Brisbane Writers Festival 2014 program ‘sneak peek’
Thursday night I was one of the lucky people invited to attend the Brisbane Writers Festival 2014 Progam ‘Sneak Peek’ at the State Library of Queensland.
I’m excited. There is no way I’ll be able to do the program justice in this post – there really is something for everyone – so I won’t attempt to. I will just mention some of the speakers and events that have particularly caught my eye.
Firstly, I’m going to buck the trend and begin with the wealth of Aussie talent (rather than international) that will be attending this year’s festival. The international names Kate and team have secured are fantastic (will come to that), but as a keen supporter of Aussie talent here at Booklover Book Reviews, it is they who I am most eager to hear from.
Aussie authors I’ve personally enjoyed the work of who will be discussing their titles and the writing process include Lenny Bartulin, Caroline Overington, Brooke Davis and Tara Moss. Other homegrown talent we’ll have the chance to hear from include PM Newton, Michael Robotham, Nick Earls, Matthew Condon, Helen Garner, David Hunt, Clare Wright, Brigid Delaney, Favel Parret, Sophie Cunningham, Tim Ferguson, and many more.
Those with fantastical leanings will be pleased to here that Isobelle Carmody and Trudi Canavan will be there and fans of teen and young adult literature are well catered for with names like Jackie French, A J Betts, Amie Kaufman and Diane Sweeney.
Now to the international guests. Bestselling author Dave Eggers (McSweeney’s, The Circle, A Hologram for the King, Zeitoun, etc) will give the opening address. Others jetting in include Lauren Beukes, Yrsa Sigurdardottir, Mark Mulholland, Laini Taylor and Karen Joy Fowler.
The event formats are many and varied, from authors in conversation, interactive installations, a literary cabaret, music performances and several panels on topics such as Women & Prizes, Technology, Causes of Death, Lies Spies and Whistleblowers and an Inspire Series.
On Saturday 6th September The Brisbane Writers Festival will be hosting the Ned Kelly Awards, with ‘a veritable murder of crime writers and a comedy debate with Michael Robotham, Lauren Beukes, PM Newton, Julie Sarkozi, John Birmingham and Lenny Bartulin’.
I’ve just signed up to become a Member of the Brisbane Writers Festival (check out the member benefits) and so now I just need to
(a) figure out how to be in more than one place at a time during the festival, or
(b) sit down with my program this weekend and make some strategic decisions, so I’ll be ready to secure my tickets as soon as they go on sale on 25th July.
Remember to get your copy of this year’s festival program lift-out in the Courier Mail on 26th July or check out the event details as they are released and information on how to buy tickets on the Brisbane Writers Festival website.
