Andrew Barton "Banjo" Paterson was born on February 17, 1864 and to celebrate his birthday Orange City Council, Central West Libraries, Central West Writers' Centre supported by The Central Western Daily and ABC Central West Radio announce the call for entries to the Banjo Paterson Writing Awards. It is important to note that entries into the Prose (Short Story), Open Poetry and Children's Writing Awards categories of the competition do not have to be in the style of Banjo's writing. Entry forms are available from Central West Libraries branches, by phoning 6393 8120, email: writing@orange.nsw.gov.au or [download here]. Entry is $10 for adults and $5 for children per entry. The competition closes on Friday 16 April 2010 and winners will be contacted by phone on Monday 21 June 2010. There are cash prizes to be won and the winning Prose (Short Story) entry will be published in the Central Western Daily.

Celebrate Valentine's Day with world-renowned romance writer, Valarie Parv, as she reveals some of the secrets of writing a romance novel. With 25 million copies of her books sold internationally, it's no wonder Valerie Parv is known as Australia's queen of romance. Then, following a booksigning and refreshments, enjoy a special screening of the Australian film Paperback Hero (1999), starring Hugh Jackman and Claudia Karvan. Imagine Hugh Jackman as Jack Willis, a handsome roadtrain driver with a secret - he has just become a top-selling romance novelist. But being a 'man's man', he needs a name, a woman's name - and he chooses that of his best friend, Ruby Vale. Cost: $10 (refreshments included) National Library of Australia, Theatre on Friday 12 February at 5pm. Bookings: 02 6262 1271 or bookings@nla.gov.au

Minister for the Arts Peter Garrett has announced the winners of the 2009 Prime Minister's Literary Awards......fanfare, applause.......

The winner of the 2009 Fiction award is Nam Le for his book of short stories The Boat. The judging panel was impressed by the daring scope and excellence of its execution, the generous breadth of its emotional and social traverse and the excitement generated by every story.

In 2009, two books and three authors share the Non-Fiction award. The winners are Evelyn Juers for House of Exile: The Life and Times of Heinrich Mann and Nelly Kroeger-Mann; and Marilyn Lake and Henry Reynolds for Drawing the Global Colour Line. Both books explore important racial, moral and political issues of Australia's past. The Non-Fiction judging panel said "With great intellectual authority and international research Evelyn Juers, Marilyn Lake and Henry Reynolds tell their stories magnificently."

Find out more about the shortlist and winners at www.arts.gov.au/pmliteraryawards

The Armidale Playhouse Inc invites you to submit short stories and/or play scripts to be considered for its 2010 season of "Favourite Shorts". This annual event is now into its 4th year bringing the works of both published and unpublished Australian writers to the stage using directors and actors from the Armidale district. Each week of the two week season of "Favourite Shorts" has a different programme. This year they squeezed 36 actors into eleven plays with nine directors. All of the actors, directors, lighting and stage crew are amateurs, in that they are not paid for their time and expertise however many do have formal qualifications or are working towards them. The Armidale Playhouse Inc will not be providing performance payments to successful writers however they do offer a free double pass to those who wish to travel to Armidale to see a performance of their short story or play. After each performance the audience are requested to select their favourite item and after the final performance the favourite for that week is announced in a short informal presentation. All successful writers will receive their own pair of "Favourite Shorts" and a participation certificate. They request permission from all successful writers to film the performance of their short story or play. An Armidale-based professional production unit will be filming performances with DVDs available for sale a few weeks after performances conclude. Submissions of play scripts and short stories up to 30 minute duration* can be sent via email to scripts@armidaleplayhouse.org.au or to Favourite Shorts 2010, Armidale Playhouse Inc, PO Box 368, ARMIDALE NSW 2350 by Friday 18 December 2009.

*To estimate the duration of your short story or play script it's about 10 minutes per 1000 words.

Join in talks by author Libby Gleeson and local illustrator Freya Blackwood when they tell school children about their latest book Clancy & Millie and the Very Fine House. The book is published by Little Hare Books and was launched just this month. It is about a little boy called Clancy who has moved to a new house that is huge and unfamiliar. He is missing his old house terribly - the new house is much too big and much too lonely. How will he ever make it his home? As despair takes hold Clancy hears a small voice. Soon, Clancy with the help of his new friend Millie is building towers to the sky and trains to the street outside, and together they build the home that Clancy thought he had lost forever. Libby Gleeson and Freya Blackwood will be speaking at Orange City Library on Friday 30 October at these times: 9.30am – 10.30am; 11.30am – 12.30pm; 1.30pm – 2.30pm. Come along and sit in on one of the talks by this award-winning team. The event is supported by Boomers Bookshop & ABC Centre. They will also be siging books on Saturday morning (1st Nov) at the bookstore from 11am.

Join in a one-day forum for writers who want to take their work from the page to the screen, featuring top names from the Australian film and TV industry: Producer Margaret Fink (Candy, My Brilliant Career), writer/director Nick Parsons (Dead Heart), writer/producer David Roach (Beneath Hill 60, Young Einstein), agent Jane Cameron (Camerons Management); plus Airlie Lawson (Hachette); Martha Coleman (Screen Australia); Amanda Higgs (ABC Head of Drama); Caterina De Nave (SBS Drama and Comedy); Stephen Liddell and Bob Barton (Ink to Screen); writers Phillip Gwynne (Australian Rules) & Denise Young (Last Ride). Experienced industry players, including David Stratton (At The Movies), actor Shane Porteous and writer Charlotte Wood, will chair the sessions, guiding you through the development of film and TV scripts from first pitch to the red carpet. Cost: $150 for NSW Writers' Centre members (includes morning tea/lunch/afternoon tea) Time: 10:00am to 5.00pm - 2nd November at Carrington Hotel, Katoomba, Limited places - please book your place by contacting Varuna, The Writers' House Ph: 0247 825674 and for a full program & booking details go to www.varuna.com.au

ABC news is reporting that Tim Winton's Cloudstreet is to be adapted for television. Tim Winton's novel won the Miles Franklin award in 1992 and shot on location in Western Australia. Culture and Arts Minister John Day confirmed yesterday that ScreenWest had secured the filming of Cloudstreet through its production attraction fund. Winton's modern Australian classic won the Miles Franklin award in 1992. The novel chronicles the story of two working class WA families thrown under the one roof in inner-suburban Perth from the 1940s to 1960s. It has already been staged as a theatre production. Showtime Australia commissioned and will mostly fund the television version of Cloudstreet. Pre-production is expected to begin in November. The six-hour series, once completed, will be screened on Foxtel and Austar.

Be afraid!!! Tonight - 8 September at 10pm ABC1 Jennifer Byrne Presents: Monsters and Bloodsuckers. Discover the world of vampires, werewolves and reanimated flesh and the books that have lived in our nightmares; their origins in ancient folk-tales through to the recent vampire explosion in the bestsellers lists; with fantastic special guests including Catherine Jinks (a recent visitor to Orange now researching for her latest novel), Will Elliott, Leigh Blackmore and Tara Moss. Don't miss this sinister special! This episode will be repeated on ABC2 Sunday September 13th at 7pm.

The recent book launch for Charlotte Calder's new children's book Stuck! illustrated by Mark Jackson and published by Walker Books raised more than $400 for the Children's Medical Research Institute. A large crowd gathered at Orange City Libray to hear Charlotte talk about the process of writing the book and having it illustrated. Orange members of the Children's Medical Research Institute served delicious food including mini quiches, sandwiches, cheeses and fruit at the event. The event was also supported by Book City. Congratulations to all involved and everyone who attended for being so generous.

Winner of The Text Prize for Young Adult and Children's Writing in 2009 is... Leanne Hall for This Is Shyness. Text are excited about Leanne's compelling novel about two teenagers finding their place in a world that is increasingly difficult to understand. This is Shyness follows Wolfboy and Wildgirl through one night in Shyness, a city where the sun never rises. On a quest to retrieve a stolen card, they confront the menacing Kidds and push themselves to the boundaries of their fears as they help each other face the pain in their lives. It's a highly original story from an exciting new talent. Text would like to thank all those who entered the competition and to congratulate the shortlisted writers. The standard of entries was extremely high. Please watch the Text website for details of the 2010 Text Prize for Young Adult and Children's Writing. And keep writing! Text hope you have been following the success of last year's winner The Billionaire's Curse, which is on sale now. The rights have already been sold into five territories, and author Richard Newsome is appearing at the Melbourne Writers Festival. To read an interview with Leanne Hall and to find out more about this competition go to the Text Publishing website www.textpublishing.com.au