Creative Writing Workshops with Val Clark begin in Dubbo
Val Clark holds a Masters of Creative Writing, Bachelor of Education (Drama) and a Diploma of Teaching (Fine Arts) and has experience running writing workshops and leading writing groups. She is now holding six weekly workshops from Sunday 7 March - April 11 from 2pm - 4.30pm at Midnite Cafe, 2/211 Macquarie Street, Dubbo. For more information and costs please contact valclark.enterprises@gmail.com or 414 268 037 or download Val Clark Writing Workshop Flyer.
Many Varied Opportunities in 2010 for LitLink Writers
Introducing Peter Bishop, Varuna's Creative Director, to tell you about them...
NSW LitLink is a program that continues to grow and thrive, and the opportunities we are able to offer you through our developing partnerships are remarkable opportunities. In previous years I’ve travelled round NSW giving consultations –and a wonderful experience of difference and story it has been! Extraordinary things have come to light in these consultations, and I can say with excitement that in Varuna’s several national programs LitLink writers regularly top the list numerically.
At Varuna, opportunities are created from strong partnerships –and our developing partnerships with the Byron Bay Writers’ Festival and the Newcastle Poetry Prize are creating programs of extraordinary value to writers and readers.
All information is or will be on the Varuna website: www.varuna.com.au NSW LitLink Program is generously supported by Arts NSW.
LITLINK PROGRAM Deadline: March 30
LitLink Varuna Residencies –3 2-week residencies to take place at Varuna August 23 – September 6. Residencies are open to writers in any prose genre and to poets. During the residencies, there will be group conversation times and opportunities to discuss the development of projects with Varuna’s Creative Team.
LitLink Full Manuscript Readings and Consultations
8 projects will be selected for full manuscript readings followed by an hour’s phone consultation with a member of Varuna’s Creative Team. The Creative Team will discuss the projects among themselves before the consultations. Varuna has many pathways available for the further development of promising manuscripts, and the writer will be fully advised of these.
For these programs, we’re asking for about 10,000 words, and something about you and your project. Application fee is $45, and all applicants will be considered for both programs.
THE BYRON BAY WRITERS FESTIVAL/LITLINK UNPUBLISHED MANUSCRIPT AWARDS
Byron Bay Writers’ Festival/Varuna LitLink Unpublished Manuscript Awards
In its first year, this exciting competition drew 72 manuscripts from all parts of regional NSW and produced four exciting winners –Dael Alison, Graeme Pulley, Amanda Skelton and Anke Seib.
For this second year, the Varuna Creative Team will create a shortlist of up to ten manuscripts for the hardworking Byron Bay selectors to make a final choice.
There will be three prizes –a LitLink Varuna Residency (August 23 – September 6) for the first prize winner, and LitLink Full Manuscript Readings and Consultations for the second and third. Varuna has established partnerships with all Australian publishers and the Creative Team will recommend winning manuscripts to appropriate publishers when their development is complete. Winners will also receive a three-day pass to the Byron Bay Writers’ Festival, and there will be a Festival event announcing and celebrating the Awards.
We are looking for manuscripts of prose fiction or narrative non-fiction at an advanced stage of development though not necessarily complete. If your novel/memoir knows what it’s doing and is communicating its excitement clearly we’d like to look at it even though it’s only half there. If it’s half there but bewildered and uncertain –leave it till next year!
This is a most exciting development award for regional NSW writers. We’re impressed by what Unpublished Manuscript Awards have achieved in Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia –and we think they’ll come to be impressed with what we’re doing!
For this program, we’re asking for as complete a manuscript as you presently have, and the application fee is $45.
THE BYRON BAY WRITERS FESTIVAL PICARO POETRY COMPETITION
Deadline: APRIL 30
Five poets will be big prizewinners –
• For all five –travel expenses to the Byron Bay Writers Festival 2010, 3 nights accommodation, a 3-day VIP pass
• For 2 of the 5 –one NSW LitLink, one from anywhere else in Australia– a 28-page single author Picaro publication –a little anthology of your best work, a suite of poems, a single long poem, 104 haiku…Books to be launched at Poetry Night at the Festival.
• For 3 of the 5 –publication in the Byron Bay Writers Festival Picaro Poetry Anthology 2010, and a Varuna Publisher Fellowship for Varuna Poetry Month, September 2011. The task of the poets in Varuna Publisher Fellowship week is to get together a five-poet anthology… More publication!
• For more than 30 poets –publication in the Byron Bay Writers Festival Picaro Poetry Anthology 2010. There will be three little anthologies in this Anthology, each selected by a LongLines/LitLink poet –Carmel Williams (Alice Springs), Mark O’Flynn (Blue Mountains), Kristen Lang (Tasmania). We’ve told them –find us poems you love… The anthology will be edited by Judy Johnson of Picaro Press and launched at Poetry Night at the Festival.
How to apply: The Byron Bay Writers Festival Picaro Poetry Competition is run through Varuna –the Writers House. Full details will be available on the website www.varuna.com.au by March 5. Competition deadline: APRIL 30. Entries must not be sent in before APRIL 5.
Poets at all levels of practice and achievement are invited to enter.
If you have already two professional single-author publications we’d ask you not to enter the single-author publication competition, but we’d welcome you into the Anthology competition.
All poets are asked to include with their application a short statement: either: poetry and me, or: a poem I love.
Application fees: $45 for 28-page single-author publication
$45 for up to 3 poems, preferred length: up to 2 pages
The following exciting new programs soon to be announced:
The Penguin/Varuna Scholarship will now be an application program, offering $5000, an editorial relationship with a view to publication with a senior Penguin editor, and a two-week Varuna fellowship to the chosen writer. The shortlist of 20 projects will have at least 10 from the LongLines and LitLink areas.
(And consider this: the two winners of the Scholarship so far have both been LitLink writers: Shirley Walker from Northern Rivers and Tracy Sorensen from Central West. Let’s keep it in the family!)
Deadline May 30. On website by March 30.
The Iowa Connection Masterclasses:
The Professor of Non-Fiction at Iowa University is Robin Hemley. Robin will be at Varuna December 6-20 to run two masterclasses, each with 8 participants:
New Australian Stories Masterclass, with Robin Hemley and Cate Kennedy (A Scribe/Varuna project)
Exploring Essays and Reviews, with Robin Hemley and Peter Bishop (A Griffith Review/Varuna project)
Deadline June 30. On website by March 30.
The Newcastle Poetry Prize Unpublished Manuscript Awards and the Varuna Newcastle Poetry Prize Fellowships:
Deadline June 30. On website by March 30.
And don’t forget Varuna Retreat Fellowships (now August 30), the HarperCollins Varuna Awards for Manuscript Development (September 30) and the Varuna Publisher Fellowships (October 30).
Author Photographer Trisha Dixon Talk on Slow Gardening
More than 65 people gathered at Borrodell on the Mount to enjoy lunch at the vineyard and hear from leading garden design writer and photographer Trisha Dixon about her thoughts on a new movement called Slow Gardening. The event was presented by Orange City Council and the Central West Writers’ Centre as part of Slow Summer celebrations.
As welcome rain poured down outside during the lunch, Trisha used images from her travels overseas, around Australia and her own garden to explain the Slow Gardening concept. "Our lives are getting crazier and busier, the garden needs to be a place of relaxation, not another 'chore' to be done on the run and ticked off,” Trisha said.
“Enjoy your garden for what it is - an outer sanctum to retreat to and one that is in tune with the rhythm of the seasons - growing fresh organic produce, not using a lot of noisy power equipment, and prune when you want to.”
“Garden for the senses – fragrance, food and sound of leaves, the light at different times of day, the seed heads as decoration and encourage birds to your garden with water bowls. It is a call for gardeners to relax, take their time and follow seasonal rhythms – a philosophy – to follow your own instincts as opposed to what you think you have to do as a gardener,” Trisha said.
Her artistic images showed simple touches like painting garden stakes bright red and tying them up with blue string, curving driveways, adding a pond for the beauty of a reflection, including sculptures or textural elements of bark and seed pods, casual seating and even gates for decoration.
Trisha said gardening was about relaxing and enjoying the space from walking around it to sitting back and sipping wine, lunching with friends or taking photographs.
Trisha has travelled extensively throughout Australia documenting historic gardens and has published books including Under the Spell of the Ages: Australian Country Gardens, Vision of Edna Walling and Little Book of Australian Gardens.
Stories From Palliative Care Evening
Every now again we meet people who through their writing, observations, kindness and generosity of spirit have a long lasting effect. Recently we hosted a visit by one such person with readings by Dr Frank Brennan from his work Standing on the Platform: Stories and Reflections from Palliative Care. The book’s introduction explains that of all the medical disciplines Palliative Care is perhaps the least understood. The collection of stories draws upon narrative, reflection and literary criticism to describe this area. Dr Frank Brennan is a Palliative Care physician who currently works in Sydney at Calvary Hospital. During the evening he read from his stories titled The Woman from County Meath, The Bells of Kwazakele, Silence and Words. Some of his stories have been published in the Griffith REVIEW or broadcast on ABC Radio.
A young girl signing the doctor’s words for her deaf parents, the repetitive words of an Irish woman who would never leave her husband’s side, a community in East Timor helping a cancer patient, a family wishing for their loved one to wake up and speak to them again and an African nurse hiding her tears from HIV/AIDS patients. Dr Brennan’s stories from around the globe resonated with compassion and humanity. His visit was organised by Clinical Nurse Consultant for Palliative and Supportive Care: Greater Western Area Health Service. (Southern and Eastern sectors) James Daley to raise awareness of Palliative Care.
To read more about the evening and Palliative Care go to: http://wavingnotdrowning1.blogspot.com/ The blog is part of the Greater Western Area Health Service Palliative Care and Cancer Services Supportive Care program serving rural NSW (Australia) communities such as Bathurst, Orange, Parkes and Forbes and their surrounding districts. The development of the site was supported by Arts OutWest NSW Regional Arts and Health program.
And if you would like to hear Dr Brennan's stories you can follow this link to the ABC blog
http://blogs.abc.net.au/nsw/central_west_mornings/index.html
Pictured above are Dr Frank Brennan and James Daley at the Stories from Palliative Care evening held at Orange City Library.
Black Dog Institute Guest Speaker Anne Riches
Orange City Library hosted volunteer community speaker Anne Riches from the Black Dog Institute (pictured). The Black Dog Institute is a not-for-profit, educational, research, clinical and community-oriented facility offering specialist expertise in depression and bipolar disorder. The Institute's mission is to advance the understanding, diagnosis and management of the mood disorders by continuously raising clinical, research, education and training standards. In so doing, the Institute aims to improve the lives of those affected - and in turn - the lives of their families and friends. Anne spoke about mood disorders, signs of depression, causes, genetic risks, supporting friends and family and tips on how to stay well. The Library is also a resource for Black Dog Institute publications.
The Black Dog Institute has also launched its annual Writing Competition. The focus is Late Onset Depression: Finding Answers for Older People and their Carers. The 2009/10 competition invites entries from the Australasian region. Prizes will be awarded for the three best essay entries. Essays are to be no more than 1500 words. First Place: $2000; Second Place $1000 and Third Place $500.
The closing date is 31 December, 2009. Participants are required to complete an application form and forward, where possible, an electronic copy of their essay to blackdog@blackdog.org.au plus an original copy of the essay on A4 paper (paper clip/not stapled) by post, addressed to: Black Dog Institute Writing Competition, Black Dog Institute, Hospital Road, Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick, NSW, 2031. To obtain an application form: Download from the Institute’s website www.blackdoginstitute.org.au or call (02) 9382 4523. In view of the nature of the competition, the Institute will also accept hand-written entries.
Author Libby Gleeson and illustrator Freya Blackwood Latest Book Project
Award-winning author Libby Gleeson and award-winning illustrator Freya Blackwood spoke to school children about writing and illustrating books at Orange City Library. More than 300 school children were thrilled to meet well known children’s author Libby Gleeson and local illustrator Freya Blackwood at Orange City Library when they spoke about their latest book Clancy & Millie and the Very Fine House launched this month by Hare Books.
It tells the story of 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.
Children from Orange Public School, Sacred Heart Infants School, Orange Anglican Grammar School and Glenroi Heights Public School attended the day organised by Boomers Bookstore and ABC Centre.
The children asked lots of questions about what it is like to be an author, an illustrator, how long it took to write and illustrate the book, where their ideas came from and what the pair were working on next.
Libby has written more than 30 books and this is her second book illustrated by Freya. The first being Amy & Louis which won the 2007 Children’s Book Council Picture Book of the Year for Younger Readers and has been published in Australia, the US, Germany, France and Korea. The children were also read this story by Libby and took great delight calling out the “Coo-ees” just like the Amy and Louis in the book.
Freya carefully explained how she prepared her drawings for the book, starting with small “practice” sketches to the final illustrations. She went on to tell how colours, cloud shapes, towers of boxes and aspects such as a bird’s eye view can show further elements of the story.
Freya Blackwood now resides in Orange and won the Crichton Award in 2004 for Two Summers and the book was shortlisted for the Picture Book of the Year Award in the Children’s Book Council of Australia 2004 Awards. She has also written and illustrated her own book Ivy Loves to Give and is now illustrating her 12th book.
Heavenly Bodies Galileo and Monteverdi A Feast of 17th Century Italian Genius
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Pictured above are musicians John Barry, Alina Zborowski, Doreen Cuming, Senior Curator State Library of NSW Paul Brunton, Andrew Baker and Orange Regional Conservatorium Director Graham Sattler.
Central West Libraries and Orange Regional Conservatorium hosted a special event to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Italian astronomer Galileo's development of the telescope by presenting Heavenly Bodies - Galileo and Monteverdi: A Feast of Italian Genius last month. This unique event combined a talk by State Library of NSW Senior Curator Paul Brunton (Galileo expert) and the romantic compositions of Monteverdi performed by the Orange Regional Conservatorium professional musicians: Graham Sattler, Andrew Baker, John Barry, Alina Zborowski, and Doreen Cuming.
Director of Orange Regional Conservatorium Graham Sattler took to the stage and explained that Galileo and Monteverdi were friends and “hung out” together in Florence. Paul Brunton spoke about Galileo’s life and this was interspersed with beautiful music. Paul said Galileo was a man with more wine in his cellar than books on his shelf and detailed his extraordinary life.
It was also an opportunity for people to see the rare Galileo book Dialogo dei massimi sistemi [Dialogue on the two chief world systems], Galileo's celebrated defence of the Copernican system, published in Florence in 1632. It led to his house arrest and the banning of his books in Italy. The only copy of this book in Australia is held by the State Library of NSW and it had never before left Sydney. Pictured below is the first page of the book. Please note the candle-singed pages on the bottom right.
Trisha Dixon Combines a Love of Art, Writing and Gardens
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Photographer - author Trisha Dixon was the special guest at the opening of the Orange Blossoms Exhibition at Orange Regional Gallery on Saturday 19 September and also gave a talk about gardens at Borrodell Vineyard, Orange on Sunday 20 September presented by Ornage City Coucnil, Orange City Library and the Central West Writers' Centre. Trisha talked about the landscapes and properties that have inspired some of our leading writers and artists including architecture, gardens, social and cultural history, art and design. People such as our Nobel Prize winning laureate for literature, Patrick White, who jackerooed on a high country property, Bolaro Station and wrote his first novel there. He subsequently bought and burnt every copy he could find of it. Poet Banjo Paterson wrote his last poem in memory of this property as well. “Another example is Micalago Station garden - said to be the only garden that Edna Walling saw that couldn’t be improved on and it was also the scene of artist George Lambert’s iconic The Squatters Daughter painting which now hangs in the Australian National Gallery. The wonderful little jottings and poems Lambert wrote in the Micalago visitors book tell as much about the artist as the property,” she said.
She also spoke about poet Betty Casey-Litchfield's dog Happy who drove her car in busy Cooma CBD and about the life of General Chauvel's daughter Elynne, who married ski champion grazier, Tom Mitchell and lived her life overlooking the Murray River at Towong Hill and wrote not only the Silver Brumby books for children, the playscript of The Man from Snowy River and The Lighthorsemen, but also some amazingly insightful books into caring for the land in her groundbreaking books Speak to the Earth and Soil and Civilisation. The audience was also fascinated by her concept of slow gardening - sounds perfect for Summer! Pictured above is guest speaker Trisha Dixon at Borrodell Vineyard and below is local photographer Barrie Flakelar dipping into Trisha's book Under the Spell of the Ages: Australian Country Gardens. It is a lavishly illustrated book which showcases 25 of Australia's most elegant and exquisite historic gardens. Trisha, a leading garden design photographer brings to life the beauty of gardens such as those of Brindabella Station, Elsey Station, Wallcliffe House, Heide and The Cedars, locating them in time and place as she draws on the work of writers such as Banjo Paterson, Patrick White, Miles Franklin, Mary Gilmore and Louisa Meredith, as well as on a wide variety of memoirs, diaries and letters. Trisha will return to Orange to talk about Slow Gardening at Slow Summer celebrations in February 2010.
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Andy Griffiths Just Total Madness Laughs and Unmentionables
Robots, apples and others things quite unmentionable were topics discussed by best selling children’s author Andy Griffiths and his fans at Orange City Library on Thursday 17 September evening. Andy is pictured abouve with Kaleb, of Orange. Children asked lots of questions about where his ideas come from, how he came up with his book titles, details about his characters and what’s coming up next. The author was in Orange to promote his latest book Robot Riot and he encouraged children to tell their own stories, getting them to generate ideas throughout his talk and even calling on volunteers to perform a robot showdown. It was all in good fun as he took time to sign autographs, shake hands with fans and learn from them their favourite things about Orange. He suggested a name change was in order because the city was known for apples but no one in the large audience voted yes. The event was a joint presentation with Angus & Robertson Bookstore. Pictured below is Orange City Librarian Elizabeth Barry who couldn't resist getting close to Andy's bus.
4 Ingredients author Kim McCosker Shares Recipe for Success
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What a night! Can you believe Orange City Library was fully booked with 100 people coming along to see Kim McCosker – 4 Ingredients cookbooks author. Unfortunately co-author Rachael Bermingham couldn’t make it but as girls do – Kim called her beautiful mum Jennette and she did a fantastic job helping with food preparation and supporting Kim. The 4 ingredients team have such an inspiring story to tell. They are both busy mums but believed in their idea to provide simple recipes with 4 ingredients or less to get people out of the kitchen and spending time with their families – and who doesn’t want that?. Kim spoke enthusiastically about the whole writing recipe and book production process. The audience asked questions and sampled Gluten Free recipes from their latest book - including dips, fruit cake and biscuits. F A N T A S T I C ! Kim McCosker is pictured signing books at Orange City Library.
Peter FitzSimons Entertains with Storytelling at the Pub
We laughed, were a little stunned at times but we were thoroughly entertained with words. Journalist and author Peter FitzSimons was in full storytelling mode as he told yarn after yarn at the Hotel Canobolas on Friday afternoon (11 September). Visiting Orange courtesy of Angus & Robertson Bookstore and Orange City Library to launch his book Sir Charles Kingsford Smith and Those Magnificent Men, the ex-Wallaby couldn't resist a few rugby tales, some choice French phrases, anecdotes from his experiences writing biographies and of course the amazing story of Smithy. Most of the large crowd took time out to enjoy lunch and had the opportunity to ask a few questions learning about his research and work on the book. Thank you to everyone who came along for a unique literary lunch in the pub. Peter is pictured above signing books after his talk.
Publishing Opportunities Hot Topic at Les Wicks Poetry Workshop
Participants at this workshop held on 30 August learnt the nuts and bolts of poetry with Les Wicks. He went through his 17 step guide to poetry and time was also spent workshopping poems. He said poetry was about getting across to an audience what you want to say and doing that in an interesting way. He also shared tips for entering competitions, getting your poetry published and finding outlets that suit your style as well as internet opportunities for publishing. Les Wicks is widely published both in Australia and overseas with 8 collections to his name. He’s also been involved in dozens of editing projects over his 30 years as a writer. Les is pictured reading from his latest work titled The Ambrosiacs.
Author Catherine Jinks drawcard for Frost Fost
More than 50 enjoyed the author talk by experienced author Catherine Jinks when she spoke at our Family History Fact or Fiction event held as part of Frost Fest and National Family History Week. Catherine spoke about how the idea for her book The Dark Mountain, came about, how she planned the novel, undertook research and structured the book.
It was an insightful talk into the world of a writer interested in family history. Her research uncovered the fascinating lives of Charlotte Atkinson, later McNeilly, and her sister Louisa, brother James and of course, her mother – a talented literary and artistic family that found themselves in having to surmount difficult circumstances. Thank you to everyone for coming along and making it such an enjoyable event. Catherine is pictured here with a painting by Charlotte McNeilly, the main character in her book.
Bathurst and Cowra Poets win Poetry Slam Regional Heat 09
Poets Josh Simpson, of Bathurst, and Alan Fragar, of Cowra edged out Frank Daniel, of Canowindra, to win a place in the Australian Poetry Slam State Final held in Sydney on 13 November. Frank Daniel, Alan Fragar, Kim Core, Matthew Ryan, Seamus Leyland, Dimas Bakini and Josh Simpson, of Bathurst, performed well and entertained the large crowd at the exciting theatre sports style event held at Cowra for the first time. Matthew spoke about being True Blue, Frank Daniels told the story of Martha Mary Regan, Dimas talked about life after leaving Sudan with some great rhymes involving kangaroos, Seamus told a funny story about UFOs - The Truth is Out There, and Kim Core implored us to tell real stories in her rhyme. Josh won the crowd over with his thought provoking poem Let us picture a world and Alan also won with his take on poetry slams incorporating an amusing topical limerick. The scores were close with five judges, chosen randomly from the audience, scoring each performance. The Australian Poetry Slam 09 is an initiative of the State Library of NSW, and is supported by state, territory and public libraries and festivals across the country. This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding & advisory body. Pictured above is Frank Daniel, 3rd place, host Miles Merrill, and Poetry Slam winners Josh Simpson and Alan Fragar. Pictured below is the performers goofing around with host Miles Merrill.
2009 Banjo Paterson Writing Award Winners
This year 171 entires were received in received in the Banjo Paterson Writing Awards with 28 in Bush Poetry, 54 in Open Poetry, 89 short stories or prose and 10 in the Children’s Section. Central West Libraries Manager Jan Richards said environment and relationship themes emerged across all the sections during the judging process. “The environment theme was not surprising as the competition aims to honour Banjo Paterson and foster writing with Australian content,” Ms Richards said. “Entries in the Open Poetry had topics ranging from bushfires to trees, nature, animals, landscape, sky as well as a sense of community with recollections, family and life experiences.” The Children’s Writing entries also reflected the nature theme with bushfires, frost, dogs, ducks, stars and outback adventures as topics. The Adult Prose or Short Story Section presented writing of a high standard making the judging an extremely difficult task with so many works showing great potential. The judges’ comment was that “as a collective they encapsulate the richness and diversity of Australian life, exploring characters as diverse as rodeo cowboys, sponge cake judges and reflecting on timeless themes of love, friendship and betrayal.” his year 171 entries This year Ms Richards said the Awards recognise Orange’s literary history and further encouraged writers to develop their craft. Ms Richards congratulated all the entrants and was pleased to announce the following winners:
Prose/Short Story:
Peter W. Bishop, of Scone, NSW for “Lukey”
Panagiotis Papathanasiou, of Hackett, ACT, for “The Lure”
Sarah Michell from Lithgow, NSW for “Going Without” Open Poetry:
Judy Johnson, Cardiff, NSW for “The Bushranger’s Bible”
Mark Miller, of Shoalhaven Heads, NSW for “Small-Town Journal”
Jo Mills, of Darlington, WA for “Ledge Beach”
Bush Poetry:
Ron Stevens, of Dubbo for “The Shame of Staying Put”
Ellis Campbell, of Dubbo, NSW, for “Eulogy of Crows”
Kristen Martin, of West Beach SA, for “Memories by the Murray”
Children’s Writing Awards:
Isaac Bath, of Duramana NSW for his poem “Bushfire”
Samuel Bath, of Duramana, NSW for his poem “Ducks of the Wild”
Rebekah Ritchie, of Forest Reefs, NSW for her story “The Climbing Experts”
The Yvonne Zola Encouragement Award goes to Lachlan Fenemor, Orange for his story “Doggie Adventure”.
The winning Prose/Short Story entry has been published in The Central Western Daily newspaper Friday 26 June edition and on the Central West Libraries Reading and Writing website page. Thank you to ABC Local Radio for their support of the Children's Writing Awards.
Past Happenings
Rural historian Russell Moor launches Wool Sheds book
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Author Russell Moor launched his book on Wool Sheds The Anvils that Forged A Nation with an event at Orange City Library in June. Agri-politician Harold Balcombe spoke eloquently at the launch commending Russell on his writing efforts and keeping rural history alive. His book also includes a photographic collection of significant wool sheds that still stand in one of the earliest settled areas west of the mountains. The book was made possible by the resources and assistance of the Marsden Memorial Rural History Research Centre and the Royal Australian Historical Society.
Don Tate talks of life and war
More than 30 people gathered at Orange City Library in early June to hear author Don Tate talk about his book The War Within. The book not only documents his time in Vietnam but is also a record of his life – growing up in tough circumstances in Queensland, joining the Army to honour the family name, through to disabling war injuries and struggle with the aftermath of war. He described the book as stripping bare a man to show the struggle with things spiritual, morally and ethically. “I’ve earned the ire of some veterans for daring to challenge the military about falsification of war records,” Mr Tate said. “My experience of the military varies greatly from many others as my service was spread across four units, I was wounded, another unit I served with disappeared from the military records and I never stood on a parade ground with my mates.” For more information about Don Tate’s struggles to have war records amended visit the ABC website and 8 July 2008 episode from 7.30 Report called Ghost Platoon. His book The War Within is published by Murdoch Books.
And people also gathered at Cowra Visitor Information Centre to hear Don including two men, now residing in Cowra, who served in the same platoons as Don. RSL President Frank Bridges welcomed Don to Cowra as a guest of Central West Libraries. It was an emotional reunion when Mr Tate met up with fellow infantrymen Harvey Tarrant and Ted Bennett at Cowra. The men served in Vietnam and had not seen the rare footage he filmed on a Super 8mm camera during 1968 and 1969. It included deployment of troops by helicopter, air strikes by U.S Phantom jets against Viet Cong bunkers, re-supplies of ammunition and rations, men on actual patrol, medivacs, men on leave in Vung Tau and Vietnam scenery.
Cowra Poet launches in the NAKED FLAME
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Cowra poet Kim Core launched her book of poetry in the NAKED FLAME to a large gathering at Cowra Library on May 23 that enjoyed her poetry read by special guest poets Geoffrey Lehmann, who has connections to Cowra, and Jacqueline Buswell, who met Kim at a Poetry Mentorship. Her poems Night Cap was a glimpse into what can be seen on the streets after dark, I Live in the Lucky Country was thought provoking and The Signs of Greed highlighted the neenish tart. Kim is inspired by Shakespeare's sonnets as well as poet Rosemary Dobson stating “her poems strike a chord, they are full of emotion”. I fell totally I love with her writing style – Child With A Cockatoo was the first book I read and I every single poem is a masterpiece. Kim’s poem The Connoiseur about Dobson, was published by the Max Harris Competition, and she has been invited to submit work to the Canberra Chronicle. The book launch event was hosted by the Cowra Music & Dramatic Society and Friends of the Library. Kim Core (centre) is pictured with Geoffrey Lehmann and Jacqueline Buswell.
Books on the Menu: Australian cookbooks for Orange F.O.O.D. Week
More than 85 people enjoyed the Books on the Menu: Australian cookbooks event hosted by Orange City Library on Wednesday night April 22 as part of F.O.O.D Week with special guest State Library of NSW curator Pat Turner (pictured) talking about and displaying rare cookbooks. “The first known Australian cookbook broke away from the traditional English fare with a mix of some wonderful localised dishes with ingredients like black swan, emu, kangaroo and wombat,” Australian cookbooks curator Pat Turner said.
“Cookbooks provide a fantastic social record of the time and document the impact of food on war, celebrations, the Great Depression and migration and new technology from fridges to microwaves and the latest gadgets. “For example, war cookbooks had recipes for meatless dishes because of meat rationing, and during the Depression cookbooks focused on preserving fruit and making jams because people were growing fruit in their own backyard,” Pat Turner said. Guests at the event were able to put on white gloves and handle the rare cookbooks - some with colourful images and see an ANZAC Day commemoration menu from 1916. Other books on display included The Antipodean Cookbook (1897), the War Chest Cookery Book published in 1917 to raise money for the war efforts and Cooking the Chinese Way (1948) by Roy Geechoun – the first Australian book devoted to Chinese cooking.
Also speaking during the evening were local foodies Libby West, Robert Thornberry, Marcus Richards and Maureen Pilcher. Each delighted the audience with their favourite recipes, cooking stories and cookbooks. Libby spoke about her cooking journey, her personal rating system for recipes and how she keeps track of what recipes she has cooked for particular occasions; Robert, a travel agent, is inspired by international flavours including Italian cuisine and mentioned some treasured dishes including stuffed mussels; Marcus owned up to stealing recipes and titled his own recipe collection “The Good Thief’s Guide to Cooking” while talking on interesting snippets about skulduggery in the cooking world; and Maureen spoke about some of her favourite recipes and how she is tempted at lunchtime to relax with a cookbook and then finds herself changing the menu for the evening the meal. Guests also enjoyed local produce including figs, cheese, hummus dip, pumpkin and rosemary dip, blue cheese and pistachio dip, sausages, breads and a delicious country terrine.
Author Peter Trickett: Beyond Capricorn
Author Peter Trickett gave an illustrated talk on 14 March about how a Portuguese fleet secretly mapped our east coast. He spoke about the research undertaken for his controversial book Beyond Capricorn. The La Vita restaurant in Cowra was packed to the rafters with both locals and festival visitors on Saturday night, waiting to hear about a new theory in the discovery of Australia. Peter Trickett in his 2007 book, Beyond Capricorn details his theory of the Portuguese discovery and charting of the Eastern coast of Australia. A journalist by profession, Peter Trickett has written for newspapers and magazines in Australia, New Zealand and Britain, specialising in science, historical and investigative reporting. Most of the book, however, focuses on the claimed voyage of Cristóvão de Mendonça, along the eastern coast of Australia then to New Zealand shortly afterwards, and an unknown Portuguese explorer off the west coast.
Peter Trickett was asked to speak in Cowra as part of the 2009 Cowra Festival of International Understanding, guest nation Portugal and recommended by His Excellency Antonio Mendes, Portuguese Ambassador. The book is well supported by primary and secondary sources; from our own National Archives as well as from Lisbon. Also there is compelling archeological evidence spanning both sides of the Australian continents. Pictured above is: Marion Mitchell-Read from Cowra Library, Councillor Judy Smith, Cowra’s Mayor Bill West, His Excellency Antonio Mendes, Ambassador for Portugal, (Front) Alan Read, Peter Trickett with his book Beyond Capricorn and Cowra Library patron Helen Mitchell.
Longitude Talk by Paul Brunton attracts crowds at Orange and Cowra
Paul Brunton with one of the rare longitude books
Senior Curator Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW, Paul Brunton spoke on the fascinating history of longitude and the life of marine chronometer inventor John Harrison at Orange Library on Thursday 26 February to about 110 people in two sessions and Cowra Library on Friday 27 February to more than 30 guests. He covered the lifetime devotion of Mr Harrison to solving one of the greatest scientific problems of his time and allowing navigators to pin-point their exact location at sea. His invention created a standard for accurate mapping and helped to prevent further loss of life and ships at sea. His invention also revolutionised sea travel paving the way for future journeys including Charles Darwin on the “Beagle” and of course the British Navy, colonisation and the rest as they say is history. Guests commented on Mr Brunton’s expertise, broad ranging knowledge and story behind the acquisition of the rare Harrison publications published in 1763, 1765 and 1767 which were on public display in the Central West for the first time.
Pageturners and Slow Summer Read Picnic
Dedicated Pageturners braved the sudden change of cold weather and blustering winds to dine in Robertson Park, Orange for Slow Summer Read on 12 February. Actually the wind was turning the pages for everyone. There was tasty morsels of picnic food including a delicious eggplant ratatouille, yummy green lentil salad, wrapped vine leaves, savoury fetta and sun dried tomato muffins and refreshments. Music by Ben McGarity was terrific but the weather managed to win out and we retired earlier than planned. Authors discussed included Lillian Bradshaw, Debra Adelaide, James Bradley, Eva Ibbotson, Karen Joy Fowler, Irene Nemirovsky, Margaret Attwood, Fred Vargas and Helen Hollick.
Visit by Children's Author Michael Panckridge
Children (and a few adults too) had a great time meeting children's author Michael Panckridge (his favourite books are the Toby Jones series) when he visited Orange, Molong and Cowra in January. As a reluctant reader in childhood he knows the key is to capture their interest with an engaging story and throwing a few basketballs around helped too.
Storytelling with Valanga Khoza
More than 80 children, parents and carers enjoyed a taste of Africa. Visiting musician, artist and storyteller Valanga Khoza wowed audiences at the Freshly Plucked Festival for young people and it was same for children at Orange City Library’s Storytelling for Children of all ages when Valanga Khoza told a charming story involving lots of African animals, singing and drumming. He called upon audience members to participate and delighted children with his entertaining and thoroughly engaging style. Sounds of elephants and baboons came to life in the story with the help of traditional African singing. Valanga has published a children's book titled Gezani and the Tricky Baboon which is modern African fable that sees a young boy triumph over one extremely clever little baboon.
Banafsheh Serov author visit
Author Banafsheh Serov spoke about her book Under A Starless Sky recently and thanked former Prime Minister John Howard for the final impetus to write the book. As she explained he provided the motivation for her to tell her family’s story of their escape from revolution in Iran. Banafsheh decided to tell the story from a child’s point of view as well as that of her parents interwoven with details of her culture. They took enormous risks to plan the trip and did not tell their family of their plans for a new life in another country until the last possible moment. The audience asked questions about life in Iran, then and now, and about her new life in Australia. Banafsheh spoke of some of the challenges she faced including the school teacher who put Banafsheh on the spot to come up with a new name. She chose Bonnie, from Gone with the Wind - the book she left behind for the trip across the Turkish border.
Poets on Wheels
Visiting Poets on Wheels David Brooks, Mark O'Flynn and Marvis Sofield became poets on wings when their train trip from Broken Hill changed to a coach then a hire car from Cobar to Orange to be able to take part in the Poets on Wheels Poetry Reading and Wine Tasting on Tuesday evening at Orange City Library and presented by the Central West Writers' Centre and Poets Union. They arrived in good spirits, even having fun for the cameras - Mark O'Flynn and Marvis Sofield are pictured with David Brooks trying to hide in the background.
The poets read some of their works with Marvis talking about life in Broken Hill, Mark O'Flynn making observations on country scenes and adding meaning to everyday life and David Brooks impressing everyone with his readings inspired by landscape and love.
Five local poets also read their works for the public poetry reading: Cheryl Bussey with My Friend Ann and Girl Sixteen, Maria King with The Parish Priest, Dulcie Mclean with a Ponderous Pig and Visitors, Kim Core, of Cowra, with Connoisseur and Fruit of Lemon and Amy Harrison with the moving War Widows and Pink Camellia. The audience found it difficult to choose between the range of poems but Orange poet Dulcie Mclean gained the loudest applause for her amusing interpretations on when visitors stay too long, taking home the prize from the Poets Union. Guests travelled from Forbes, Cowra and surrounding district to meet the poets. Everyone also enjoyed wine tasting from Rolling Wines sampling the Rolling Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc Semillon and Cabernet Merlot as part of Wine Week celebrations. While in Orange the poets also hosted a workshop for local writers and students at James Sheahan Catholic High School.
The poets were on a whirlwind 5 towns, 7 days, 12 engagements tour of NSW including the Blue Mountains, Dubbo, Cobar, Broken Hill and Orange. Organised by the Poets Union and supported by Arts NSW, the Poets on Wheels program has for more than a decade toured poets to all parts of NSW. The tour gives a mix of experienced and emerging poets an opportunity to try their poetry before new audiences and gives audiences the chance to hear, read with, and enjoy poets that they might not otherwise get a chance to meet.
Poetry Slam Regional Heat held in Orange
Talented poets were discovered at the Australian Poetry Slam Regional Heat held at Orange City Library on 18 September with rap, poetry and rhymes about love, life and nature providing theatre sport type entertainment. A total of 12 entrants battled it out, expressing their thoughts for a chance to compete at the NSW State Final. Each entrant had a two minute time limit to impress the judges randomly selected from the audience. The judges held up their scores out of ten to the cheers of the audience.
The winners were Shannon Elliott, of Canowindra, with his energetic rap called "Self Acceptance" - about life and Josh Simpson, of Bathurst, with a moving poem about poetry.
They have each won Sydney flights and accommodation sponsored by The Orange Regional Arts Foundation to be able to perform at the State Final to be held at the State Library of NSW on Friday 21 November at 6.30pm. The NSW winner and runner-up take home $500 and $100 in prize money respectively and compete for the Australian Poetry Slam 08 title and $5,000 at the National Grand Slam in Sydney on 4 December.
It was a terrific slam with performances improved upon from last year and a high standard of writing on show. The wide range of performances gave the audience lots to cheer about and the audience participation was fantastic with lots of interaction, support and encouragement for the poets. Congratulations to everyone who took part.
Poetry in the Pub returned to Gladstone Hotel
An appreciative crowd enjoyed Bush Poetry at the Gladstone Hotel in Orange on Friday 20 June. Kevin Pye, of Mudgee, won with his performance His Mother's Touch. Second was Greg Beileiter, of Orange, with Mary's Gone a Mothering and Anthony Condon, visiting the district from VIC, with a couple of poems including Tippee Toes. A total of seven poets performed with Canowindra poet Frank Daniel leading the way with his many humorous tales. He also judged the performances, congratulating them on their originality. A crowd favourite was performed by Sam Fitzgerald who stepped out from behind the bar to do a rendition of Poetry in the Pub.
2008 Banjo Paterson Writing Award Winners Announced
This year 214 entries were received in the Banjo Paterson Writing Awards with 46 in Bush Poetry, 72 in Open Poetry, 76 short stories or prose and 20 in the Children's Section. A strong rural theme emerged across all the sections which is not surprising as the competition aims to honour Banjo Paterson and foster writing with Australian content. Congratulations to the following winners:
- Margaret Betts, from VIC, for Exposure
- Greg McFarland of Orange, for The Tractor
- Neridah McMullin from VIC for Bart and the Underground Water Supply.
- Open Poetry: Jo Mills from WA for Walyunga
- Jillian Pattinson from VIC for EH Holden
- Pamela Sherpa from Jindabyne for Drought
- Bush Poetry: Ron Stevens of Dubbo for Distant Dialogue
Children's Writing Awards:
- Thomas Whitehead, of Orange for his poem My Favourite Holiday
- Eleanor Delaney, of Orange, for her poem Winter
- Holly Fredericksen, of Orange, for her short story Bushed.
- The Yvonne Zola Encouragement Award goes to Sarah Stackman of Lewis Ponds, for her poetry.
Read all the winning entries on www.cwl.nsw.gov.au Reading and Writing page.
Local author Charlotte Calder book launch
Boomers Bookshop and Pan Macmillan hosted a launch of Charlotte Calder's book Paper Alice in conjunction with the reopening of the store on Thursday 12 June at 6.30pm. The novel features a young student called Alice: "Alice thinks she's got it pretty good. But when an unfamiliar picture of herself appears in the paper, everything starts to change. Soon, Alice is under a spotlight mistaken for the strangely named Wilda. Just who and where is the mysterious Wilda? But, more importantly, if she finds her doppelgänger, will Alice learn a lot more about herself than she is willing to know". Charlotte Calder has worked as an actor and photographer, as well as writing occasional newspaper columns. Her first novel for young people Settling Storms was followed by Cupid Painted Blind and Surviving Amber. Congratulations Charlotte on an intriguing novel Paper Alice.
Radio Plays go to air - the Other Side of the Line
The second series of radio plays is now completed. Yes, five plays for the Other Side of the Line series are now written, performed, recorded, edited, credited and enhanced with music and sound effects and have gone to air on Orange Community Radio FM 107.5:The Local Station 10am on weekdays and 12 noon on weekends until 21 June. The first play that went to air was by Joan Brown, of Orange, called Waiting Still. Congratulations to all the playwrights including Joan, Ross Stephenson, of Molong, for True Blue Publishing, Freya Hawke, of Orange, with Robin and Annie, Stephen Nugent, of Orange, for The West Winging It and the The Strolling Player of Kikacro by Bakka Bourke (residing in Bathurst). Well done to all.
Sydney Writers' Festival in Orange 2006
The Central West Writers' Centre was thrilled to be part of the 2006 Sydney Writers' Festival Program in May, by hosting a full day literary program in Orange that included an International Discussion Panel, Poetry Readings and various panel discussions chaired by Varuna Director, Peter Bishop. Writers included Karen Knight, Mark O'Flynn, Michael Caulfield, Tegan Bennett Daylight, Esther Ottaway , Linda Jaivin and international Guests Emma Neale, Dilys Rose and Ewan Morrisson.
(From left to right); Esther Ottaway 2006 (Australian Young Poet of the Year), Jane Poole (Central West Writers' Centre member) with daughter Phoebe, and Mark O'Fynn (Novelist and Poet) with Varuna Director Peter Bishop. The tour was made possible with assistance from NSW Litlink, Orange City Council, NSW Arts and Sydney Writers' Festival.
Previous Central West Writers' Centre Newsletters:
2009
2008
2007
The Central West Writers' Centre is assisted by the NSW Government through Arts NSW
