Get along to some of these great author events coming up:

* Bestselling author Tony Park launches his last novel The Delta at Orange City Library on Monday 30 August at 12 noon for a 12.30pm start. Please book your place by calling 6393 8132. His visit to Orange is supported by Boomers Bookshop and ABC Centre.

* Mark Beretta, yes Beretts - from Channel Seven's Sunrise, will be speaking about and signing copies of his new book The Riders - Australia's Motorbike Champs at the Hotel Canobolas front bar, Summer Street, Orange on Tuesday 31 August at 12 noon. It is a free event organised by Simon John events.

* Peter FitzSimons is a journalist, entertaining speaker and author of twenty books and brings to you his latest book - a memoir of laughter, loss and billycarts called A Simpler Time. Peter describes a childhood of mischief, camaraderie, eccentric characters, drama - and constant love and generosity. Where: Orange City Library When: Wednesday 1 September Time: 5.30pm for 6pm start. Free Please RSVP to 6393 8132. The visit is supported by Angus & Robertson Bookstore.

* Meet Pamela J McGlinn, author of A Distant Dream - A Pioneering Saga when she talks about writing her family history, pioneers of Spring Hill, and events that shaped a family's destiny. Pam is a direct descendant of the Warburton and Seaton families, well known faces from the past in the Blayney, Spring Hill and Orange communities. The event is part of History Week celebrations supported by the History Council of NSW and Central West Libraries. Meet author and family historian Pam McGlinn at: Blayney Library, Adelaide Street, Blayney on Thursday 9 September from 11.30am %u213 12.30pm RSVP 6368 2581 or Orange City Library, Byng Street, Orange on Thursday 9 September at 5.30pm for 6pm RSVP 6393 8132.

* When it Rains by Maggie Mackellar - the heart-wrenching but triumphant story of rebuilding a life and a family Written by a brilliant new talent, When It Rains is a meditation on grief and the vagaries of the human condition, and a stunning memoir about piecing back together a life, and moving forward, one step at a time. Maggie MacKellar%u219s book launch is on Friday 10 September, 6.00pm at Cargo Wine Winery, Cargo Road, Orange. To be launched by Drusilla Modjeska. Please RSVP to Collins Books Orange before 8 September by calling 6369 1333.

* Mudgee Readers' Festival program is now available and it all happens Friday 10, Saturday 11 September and Sunday 12 September. Go to: http://www.visitmudgeeregion.com.au/j/index.php/Mudgee-Readers-Festival.html

The Walkley Foundation will be hosting a week long conference focussing on narrative called: "What's the story? Powerful narrative and other tales from the future". It will run from August 9 – 12 and they've booked some big international names to join a great line-up of Australian journalists, authors and other media creators. This is an important event, generating discussion and debate on the way our industry is changing. Prices start from $180 per day and there are many intensive training sessions including non-fiction narrative, video and photography. There are also panels and masterclasses on the future of journalism and the power of narrative. Speakers include David Marr, Malcolm Knox, Sophie Cunningham, Mark Dapin, Ben Naparstek, Malcolm Turnbull, David Leser plus many more. Read all about it online, by clicking here: http://www.walkleyconference.com.au/ For inquiries about the program call Clare Fletcher on (02) 9333 021 or email clare.fletcher@alliance.org.au.

Congratulatons to local Poet Diana Brooks who has been accepted into the National Cafe Poet Program along with cafe hosts Aaron and Emma Wright of Cafe Latte located at 173 Summer Street, Orange. Aaron is pictured with Diana Brooks. Diana has taken up residence in the coffee shop as part of the Australian Poetry Centre's Café Poet Program. She will be a regular sight at Orange's Café Latte on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9am – 12 noon. The National Café Poet Program aims to raise awareness of poetry and encourage people to try writing their own poetry, talk about poetry and read poetry. There will be a feedback box for people to leave their poetry for the café poet and to give their comments about the Café Poet Program. Stay tuned to this blog for updates.

Here's a chance to learn from someone who knows the business of writing for children. Author Paul Stafford will host a second workshop, titled "Writing Children's Books",Saturday 31 July, 10am - 4pm at WPCC, Kurrajong Room, Community Arts Centre, in Dubbo. Paul's workshop covers all aspects of creating children's books, including brainstorming, developing ideas, collaboration, shortcuts, pathways to publication and overcoming obstacles to creativity. Paul is the author of 13 novels including the Pants On Fire series for Crawford Publishing and is also a literacy consultant with a focus on developing literacy in reluctant boy readers. This workshop will give direct access to a published author and allow participants to discuss and overcome any particular problems they are experiencing with their own work. New ideas generated in the previous workshop can be refined. This session will follow on from the first and look at works in progress. If you did not attend the first workshop, you will still find this one highly informative. Cost is $35 including lunch. Contact Peter Dargin on 02 6882 8880.

The Yeoval Mulga Bill Festival, which incorporates a bicycle ride to celebrate the fact that Banjo Paterson spent his early childhood years living in Yeoval, is now in its 5th successive year. Enjoy a bike ride, bush food, poetry, art exhibition, music and much more. Check out www.mulgabillfestival.com.au for program details.

Imagine it's just you and your words for two minutes with a mic in the spotlight. Orange City Library is calling all poets, hip-hop artists and other outspoken wordsmiths to polish their rhymes and lyrics for the Australian Poetry Slam.

On Thursday 22 July - at 6pm for poets to sign up and from 6.30pm to perform - Orange will host one of 8 slam heats planned across the state. Winners from the Orange heat will go on to perform at the regional final and a chance to perform in the State final.

Host Tug Dumbly (pictured) is one of Australia's greatest spoken-word artists and he will host this electric live event.

An initiative of the non-profit literary arts association, Word Travels and State Libraries, the Australian Poetry Slam is the nation's largest and richest poetry slam with cash and a gig at Ubud Writers & Readers Festival in Bali up for grabs.

The Orange heat offers a $100 prize for the winner. And four heat finalists will go on to perform at the regional heat to be held in Bathurst on Saturday 7 August at 8pm as part of Cabaret Kite at the Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre.

All contestants have just two minutes to impress the judges (selected at random at each heat) with their spoken word, poetry, hip hop, monologues and stories. We need people to get up and have a go and for others to be in the audience - so come along for a fun night out.

Grenfell's Henry Lawson Festival of Arts June Long Weekend (starts Tuesday June 8 to Monday June 14)and includes Poetry - Performance, Exhibitions, Heritage, Street Parade, Music, Circus, Sport and Community events. A full program of events is available from: www.grenfell.org.au/henrylawsonfestival

Festival highlights this year are: Poetry by Firelight, Tuesday June 8, 7.30pm, Dramatic Society Rooms.

Wallangreen Sculpture Garden Open Thursday-Monday, afternoons.

Art Exhibition Opens Thursday June 10, 7.30pm, Grenfell Art Gallery.

Photography Exhibition Friday-Monday, Upper Main Street Grenfell.

Festival Concert With local bands, folk musicians, Melissa Robertson,Miranda Foster and Bush Poet Geoffrey Graham. Friday June 11, 7.30pm, Henry Lawson High School, Book at Louisa's Locker 02 6343 1577.

Poetry on the Boards Saturday June 12, sign up from 9.30am, Railway Station.

Poetry Slam with Miles Merrill - come and compete in the heats of this state-wide comp on Saturday June 12, 3pm, Railway Station.

Grenfell Dramatic Society The Man in the Bowler Hat and The Dilemma of Deidre Dearheart, Sunday June 13, 7.30pm & Monday June 14, 2pm, Rose St Rooms tickets CJ Anderson 02 6343 1610.

Sharyn Killens is better known as Sharyn Crystal, a successful Australian singer and entertainer. But her life wasn't always glamorous and her childhood was at times a living hell. The Inconvenient Child is the true account of her extraordinary journey to success and her quest to discover her African-American heritage. Sharyn and Lindsay have been friends for twenty years and met during their time as entertainers. Their close relationship and music background makes for a lively yet emotional author talk, keeping their audience enthralled as they recount Sharyn's extraordinary story and her often difficult journey through life. This story is not all heartbreak - it's a story of triumph, faith, success and joy.

Come along and hear the story of The Inconvenient Child at one of these locations:

Orange City Library, Monday 7 June at 1pm

Forbes Library Wednesday 9 June at 2pm

Cowra Library Thursday 10 June at 10.30am

Please RSVP by calling the Library you wish to attend.

Hey, just thought I'd let you know about this in case you were like me checking through last's weekend's paper for the Festival Guide. It was supposed to be there. Here's the word from the Festival organisers: "Due to an error at the Sydney Morning Herald, the 2010 Sydney Writers' Festival printed guide was not inserted in this weekend's edition. The Sydney Morning Herald apologises for their error. The full 2010 Sydney Writers' Festival program is available on the web and tickets are on sale now: http://www.swf.org.au/ The 2010 Sydney Writers' Festival printed guide will also be available in Saturday's Sydney Morning Herald, 17 April 2010. Despite the mistake, tickets are selling. Please do not wait until next weekend to book your tickets." So get to it – don't miss out and check out the events at Varuna, the Writers House too!

Stuart Town (60kms north of Orange and 33kms south of Wellington) is the place to be on Saturday 3 April with events - Art Show, Parade, Cicrus West performance, billy boiling, food stalls and evening bush dance. A highlight will be Poetry in the Pub at 2pm where Blue the Shearer will entertain the crowds with his repertoire of Stuart Town poems. Blue has also printed a souvenir booklet, which will be available for purchase. Ben Penhall, a Stuart town talent, will entertain and special guest is Scotsman Martin Walsh - a published short story writer and Managing Ediotr of Pushing Out the Boat, the literary magazine of North-East Sctoland. He has read his work on BBC Radio. His stories are often set in remote corners of the world, especially West Africa, and sometimes involve animals (he is a zoologist after all). Among his characters are cranky cobras, telepathic flying frogs, scheming pelicans, bolshey geese, feisty humming birds, oversexed pigeons an occasionally God (although not in any religious sense). Come along and have a great time. Entry to Poetry in the Pub is by donation. For more details call 6846 8414.