Bob Brown, Julian Burnside, Kate Forsyth, John Marsden, Debra Adelaide, Paul Barry, Dave Graney, Louis Nowra, Carrie Tiffany, Don Walker, Heather Rose, Mardie McConnachie….and many, many more – over 70 authors and artists will participate in this year’s Festival to be held 5-8 June in Bellingen.
This year’s programme promises a wide selection of topics tackling different points of view about life in Australia, as well as current Indigenous, journalism and social justice issues.
Key events this year include: “Re-awakening Language” in which Indigenous guests will discuss the importance of re-learning their mother tongue and their efforts to do so; ‘Stories on Stage’, exploring how the written word transforms to performance ; ‘Beyond the Word’ examining communication beyond writing; and ‘Journalism Today’, revealing how they negotiate today’s news and views.
There are 25 key sessions, plus free events that include a poetry performance in the Park and The Stables, public art displays, discussions about Independent publishing, new book launches, music and comedy all to ready to provide a rich and varied selection of activities to appeal to anyone and everyone.
In addition are twelve stimulating workshops tackling topics such as “Life Writing”, the “Fine Line Between Fact and Fiction”, “Writing Monologues for Performane”, “Subversive Writing”, “Point of View” and the “Practicalities of Editing Your Own Work”. All workshops are being provided by highly skilled facilitators and at highly subsidised prices. On Friday, June 5th a workshop titled “Interactive Keying of Rainforest Plants” to be held at the Dorrigo Rainforest Centre from 9.30am-12.30pm where Hugh and Nan Nicholson will demonstrate how to use an interactive key to work out how to identify rainforest plants.
The 2020 festival programme is packed with panels and conversations common to literary festivals but there are also events that twist out of the usual, enticing fun discussions and pure entertainment.
You can view the programme at https://bellingenwritersfestival.com.au/ and book you tickets at https://www.trybooking.com/BHOZV. See you there at the 2020 Bellingen Readers and Writers Festival 5-8 June.
