In the sea of amazing writers’ festivals that take place around Australia, the Emerging Writers’ Festival is undoubtedly one of the most exciting. With one finger on the pulse of all that’s new in Australian writing, this is a great place to discover your next favourite writer.
This year, EWF will be taking place from Wednesday 16 to Saturday 26 June, 2021, and there are over 50 in-person and digital events to attend! You can hear insights from some of the most talented up-and-coming writers from across the globe in a festival program where ‘discovery, learning and delight’ is the reigning motto.
Come and celebrate the 18th year of the Emerging Writers’ Festival – here are five events that you definitely shouldn’t miss!
Lunchtime Literature: Writing Across Genre (Free, in-person)
Grace Chan, Declan Fry (host), and Jamie Marina Lau
Writing to conventions and reader expectations is valuable but at times genres can be restrictive or difficult to pin down. What happens when the line between genre and literary fiction is blurred? Join these writers as they share their process and experiences of writing across genre and forms.
When and where: Thursday 24 June, 12:30 pm AEST, at the Readings State Library
Guest to watch: Jamie Marina Lau, whose latest novel Gunk Baby is already a literary darling.
Book tickets here
Elemental (Paid, online)
Raynen Bajette O’Keefe, Jessica Paraha, Luke Patterson (host), Hineani Roberts, and Emily Sun
Experimenting with form, a multi-talented, multi-disciplinary group of emerging artists gather to imagine the not-so-far-flung future of the planet in this special digital event. Reaching for the elements of the physical world and the things that make us human, these artists consider how we have ended up here and where on Earth (or elsewhere) we might go now.
When and where: Friday 25 June, 7:00 pm AEST, via a private Zoom link.
Guest to watch: Emily Sun, whose debut poetry collection Vociferate|詠 will be published by Fremantle Press in June.
Book tickets here
Masterclasses (Paid, online)
A series of full day intensives for writers wanting to get serious about improving their craft. The three topics are Language & Writing, Digital Storytelling and Creative Nonfiction.
When and where:
- Masterclass: Digital Storytelling: Friday 25 June, 10:00 am AEST, via a private Zoom link.
- Masterclass: Language & Writing: Wednesday 23 June, 10:00 am AEST, via a private Zoom link.
- Masterclass: Creative Nonfiction: Tuesday 22 June, 10:00 am AEST, via a private Zoom link.
Guests to watch: Where to begin? Maria Tumarkin (Axiomatic), Veronica Gorrie (Black and Blue), Fiona Murphy (The Shape of Sound), Anna Spargo-Ryan (The Gulf and The Paper House), and Alison Whittaker (Blakwork and Lemons in the Chicken Wire) are all incredible writers that should be on your radar.
Book tickets here
Late Night Literature: The Bogong: System Breakdown (Free, online)
Jannali Jones, Carissa Lee, Gary Lonesborough, Maddi Miller, Kalarni Murray, and Nardi Simpson
Take a journey to the perhaps not-so-distant future with a lineup of brilliant First Nations talent. As technology continues to disrupt systems, these artists contemplate the collision of human and machine lives and what it all means for culture and society.
When and where: Monday 21 June, 8.30pm AEST
Guests to watch: If you haven’t read the new books by Nardi Simpson (Song of the Crocodile), Jannali Jones (My Father’s Shadow), and Gary Lonesborough (The Boy from the Mish), you need to get on that, ASAP.
Book tickets here
Writers’ Night School: Graphic Storytelling (Paid, in-person)
Mia Nie
Interested in polishing up your skills in graphic storytelling? In this workshop, comic artist extraordinaire Mia Nie will take you through the fundamentals of creating inventive and compelling graphic narratives. She will cover techniques on how to craft characters, construct narrative beats in comics and ways to develop an idea and bring it to technical fruition.
When and where: Friday 18 June, 6.30-8pm AEST
Guest to watch: Mia Nie — a Chinese-Australian comic artist, zine-maker, and award-nominated ex-poet, whose work explores the complexities, contradictions, and deeply felt desires of transgender subjectivity. Mia is a recipient of The Wheeler Centre’s The Next Chapter 2020 Fellowship, and is currently working on her first graphic novel.
Book tickets here
Book recommendations from Chelsea Watego! 
Book recommendations from Evelyn Araluen!
Comments
No comments