Okay writers. Opportunities like this do not come along very often. So please read the criteria carefully and if you have a project ready to go that matches - then go for it. Pantera Press aims to be known as a great new home for Australia's next generation of best-loved authors™. That means they want to discover, launch and nurture previously unpublished Australian writers... writers who, despite having more than one great book in them, and having a passion for writing, have not been able to get published. They are seeking books with wide appeal. For both fiction and non-fiction, they are looking for books with bestseller-potential and with strong, quality writing and style. For fiction the focus is on mass-market and popular books, that is, great stories that are riveting and well-written. For non-fiction, the focus is on books that foster ideas and debate. Please note they are NOT currently publishing picture or illustrated books, children's books, cookbooks, memoirs, autobiographies, biographies, self-help books, health and well being books, travel books, poetry, play scripts, short stories, compilations, novellas, chapter books, or books aimed at an audience younger than 15 years old. For all the details and requirements on how to make your submission go to: http://www.panterapress.com.au/fiction-and-non-fiction-how-to-submit. Get to it and Good Luck!

500 words is a monthly non-fiction writing challenge from ABC Open that invites you to share a story. Each month has a different theme and Novembers theme is SOMEONE WHO SHAPED ME. If you would like to submit your 500 words on this month's theme follow these steps,

1. Go to abc.net.au/open and select Projects 2. Click on the 500 Words box 3. Click on Get Involved

Mayor John Davis officially launched Stepehn Dando-Collins latest book titled Mistaken Identity, the true trials of Joe Windred at Orange City LIbrary on Friday night. It's about the amazing true story of a former mayor of Orange. The current Mayor described Joe as being 100 men rolled into one and quite the "adventurer". Stephen also joined in a Q&A session on Saturday morning for people interested in writing and spoke about copyright, agents, his foray into writing children's books, publishers and movie deals. It was really fascinating. Thank you to everyone who came along. And residents of Windred Street should be walking with an extra spring in their step today.

If you missed Stephen's visit catch him on ABC Radio's Conversation Hour with Richard Fidler tomorrow (Tuesday 28 August at 11am).

http://www.abc.net.au/local/sites/conversations/

Imagine not once, but twice being mistaken for a bushranger and going on to become a sporting legend, successful businessman, hero, Orange City Mayor - twice, and all round good bloke as well.

Join us for this amazing story at the national launch of Mistaken Identity, The Trials of Joe Windred, by award-winning Australian author Stephen Dando-Collins. Discover the true story of the international escapades of past Orange Mayor Joseph Windred on Friday 24 August 5.30pm for 6pm start with Mayor John Davis to officially launch book. Bookings 6393 8132

Then join us for a Conversation with Stephen Dando-Collins on the Changing Face of Book Publishing on Saturday 25 August at Orange City Library from 11am - 12 noon. Please RSVP to Ph: 6393 8132.

Come along for a conversation with award-winning Australian historical non-fiction author, novelist and children's author of Caesar the War Dog, Stephen Dando-Collins.

For example, you will learn his latest US book, Taking Hawaii, has just been released by E-Reads of New York, exclusively as an e-book and print-on-demand paperback. And his novel The Inquest is currently a bestseller in Spain, as it was in Italy. See you there.

The State Library of NSW, in association with Arts NSW, will manage of The Premier's Literary Awards and The Premier's History Awards.Nominations for these awards are now open. Applications will close at 5pm on Friday 1 June 2012.

For more information and to nominate for these awards please visit the State Library of NSW website (http://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/). Select About the Library and from the drop down menu, select Awards and Fellowships. Both The Premier's Literary Award and The Premier's History Award are listed here. Click on the title to open further information, and nomination forms.

Oral historian Helen McAnulty is pictured (above)at the Orange launch for her book History Talking with Alex Jenkins who wrote the foreword and has his war story included in the book.

A love of collecting and writing oral history has led to a unique book titled History Talking by Central West writer and oral historian Helen McAnulty covering reminiscences of people from Gulgong, Mudgee and Orange. At the recent launches in both Gulgong and Orange, Helen said how much she enjoyed collecting people's memories. She also shared wonderful anecdotes from the book including an amazing coincidence about a nurse involved in a leg amputation operation and then a chance meeting with that patient. Helen has been collecting and writing oral history for the past 30 years. The book is supported by the Oral History Group, Marsden Memorial Rural History Research Centre, Gulgong Research Centre, Mudgee Historical Society and the many people who generously shared their memories and photographs. The book can be purchased from the Marsden group and local bookshops.

BooksPlus are bringing former child soldier, Niromi de Soyza, to Bathurst to speak about her experiences as part of the Tamil Tigers on Wednesday 21st September at Bathurst Library.

Niromi has written of her experiences in her new book, 'Tamil Tigress', which has been chosen as one of the '50 Great Reads' in this year's National 'Get Reading' Campaign.

Leaving behind a shocked middle-class Sri Lankan family, Niromi& her lifelong friend Ajanthi, joined the Tamil Tigers as 17 year olds in 1987. Equipped only with a rifle and a cyanide capsule, they became part of the Tamil Tigers' first female contingent. They managed to survive on their wits in the jungle, facing not only the perils of war but starvation, illness and growing internal tensions among the militant Tigers.

Niromi's book explores how a well-educated, mixed-race, middle-class girl came to fight with the Tamil Tigers. Today she lives in Sydney with her husband and children. Don't miss this fantastic opportunity to hear this extraordinary woman talk about her compelling story.

BooksPlus & Bathurst Library have organised for Niromi to speak at Bathurst Library on Wednesday 21st September at 6.15pm. Tickets are free & bookings can be made by contacting BooksPlus on 6331 5994 or orders@booksplus.com.au, or by contacting Bathurst Library in Keppel Street on 6333 6281. Its part of the Get Reading campaign!

Author Brennan Keats gives a special presentation on his book Quiet Waters at Orange and Cowra Libraries during March. His book follows the life of Russell Keats, a sensitive 20 year old supply assistant on board HMAS Canberra as related from his personal letters to his parents before the Battle of Savo Sound. The book provides graphic written accounts of day to day shipboard life in prominent naval units in WWII and the experiences of a young man with a strong sense of duty. It also gives a detailed account of the Japanese attack on Sydney Harbour during May and June of 1942. It includes many photos from the Australian War Memorial and others in private collections.

Come along to meet author Brennan Keats at:

Orange City Library Monday 28 March, 5.30pm for 6pm start RSVP to 6393 8132 Free

Cowra Library Tuesday 29 March, 12.30pm RSVP to 6340 2180 Free

You have until 30 November to submit your appliation for this one. The Varuna Publisher Fellowships program offers 15 six-night residential fellowships during June 2011. Writers will be selected by Allen & Unwin, Random House Australia, Text, Scribe, University of Queensland Press, Picaro Press and Pan Macmillan Australia. The two writers selected by each of the publishers (and one standout addition) will be resident at Varuna over the course of three weeks in June 2011. Writers will receive a one-hour consultation with one of Varuna's writing consultants, and their finished manuscript will be read by a Varuna writing consultant before being sent to the publisher. Please note: The publisher awarding the residency will not generally have any contact with the writer until the manuscript is submitted in its finished form. Who should apply: Writers with a major project in any genre of fiction, narrative non-fiction and poetry, at any stage of development. Only writers who are actively contracted to a particular publisher for the submitted work are excluded from applying. Important dates: Applications are accepted from 1 November 2010 and must be delivered (electronically) by 5pm on 30 November 2010. Shortlisted applicants will be announced on the Varuna website (News & Diary section) 30 January 2011. Final selections will be available on the Varuna website by 30 March 2011. Costs to applicant: $55 (including GST) per application. Fees cover administrative costs and help sustain this program. Successful applicants contribute $300 towards a 6-night residency at Varuna and a consultation with a Varuna writing consultant.

For more information click on the go to www.varuna.com

National Novel Writing Month is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing. Participants begin writing November 1. The goal is to write a 175-page (50,000-word) novel by midnight, November 30. Valuing enthusiasm and perseverance over painstaking craft, NaNoWriMo is a novel-writing program for everyone who has thought fleetingly about writing a novel but has been scared away by the time and effort involved. Because of the limited writing window, the ONLY thing that matters in NaNoWriMo is output. It's all about quantity, not quality.

In 2009, they had over 165,000 participants. More than 30,000 of them crossed the 50K finish line by the midnight deadline, entering into the annals of NaNoWriMo superstardom forever. For details go to http://www.nanowrimo.org/ And good luck to Deb and Jeffery, Central West Writers' Centre members who will be taking up the challenge!