Paige Turner - November

I have recently had the good fortune to experience the wonders of reading and writing in our broader region. I travelled to Bali for the Asia Pacific Writers and Translators’ gathering at Ganesha University, which dovetailed perfectly into the Ubud Writers Festival. These two events, experienced in true tropical grandeur were replete with conversations and readings and the most delightful international cross pollination. I hope to bring some of the crumpled frangipani and deep thinking back to our island – and I will definitely be bringing Indonesians who rumble censorship and Iranians who purr Persian poetry with the most dramatic flair. Watch this space.

Down home we have a varied platter of reading and writing events coming up in November, including the launch of The People’s Library at Salamanca Arts Centre. It is a participatory artwork by Tasmanian artists Justy Phillips and Margaret Woodward, presented in partnership with SAC. The People’s Library will commission, publish and digest a unique living library of new and original book-length works by Tasmanian writers. Part performance library, part contemporary artwork, up to one hundred books in any genre will be published, culminating in a month-long event in September 2018, in which visitors will be invited to use the library – digesting its holdings of one hundred books into a single ‘digest’. The People’s Digest will then be performed by memory for a public audience. They are seeking unpublished works of fiction, memoir, science fiction, biography, non-fiction, history, crime, thriller, poetry, plays and experimental other and if you would like to find out more please click here.

The Society for Children's Writers and Editors is hosting their end of year lunch on November 26th at the Hope and Anchor in Hobart. New Zealand's Maria Gill, author of over fifty books will be speaking. Maria's latest book is Abel Tasman, Mapping the Southern Lands. For more information, please contact Anne Morgan.Loud Mouth Theatre Company will stage their final play this November, in the form of Jessica Davis' contemporary adaptation of Jekyll and Hyde. More information here.

Forty South Publishing has been running the Tasmanian Writers' Prize since 2010 and entries are now open to residents of Australia and New Zealand for the 2018 competition. The prize is for short stories up to 3,000 words having an island, or island-resonant, theme.   The winner will receive a cash prize of $500 and publication in Tasmania 40°South. A selection of the best entries will be published in Forty South Short Story Anthology 2018. Entries close on February 18 next year. Entry forms and terms can be downloaded here.  

I recently finished working with a ripper group of people living with memory loss, the Monday mob from Dementia Australia. The only common factor in this group of diverse people is that they live with younger onset dementia. We published a beautiful book called Badgers and Porcupines, working with young writer Lily Stojevscki. Lily translated some of their stories for the page and the book, which tells of love and loss and rock concerts and ducks and tennis and family is available from Dementia Australia. I mention this because another book being launched in November touches on memory loss, in this case in the form of Alzheimer’s (one of many forms of dementia). Written by Clodagh and Roy Jones and designed by the wonderful Julie Hawkins, Roy and Clodagh, Living with Dementia, will be launched at Fullers on November 2. The book provides an insight into what it’s like to live with memory loss, when many people in this situation are not able to articulate their feelings.

Also at Fullers Bookshop in November, on the 9th is the launch of Christine Milne’s book An Activist Life and, on November 11, Gareth Evans will be in conversation with Lisa Singh about his book Incorrigible Optimist. More information can be found here.

At the Hobart Bookshop in Salamanca on November 9 is the launch of LF McDermott’s book Perseverance and November 15 will see the launch of Ray Glickman’s book Frenzship. Here's the link for details.

Poet Ivy Alvarez is visiting the state in November and will be reading at the Republic, on November 5 at 3pm. Ivy is one of my favourite contemporary poets, she challenges and soothes and reads so beautifully. Seek her out. 

The National Book Council, Tasmania is hosting Nic Haygarth discussing his new book On the Ossie on Novmber 15 at the Launceston LINC. By all means join them for lunch at 12.45, the talk will begin at 1.15.

Island’s 151st issue will feature the winners of the Utas/Island comp, with an essay from Erin Hortle, art from Dexter Rosengrave and a short story from Gabrielle Lis, I am excited by all these fellas’ works and look forward to getting my hands on the issue. It will also include the winner of the Gwen Harwood poetry prize and a major feature on Tasmania's future as considered by Tasmanian women (people can join the conversation using the hashtag #tasfutures). 

I’m off to prison. Yep. Actually I will be working with the LINC program and 26Ten as a writer in residence at Risdon, working specifically with lower literacy inmates. Tasmania has a paltry 50% functional literacy and I believe that the ability to read and write can make a positive difference to individuals and communities. I am looking so very forward (wrangling language) to this project! https://26ten.tas.gov.au

The People’s Choice Awards for the Tasmanian Premier’s Literary Awards are up and running – have your say, get amongst it, up there Cazaly. All the winners of this year’s awards will be announced on November 27.

On November 9 my old principal, Mr Rodwell (I'm allowed to call him Grant these days) is launching his new book Moral Panics and School Education Programs, David Bartlett will do the honours at this event which begins at 4.30 on November 9 at the Law Building, Utas, room 132. 

Tasmania has an opportunity to nominate our capital city as a UNESCO City of Literature. We have thousands of years of stories, saw the first novel in the country published, have more readers and writers per capita than elsewhere AND we must celebrate literature and therefore celebrate and promote literacy. This will take a few moments, but please take the time to put your thoughts in.

Drop me a line – racheledwards488@gmail.com

Paige Turner October

In 2016 singer and songwriter Bob Dylan won the Nobel Prize for Literature, which ruffled a few proverbials but was a fine reminder of the encompassing reach of the term ‘literature’. This is a word that unfortunately evokes an elitism which I’d love you to help me smash open, so we can to re-imbue this word with its truly inclusive essence.

To that end, in this loquacious column I’m making mention of the Song Writing Spring School. It sounds just wonderful and runs between October 9-13 - filled with ideas to trigger creativity, workshops, themed group discussions and host to a bonfire night. Seasoned and skilful songwriters from around the country are there to guide you, it looks creatively rich.

And in perfect juxtaposition, Music Tasmania is hosting a one-day course as an introduction and guide to music journalism. This is not until November, though I’d counsel getting in quickly. More details here.

Seasonal Poets is back and this spring are featuring
Uncle Jim Everett, Anne Kellas and Jane Williams. At lovely old Hadleys, 6pm on October 23^rd. There is an entry fee of some sort, and an opportunity to hear three of Tasmania’s most significant poets.

Twitch, the youth arm of the Tasmanian Writers Centre is calling for expressions of interest for Young Writers in the Huon Valley, specifically seeking eight writers aged between 16-30 to engage in writing residencies down the Huon between 31^st-30^th November. Great gig for young writers! Get on it! EoIs close on October 13.

The Hobart Bookshop is hosting some delights in October. On the 7^th, at 11am, Les Winspear is launching Lian Tanner’s latest book. I loved her Keepers trilogy, which is compelling children’s fiction, and this event will celebrate the first in the Rogues trilogy, Accidental Heroes.  They are also hosting Sir Guy Green as he launches Transported: Tales of Misfortune & Roguery by Brian Harrison-Lever on Thursday, 5 October at 5.30pm and on October 25th, 5.30pm, Pete Hay will launch Ross Brownscombe's In Search of Space: Journeys in Wild Places.
On October 14th, Stella Kinsella is hosting the launch of Wild Orphans, a book for young readers about orphaned kids raising orphaned animals. You can find more information about that event here.
These are all free events and open to the public.

The Tamar Valley Writers Festival has a new website, check it out for information about the next festival, and pre fezzie events. On December 4 they are hosting Fiona McIntosh discussing her latest novel. This is at Launceston’s Grand Chancellor and tickets are available through PetrarchsBookshop. Check out the new website here.

The Tasmanian Poetry Festival is back with aplomb, with poets such as Pete Hay, Mala Anthony, Izzy Roberts-Orr and Samuel Wagan Watchorn on the program. The Launceston Poetry Cup returns for the 33^rd time! Heaps of other delights on the weekend long program, 6-8 of October.

Launceston is also host to a National Book Council Tasmania event with historian Peter Cox discussing his book Lefroy, Tasmania’s Forgotten Gold Town. This is a free event that will take place at the Launceston LINC on October 18, at 12.45 for lunch, or 1.15 for the talk.

 And don’t forget Undisciplined, a 2-day extravaganza, thought frenzy, symposium, minglefest, networking, idea inspiring event that is happening in Hobart 19-21 October. Thinkers and creatives from all around, near and far, sharing insights (of course) and ideally some effulgence to our delightful surrounds. This is the work of Creative Island and Pippa Dickson.

Fullers’ event calendar is as busy as ever, hosting among others foreign correspondent Peter Greste discussing his book The First Casualty on the 17th and the launch of poet Graeme Hetherington’s collection A Post-Colonial Boy on the 13^th. I’m also excited to check out Eat Wild Tasmania, by Rees Campbell and John Gibson with Sally Wise, which is launching there on October 19. This book is about bringing Tasmanian bush foods into the kitchen. It has information about what to grow, where to grow it and what to do when its grown. I hope your interest is piqued as much as mine.
These are all free events, but make sure you rsvp.

Tansy Rayner Roberts is a busy woman. She’s a prolific writer and she is running more of her wonderful school holiday workshops, and soon, her first workshop for adults.
The school hols one, Creative Writing Magic, witches and wizards, is for 7-11 year olds and will establish a space where they can create wicked characters and write and illustrate them. At $38 per workshop or $70 for two kids/2 workshops it is reasonable priced holiday activity that will hopefully have some inspirational writing legs for the rest of the holiday.

Do you have something you’d like to contribute? Letters - racheledwards48*@gmail.com