Limberlost is launching in Hobart on October 6 and up north at the Tamar Valley Writers Festival in October, with events in the North West after that. Get your orders in now, this is a book that will have a few print runs – don’t miss the first.
THE Tamar Valley Writers Festival have also announced they are hosting Michael Mohammed Ahmed and Winnie Dunn, co-creators of Sydney’s Sweatshop Literary Movement, which has bought to light some of Australia’s most exciting writers. The festival's program is fleshing out well – Melissa Lukashenko and Jack Serong two others I’m looking forward to hearing talk about their work.
In international news, two Tasmanians, currently based in Glasgow, have forged a editing and mentoring set up, Praxis.
Joe Nuttall, best known for his musical form in Enola Form, and Lesley Halm, with her editorial acumen, have worked with their first author, on The Great Orange Ogre by Chris Eipper. Keep an eye out for Praxis, I trust they will do nothing predictable.
Poetry abounds across the state:
Elder Pete Hay is launching Sarah Day’s new collection Slack Tide with Fullers on 29 September and Seasonal Poets is back for Spring at Hadleys in Hobart on Monday 19, featuring Helga Jermy, Rose Lucas and Anne Kellas.
Anne is also hosting a poetry workshop as part of the Tasmanian Poetry Festival on September 30. She asks ‘when writing poetry, how do we get the balance right between the pull of our won ‘earthly history’ and that of the mystery of the ‘invisible’? I ask myself that most days, about how the numinous can sit alongside the news, it does though, it does so every day.
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And in Launceston, the Poetry Pedlars are having their month gathering on Tuesday 13, featureing Kim Nielsen-Creeley as guest poet, ahead of her chapbook launch which will take place during Launceston’s Junction Festival.
Joel Rheinberger has written some fun and feisty novels, (my favourite is Chick Magnet, 2015) and now he’s venturing into Young Adult territory, with the first two in Poppy Lu series up now on Amazon.
Designer Jennifer Cossins has been shortlisted for the CBCA Eva Pownall Award for her Book of Curious Birds and Tasmanian science writers Zoe Kean and Lydia Hale have been selected for The Best of Australian Science Writing from UNSW Publishing which will be published later this year.
A new book from Linda Cockburn (I so enjoyed Who Killed Dave, a fun whodunit) Eat My Shadow, described as dystopic lit fic, is the first in a series. And did I imagine that she is reworking the 2006 Living the Good Life, How One Family Changed Their World From Their Own Backyard? A smart book then, will be even smarter now.
If you’re in the North West of the state, this Wednesday, 7 September, Minnie Darke (one of the pen names of the adored writer Danielle Wood) will be at the Devonport library discussing her new book With Love from Wish & Co.
I’m in conversation with Favel Parrett about Past the Shallows, her sad and deeply Tasmanian first novel, next Wednesday at Fullers. Why, so many years after publication? Archipelago Productions’ play of this lovely novel is about to start its first season in Hobart.
And, for something different, involving senses other than sight, your hearing, your tasting (and sight too) will be stimulated at The Devil is in the Details - an immersive spoken word performance based on traditional folk tales about tricksters.
Food from Miss Honey Child, Stories from Roaming Tree’s Tamas Oszvald, this is happening on September 23 at The LongHouse in Hobart.
Bring back the trickster.
