Poetry in the Caves will feature David Malouf, Judith Beveridge, Mark Tredinnick, David Brooks, Brenda Saunders and Bronwyn Kirkpatrick on shakuhachi flute.

The association of poetry with the Underworld is profound. The Orphic voice – the cave voice – is a part of poetry everywhere. Orpheus, the ancient Greek poet-of-poets, descended into the Underworld in search of his beloved Eurydice, and ever since he did so such descents have been an integral part of legend and the world's great poetry. Odysseus descends into the Underworld to consult Tiresias and to find his way home, Aeneas descends, Dante descends. Nowadays this is more likely to be figured as a descent into the self. Ted Hughes descends. Sylvia Plath descends. Bruce Beaver descends. Dorothy Hewett descends. In the Jenolan Caves there is one difference ... you'll need to climb to get in and descend to leave. You'll also need to dress warmly! Afterwards join the poets for a drink and ongoing discussion in Caves House. Tickets are $60 per person and available online until 10th May from varuna.com.au

This amazing event is part of the Sydney Writers' Festival and is supported by a Country Arts Support Program (CASP) grant. The Country Arts Support Program is a small grants program delivered on behalf of Arts NSW by Regional Arts NSW and jointly administered by the Regional Arts Boards throughout NSW.

Due to an overwhelming response the Short Story Workshop is now booked out. There are still tickets available to the National Year of Reading Book Club Dinner to hear Chris speak about writing and his Miles Franklin Literary Award nominated novel Bereft. This book was also nominated for the National Year of Reading vote for Our Story.

Bereft is a searing gothic novel of love, longing and justice set just when the Great War has ended. Chris Womersley's fiction and reviews have appeared in Granta, Best Australian Stories 2006, 2010 and 2011, The Griffith Review, Meanjin and The Age. His first novel The Low Road won the Ned Kelly Award for crime fiction. His second novel Bereft was shortlisted for the Miles Franklin Award, the Australian Society of Literature Gold Medal and won the Indie Award for Best Fiction. Tickets are available for $80 per person by contacting Orange City Library on 6393 8132. Tickets include a three course meal, musical entertainment by Barry Patterson and of course Chris' talk. Please book your place and make payments before Tuesday 1 May.

Writers keen to enter the Banjo Paterson Writing Awards are reminded entries close Friday 20 April - tomorrow. Entries postmarked with this date will be accepted in the competition.

This year marks the 21st anniversary of the Banjo Paterson Writing Awards and to celebrate the occasion adult category winners will receive a limited edition Banjo bust sculpture by local artist Michael Lewis as part of their prize.

Poet, solicitor, journalist, war correspondent and ballad writer Andrew Barton "Banjo" Paterson (1864 – 1941) was born near Orange and each year Central West Libraries in conjunction with the Central West Writers' Centre, The Central Western Daily and ABC Central West Radio announce the call for entries to the Banjo Paterson Writing Awards.

There are four categories: Prose or Short Story (Category 1) Open Poetry (Category 2) Bush Poetry (Category 3) and ABC Central West Radio Children's Writing Awards for children aged under 16 years. Entry forms can be downloaded from www.wordsoutwest.com

Hear from Australia's best known Astronomer at an event hosted by the Millthorpe and Byng-Emu Swamp Branches of the CWA. A regular guest broadcaster on ABC radio, come along for a fascinating talk on the movement of the planets across the sun.

This talk will prepare you for these events – they are going to occur this year –the timing is perfect!Afterwards enjoy a great CWA supper.

Friday 20th April 2012 6.30pm Orange Civic Theatre Foyer, Byng Street Limited tickets available, so please book now:

Ticket Prices: Adults $15 Children $7.50

Phone: Lyn Suttie 6366 5023 Susan Chudleigh 6365 5116 OR Email your booking to: byngemuswampcwa@gmail.com

The Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS) will be bringing its hugely popular one-day course Running Your Own Creative Business to Dubbo on Friday April 20.

This is an essential course for anyone working in a creative field. Creative practitioners often prefer to concentrate on creative and artistic output, but secured financial viability and success relies on the ability to navigate the world of small business too.

AFTRS OPEN Regional Manager Martin Corben, says this intensive 1 day course has been developed to focus on the key areas that arts-based businesses most need.

For Dubbo, there will be a special emphasis on taxation and copyright issues for creative people which will build on other recent training opportunities.

Booking Details:

DUBBO – Friday 20 April, Dubbo Cultural Centre $95.00/ BOOKINGS ESSENTIAL

Info & Booking: http://www.openprogram.aftrs.edu.au/course/Q512

Info & Enquires: 1300 065 281 / open@aftrs.edu.au

Author Chris Womersley will be the special guest at Orange City Library's National Year of Reading Book Club Dinner to be held in the Library on Saturday 5th May at 6.30pm. Tickets are $80 pp and available from the Library. He will also be hosting a Short Story Writing Workshop that day.

Chris Womersley's debut novel, The Low Road, won the Ned Kelly Award for Best First Book in 2008. His fiction and reviews have appeared in numerous journals and anthologies, including Grant New Writing 14, Best Australian Stories 2010, The Monthly and The Age. In 2007 one of his short stories won the Josephine Ulrick Literature Prize.

His book Bereft was nominated for the Miles Franklin Literary Award 2011. Bereft was also included in the vote for NSW in "Our Story" collection for National Year of Reading.

Chris says short fiction relies on a decisive and concise approach to crafting the story. Learn the basics of constructing a short story; creating characters, how to define its shape, voice, tone and point of ending at the workshop.

When: Saturday 5 May Time: 10am – 1pm Cost: $25 Venue: West Room, next door to Orange City Library, 147 Byng Street, Orange Bookings: 6393 8125

For more information about Chris go to: Visit www.chriswomersley.com

The Central West Writers' Centre and Orange City Council working with Varuna – The Writers' House, supported by Arts OutWest, has been successful in its application for a Country Arts Support Program (CASP) grant to host Poetry in the Jenolan Caves.

Esteemed Australian poets David Malouf, Judith Beveridge, Mark Tredinnick, Ali Cobby Eckermann and David Brooks will read their work in an intimate and atmospheric event in the Cathedral Cave at Jenolan on Sunday 13th May at 3.30pm. Come along to hear some of Australia's best poetry at this special event inspired by the moving legend of Orpheus' journey into the Underworld.

The Country Arts Support Program is a small grants program delivered on behalf of Arts NSW by Regional Arts NSW and jointly administered by the Regional Arts Boards throughout NSW. The aim of the Country Arts Support Program is to support community cultural development in regional and rural New South Wales.

Tickets are $60 per person and available for purchase online via Gleebooks: https://secure.weblink.com.au/gleebooks/events/varuna_booking.asp

The event is part of the Sydney Writers' Festival Program

ABC Open are running the popular Now and Then: Series 2 photo project and we're inviting you to join in. The challenge? Create a window into the past by photographing an old photo in its current setting. Then share the photo online through the ABC.

LEARN HOW TO DO IT Participate in a three part series of FREE workshops.The events are listed here.

BRING ALONG: Existing photo prints from around Orange, Digital camera, Tripod, A story to tell about your photo.

LIMITED PLACES - BOOK NOW Contact Luke by Thursday 5th April. Phone 02 6393 2542 or email abcopen.centralwest.nsw@abc.net.au

Leave a message with your contact number. Or organise Luke to visit and give a free workshop to your school or organisation.

FIND OUT MORE visit abc.net.au/open and click on Now and Then: Series 2.

It is with great sadness we inform our writing community that local poet Glenn Couchman has passed away.

Glenn was an enthusiastic participant in many of our events joining in the Poetry Slam held at the Forbes Kalari River Arts Festival, our Café Poet evenings and was a regular at our Drop-in Writers' Days. Glenn is pictured above at the Poetry Slam.

He enjoyed the Arts – particularly poetry and acting, and often read his poems to our writing group and told us about his writing plans.

Glenn's funeral will be held on Wednesday, 11 April 2012 at 11.30am at the Uniting Church, 217 Anson Street, Orange.

***

If you need immediate assistance, call Lifeline on 13 11 14. For further information about depression, contact beyondblue on 1300 22 4636 or www.beyondblue.org.au or talk to your GP, local health professional or someone you trust.

***

Vanessa Talbot is the author and compiler of Extraordinary YOU...The Art of Living a Lusciously Spirited, Vibrant Life and the forthcoming book, The Year of Living Extraordinarily, to be released mid-2012. She successfully coaches and mentors clients across both Australia and the USA in Living Extraordinarily so that their aspirations for Life and Success are no longer dreams but a reality. Vanessa, along with fellow contributor Bianca Carroll launched their book stylishly with champagne and cupcakes at Boomers Bookshop and ABC Centre recently. Nicely done!!