One of the main reasons I moved back to Melbourne was to be more in touch with the literary scene, and through fortunate circumstances of timing, I found myself being offered the opportunity to chair a number of panel sessions at the Melbourne Writer's Festival, representing the Centre for Youth Literature in supporting the Schools Program at the festival.
So, over the last couple of days, I was involved in the following sessions...
Tomorrow, Today with Kirsty Murray
Kirsty spoke about her new novel, "Vulture's Gate" which, I might add, I read recently, and it's a fast-paced, action-packed read, with some very lovely moments of poignancy, and explores an impressive range of themes that she's managed to fit into under 250 pages. Amusing moment: Kirsty asking an audience of teenager what the different between girls and boys were, and watching them either blush or smirk... ah, the awkwardness of youth... ;)
Shakespeare's World with Andy Griffiths and Tony Thompson
WIth a full audience in the cavernous space of The BMW Edge, the first thing I noticed when looking at the crowd was the range of students from 8 to 18. However, just as Shakespeare is, as Ben Johnson stated "for all time", then Andy Griffiths and Tony Thompson were for all ages. and what ensued was a delightful-yet-informative glimpse at the blatant violence and blatant silliness that can be found in Shakespeare, which is vital in keeping its hold in the English Canon.
Fitting In with Randa Abdel-Fattah
Speaking to an intimate, yet full, room, Randa talked about growing up as a palestinian-muslim teenager, and how her books explored the issues of identity, and provided characters that broke the unfortunate stereotype that has been present in the media - such as the "muslim women must be oppressed if they wear the veil" and "all muslims must be terrorists" misconceptions. We also chatted about her life, muslim portrayal in the media, and the emergence of the "burqini" at the beach.
Place, In Space with Scott Westerfeld and Anthony Eaton
Making the most of the ACMI cinema space, both writers presented imagery of the settings for their novels - Anthony's "Into White Silence" and Scott's upcoming "Leviathan". What ensued was a captivating adventure through other worlds, both real and imagined, and the ways in which the landscape really becomes a character in itself when writing.
Blogging, Nerds, and the Art of Cool with Andrew McDonald
Finally, Andrew and I spent the session with a meandering conversation about his book, and the world of blogging, online communities, fandom, the dangers of spreading lies on blogs, and how to not become an internet celebrity. Amusing moment: I made the comment that, unlike these days, I remember a time when Doctor Who wasn't cool, to which most of the audience mumbled "It's not!" *sigh*
I've had some fantastic time chatting on stage with writers, and I'm looking forward to spending a bit of time tomorrow attending the festival as an audience member.
So, dear readers, have you had a chance to attend anything at the Melbourne Writer's Festival yet? Are there any highlights that you've had, or that you're looking forward to? Leave comments! :)
