- Bellingen Writers' Festival 2016
From left to right: Michael Wilding, Alison Green, David Williamson, Debra Oswald, Richard Glover
“Page, Stage and Screen”
In 2016, with the theme of “Page, Stage and Screen”, the Bellingen Readers & Writers Festival is delighted to welcome Australia’s most popular playwright David Williamson, ABC broadcaster, Sydney Morning Herald columnist and author Richard Glover, Michael Wilding, winner of the 2015 Prime Minister’s Award for non-fiction for his highly acclaimed work Wild Bleak Bohemia: Marcus Clarke, Adam Lindsay Gordon and Henry Kendall, and Independent politician Tony Windsor.
Other guests include:
- playwrights Debra Oswald and Tommy Murphy
- novelists Mark Dapin, Jane Messer, Greg Barron and Jim Anderson
- young adult fantasy writer Lynette Noni
- poets Judith Rodriguez, Peter Bakowski and Les Wicks and 2015 national Poetry Slam finalist John Donellan
- blogger Lee Kofman and webisode writer Kacie Anning
- journalists Martin McKenzie-Murray (The Saturday Paper) and newspaper publisher Lawrence Gibbons (Alternative Media Group)
- publishers Alison Green (Pantera Press), Lyn Gain (Valentine Press) and David Reiter (Interactive Press)
- newly published writers Lesley Truffle, Helen Chebatte, Leah Kaminsky and Kim Hodges
Also appearing at the festival are Graham Potts, a serving member of the Australian Air Force who writes thrillers, and Janet Richardson, a pilot who turned to fiction to get a conservation point of view across to her readers.
Local historian Ross Macleay takes you on a walk through Bellingen's food and drink landscape, from gleaning and foraging to affogato, and provides a social history of eating and drinking in the town.
Held in the Memorial Hall, panel sessions are:
- Fifty plays and still going strong: Irina Dunn interviews David Williamson
- Death threats be damned, I’m going to stand! Irina Dunn interviews Tony Windsor
- The creative process: how hard is it to write?
- Breaking into the market: four authors tell how they did it
- Is infotainment taking the place of news? What is news anyway?
- Stagefright, screenfright: when your words refuse to perform
- Why is fiction so difficult to write, or is it?
- Bucking the Trend: Pantera Press showcase
- The way of the future: online, digital and radio writing
- Why write poetry when nobody ever reads it?
- Truth and authenticity in fiction
- Are they going to sue me if I write this? Memoir and biography
You must not miss Q & A Bellingen style chaired by Richard Glover, when the audience has an opportunity to throw questions to a distinguished panel of writers and journalists from the floor of the Memorial Hall.
The festival honours and celebrates the rich cultural heritage of the region’s Gumbaynggirr people, offering you the opportunity to learn some of their language at a talk by Steve Morelli after “Welcome to Country” at the Cocktail Party.
The Opening Night Party is on Friday 10 June (The Brewery), and a Dinner with the Literati on Saturday 11 June (The Old Butter Factory), and the ever popular Poetry Slam also features on Saturday 11 June (Memorial Hall).
Get in early and buy your tickets before they sell out.
Tickets are available at www.bellingenwritersfestival.com.au.
Inquiries to Program Director Irina Dunn on 0403 486 363.
From left to right: Mark Dapin, Jane Messer, Tony Windsor, Judith Rodriguez, Martin McKenzie-Murray, Kristin Williamson
Feedback for the 2016 Bellingen Readers' and Writers' Festival
Dear Irina,
I thought the Festival one of the warmest and nicest I have ever attended. Such welcoming people - such a brave and beautiful cultural town (Danube Glass! A great jeweller's! The beautiful buildings - and the mural of the Bellingen area on Hyde! The Bakery's tarts!) - and such good sessions. I particularly enjoyed the three playwrights, it was a terrific session. Brian Purcell was a very sympathetic presenter with us poets. I loved the bookseller, who did quite well for me. And my hosts - I cannot say enough about their kindness. A big warm doona, coffee in bed to rouse me, a beautiful dinner on the Sunday night, and they drove me to sessions and, finally, to Coffs Harbour. And many thanks to Judith Turner who fetched me from Coffs and then toured me round the essential venues before taking me to my hosts.
A lovely person called Sandra met me on Monday morning and straightway said she'd take me to the Promised Land - which she did! Right around the Promised Land loop road, before Paul Nebauer (my host) arrived to drive me to Coffs.
Someone said they're thinking of making the festival bi-annual. I think that would be a big mistake, especially as a couple of other festivals have folded. And especially as they have you at present!
Yes, I enjoyed myself. Thank you so much, Irina, for inviting me. An occasion like this really stimulates and keeps one going!
All very best wishes – JUDITH RODRIGUEZ
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Hi Irina,
We enjoyed Bellingen Festival so much.
You did a splendid job. Congratulations!
We drove back the 700 km. talking about it. We hit the road soon after midday with two delicious cups of chicken soup made by your generous volunteers.
We love our presents (see photo). David has the cow cup and I have the rooster. And the Jizo is very special.
Warm wishes, KRISTIN AND DAVID WILLIAMSON
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Irina,
Impressive work on weekend.
Punctual time keeping, very good interviewing and prep, and huge amount of work.
And thanks for giving me the opportunity to take the walk. ROSS MACLEAY
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Hey Irina!
We all had such a wonderful time out in Bellingen! You did such a great job with the organising of the event, so thank you so much for having us! Now you just have to try and start eating properly again - no more 'stressorexia'! (Meanwhile, I think all Josh, Graham, Ali and I did in Bellingen was eat! I'm still feeling full from how much food we consumed!!)
Thanks again for such an enjoyable festival! LYNETTE NONI
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Dear Irina
It was a wonderful festival and I enjoyed myself thoroughly. You did a fantastic job pulling it all together, a brilliant accomplishment. You struck the right notes throughout and asked excellent questions of your authors. I chatted with Richard Glover and Tony Windsor, managed to take some pictures of David Williamson with my new (and a little troublesome still) camera. Talking publicly about the multi-layered and themed Chipman is always a challenge for me, but diverting. I never seem to know what I will say until I've said it. I call it an entertainment (certainly) and a provocation although the only provocative stuff is contained in the deliberately scabrous missives from Danny Dudgeon; a playing with words, just persiflage really. I'm happy that the book opened your eyes, so to speak. Wild? I guess so if I look at it from the top of the maypole view point.
I bought one of Mark Dapin's books (Spirit House) and Dr. Leah Kaminsky's We're All Going to Die) and they are both sitting on my desk about to be read.
Until the next time, my very best wishes Irina, and once more, thank you for everything.
JIM ANDERSON
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Hi Irina
Thanks so much for having me at the festival. I had an absolute ball and it was great to network with a fine bunch of authors and readers. Well done and thanks again. Nice to meet you, too! GREG BARRON
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Dear Irina,
Congratulations on a wonderful Festival! It was professional, creative, diverse and quite informative.
Thank you once again for including me in the program. I was very happy to have sold several copies of BRO after our panel session.
I hope to work with you again in the future.
Kind regards, HELEN CHEBATTE
PS Bellingen, as you and many have said, really is beautiful country.
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Dorogaya Irina,
I just wanted to say once again how much I loved the festival! You're a really wonderful director - the quality of the speakers and themes was so high. I just had a ball! And I feel very privileged to have been a part of this wonderful event. I know Leah really loved it too. LEE KOFMAN
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Hi Irina,
Just a note to heartily thank you & the entire committee over their fabulous efforts over the weekend. I know what's involved in creating that seemingly seamless process & I hope you are all relaxing & unwinding in the north coast sunshine!
Cheers, LES WICKS
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Hi Irina
Thank you for a great weekend. It was the ideal break in the middle of a campaign.
Best wishes to all, TONY WINDSOR
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Thanks for inviting me. I had a blast.
You did an amazing job organising a successful festival
Brava diva, LAWRENCE GIBBONS
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It was all such great fun. We both adored it ... and loved for once being on the same bill, thanks so much for inviting us! RICHARD GLOVER and DEBRA OSWALD
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Hi Irina,
Thank you for having me at the festival. I enjoyed our chat at Coffs Library, the atmosphere of the festival, and meeting so many interesting and kind readers and writers. I had a ball!
Here's to many more BRWFs in the future! Cheers, GRAHAM POTTS
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Irina
What a Festival! So well organised and delivered - so impressive. Thank you for including me. I have been accepted to a Writers Festival in Cairns in August - a theme is 'belonging' at the festival. So many thanks to you. Kind regards,KIM HODGES
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You’re welcome, Irina. Hope the festival survives; it’s one of the better regional festivals I’ve participated in. Cheers, DAVID REITER
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Congratulations again on the festival. It was a wonderful weekend, we had a fabulous time. And I actually think the pitch session was a highlight!
Cheers, ALISON GREEN (CEO Pantera Press)
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Hi Irina,
Thanks for organising a wonderful festival. Such a great range of writers and lovely audiences. You and the team did an amazing festival on the limited resources of a generous town. One of the aspects I really enjoyed was having the time over the three days to meet with other writers, to become buddies with some, to get to know the town a little, and of course to drag a heavy suitcase home with new books. My workshop group was one of the best I've ever had - a pleasure to have taught. The panel sessions were all interesting.
An excellent festival, you must be exhausted but I hope also very proud!
Associate Professor JANE MESSER, Program Director, Postgraduate Creative Writing Programs
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Thanks for a great weekend, Irina. Many good things came out of it for me. I certainly won't miss the next one. MIKE RUBBO (2nd in Pitching comp)
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I've been meaning to get in touch with you to say what a delight your Belligen Writer's Festival was. I headed north with Helen Chebatte and her husband Charlie and I must say it was such a beautiful journey, from start to end - although we headed back to Sydney on Sunday after brunch, we all felt so wonderfully sated by all that the Festival offered. KAY BELL
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Dear Irina,
This is just a short note to congratulate you on a terrific program for the recent Bellingen Readers and Writers Festival. It was tight, stimulating and energising. For me it was the best yet.
I realise it takes a massive voluntary effort to mount this festival so congratulations also to the whole BRWF team for a job well done. It is a special gift for all word lovers living in this valley.
With thanks, MICHELE PARSONS
In-depth One-day Course and Workshop
10am-4:30pm, Saturday 19 October 2013
Venue: NSW Writers’ Centre: Rozelle Hospital, Grounds/Balmain Rd, Lilyfield
For further information and timetable, please write to Dr Ehsan Azari Stanizai,
e.azari@uws.edu.au or call on 0402440637
Sufism (comes from Arabic noun, suf, literary meaning course wool and the Sufi is the one wearing woolen garments) is the name of a great Oriental intellectual tradition. Sufism has been divided into two practical and theoretical parts: To those who practice it, Sufism means a quick spiritual foray into a space where the presence of the divine could be experienced. To those who are concerned with its theory, it is a body of knowledge that expands its influence in Western academia and culture. As Robert Graves wrote, a ‘cross pollination’ of Sufism in Western poetry and literature.
As an elixir of wisdom, intuition and an intellectual Yoga, Sufism has been known, cherished and even practiced in the West since time immemorial. Western poetry and writing in each epoch as Robert Graves wrote, illustrate ‘cross-pollination' of pollination of Sufism and its intellectual tradition. It is hard to find a single great Western poet or thinker who has not been inspired by Sufism. Dr Johnson loved Sufi Oneness and pantheism; Voltaire in Candid saw Sufi philosophy as an antidote to social injustice and religious extremism of his time. Goethe loved Sufi poetry; Richard Burton and Robert Graves were keen on practicing Sufism.
Sufism was also cherished by Australia's greatest poet Professor Alec Derwent Hope. Hegel draws on Sufi thought in his works. Danish fairy-tale writer Hans Christian Andersen was the first who brought the news about the Sufi music and dance known as “Whirling Dervishes” to Europe.
Nobel laureate, Doris Lessing is the doyen of contemporary Sufis in the West. She identifies Western admiration of Sufism since the 1960s as ‘a Sufi craze,’ and ‘Sufi bandwagon’. For Lessing, Sufism was a kind of universal feeling, emotion, a quick fix and an access with no intermediary. “Sufism is something one experiences on one's own,” she would say. Sufism is a treasury for sharpening your poetic and writing intuition and inspiration, one who tastes it knows it.
Rumi is a household name in the West. His poetry is now in the best-selling list in the United States.
He is famous as Shakespeare in the West. Sufism has been used as healing effects on psychosomatic disorders; that is why Rumi is called by many as ‘healer of our time’.
This one-day course will introduce you to Sufism, its philosophy, spirituality, literary and cultural heritage and to Rumi, his poetry and his Whirling Dervishes.
Course Outcome: By the end of the one-day course, the participants should be able to:
- have a widespread understanding of what Sufism is? Identify key concepts in Sufi philosophy, Sufi literature, poetry and art. Learn about the theoretical and practical aspects of Sufism.
- define, explain and discuss key theoretical and literary texts in Sufism and its philosophy. Learn how to analyse a mystic discourse in a literary and poetic text.
- apply Sufi knowledge and intellectual tradition for enhancing their capacity for intuition and creativity.
- explain and discuss cross-fertilisation between Sufism and different branches in Western intellectual tradition.
- identify and understand leading Western thinkers, poets and writers inspired and influenced by Sufism.
- understand mystical experience in Eastern and Western traditions.
Timetable
9:00-9:15am: Registration
9:15-10:30am: Introduction: Sufism, Sufi philosophy
10:30-10:45am: Coffee break
10:45am-12:00: Influence of Sufism in the West: Idries Shah, Richard Burton and Doris Lessing, etc.
12:00-1:00pm Sufi Tales: Rumi (Mathnawi) & Attar (The Parliaments of Birds)
1:00-2.00pm: Lunch break
2:00pm-3:15pm: Sufi arts and music: Whirling Dervishes
3:15pm-3:30pm: Coffee break
3:30pm-4:30pm: Mystical Experience (ecstasy) from phenomenology to psychoanalysis:
Rumi and his Love/mystical poems
About the presenter and tutor
Dr Ehsan Azari, is an internationally acknowledge academic, researcher and writer. He has an MA (1st Class) in English literature and linguistics and a PhD in English literature from Macquarie University. He has taught different subjects in different universities. He is an Adjunct fellow with Writing & Society Research Centre (UWS) and an academic with The School of Humanities and Communications Arts (UWS). He is the author of Lacan and the Destiny of Literature: Shakespeare, Donne, Joyce and Ashbery: (2009 Continuum). He frequently writes for the Australian and international media on a wide-range of topics.
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Professional Development Seminar for Writers
Time and date: 9am-5pm, Sunday 19 February 2012
Writers: here’s your opportunity to eyeball an agent and pitch to a publisher!
From left to right: Belinda Alexandra, Carl Harrison-Ford, Selwa Anthony, Andy Palmer, Linsay Knight
NSW Writers’ Centre, Callan Park Rozelle (Enter Callan Park from Balmain road opposite Cecily Street and follow the signs to the NSW Writers’ Centre)
There is plenty of free parking at the Centre.
Cost: $150 for waged, or $135 for seniors and students, plus $10 for pitching session.
Payment includes morning and afternoon tea and lunch. Please let Irina know if you are a vegetarian.
NB You must attend the full day to be eligible for the pitching session.
Payment: Send cheque/money order made out to Australian Writers Network and post to Irina Dunn, PO Box 136 Balmain NSW 2041 or deposit fee in Westpac BSB 032020 account 254469. Don’t forget to add $10 if you wish to make a pitch.
NB There are limited places for this one-day seminar and applicants will be enrolled in the order in which payment is received.
Inquiries: Irina Dunn, email idunn1703@gmail.com or mobile 0403 48 63 63.
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PROGRAM
9am-10am: Opening address — Andy Palmer on “The Modern Author”
ANDY PALMER is Allen & Unwin's publicity director. He has worked in Australian book publishing for over 25 years at Pan Macmillan, HarperCollins Publishers, Simon & Schuster Australia and Hachette Australia. For eight years he ran Publicity Matters, a Sydney-based PR agency specialising in books and writers. In that time he was the Sydney Writers' Festival publicist for two years and the federal government's Books Alive (now called Get Reading) campaign publicist for seven years.
Morning tea 10am-10.30am
10.30am-11.45am The surgeons of your manuscript
Chair: Irina Dunn
With thousands of unsolicited manuscripts hitting the desks of Australian publishers a year, the onus is on writers to ensure that their work is as polished as it can be before submitting it to a publisher. Your friends and family will love your work, but only a professional editor can give you a dispassionate assessment of its strengths and weaknesses, suggest improvements in its structure, get rid of those embarrassing grammatical errors and other writing glitches and make your words shine on the page. Jean and Carl speak with many years’ experience as freelance editors; Jean is also a creative writing tutor and both she and Jan will talk about how writers can develop techniques to edit themselves. Alison Green speaks from the point of view of an in-house editor preparing the work of her authors for publication.
12pm-1.15pm: Agent Selwa Anthony and her clients Belinda Alexandra and Grant Hyde (see below for bios)
Chair: Irina Dunn
With publishing an increasingly difficult field to break into, hear what Selwa Anthony, one of Australia’s top writers’ agents, has to say about the current climate in Australia, what books are being taken up by the major publishers, what the prospects are for overseas interest, and what are the distinguishing features of successful Australian books and authors. Selwa Anthony’s clients Belinda Alexandra and Grant Hyde talk about how they broke into publishing, what efforts they put into getting their first and subsequent books published and their plans for future work. There will be ample time for all your questions at the end of this session.
Lunch 1.15pm-2pm
2pm-3.15pm: What kind of books are publishers looking for today?
Chair: Irina Dunn
Hear what Jacob Coates, Alison Green, Linsay Knight and Melanie Ostell have to say about the kinds of manuscripts they are looking for, which titles are doing well in today’s market, whether they look at unsolicited manuscripts, their relationships with agents, and how they want manuscripts presented to them. There will be ample time for all your questions at the end of this session.
Afternoon tea 3.15pm-3.45pm
3.45pm-5pm: The Pitching Session
This is a unique opportunity to pitch your manuscript to a publisher. Your pitch will be strictly limited to three minutes. The panel members will assess the pitches and award a prize to the pitch they think has the best chance of being published. The prize is a copy of the current Australian Writer's Marketplace, an essential reference and resource for writers.
NB The pitch will be judged NOT on your presentation but on the genre and subject of the manuscript you are pitching.
To participate in this session, please email ONE PAGE with the following information to idunn1703@gmail.com, and don’t forget to add $10 to your fee if want to make a pitch.
Pitching page for [YOUR NAME]
Phone number:
Email address:
Title: (of your manuscript)
Length: (number of words in your manuscript)
Genre: (eg memoir, young adult fiction, speculative fiction, chick lit, historical novel)
The title of a comparable book which your book would sit next to on a shelf in a bookshop:
Synopsis: maximum 300 words.
The publishers on the panel will be provided with copies of the pitch page you submit.
You may either read from the page you submit or you may simply speak for three minutes.
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SHORT BIOGRAPHIES OF SEMINAR GUESTS
From left to right: Alison Green, Jacob Coates, Jan Cornall, Jean Bedford, Grant Hyde, Melanie Ostell
BELINDA ALEXANDRA has been published to wide acclaim in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, USA and throughout Europe. The daughter of a Russian mother and an Australian father, she has been an intrepid traveller since her youth. Her love of other cultures is matched by her passion for her home country, Australia, where she is a volunteer carer for the NSW Wildlife Information Rescue and Education Services (WIRES). She wrote the novels White Gardenia, Tuscan Rose, Silver Wattle and Wild Lavender. Her latest novel, Golden Earrings, is set in Spain and has once again given her readers a story they love.
SELWA ANTHONY was born in the Australian country town of Cowra, NSW. Her passion for books was ignited by her father when he gave Selwa her first library card when she was just eight. Having migrated from Lebanon in the 1920s, her father loved writers like Lawson, Paterson and Marcus Clarke, and they helped him love Australia. He also passed this love for Australian literature onto Selwa. She has said, "as Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz had a yellow road paved with bricks, mine seemed to be paved with books".
Selwa’s career began in the book section of a large department store in the 1960s. A decade later she was the retail and marketing manager in Sydney for a major book company, where she was the first manager to feature Australian books at the front of the store. During this time she also had her own radio book chat program, syndicated throughout Australia, and reviewed books on the Midday Movie Show with Bill Collins.
In 1984, the Selwa Anthony Author Management Agency was born. Selwa credits bestselling Australian author Colleen McCollough with her becoming an authors’ agent, after Colleen said of her: "Selwa has the best eye for a manuscript of anyone I have known and should become a literary agent".
Since signing up her first popular fiction author – the late Evan Green – Selwa pioneered the first breed of popular Australian fiction writers. Almost thirty years later, successful authors on her list are plentiful with the likes of Belinda Alexandra, Tara Moss, Kate Morton, Kim Wilkins (aka Kimberley Freeman), Diane Armstrong, and many more.
Selwa’s agency champions the cause of Australian authors, who are often underappreciated in their own country. She focuses on discovering and promoting home-grown authors who have wonderful Australian stories to tell.
Selwa has also written four books of her own – The Lebanese Cookbook, co-authored with her two sisters, two "little positive thinking books", Succeed With Me and Wake Up, Shake Up, Stand Up, with Jimmy Thomson, and The Spirit of Australia, with Sue Williams.
Selwa is married and has two daughters, a stepson and stepdaughter, and two grandchildren. She lives in Sydney.
JEAN BEDFORD teaches Creative Writing at the University of Technology, Sydney. She is the author of the short-story collections Country Girl Again and Colouring In (with Rosemary Creswell), the novels Sister Kate, A Lease of Summer, Love Child, If With a Beating Heart, Now You See Me, and three detective novels. She has been a journalist (Literary and Arts Editor of The National Times), a publisher’s editor (both in-house for Angus & Robertson and Transworld, and freelance for most major Australian publishers), a teacher of ESL and of creative writing, as well as commissioning editor of several short story and essay collections. She has been a judge for numerous regional, state and national literary grants and prizes, including for the Literature Board of the Australia Council, both for literary grants and for publishing subsidies, as well as for various Fellowship of Australian Writers and National Book Award prizes. She has several times judged the NSW Premier’s Award for fiction and the Australian/Vogel Award as well as the Nita B Kibble Award.
JACOB COATES is the founder of Jaffa Books, a new e-publishing company based in Brisbane. A keen reader of speculative fiction, Jacob has always loved the works of some of the masters of these genres. J.R.R. Tolkien and Douglas Adams are two of the greatest inspirations to him. Since emigrating from England at fifteen, Jacob started writing his own work before graduating from QUT’s creative writing degree in 2010. Jaffa Books was conceived shortly afterwards, and successfully launched late last year. Jaffa Books is an e-publishing company based in Brisbane. Jacob is always looking for exciting new talents, and accepts a wide range of fiction across any genre and almost all lengths. Offering an attractive royalty deal for writers, Jaffa Books is well suited to first-time or upcoming authors.
JAN CORNALL is a Sydney-based writer, performer and teacher who supports writers through the long process of realising their creative work. The author of 15 plays and musicals, a feature film, three CDs of songs and a novel, Jan teaches creative writing at writers’ centres, community colleges and universities in Australia and the Asia Pacific. Jan also leads writing retreats in inspirational locations: Bali, Fiji, Laos, Cambodia and the Australian desert. She is dedicated to nurturing the unique attributes of each writer, and each year a number of her students go on to publish with major publishing houses. See www.writersjourney.com.au.
IRINA DUNN is the Director of the Australian Writers' Network, which has 7,500 subscribers throughout Australia and abroad. She wrote The Writer’s Guide: a companion to writing for pleasure or publication, (Allen & Unwin), which was described by the Australian Book Review as ‘a godsend for writers’ and as ‘one of the clearest and most commonsensical compendiums around’. Irina has been a regular programmer, speaker, presenter and moderator at writers’ festivals at Ubud in Bali, Byron Bay, Norfolk Island, Darwin and Sydney Writers’ Festivals. For the last four years she has chaired the Woollahra Council Local Writers’ Festival. In 2010, she was invited to be a judge of the inaugural Randwick Council Literary Awards.
ALISON GREEN is CEO and co-founder of Pantera Press, which was founded in 2008. Pantera Press is small, independent and Australian, and brings together an unusual mix of passions for the arts, business and philanthropy. With her background in psychology and business strategy, Alison’s creative vision is to foster debate by discovering and nurturing talented new authors and publishing books readers rave about. With its “Good books doing good things”™ mantra, Pantera Press supports programs such as The Smith Family’s Let’s Read initiative that encourage the joy of reading. Since May 2010 Pantera Press books have received critical acclaim, with a best-seller, several books going in to reprint and Sulari Gentill's novel A Few Right Thinking Men being shortlisted for the 2011 Commonwealth Writers' Prize Best First Book for this region.
CARL HARRISON-FORD commenced his life in publishing as a “poison taster”, assessing unsolicited manuscripts for a large publisher. In the subsequent four decades he has been a self-employed editor. During that time he has worked on fiction — both literary and popular, including much crime fiction — and a wide variety of non-fiction, from the academic, general history and biography to books on sport, and memoir, a wide range but excluding Lifestyle and New Age. Some years ago he was the Editor in Residence at the University of Canberra, and earlier still was instrumental in the establishment of the National Book Council Manuscript Assessment Service.
GRANT RAYMOND HYDE was born and raised in Maroubra in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. A bookmakers son, he attended Waverley Catholic Boy’s College until his matriculation in 1986. He worked as a clerk for his father until he was graded with the NRL’s Eastern Suburbs Roosters (Sydney Roosters) in 1989. His football life ended in 1992 with the death of his father and a serious career beckoned. Over the following years he worked as a hotel manager, gym instructor, building project manager and real estate agent, all with varying degrees of success. It was his interest in human history and his love of the Polynesian people that brought him to complete his first novel Lords of the Pacific in 2008, and it was published the following year. The stand alone sequel Islands of Gold was released in January 2011. Grant is currently working on his third novel, Daniel’s Empire, an Australian saga set in early Sydney Town.
LINSAY KNIGHT is widely respected as a leading expert in, and contributor to, children’s literature in Australia. As the Head of Children’s Books at Random House Australia, she has nurtured the talent of numerous authors and illustrators to create some of Australia’s most successful children’s books. Linsay is also the author of several successful non-fiction children’s books, and the editor of a number of children’s dictionaries and story collections, including 30 Australian Stories for Children, 30 Australian Ghost Stories for Children and four age story collections: Stories for 6, 7, 8 and 9 Year Olds.
MELANIE OSTELL has more than 20 years' experience in Australian book publishing as a bookseller, educator, editor and publisher. For many years she was senior editor at Text Publishing and in June 2011 she took up the position of Publisher of the Pier 9 imprint at Murdoch Books. Pier 9 is the narrative imprint of Murdoch Books, which has been publishing award-winning titles since its founding in 1991. Pier 9 publishes around 22 titles each year with an emphasis on narrative non-fiction that includes memoir, biography, history and popular science titles. We also publish literary and genre fiction and select young adult fiction.
For information about the program, contact Irina Dunn idunn1703@gmail.com,
or call 0403 48 63 63.
The delicious food for attendees was provided by the talented chef, Lucky Pappas.
Thank you Lucky!
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RUSSIAN WRITING TODAY
SOIRÉES LITTÉRAIRES 4 OCTOBER 2011
Tatyana Tolstaya Irina Dunn
Who are the great Russian writers of today?
Whose books will become the Russian classics of tomorrow?
We know what novels Russians read in the 19th century — the great classics of Gogol, Tolstoy and Dostoevsky.
Under Communism they read Solzhenitsyn, Pasternak and Gorky, often as Samizdat (underground) hand-written copies circulated among trusted friends.
But what are Russians reading in the free market economy?
Does literature play the same significant role today as it did under both Tsarist and Soviet rule?
How do current Russian novels reflect the society which produces them?
Why are Russians devouring writers such as Victor Pelevin (pictured above), Tatiana Tolstaya, Boris Akunin and others in such huge quantities?
IRINA DUNN takes a look at some contemporary Russian writers, explaining why they are so popular, how they reflect the current zeitgeist of the country and which might become the classics of tomorrow.
IRINA DUNN BIOGRAPHY
Irina Dunn is the Director of the Australian Writers Network. Previously she was Director of the NSW Writers' Centre, Manager of the Australian Writers’ Guild Authorship Collecting Society and Managing Editor at Booktopia. She wrote The Writer’s Guide: a companion to writing for pleasure or publication, (Allen & Unwin), which was shortlisted for the Australian Publishers’ Association National Education Awards.
The book she co-authored and co-edited with two scientists, A Natural Legacy: Ecology in Australia, won the Royal Australian Zoological Society Prize for best text on the subject AND she received an international prize for her documentary about the Australian women's peace movement, "Fighting for Peace".
She represented NSW as an Independent Senator from 1988 to 1990.
Irina was born in Shanghai, China, and is of Russian, Irish, Portuguese and Chinese background. She is a cultural tour guide and takes Australian travelers to Russia, the Baltic States, Mongolia and China.
DETAILS
Place: Eastern Suburbs Leagues Club, Level 3 restaurant,
93-97 Spring Street – Bondi Junction
Date and time: Tuesday 4 October 2011, 6.30pm-10.00pm
EARLY BOOKING ESSENTIAL AS PLACES ARE LIMITED.
Cost: Light supper plus talk $35.00 per person (non-refundable)
Regrettably, no complimentary tickets can be issued as prices have been minimized to keep the costs affordable for Soirées guests.
Payment: Deposit to Westpac BSB: 032 051 Acc: 162 874
Make sure you include your name in your payment then send email to: irina_spinadel@yahoo.com.au for your receipt/ticket,
or send cheque payable to “Soirées Littéraires”, PO Box 572 Paddington NSW 2021.
Website: soireeslitteraires.org.au
Inquiries: Irina Spinadel, Soirées Director, 02 9363 1147, or Irina Dunn, 0403 48 63 63
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AN EVENING WITH PETER MILLER-ROBINSON
Peter Miller-Robinson is a songwriter, singer and guitarist whose original music embraces elements of folk, blues and jazz. He also plays mandolin and eight-string ukulele. He is known for rich vocals, dexterous playing and astute, often wry lyrics. Peter has been awarded twice by the Australian Songwriters' Association.Peter is an enthusiastic live performer who plays regularly at festivals, universities, folk clubs and on national and public radio. He has shared the stage with many well-known local and international artists. In 2007 he supported Bo Diddly, Eric Burdon, Rodriguez and Chris Smither at the Basement in Sydney during their Australian tours.In 2009, Peter was invited to tour Ireland by Kingdom Management. A highlight of this trip was playing at the hallowed De Barras Folk Club run by the famous Moore family, Christy, Barry (aka Luka Bloom) and Gavin. The tour was a great success and Peter will be returning to Ireland in June this year. This Pain Quotidian show will be one of his last in Sydney before Peter flies out. Peter is currently completing his second CD, "Amongst Others", before the trip. Peter acknowledges the inspiration of the generation of songwriters he grew up listening to, including Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison and Bob Dylan. There are also the darker influences of Lou Read and John Cale from 60s New York. As well as Peter's own compositions, you can expect to hear fine interpretations of songs like "Dance Me to the End of Love", "Hallelujah", "I Shall Be Released", "Subterranean Homesick Blues", "Crazy Love" and even "Perfect Day".
Peter will be accompanied by long-time musical friend, Tim Watts, on double bass.
What the critics have said about Peter...
"Fine writing" Philip Adams:
"A compelling story teller" Drum Media:
"Haunting tales" Sydney Morning Herald
Time: 6.30pm-10pm, Monday 16 May
Venue: "Le Pain Quotidian", 54 Norton Street, Leichhardt NSW 2040
Cost: Supper + Performance $30.00
RSVP essential, limited spaces
Phone: (02) 9646 1101
Email: irinadid@ozemail.com.au
Payment:
1. Send cheques to Australian Writers Network, PO Box 136 Balmain NSW 2041
2. Deposit your payment into the following account:
Australian Writers Network Westpac BS 032 020 Account 254469 (make sure you provide your last name when paying.)
3. Pay via Paypal below using your credit card
Inquiries Irina Dunn (02) 9646 1101
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In this newsletter we will be offering items of interest to both published and aspiring writers, as well as to discerning readers.
If you have a short review of a newly published book or a writing quote you wish to share with Network News subscribers, please send it to irinadid@ozemail.com.au.
We will advertise gratis items of general literary interest sent in by subscribers, but if you wish to advertise your book or event through our e-newsletter, please contact us regarding the very modest fee we charge for this service. Irina Dunn
Soirées Littéraires (February)
GUY DE MAUPASSANT: HIS LIFE AND WORKS
Guy de Maupassant is one of the greatest short story writers of all time and is considered to be a father of the modern short story. He also wrote six superb novels. He hated war, he hated religion and he adored women, but De Maupassant found little happiness in his short life - the epitaph he wrote for himself was "I have coveted everything and taken pleasure in nothing".
This talk by well-known literary expert Susannah Fullerton illustrates the genius of this troubled writer and tells the story of his short and turbulent life.
Time: 6.30pm-10pm, Tuesday 1 February
Venue: "La Brasserie", 118-126 Crown Street Darlinghurst, Sydney (Nr William Street)
Cost: Supper + Talk $30.00
RSVP essential, limited spaces
Regrettably, no complimentary tickets can be issued as prices have been minimised to keep the costs affordable for Soirées guests.
Payment: Make cheques to Soirées Littéraires, PO Box 572 Paddington NSW 2021 or deposit $30 in Westpac BSB 032 051 Account 162 874.
Inquiries Irina Dunn (02) 9646 1101MICHAEL WILDING AND INEZ BARANAY AT LEICHHARDT LIBRARY
Irina Dunn talks to Michael Wilding and Inez Baranay (above) at Leichhardt Library about their new novels from Press On
The Prisoner of Mount Warning by Michael Wilding
Wilding’s latest novel is a take on the secret world, mainstream and underground journalism, writers’ centres, the counter culture and much else. The book is a heady ride from Sydney to Byron Bay and the Gold Coast.
Peter Corris writes: “If this was as much fun to write as it is to read, Michael Wilding must have enjoyed writing The Prisoner of Mount Warning.
With The Tiger by Inez Baranay
With the Tiger is set both in Australia and in India, and makes entertaining, often dryly satiric, observations on the last years of Joh’s Queensland, the gay art scene, and the high-flier social circles of Sydney during the boom and bust of the 1980s. – Paul Sharrad
A racy read, this is a worthy addition to your literary vocabulary. – Sahara Times
Leichhardt Library
Italian Forum, 23 Norton Street, Leichhardt, Sydney
6pm, Thursday 3 February, 2011
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4. Review of Michael Wilding’s The Prisoner of Mt Warning
by Irina Dunn (Quadrant Jan-Feb 2011)
One reason I like Michael Wilding’s work so much, and this may be the same reason it is sometimes misunderstood, is that the acute social observation of his writing is sometimes taken as unmediated description. And so the creative imagination of the author is dismissed as if he were a mere cipher for recording the world around him.
Not so. Wilding is a sly writer, who lures you in with a knowing laugh only to turn the joke around and leave you gasping. There were many such moments in Academia Nuts and Superfluous Men, his novels about aging academics as they reach the end of their careers and face anonymous retirement.
Wilding’s latest novel The Prisoner of Mt Warning returns to the heady pot-smoking paranoid seventies by focusing on a group of one-time hippies whose past exploits are catching up with them to embarrass them. If you were young in the seventies, you might know what this means.
A writer turned investigative reporter, Wilding’s protagonist Plant is the most innocent of all the players, despite the implications of his name, in what is gradually revealed to be a widespread spook network.
Huxter, the arts editor of a major newspaper, employs Plant to track down a man called Dorritt, who has written a disturbing article about being kidnapped, tortured and subjected to sex slavery while in the employ of the secret service many years before.
Dorritt had been enlisted by his professor to conduct a survey of alternative magazines and newspapers after funding for Dorritt’s PhD program was terminated. Dorritt had a nervous breakdown during the course of his research and was put away for years, emerging only after a “Writing as Therapy” course at a writers' centre prompted him to record his earlier traumatic experiences. It is this that has got Huxter so worried.
Trouble for Plant is, Huxter doesn’t want to say too much about the case because, as Plant correctly opines, he’s personally involved.
“Find out what he’s [Dorritt] planning to write.”
“What sort of things?”
“How would I know what sort of things?” said Huxter.
Very clearly, Plant thought, but he kept quiet. Huxter was worried about something and wasn’t going to say what it was. Something that Dorritt might write. But if Dorritt in the end didn’t write it, then Huxter didn’t want to have said what it was. That was clear. It was also clear that it was something serious. Something worrying. Something incriminating. Otherwise there would be no reason for Huxter not to tell Plant.
In his search for information about Dorritt, Plant visits Bobby, the American proprietor of Bobby’s Books who, with “blonded hair, gold necklace, earrings, bangles, beige business suit”, was clearly inspired by Pat Woolley of Fastbooks.
Bobbie tells Plant of her reaction when Dorritt visited her years before to interview her for his research project on the alternative press:
“I thought he was a poet,” said Bobbie. “One of those English ones. All dandruff and unwashed socks.”
“I’d like to talk to you,” he said.”
“Talk,” said Bobbie, counting out another twenty-five copies of How to Grow Your Own Dope and Harvest It.
“Well, interview you,” said Dorritt.
“Go ahead,” said Bobbie.
He took out his notebook.
“What is the aim of your publishing program?”
“To sell books,” said Bobbie.
He laughed. A madman’s laugh…
“Apart from that?”
“Apart from that we’re going to be out of business.”
He snuffled some more.
“But your editorial objectives?”
“Not to publish poetry,” she said. Hoping that would get rid of him. But it didn’t. He just wrote it down.
Plant’s mission to find the elusive Dorritt takes him to inner city pubs, the Greek restaurant above Hyde Park, the writers’ centre in Rozelle where Dorritt is a volunteer. Plant is a keen observer of his environment, as an investigative reporter should be, and brings Sydney to life with piquant details of his travels around it:
They drove across to Ashfield, parked the car and walked past the church hall and the food being doled out to the down and outs, past the Polish house, last relic of the post-war Slavic migration, down into the new Chinatown, in the Shanghai Night. In the early afternoon. Hand made noodles. Shallot cake. Vegetable dumplings. Chili pepper tofu.
Plant follows his quarry to the hills behind Byron Bay, the scene of the crimes Dorritt alleges took place — kidnapping, torture, sexual slavery and interrogation. He visits the commune and finds that Rose, one of the original inhabitants, still lives there. There’s the bowl of fruit on the wooden table. The bowl of dope. Familiar? The heady smoke of pot rises from the pages when Plant sits around the hippy table, questioning Rose and Huxter’s colleagues Angela Dark, a journalist, and Ghostly Sperrit, political speechwriter and bagman, about their involvement in Dorritt’s kidnapping and torture, since they were at the commune at the time the alleged events took place.
Plant becomes increasingly paranoid when his friend Fullalove suggests that Plant may have been employed to find Dorritt so that “the contract man knows where to go”. Enmeshed in a spy ring in which everyone lies or is evasive, maybe even his friend Fullalove, his paranoia provides the links for transforming a complex set of hints and suppositions into the ultimate paranoic interpretation of the case and make it seem plausible, at least until the end of the story.
This is a story which will confront you with its logic and suck you in with its reasoning.
Plant’s sensitivity to the nuances of communication lead to many hilarious moments in this very funny novel, while Wilding’s wonderful ear for menacing dialogue and a witty punch line make The Prisoner of Mt Warning a must for anyone who would enjoy a spy thriller loaded with black humour while taking a nostalgic trip back to the radical 70s.
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2. MICHAEL WILDING at the Toxteth Thursday 25 November
3. SOIREES LITTERAIRES Christmas Party
4. News from publisher PRESS ON
5. WET INK — the best-looking literary magazine
6. PINEROLO, the new Children's Book Cottage in the Blue Mountains
7. A humorous word from SANDY GANDHI, Australia's most easterly Indian, on celebrity chefs
“From her first reading of my manuscript, “A History of War Surgery”, Irina Dunn was enthusiastic about its possibilities. Her perception has been proven correct. It has just been accepted by a major international publisher… Irina’s contribution to this thrilling outcome cannot be underestimated. I commend her unconditionally to all those seeking sophisticated guidance towards a similar outcome.” Dr John Wright, A History of War Surgery (Amberley Publishing 2011)
Upstairs function room of the Toxteth Hotel, 345 Glebe Point Road, Glebe
Entry to interview: gratis
Bookings for dinner & inquiries: irinadid@ozemail.com.au or tel: 0403 48 63 63
NB You do not have to stay for dinner
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You are invited to attend the last Soirees Litteraires meeting for the year. This will be a night of Christmas, Noel, Navidad, Natale and Weihnachten, when you will be entertained by a European musical and poetic medley with artists, singers and speakers who participated in Soirees during the year.
Join us in celebrating a very successful year with tapas, wine and coffee.
PETER MILLER ROBINSON voice, guitar
LEONARD MAHEMOFF - bass
SHIRLEY POLITZER - piano
ANNE LAMBERT - poetry
IRINA SPINADEL - poetry ( French )
LISA CARLOSS - poetry ( English )
at the French Restaurant "Le Pain Quotidien" ("The Daily Bread")
Cnr Fitzroy & Bourke Streets, Surry Hills
6pm – 9pm, Tuesday 7 DecemberENTRY
Tapas + performance $30.00
Wine/beer $5 per glass
Le Pain Quotidien (02) 9360 8460 Regrettably, no complimentary tickets can be issued as prices have been minimised to keep the costs affordable for Soirees guests. NB RSVP ESSENTIAL AS NUMBERS ARE LIMITEDFor inquiries or suggestions about the Soirees program, or offers to give a talk, call IRINA SPINADEL (Organiser)
Tel: (02) 9363 1147Irina Spinadel is asking everyone attending this event to bring a small gift to be placed under the Christmas tree.soireeslitteraires@gmail.com
myspace.com/soireeslitterairesSoirées Littéraires — Promotes European cultural life in sympathique surroundings
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"This satirical odyssey from an Australian literary legend has his protagonist heading north to find himself, among other things. Charles Dorritt recovers from a breakdown by doing a writing course and dcides to write of his torutre and slavery at the hands of the security services. He's pursued by Plant, who's been hired to dissuade him from revealing all. It's also a journey into the past, an era of magic mushrooms and free love. Wilding was at the forefront of a rebellious Australian literary movement in the '70s; in this book, he weaves a narrative of personal, literary and political dimensions into an entertaining yarn." - Phil Brown, Brisbane NewsInez Baranay, WITH THE TIGER
“A racy read, this is a worthy addition to your literary vocabulary.” – Sahara Times
“Elegant and intricate prose.” – The Statesman
“Wishart's Quest is Peter Corris at his best.” – Muhammad Cohen, Asia Times
“Corris's portrayals of Australia stand out uniquely – forceful, hard–driven, compassionate.” – James Ellroy
Peter Corris is undoubtedly one of Australia’s top storytellers. – Sunday Mail
“Bawdy, irreverent and very politically incorrect, Fool’s Paradise is not so much a novel as a rambunctious political cartoon, blending State, academic and sexual politics into a chaotic, kaleidoscopic farce.” – Ian McFadyen
A compelling evocation of Australia’s boom-time years – and of the gamblers and survivors inhabiting its shady side.
“Authentic and unforced ... not divorced from the society and politics of the time. And part of the politics is to do with water, just as is the case now.” – Thomas Keneally
“Corris has successfully combined his considerable knowledge of the sport of boxing with his dramatic account of the nineteenth century paddle steamers that serviced the third-longest navigable river in the world. The result is a cracking storyline with sharp dialogue and an original setting.” – John Dale
tel: 03 9329 6963
fax: 03 9329 5452
email: aspic@ozemail.com.au
On-line: www.scholarly.info
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SOIREES LITTERAIRES
"The role of magic in Romanticism"
a talk by Nicholas Routley, with songs performed by Russian soprano Mariana Bakhtan
Mistress of Ceremonies IRINA DUNN, 0403 48 63 63, www.irinadunn.com.au
European Romanticism was the last serious attempt before post-structuralism to postulate an alternative to scientific rationalism.
Nicholas Routley discusses the role of magic in European Romanticism, its transformative power, so that things are never quite what they seem. Being a musician, he refers mainly to the metaphoric and descriptive techniques of a few composers, including Schubert, Schumann, and Chopin. To his mind, their kind of truth is truer than scientific truth.
Born and educated in the UK, Nicholas Routley lectured at the University of Cambridge before moving to Australia in 1975 to take up a post at the department of Music at the University of Sydney. He founded the Sydney Chamber Choir in that year and was its Musical Director for 30 years. He retired from the Choir, and a year later from the University, to devote himself to composition. His research interests include music of the fifteenth century, particularly that of Josquin des Prez, and opera. He is widely known as both conductor and pianist in Australia, South-East Asia, and Europe. A pupil of Franco Ferrara and Carlo Maria Giulini, he has conducted several major orchestras including the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, and is in great demand as a choral conductor. As a pianist, he studied with Peter Feuchtwanger in London, and specialises in chamber music, especially with singers, having worked over long periods with counter-tenor Hartley Newnham, tenor Gerald English, and soprano Marilyn Minns. Since 1996 he has been actively engaged in composition, having written several vocal works, a symphony, and the symphonic poem “Icarus”. He is currently engaged on a series of operas on the subject of the Indian epic poem, Mahabharata.
Mariana Batkhan received a scholarship at the Saint Petersburg State Music School for gifted and talented children at age 6. Nine years later she graduated with honours. She has since graduated from the Saint Petersburg State Musical College and State University of Art and Culture with honours where she earned her Bachelor of Music Teaching and Bachelor of Music Theatre Directing and Performing. Mariana plays piano, guitar, accordion, recorder and the Russian folk instruments, domra and balalaika. From 1989 she has taught piano, guitar and voice. She has conducted and accompanied choirs, and has extensive performing, directing and composing experience for live theatre. Mariana has performed as a singer and an actress in plays such as Medea, Snow Queen, Misfortune from an Affectionate Heart, Tartuffe, Maria and her Sisters, Snow White and Thumbelina. Mariana played with the Sydney Balalaika Orchestra from 2007-2009. In 2008 she was offered a permanent slot at the SBS Radio Russian Program where she has been reviewing films, performances, concerts and exhibitions in her broadcast "Art Review" ever since. Most recently Mariana accompanied the St Scholastica's College Choir at Angel Place. Mariana is currently working on her first solo piano and voice album, due out in late 2010. Mariana teaches piano/voice/guitar at the Modern Music Lessons School located in the CBD on George St where she has the highest retention rate of all the teachers.
JOIN US?
at the French Restaurant "Le Pain Quotidien" ("The Daily Bread")
Cnr Fitzroy & Bourke Streets, Surry Hills
6:00pm – 8:30pm, Tuesday 2 November
ENTRY
Dinner + talk $30.00
$5.00 per glass for beer and wine
BOOKINGS
Le Pain Quotidien (02) 9360 8460
Regrettably, no complimentary tickets can be issued as prices have been minimised to keep the costs affordable for Soirees guests.
NB RSVP ESSENTIAL AS NUMBERS ARE LIMITED
For inquiries/suggestions about the Soirees program, or offers to give a talk,
call IRINA SPINADEL (Organiser), (02) 9363 1147
SL promotes European cultural life with French food in sympathique surroundings
and meets on the 1st Tuesday of the month.
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Irina Dunn interviews Singaporean writer Shamini Flint,
author of the Inspector Singh crime fiction series
Shamini Flint began her career in law in Malaysia and also worked at an international law firm in Singapore. She traveled extensively around Asia for her work before resigning to be a stay-at-home mum, writer, part-time lecturer and environmental activist, all in an effort to make up for her ‘evil’ past as a corporate lawyer!
Her Inspector Singh novels are published by Little, Brown and have been translated into numerous languages. Titles include Inspector Singh Investigates: A Most Peculiar Malaysian Murder, Inspector Singh Investigates: A Bali Conspiracy Most Foul and Inspector Singh Investigates: The Singapore School of Villainy.
“It's impossible not to warm to the portly, sweating, dishevelled, wheezing Inspector Singh …” The Guardian wrote.
Shamini also writes children’s books with cultural and environmental themes including The Seeds of Time, an environmental fantasy and Ten, a tale of growing up and football. Her latest book is Diary of a Soccer Star – a ‘laugh out loud’ story of the trials faced by a would-be soccer star.
What is your name?
Shamini Mahadevan Flint is the rather clumsy handle that I go by but Shamini Flint if it’s a book cover and I need to project that combination of exotic and hard that I hope sells crime books!
Where were you born? Where do you live? Have you always lived in Singapore?
I was born in Penang in Malaysia but was an air force brat so moved around a lot, including a couple of years in the UK when I was child. Finally, the family settled for a few years in the small seaside town of Kuantan in Malaysia before eventually moving to Kuala Lumpur. I moved to Singapore around ten years ago for a job and stayed when I quit as my hubby still works here.
What education did you receive (schooling, university)?
I studied in Malaysia right up until A-levels but then went to the UK to study law at the University of Kent, did the Bar in London and a Masters at Cambridge in an effort to postpone getting down to real work.
What aspirations did you have as a child/youth?
I was always going to be a lawyer. I read To Kill a Mockingbird at an impressionable age plus my mum was a lawyer and our bedtime stories used to consist of the peculiarities of the law of trusts and such like!
You mentioned that you were a corporate lawyer. How did you get into this field and what sort of work did you do in this role? Why did you decide to leave this field?
I have to confess I became a corporate lawyer in a shameless episode of greed when I was offered a very good job at an English firm with offices in the Far East. I worked on mergers and acquisitions, corporate insolvency, capital market fund raisings – oh my word, it’s too boring to even write it! I abandoned the role in a fit of hormones when I was expecting my first child to be a stay-at-home mum.
When did you decide to become a writer?
Shortly after the hormones mentioned above had ebbed, six months after my daughter was born, when I realised I was probably the worst stay-at-home mum in the history of the world!
Did your family support your ambition?
Well, they were all so horrified that I had given up the law to be at home that I think they were pleased that at least I was doing ‘something’. Mind you, it’s viewed as a hobby until such time as I get a ‘real job’!
What was your first venture into publishing?
When shopping for books for the kids, I realised that – especially at picture book level – they still didn’t cater for Asian kids. I decided to fill the niche with a series of picture books about a little girl travelling around Singapore and Asia doing very ordinary things. The first of the series was Sasha Visits the Botanic Gardens but the fifteenth should come out this year.
You have written several children’s books? What are they? And what age-group are they aimed at?
There are many picture books with cultural and environmental themes including the Sasha books, Jungle Blues and Turtle takes a Trip. I was (and am) hoping to generate a feeling of belonging and sense of responsibility for their own environment in Asian children. I have also written an environmental fantasy for 9-14 year olds, The Seeds of Time, and two other children’s novels (I do occasionally write for fun!) about soccer, Ten and Diary of a Soccer Star.
When did you get the idea of writing a crime series? Were you influenced by Alexander McCall Smith or perhaps Hong Kong writer Nury Vittachi? Someone else? Maybe Agatha Christie?
As a reader of crime fiction, a lawyer, and someone who wanted to write books set in a contemporary Asian setting with an emphasis on the law and politics of the place, crime seemed an obvious choice. I have certainly read and enjoyed all the authors mentioned. I also enjoy Ruth Rendell, PD James, Reginald Hill and Ian Rankin.
How did you dream up a character — Inspector Singh —that is so different to you? Are you fondof him?
It worries me that I don’t think I am that different from my plump copper, except for the turban and beard, of course! He has an underlying bitchiness which sounds very much like me on occasion (and a fear of flying too!). I am fond of Inspector Singh, we have become good friends over the course of the first three books. I find that I don’t have to ‘write’ him so much these days as just let him go his own way … and follow with a pen taking notes.
What sort of reaction have you received from your Malaysian/Singaporean critics? Are they critical of any aspects of your books in particular?
On the whole, the reaction has been very positive. Asians get fairly tired of the sort of over-exoticised portrayal of Asia so beloved of the publishing industry. The Singapore book, however, did get a very nasty review in the Singapore Straits Times, although a glowing one in KL. It seems the sensitivities described in the books are still present!
Have you offended any religious/political sensibilities in your books?
Probably – but all I have done is fictionalise genuine points of social and political concern. It is inevitable that there will be some backlash from such an approach in nations that are still very much finding a space for criticism in the public sphere.
I get the impression that you have a strong social conscience and that you are trying to draw attention to certain themes through your fiction, eg the logging of rainforests in A Most Peculiar Malaysian Murder. Which comes first, the fiction or the issue when you start writing a book?
Actually, I have to confess, the issue often comes first in the sense it will be the spark that gets me going. Whether it is the drugs laws in Singapore, illegal logging in Malaysia or the progress of the war crimes tribunal in Cambodia, the issue often comes first!
Have you received a different critical response from the Anglo-world?
Overwhelming positive (which has been a comfort and will hopefully help sales!).
Was it easy for you to find a publisher for your first Inspector Singh book?
I self-published to begin with using the company that I set up to publish children’s books. After the second Singh came out, I decided it was too difficult to write and publish in so many genres so I sent the books off to a few publishers. Two of them came back immediately so it was not difficult as such. Having said that, it was quite likely that there was interest because the series looked credible as there were already two books available. I suspect a single manuscript would have faced the usual rejections.
Do you have an agent?
No
What do you tell budding authors when they ask you for guidance?
I believe everyone has a story to tell so the key is the process of turning thoughts and ideas into prose on paper. I think the critical factor is the discipline to keep trying and to not let the inevitable self-doubt triumph.
What is the best thing and the worst thing about being a writer?
The best thing for me is the opportunity to share ideas and stories with readers. The worst is walking into a bookshop and finding that there is still no space for poor Inspector Singh on the shelves!
Can you make a living as a writer or do you need to supplement this income with other work?
I can just about make a living – but not the sort I did when I was that successful corporate lawyer! Fortunately, my newly (after the kids were born) developed interest in environmental issues means that I don’t regret the sports car that much!
Finally, what case is Inspector Singh going to solve next?
Inspector Singh Investigates: A Deadly Cambodian Crime Spree.
The Australian Writers Network is delighted to invite you to
An Evening with Singaporean writer SHAMINI FLINT, author of "The Inspector Singh Investigates" series
'Shamini Flint completely captivated the audience. You are soooooo.... in for a treat in Sydney. She had everyone in hysterics and that was the serious bits.’ Western Australian audience member
Shamini is visiting Australia to attend the Byron Bay Writers Festival, but if you are not going to the festival, this is your opportunity to hear this exciting new young author in Sydney in conversation with AWN Director IRINA DUNN while enjoying a fabulous Singaporean-style feast for only $25.
In an effort to make up for her ‘evil’ past as a corporate lawyer, Shamini now works as a writer, part-time lecturer and environmental activist.
She has published three books in her Inspector Singh series: A Most Peculiar Malaysian Murder, A Bali Conspiracy Most Foul, and The Singapore School of Villainy, out this month. She is also the author of several children’s books.
Shamini says: ‘I think crime is an excellent genre if one’s intention is to shine a spotlight on contemporary social and legal issues in Asian society. I chose a Sikh because I wanted someone physically iconic – and the turban does that. Also, after September 11, Sikhs were targeted in the US having been mistaken for Moslems and I thought that was an interesting modern day twist to being Sikh. And of course, he’s a misfit (doesn’t a good cop have to be?) in that rather sterile place that is Singapore.’
Reviews
‘Inspector Singh is a crime series hero like no other – fat, cantankerous, cynical but utterly endearing – and could do for
Asia what Mme Ramotswe has done for Botswana.’ Daily Telegraph (UK) ‘Family feuds, cultural clashes and commercial chicanery add up to a feast of fun.’ Adelaide Advertiser ‘There is rich and evocative detail of life in the Malaysian capital - so pungent you can almost smell it.’
VENUE
Harry's Singapore Restaurant
Level 1, 198 Elizabeth Street, Sydney
(entrance via Campbell Street)
TIME AND DATE
6-8.30pm, Monday 2 August
COST
$25 only for banquet + talk
The restaurant is licensed.
PARKING
is available at the nearby Goulburn Street Parking Station for $10 for the evening.
BOOKINGS
Make cheques out to Australian Writers Network and send to PO Box 136 Balmain NSW 2041,
or deposit $25 per ticket in Westpac BSB 032 020 account 254469 in the name of Australian Writers Network.NB Please ensure you write your name on the deposit so it can be identified.
BOOKINGS ESSENTIAL, LIMITED NUMBERS
CONTACT
Irina Dunn, mobile 0403 48 63 63 or email irinadid@ozemail.com.au
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The Australian Writers Network takes pleasure in inviting you to
SOIREE LITTERAIRE FOR AUGUST
From Rousseau via Hemingway to Catherine M -
a journey through French memoir
A talk by Patti Miller
Patti's talk will explore memoirs set in France written by a variety of English, American and Australian writers as well as memoirs written by French writers. This will not be an historical survey but an intriguing, eclectic and idiosyncratic look at French-flavoured memoir, shaped by a passion for French literature and for the view from inside a life.
PATTI MILLER is the author of Australia’s best-selling autobiographical writing texts, Writing Your Life and The Memoir Book, and of The Last One Who Remembers (memoir), Child (novel), and Whatever The Gods Do (memoir). She is published regularly in newspapers, magazines and literary and art journals. She has been teaching writing for many years and has specialised in life writing since 1991. She teaches a memoir workshop in Paris each year through the Sydney Writers’ Centre. She also mentors the development of manuscripts, many of which have been successfully published. For more information, see www.lifestories.com.au.
JOIN US?
at the French Restaurant "Le Pain Quotidien" ("The Daily Bread")
Cnr Fitzroy & Bourke Streets, Surry Hills
6:00pm – 8:30pm, Tuesday 3 AugustBYO or you can purchase wine by the glass at the restaurant.
ENTRY
DINNER + TALK $30.00 (NB NO REFUNDS)
RSVP ESSENTIAL PAYMENT
Make cheques out to Soirées Littéraires and send to Irina Spinadel, 23 Nelson Street Woollahra NSW 2025
or deposit $25 per ticket in Westpac BSB 032 051 Account 162 874 in the name of Soirées Littéraires
.BOOKINGS AND INQUIRIES IRINA SPINADEL (Director) Tel: (02) 9363 1147