Nominations are invited for the New South Wales Premier's Translation Prize, presented every two years with the NSW Premier's Literary Awards. The prize is offered by the NSW Government through Arts NSW and the Community Relations Commission for a multicultural NSW in association with Sydney PEN. Valued at $30,000 the prize is open only to literary translators who translate from other languages into English. Translators should be able to demonstrate a body of literary work which has been published or performed in recent years. This work can include poetry, stage and radio plays, and fiction and non-fiction works of literary merit. Translators may nominate themselves, or be nominated by authors, agents, publishers, translation and literary associations, theatre companies or radio broadcasters. The closing date for nominations is Friday 5 December 2008. The winner will be announced in May 2009. Guidelines and nomination forms may be obtained from Awards Staff, Arts NSW PO Box A226, SYDNEY SOUTH NSW 1235 Ph (02) 9228 5533, Fax (02) 9228 4722 or Email: jean.moylan@arts.nsw.gov.au or download them from Website: www.arts.nsw.gov.au

The 2009 Interactive Press (IP) Picks Awards for Unpublished Manuscripts are open for submissions until 1 December. Now in its eighth year, this national competition invites submissions for Best Fiction, Best Creative Non-fiction, Best Poetry and Best First Book. The Awards are open to citizens/residents of Australia, and, for the first time, citizens/residents of New Zealand. The winners in each category and two of the Highly Commended entrants are being published by IP under royalty contracts. One of the winners and one of the highly commended were subsequently endorsed by the Literature Board of the Australia Council. The winner for Best Poetry 2007 was Mark O'Flynn for his work What can be Proven. For entry forms and conditions visit the website www.ipoz.biz or send a self-addressed stamped envelope to IP, Treetop Studio, 9 Kuhler Court, Carindale 4152.

Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre (BMEC's) Wattle Foyer Soiree is back! On Wednesday 10 December from 7pm. The BMEC supply a piano, a mic, warm atmosphere and a great audience. Come along and enjoy the evening, or try out that act you've written or recite a poem or sing a song. Just pop your name on the blackboard to be involved. There is no entry fee. For further information please contact Kylie Shead on 6333 6144.

Cutwater is an upcoming literary anthology that will collect the best in Australian writing from new and emerging authors. With the assistance of an Australia Council Write In Your Face grant, Cutwater is currently seeking work from around the nation - fiction, literary non-fiction, poetry, zines, comics and anything in between - to be published in glorious book form in 2009. The theme of Cutwater's inaugural volume is 'Ratbags'. Writers are invited to send up to three submissions of 5,000 words or less, via post only by 30 November, to: Cutwater Literary Journal PO BOX 52 Toukley NSW 2263 For more details on submissions go to the blog at: http://www.cutwaterjournal.blogspot.com/ Let out the inner ratbag.

Writers Link is a series of workshops designed to help people put pen to paper and write - whether it be for their personal records or a new career. A special Writers Link Workshop will be held at Gilgandra Shire Library on Wednesday 3 December from 9.30am. Titled Retool and Remix, this workshop aims to give you the skills to compose books which include multimedia elements (audio, video, animation, interactivity) as well as words. Retool and Remix will enable participants to create works for podcasts, blogs or CD/DVD distribution. The workshop facilitator will be Dr David Reiter, an award-winning poet and writer of fiction, and Director of Interactive Publishing, a print and digital publisher based in Brisbane. Cost of the Workshop is $25 per person. This includes all refreshments. For more information call 02 6817 8704 (Orana Arts) or 02 6817 8877 (Gilgandra Library) Please RSVP by Monday 1 December.

You are invited to a special screening of the 2 minute trailer of locally made film Piet and the Wooden Statue on Friday 14th November, 4:45pm at the Australia Cinema, Lords Place, Orange. The film's director Luisa Machielse said it is very exciting to see all the images coming together so beautifully, and according to what she had envisaged. "Although most of the editing is complete, there is still the special effects to be done. This is going to require a lot more funding, and although we narrowly missed out on government funding, it's time to call in other resources. Hence the screening of the trailer. The producers and I would like to extend this invitation to providing an opportunity for members of the general public to be involved by making a donation to the cause, and getting your name, or business, up in the credits. Every little bit helps, so bring your family and friends and come along to have a first glimpse of this magical local movie, " she said. To find out more about the film and how you can help go to http://cherrypip.com.au/piet/.

Here is a spot to consider for a relaxing quiet break and sanctuary for writing. Discover the Lachlan Banks Holiday House – 3 bedroom brick house, sleeps 4, 1 queen bed, 2 single beds plus writer's room and art studio, situated on the banks of the Lachlan River, quiet location, lots of birdlife, river redgums, ideal retreat for artists and writers. BYO sheets and towels. For prices and booking call (02) 6857 1143 or email Lachlan_banks@y7mail.com

Did you know Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre (BMEC's) participates in Local Stages, a Performing Arts Development Program introduced by federal, state and local government to support the growth of regional theatre-making? It offers local performing artists creative advice, support, and development opportunities, and engages professional outside artists to help develop strengths within the community's local talent. From Local Stages has come Cabaret Kite, BMEC's regular cabaret, which showcases local talent, and plays to sold-out houses. It has been described as "the best night out, for the price, in the world"! Find out about Caberet Kite or come along to the next Soiree to be held on Wednesday 10 December at 7pm in the Wattle Foyer at BMEC. Try out an act, sing a song, recite a poem – get on stage. There is no entry fee. The Local Stages program, which continues to expand, is supported by Australia Council for the Arts, Arts NSW, and Bathurst Regional Council. To find out more about Cabaret Kite and Soirees contact Local Stages Creative Producer Kylie Shead on 6333 6144 and check out www.bmec.com.au

Budding poets can upload a two minute poetry slam video and compete for a wild card entry into the Poetry Slam National Grand Slam Final. The Grand Slam will be held at the Sydney Opera House on Thursday, 4 December and the online winner will compete alongside state winners for a chance of the $5,000 prizemoney. Anyone outside Sydney will be flown to the NSW capital and provided with accommodation. ABC Local Radio has joined forces with State Libraries to bring the Australian Poetry to all Australians. There is now a dedicated online Poetry Slam destination: abc.net.au/poetryslam. For the first time ABC Local Radio will broadcast and stream all State finals, plus the Grand Slam Final. The dedicated website will include video of slam performances from heats and finals as well as the video entries in the online competition. Visitors will have the opportunity to join in forum discussion and comment on poet works. The online competition closes on Sunday November 16. Online entries will be judged by some of Australia's leading writing professionals, including spoken word artist Miles Merrill, poet Alicia Sometimes and Sydney Writers' Festival Artistic Director Dr Wendy Were. For more details about the Australian Poetry Slam and to find out what is on the mind of poets and performers go to abc.net.au/poetryslam.

Recently it was announced two regionally-based authors, one from France and the other from Australia, will swap places in 2009 as part of a unique cultural exchange to build upon the literary legacy left by French-Australia writer Paul Wenz. The selected writers are French novelist and essayist Frederic Chef, from Reims, capital of the Champagne-Ardenne region of France where Wenz was born, and Australian novelist and essayist Merrill Findlay who is based in Forbes, the town where Wenz died and is buried. Their month long residences will coincide with the 140th anniversary of Wenz's birth in 1869 and the 70th anniversary of his death in 1939. Now Frederick Chef has regretfully withdrawn from the project because of other commitments. The Wenz Society is able to offer a month long residency in regional Australia to another writer from the Champagne-Ardenne region of France. For more information, or to apply for this residency, please email Maurice Blackman, PWS President at mblackman@primusonline.com.au. mblackman@primusonline.com.au For more information about the Paul Wenz Society go to website: http://www.merrillfindlay.com/projects/wenz_project.html