Paige Turner - August

I hope you’re having a good winter, whatever your version of good may be. I ate pizza in the bath the other day and that helped in the good-winter stakes. And I’ve been reading Yuri Herrera, a Mexican writer, via his translator Lisa Dillman – who somehow brings Mexican street slang to a sharp gnarliness in English. Ooof! The proscriptive lawlessness of the drugking pin’s court in Kingdom Cons and the young artist, creator of corridos, -smugglers tunes- has knocked me sideways. It’s partly a language thing, as is the preoccupation by the narrator in Susanna Moore’s 1990s dark erotic In The Cut, which I’m reading, alongside pre-reading for the Tamar Valley Writers Festival in September. I saw the movie of Into the Cut years ago so the some of the suspense is gone in the read – but the narrator studies street slang of New York, and often makes asides in the text about the joy or strangeness of a word.

Slam Poetry’s a buzz all around the state in August. In the south, SilverWords' slam night, WhamBamSilverSlam returns after a fantastic first event in June. Poets will have a strict 2 minute time limit and there are cashmoneyprizes for the 1^st and 2^nd place-getters. Judges are selected at random from the audience. Classic slam set up with some ripper poets. 16 August 6.30pm at Irish Murphys, Salamanca.

And up north, Slamduggery’s dropping in on The Cardinels and friends, as they launch their debut album, Sick Fiction. August 18, Greenwood Bar, Launceston.

And pretty much everywhere else are heats for the Australian Poetry Slam, a national literary performance program and comp. In Tasmania these are coordinated and hosted by Tasmanian writer, poet, thrice National Slam Finalist and twice winner of the Launceston Poetry Cup, Yvonne Gluyas, and award winning writer and poet, Joy Elizabeth. The first and second Tasmanian Finals place-getters will receive flights to Sydney, tickets to the Performing Writers Festival and will compete in the Australian Poetry Slam National Final at the Sydney Opera House. Heats - 2nd August in Launceston, 7th August in Hobart, 12th August in Latrobe, 21st August in Deloraine. Tasmanian Final - 25th August in Launceston. For further details, contact Yvonne Gluyas yvonnegluyas@gmail.com

The Tamar Valley Peace Festival is a program encouraging local groups to raise awareness of peace in our communities by hosting events in early August. Launceston Toastmasters is holding a public meeting and the theme of the evening is ‘Peace and Respect’. Discover how Toastmasters can help you achieve your confidence, leadership and speaking goals at this event on 8^th August 2018, 7pm at Enterprize, Launceston. Free with a light supper.

Publisher Forty South’s Van Diemen History Prize is now open for entries. They are seeking excellent nonfiction articles of up to 3000 words on any aspect of Tasmania’s history prior to the 21^st century.  This biennial prize is an initiative of Forty South Publishing and the stated aim is to foster quality writing about Tasmanian history. There is a cash prize and publication in Tasmania 40 South, with a selection of the best work published in The Van Diemen Anthology. Entries close on September 24^th and an entry fee of $20 per article.  Click here for more details.

Reading for the Revolution #7: Pause, Reflect, Inspire! This month’s discussion will focus on topics covered so far, and how they relate to each other. Ponder the questions:  What are the links between racism and diversity and a universal basic income? Where does this link with notions of democracy or fair governance?
Millie Rooney, who founded this revolutionary conversation space, suggests going back to some of the big picture work of Naomi Klein and George Monbiot.

14th August, 7.30am, upstairs in the Food Store, South Hobart

For information contact millierooney@gmail.com

The Society of Women Writers short story competition closes on the 31st of August.  The theme is 'Life Changing'.  For information regarding rules contact Wendy Laing, the comp’s coordinator.  wendylaing02@gmail.com or check their website.

I was recently interviewed about my thoughts on whether there an increase of fora and storytelling events in Tasmania. While acknowledging that ‘storytelling’ a la Moth and the magnificent Storytellers Cup at Huon Midwinter (as biased as I may be- I produce it) is quite the mode, there have been stories told on this land for tens of thousands of years, and organisations like the National Book Council of Tasmania, a little known gem, has possibly been running for decades. Their August meeting to be held on August 15 at 1pm and features Dr Tom Dunning speaking about the new collaborative history The Kaleidoscope of Launceston. Second floor, Launceston Library.

Did you see THAT? Library! Not LINC – we’ve dropped the weasely acronym and returned to calling the library, the library. Little victories, my friends, little victories.

If you have some bookish news, I’d love to hear from you -racheledwards488@gmail.com