With the Sydney Writers' Festival kicking off today, I thought it might be interesting to turn our thoughts briefly to the regions. We (well, Aussie readers anyhow) know the big well-established city festivals, in particular Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth, but there are also many smaller festivals, some rural, some suburban. In this post I plan to … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Regional literary festivals
Literary events
Mansfield Park Symposium, Jane Austen Festival Australia, 2014 (Part 2)
WORDPRESS GREMLIN: Those of you who subscribe to my blog will have received two notifications yesterday of my Part 1 post - as the result of what was rather a nightmare. I published the post. Up popped WordPress's successfully published screen as usual, and then POOF it all disappeared. It was nowhere to be seen … Continue reading Mansfield Park Symposium, Jane Austen Festival Australia, 2014 (Part 2)
Mansfield Park Symposium, Jane Austen Festival Australia, 2014 (Part 1)
The seventh annual Jane Austen Festival Australia, which was held in early April, is establishing itself as a comprehensive affair. Originally focusing primarily on Regency times and activities, it has gradually increased its literary content. This year it introduced a new feature, a half-day literary symposium dedicated to in-depth discussion of the year’s feature novel, Mansfield Park. … Continue reading Mansfield Park Symposium, Jane Austen Festival Australia, 2014 (Part 1)
Monday musings on Australian literature: If I were going to the Sydney Writers Festival
I'm afraid I don't have a real Monday musings today. I'm in the process of packing up to leave Toronto later today, so thought I'd just share with you the program from this year's Sydney Writers Festival. Once again, I don't expect that I'll manage to attend. Its timing is always slap-bang in the middle … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: If I were going to the Sydney Writers Festival
Wrapping in the rain
Mr Gums and I spent last weekend in the lovely historic town of Beechworth staying with two other couples in the gorgeous 1890s Indigo Cottage (owned by one of the couples). Quite coincidentally, we discovered that this weekend was Beechworth's WRAP Festival. That's Writers, Readers and Poets, an annual event that has been sponsored by the Beechworth … Continue reading Wrapping in the rain
Poetry at the Gods … with Les Murray
What can I say but that it was wonderful to be in the presence of the man who is arguably Australia's greatest living poet, Les Murray. Poetry at the Gods is a monthly event which has been run for many years by local poet Geoff Page*. (The Gods is a cafe-bar attached to the Australian … Continue reading Poetry at the Gods … with Les Murray
Monday musings on Australian literature: Writing the Australian landscape (3)
Back in August I wrote two posts (here and here) about the National Library of Australia's conference, Writing the Australian landscape. At the time I said that I would provide a link when the talks became available on-line. Well, they apparently went on-line a month or so ago and the NLA very kindly tweeted the … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Writing the Australian landscape (3)
Monday musings on Australian literature: GenreCon
I returned from seven weeks of gallivanting abroad to several emails* about something called GenreCon, which will take place next week from October 11 to 13 at the State Library of Queensland. I hadn't heard of this before, which is probably not surprising as it seems to be a new event. As you've probably guessed … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: GenreCon
Monday musings on Australian literature: Writing the Australian landscape
Wide Brown Land (National Arboretum) This weekend just gone I had the privilege - well, I paid to go, but still it was a privilege - to attend a conference at the National Library of Australia titled Writing the Australian landscape. You can see why I had to go ... wild brumbies couldn't keep me … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Writing the Australian landscape
Monday musings on Australian literature: Notes on the Sydney Writers’ Festival from a non-attendee
One day I swear I will get to the Sydney Writers' Festival - properly, I mean. I have been to one session once, but that barely counts. Late May, though, tends to be one of my busiest times of the year, so the years pass and I don't get to the Festival. I do, though, … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Notes on the Sydney Writers’ Festival from a non-attendee
Whispering Gums 