Emerging Writers' Festival 2009

I'm excited to announce that I'll be participating in a panel discussion at this year's Emerging Writers' Festival.

Here are the details:


The Best Ways Forward

Looking at the merits of the various avenues for helping get your words out into the real world being it tertiary study, short courses, mentors or just sitting down and writing.

With Steven Amsterdam, Rijn Collins, Stu Hatton & Pooja Mittal

Hosted by Tim Sinclair

3pm Sunday the 31st of May

Yarra Room, Melbourne Town Hall


I'll be talking about my Australian Society of Authors mentorship, plus my experience of tertiary study (as student and teacher) and the impact these learning experiences have had on me as a writer. Having done a number of short courses, seminars and workshops over the years, I'll probably throw in my two cents on those too.

A number of questions and uncertainties arise from my experiences with these 'avenues to writing', namely: have these learning experiences made me a 'better' writer, or perhaps a more disciplined one? What did I find most (or least) valuable? To what extent can creative writing be taught? Why not just go it alone and remain 'wild'?

Hope to see you at the festival, which runs from Friday 22nd May until Sunday 31st May. I attended in 2006 and 2007, and can assure you that whatever you write, and whatever stage you're at as a writer, you're sure to find something unmissable in the program. The full 2009 program will be released later this month.