Program by event
The First Word
Living Library
Page Parlour
Stuck in a lift with…
48 Hour Play Generator
TwitterFEST
Creative Writing Bootcamp
Write What You Know
15 Minutes of Fame
You can’t stop the musing: Disco lecture
In the pub: freelance writing
Wordstock: AC/DC
Town Hall Program
The Pitch
Zine Bus
2 Sides of the Coin – Style Vs Substance
Umbrella events…
Express Media Skills Share
Lunchbox/Soapbox
Overland Judith Wright Poetry Prize
The First Word
Date: Friday 21 May, doors open 7.30pm for an 8pm start
The First Word is …
A celebration of writing, writers and the word.
A night of performance, comedy, spoken word and burlesque.
The official opening of the 7th Emerging Writers’ Festival.
The First Word is …
Dance, comedy, readings and…
The Call to Arms – the Emerging Writers’ Festival’s unique keynote address, this year delivered by romantic fiction writer Toni Jordan.
The Glory of Love – Craig Schuftan.
Love Vs Angst, what makes a better writer? – top writers Josh Earl, Kate Mclennan and Michaela McGuire battle for supremacy in our 2 Sides of the Coin debate.
Featuring — Myke Bartlett, Josh Earl, Amy Espeseth, Toni Jordan, Alison Mann, Michaela McGuire, Kate Mclennan, Craig Schuftan, Michael Williams and more.
The festival bar will be in operation!
Venue: BMW Edge Theatre, Federation Square
Prices: Tickets $20 full / $10 concession
Bookings: Buy tickets now
Living Library
Date: Saturday 22 May, 10.30am to 5pm
Have a burning question about plotlines? Dialogue? Finding your voice? Structure? Getting published? Finding an agent? At our Living Library you can borrow one of our real-life ‘Books’ for a fifteen minute mentorship session to discuss issues you face in your writing practice.
The Books available for lending are:
Editing: Dale Campisi, publisher and editor
Voice: Lee Kofman, poet, non-fiction author & creative writing teacher
Agent Advice: Donica Bettanin, literary agent *SOLD OUT*
Dialogue: Peta Murray, playwright & short story author
Structure: Elin-Maria Evangelista, novelist editor & creative writing teacher
Book proposals & pitching: Kevin Patrick, children’s author & comic editor
Freelancing: John Bailey, feature writer & arts reviewer
Blogging/online publishing: Chris Meade, Director of the Institute for the Future of the Book, London *PLACES LIMITED*
Writers can borrow as many of the Books as they would like on the day, although reservations are essential. To register please send your name, contact details, the name of the Book/s you would like to borrow and a question you would like to ask to Susan at
[email protected].
Venue: Experimedia, State Library of Victoria, 328 Swanston St
Prices: $5 per fifteen minute session with a Book
Tickets: reserve a book by emailing [email protected]
Page Parlour
Date: Sunday 23 May, 12pm to 5pm
Discover the best of undiscovered, underground, independent, obscure and locally produced publications at the happening Emerging Writers’ Festival Page Parlour.
Featuring over forty stalls selling everything from books to posters, literary journals to hand-crafted storybooks, indie titles to mooks, magazines, and Stuck in a lift… and more!
Venue: The Atrium, Federation Square
Prices: FREE
48 Hour Play Generator
Date: Sunday 23 May, from 5.30pm
Great plays can take anything from months to years to create … our playwrights have two days.
Welcome to the 48 Hour Play Generator, where six emerging writers and directors are tested beyond anything they’ve ever experienced.
One of the festival performance highlights, the work which is produced from the 48 Hour Play Generator exceeds expectations time and time again. The short time-frame of creation knows no limits to the writers’ imagination, as five brilliant original works are produced for the stage, resulting in a madcap and totally raw theatre experience.
This year the Malthouse Theatre plays host to the 48 Hour Play Generator, the perfect setting to see the next big thing in Australian theatre.
Featuring new works by Anna Barnes, Elise Hearst, Tobias Manderson-Galvin, Patrick McCarthy and Amelia Roper.
Curator and dramaturge is Ricci-Jane Adams.
Venue: Malthouse Theatre, 113 Sturt Street, Southbank
Prices: Tickets $20 full / $10 concession
Bookings: Buy tickets now
Stuck in a lift with…
Date: Times vary, see below
A series of short interviews in which emerging writers gets a chance to quiz one of their literary heroes about the writing and books they enjoy reading. Over the space of an hour the writer will be asked a series of questions based on the floors of the building that their lift is travelling – from the first book they read to books they could not put down …
Sunday 23 May, 1.30pm & 3pm
Page Parlour, The Atrium @ Federation Square
Paddy O’Reilly
in conversation with Jennifer Mills
&
Mandy Ord
in conversation with Jen Breach
Wednesday 26 May, 2pm
Twitter.com/emergingwriters
Margo Lanagan
(@margolanagan) in conversation with Ronnie Scott (@theliftedbrow)
Thursday 27 May, 2pm
Twitter.com/emergingwriters
Gala Darling
(@galadarling) in conversation with Rachel Hills (@rachelhills)
Saturday 29 May, 1.45pm
Swanston Hall, Melbourne Town Hall
Jill Jones
in conversation with Scott-Patrick Mitchell
Venue: Federation Square, twitter.com, Melbourne Town Hall
Prices: FREE
TwitterFEST
Date: Monday 24 to Friday 28 May, 2pm daily
Daily throughout the festival, TwitterFEST will host discussions, generate debate and interview writers… on Twitter! Get those #ewfchat hashtags happening at some fast and furious online panels – and get ready to mix it with some of Australia’s best writers.
It’s social media mixed with literary debate – jump online to join the discussion.
Monday 24 May, 2pm
Discussion: What is an ‘Australian’ novel?
Is it based on the setting of a text, the nationality of a writer, specific themes teased out by an author or a combination of all three? Does the emerging market for eBooks provide an opportunity or responsibility to maintain an Australian point of view in contemporary writing? Or do commercial pressures to write for an international audience (via books of a more universal nature) overwhelm the drive for a national literature?
Hosted by Jason Ensor (@austliterature)
Tuesday 25 May, 2pm
Discussion: My iPad won’t sit on the bookshelf…
Is Apple’s e-reader really a game changer for the future of publishing – can that one little multi-purpose device ever live up to its hype?
Hosted by Simon Groth (@simongroth)
Wednesday 26 May, 2pm
Discussion: how is Twitter helping writers?
Is Twitter advancing our careers or the art of our writing – or is it ‘just’ a social tool? Are writers using the software to create new styles of writing or publication? How is Twitter helping writers – or isn’t it?
Hosted by Lisa Dempster (@lisadempster)
Thursday 27 May, 2pm
Stuck in a lift with… Gala Darling (@galadarling), in conversation with Rachel Hills (@rachelhills)
Friday 28 May, 2pm
Stuck in a lift with… Margo Lanagan (@margolanagan), in conversation with Ronnie Scott (@theliftedbrow)
Hosted by — Jason Ensor (@austliterature), Lisa Dempster (@lisadempster), Simon Groth (@simongroth), Rachel Hills (@rachelhills), Ronnie Scott (@theliftedbrow) and the Emerging Writers’ Festival (@emergingwriters)
Venue: Twitter.com/emergingwriters
Prices: FREE
Creative Writing Bootcamp
Date: Tuesday 25 to Thursday 27 May, 6pm to 7pm daily
Has the festival got your creative juices flowing? Drop into our Creative Writing Bootcamp sessions for inspiration,
ideas, and a space in which to … WRITE.
Will you pen your next masterpiece at bootcamp? BYO laptop or notebook!
With guided writing exercises by Maddie Crofts, Maria Zajkowski, Komminos Zervos and special festival guests!
Plus, Lord Mayor’s Creative Writing Awards Exhibition at City Library … Follow a trail of literary discovery and be inspired by the entries received in the 2009 Lord Mayor’s Creative Writing Awards.
Venue: City Library Seminar Room, 253 Flinders Lane, Melbourne
Prices: FREE
Write What You Know
Date: Monday 24 to Thursday 27 May, 6pm to 7pm daily
Shining a spotlight onto non-fiction, Write What You Know is an opportunity to learn the ins and outs of professional writing.
Our panelists will discuss how they got started in their field, the challenges and opportunities of their writing forms, and speak broadly about their experiences in the industry. Questions encouraged!
Monday 24 May – Family History
Featuring David Carlin, Hazel Edwrds and Louise Wilson.
Hosted by Sam Cooney.
Tuesday 25 May – Travel writing
Featuring Paula Constant, George Dunford and Ben Groundwater.
Hosted by Ruby J Murray.
Wednesday 26 May – Opinion
Featuring Sophie Black, Ben Eltham and Marcus Westbury.
Hosted by Melissa Cranenburgh.
Thursday 27 May – Food writing
Featuring Ed Charles, Charmaine O’Brien and Dani Valent.
Hosted by Tammi Jonas.
Venue: The Wheeler Centre, 176 Little Lonsdale Street
Prices: $20 full / $10 concession
Bookings: Buy tickets here – Family History, Travel, Opinion, Food
15 Minutes of Fame
Date: Monday 24 to Thursday 27 May, 7pm daily
It’s said that everyone gets their fifteen minutes of fame, but here fifteen minutes is just the beginning as emerging writers launch their works so you can discover the best new writing from tomorrow’s literary stars.
With sixteen diverse launches taking place over four nights, 15 Minutes of Fame features everything from travel books to zines, journals to young adult fiction and everything in between.
Featuring — Monday 24 May
Miscellaneous Voices
Andee Jones – Kissing Frogs
Lucienne Noontil – Possum Tale
Joel Magarey – Exposure
Featuring — Tuesday 25 May
Stephanie Dale – My Pilgrim’s Heart
Peter Farrar – The Nine Flaws of Affection
Ebony McKenna – Ondine
Offset Journal
Featuring — Wednesday 26 May
Death of a Scenester
Kasey Edwards – Thirty Something and Over It
Kathryn Koromilas – Palimpsest
Fiona Trembath – Crackpot
Featuring — Thursday 27 May
Clinton Caward – Love Machine
Cottonmouth
Chrissie Michaels – In Lonnie’s Shadow
Caroline Webber – Putting Pen to Paper
Hosted by Estelle Tang.
Venue: The Wheeler Centre, 176 Little Lonsdale Street
Prices: FREE
You Can’t Stop the Musing: Disco lecture
Date: Tuesday 25 May, 6pm
Everybody knows disco is fun. But is it good for you? Now that disco is back (trust us, it is), the time has come to determine, once and for all, whether it’s part of the problem or part of the solution. Triple J’s Craig Schuftan presents the case for and against in You Can’t Stop the Musing – the world’s first disco-lecture. Expect to hear from The Silver convention, The Chic Organisation and the Frankfurt School, and don’t be surprised if you start doing that which both Theodor Adorno and the adherents of the Disco Sucks movement considered an impossibility – thinking and dancing.
Venue: Horse Bazaar, 397 Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne
Prices: $10 full / $5 concession
Bookings: Buy tickets here
In the pub: freelance writing
Date: Wednesday 26 May, from 7.30pm
They write with unbound artistic licence, they have made it their career, and they live the life you want. From the outside looking in, freelance writing is often shrouded in mystery. Well, that’s about to be lifted.
This year’s In the Pub event takes a look into the world of freelance writing, and lets you in on a few little secrets as told by our diverse panel of freelancers themselves. Reading their first ever piece of paid writing, our panellists discuss their journey through the world of freelance writing and reveal the ups and downs of the industry. From journalism to comedy, reviewing to opinion, there’s something for everyone, as well as the opportunity to speak to your favourite freelancer and pick their brains over a beer.
Panellists — Chris Flynn, Claire Halliday and Ben Pobjie.
Special guest — Catherine Deveny shares her thoughts on freelancing.
Hosted by Joanne Brookfield.
Venue: The Workers Club, 51 Brunswick St, Fitzroy
Prices: $20 full / $10 concession
Bookings: Buy tickets here
Wordstock: AC/DC
Date: Thursday 27 May, from 7.30pm
No band has been more iconic and synonymous with Australian rock and roll than AC/DC, who serve as the inspiration for this year’s Wordstock. Come and see Melbourne’s finest performers take to the stage with their tribute to the great Acca Dacca. Rock’n’roll will be given a different sort of spotlight, with new songs, poems, standup and performance pieces prepared in response to the backlist of the legendary rockers.
A one night only event and a performance highlight of the Emerging Writers’ Festival, Wordstock will introduce to you a whole new side of AC/DC. We will blow your mind (like dynamite).
Featuring — Emilie Zoey Baker, Kate Boston-Smith, Susan Carland, The V Dentatas, Luke Devine, Ash Flanders, Karen Pickering, Ben Pobjie and Sean M. Whelan.
Hosted by local rocker Clem Bastow.
Venue: BMW Edge, Federation Square
Prices: $20 full / $10 concession
Bookings: Buy tickets here
Town Hall Program
Dates: Saturday 29 & Sunday 30 May, 9am – 5.30pm
The Town Hall program is the beating heart of the Emerging Writers’ Festival.
Featuring a range of panels, interviews and conversations, the Town Hall program dissects and discusses the art, the craft and the business of being a writer. All the questions you may have about moving forward with your writing career will be answered by the emerging and the emerged. Covers all styles of writing, from prose fiction, to song writing, theatre, video games, copywriting, poetry, comedy and more!
See full Town Hall Program schedule of events.
Venue: Melbourne Town Hall, Cnr Swanston and Collins St
Prices: Weekend pass $45 full / $30 concession (day pass $35 full / $25 concession – only limited numbers available on the door)
Bookings: Buy tickets here
The Pitch
Date: Saturday 29 May, 4 – 5.30pm
How to pitch your work and who to pitch it to! No-holds-barred advice from professionals.
Our panel includes publishers, literary agents and editors from diverse publications such as literary journals, books, blogs and magazines – and they are there to give you tips and advice about how to successfully present your work. With time for Q&A, this is one panel you don’t want to miss.
Featuring Rachel Baring (Short & Sweet Theatre), Donica Bettanin (agent, Jenny Darling & Associates), Anica Boulanger-Mashberg (Islet Online), Scott-Patrick Mitchell (Cottonmouth), Johannes Jakob (Voiceworks), Sabina Hopfer (Etchings), Bryan Whalen (Wet Ink), Caitlin Yates (Black Inc Books), Jessie Borrelle & Jon Tjhia (Paper Radio), Alexandra Payne (University of Queensland Press), Sophie Black (Crikey) – and more!
Venue: Swanston Hall, Melbourne Town Hall
Prices: Free with Town Hall pass or $10 full / $5 concession
Bookings: Buy tickets here
Zine Bus
Date: Saturday 29 May, 11am to 5pm
All aboard the world’s first mobile zine fair!
Travelling the streets of Melbourne and culminating in a guerrilla zine market at Federation Square, the zine bus will be fully stocked with ace indie titles, guaranteeing the most innovative displays of art, creativity and DIY to ever take to the streets!
Hop onto the festival website to download a bus timetable and get ready for a day of indie, DIY, zines and madness.
BOARD THE BUS AT THE FOLLOWING BUS STOPS:
11.15am – 12.15pm – Carlton Library
(667 Rathdowne St, North Carlton)
PLUS – Zine talk: What are zines and why are they so important. With STICKY INSTITUTE.
12.30pm – 1.30pm – Edinburgh Gardens
(Maternal & Child Health Centre, Alfred Crescent, Fitzroy)
PLUS – Zine talk: The process behind making zines collaboratively and individually. With EDDY BURGER and DEATH OF A SCENESTER.
1.45pm – 2.45pm – Lamington Drive gallery
(89 George Street, Fitzroy)
PLUS – Artist talk: OSLO DAVIS on why he zines.
3pm – 5pm – Federation Square
(The Atrium @ Federation Square, Flinders Street, Melbourne)
PLUS – Zine launch: Craig Schuftan’s zine, From Mess to the Masses AND guerilla zine fair – bring your zines to join the Zine Bus Zine Fair!
Download the Zine Bus flyer & timetable.
Venue: Carlton Library, Edinburgh Gardens, Lamington Drive, Federation Square
Prices: FREE
2 Sides of the Coin — Style Vs Substance
Date: Sunday 30 May, 1.45pm
Is great writing about what you say or how you say it? These writers will tackle the big issue of Style Vs Substance, in one of our special debates, where writers battle it out… with themselves.
With — Karen Pickering, Patrick O’Neil, Craig Schuftan and Lorelei Vashti. Hosted by Benjamin Law.
Venue: Swanston Hall, Melbourne Town Hall
Prices: Free with Town Hall pass or $10 full / $5 concession
Bookings: Buy tickets here
