at maintaining ownership over your own words.
With Liz Argall, Angela Bentzien, Paul Callaghan and Luke Devenish
Hosted by Andrew Horabain
The best ways forward
Sunday 31st 3 to 4pm
Looking at the merits of the various avenues for helping get your words out into the real world being it tertiary study, short courses, mentors or just sitting down and writing.
With Steven Amsterdam, Rijn Collins, Stu Hatton and Pooja Mittal
Hosted by Tim Sinclair
The great State divide
Saturday 30th May 12.30 to 1.30pm
The interstate panellists will be set a challenge to discover the unique voice of their State. Is there one? And what does this say about the Australian voice? Are we really a nation of the bush or have we all moved the Australian voice to the suburbs. Where is our 21st Century spiritual consciousness?
With Rachel Hennessy, Simonne Michelle-Wells, Jennifer Mills, Lisette Ogg, & Sean Riley
Hosted by Dion Kagan
Just write dammit!
Saturday 30th May 11am to 12pm
Writers discuss their techniques for dealing with a blank page. Also looking at how they start a piece, when they write, where they write, and how they structure their day.
With Victoria Carless, Andrew Hutchinson, Tiggy Johnson and PD Martin
Hosted by Matt Davies