MOLLY RINGWALD - Sydney Writers` Festival
Transcription
MOLLY RINGWALD - Sydney Writers` Festival
smh.com.au A CRIMINAL , MIND MOLLY RINGWALD & A SEDUCTION ARTIST WALK INTO A... HAVE WE GOT A STORY FOR YOU. Tara Moss, Molly Ringwald, Robert Greene and more. Live at Sydney Writers’ Festival May 20–26, 2013. 1HERSA1 S001 2 swf.org.au SYDNEY WRITERS’ FESTIVAL WOULD LIKE TO THANK CORE FUNDERS SUPPORTERS EXCLUSIVE LEGAL PARTNER MAJOR PARTNERS ABL Open Allen & Unwin Ashfield Library Auburn Poets and Writers Group Auckland Writers and Readers Festival Australian Poetry Australian Publishers Association Avant Card Black Inc Blacktown Arts Centre Blacktown City Libraries Byteback Computing Camden Council Library Service Campbelltown Arts Centre Campbelltown City Library Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre Chanelle Collier Chatswood Concourse Children’s Book Council of Australia City of Sydney Libraries Editor Group Fairfax Community News Freemantle Press Geraldine Pascall Foundation Glen Street Theatre Grain Bar @ Four Seasons Griffith REVIEW Hachette Australia HarperCollins Head On Photo Festival The Hills Shire Library Service History Council of NSW Hoopla Hornsby Central Library Hurstville City Library ICE Kathy Shand Kogarah Library Lox & Smith Macleay Museum Meanjin Mont Blanc Murdoch Media Group Museum of Contemporary Art The Nest NSW Writers’ Centre Overland Pan Macmillan Paper Boat Press Penguin Books Australia Penrith City Library Pier Ate Polli Powerhouse Museum Random House MAJOR PATRONS FRIENDS OF THE FESTIVAL MAJOR DONORS Alan and Sue Cameron Marion Dixon Catherine and Whitney Drayton David Hardy and Margaret Seale Anni Rowland-Campbell Deena Shiff The WeirAnderson Foundation Anonymous (3) PARTNERS Randwick City Library Service Red Room Company Riverside Theatres Ryde Library Service Scholastic Scribe Simmer on the Bay South Coast Writers Centre Stella Prize Sydney Dance Lounge Sydney PEN Sydney Story Factory Text Publishing The Folio Society The Langham Sydney University of Queensland Press University of Technology Sydney UWA Publishing Varuna, The Writers’ House Vivid Ideas Walker Books The Walkley Foundation for Journalism Walsh Bay Precinct Wharf Restaurant The Wheeler Centre WestWords Word Travels The Key Foundation The Low Family Foundation Robyn Martin-Weber Stephen, Margie and Xavier Morris Annette Schmiede Peter Waters PATRONS Kim Anderson Dr Darleen Bungey Rowena Danziger AM and Ken Coles AM Patrick Gallagher Chris Golding Virginia Gordon Deborah Griffin Hachette Australia Rosemary Higgs H.K Tey Pty Ltd. Michelle Landerer Bevan Lisle Kathryn Lovric Russell Mills Tim Peach Christina Pender Peter Shergold Doug Snedden Tavumi Pty Ltd Anonymous (2) SWF BOARD HOSPITALITY PARTNERS MEDIA PARTNERS Deena Shiff – Chair Peter Shergold AC - Deputy Chair Guy Hedley Elizabeth Johnstone David Marr Lena Nahlous Margie Seale James Strong AO in memorium SWF STAFF Artistic Director Jemma Birrell Programming Coordinator Renee Senogles CULTURAL PARTNERS Executive Director Ben Strout Head of Development & Media Relations Helen Johnstone Sponsor Relations Ashlea Wallington Operations Manager Mike Smith Head of Marketing Ainslie Lenehan Administrator Summar Hipworth Volunteer Coordinator Jennie Bradbury Marketing Coordinator Kitiya Palaskas Ticketing Coordinator Richard Cox Operations Coordinator Andy Lysle Ground Transport Coordinator Liam Nesbitt Festival Publicist Benython Oldfield Associate Publicist Emma Noble Intern Elise Phalen School Days Program Judith Ridge (WestWords) ... the team behind the award winning documentary Tall Man May 26, 2:30pm-3:30pm, Wharf Theatre 2, FREE 1HERSA1 S002 A MESSAGE FROM THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR A FTER NOURISHMENT, shelter and companionship, stories are the thing we need most in the world.” – Philip Pullman. Stories lie at the heart of our lives. We need them to understand ourselves, to understand others, to make sense of the world around us. This year, Sydney Writers’ Festival looks at the depth and breadth of storytelling and celebrates the simple pleasure of being told a great tale. “To begin at the beginning”, as Dylan Thomas said, is to consider our oral storytelling traditions. In this year’s Festival Opening Address, Daniel Morden, one of Europe’s greatest oral storytellers, reinvigorates this ancient tradition by sharing with us some of the stories he’s collected from around the world and across the ages. Irish poet, novelist and bird-watcher Dermot Healy, whose work has been lavishly praised by Seamus Heaney, among others, visits us from the wilds of Sligo. Also in Australia for the first time, we have The New Yorker’s literary critic, James Wood, as well as Norway’s most notorious and controversial author, Karl Ove Knausgaard. Faramerz Dabhoiwala, “the Stephen Hawking of sex”, spices up an event or two, and renowned physicist and cosmologist Lawrence Krauss shows us that not only is it possible that our universe arose naturally from nothing, without supernatural shenanigans, but also that it probably did. We welcome one of India’s most loved writers, Anita Desai, whose work spans decades, continents and emotional landscapes; Kate Atkinson, whose new book is “a box of delights”; Carlos Ruiz Zafón, author of The Shadow of the Wind; and Claire Messud with The Woman Upstairs, a brilliant “acid bath” of a novel. Claire, a Canadian-French-American hybrid, who grew up partly in Australia, will deliver the Festival’s Closing Address on the importance of “imaginary homelands”. Showcasing the extraordinary range and scope of Australian writing, the Festival celebrates our unique storytellers. Gillian Mears speaks about her award-winning novel, Foal’s Bread, for the first time in Sydney. Major General John Cantwell shares his profoundly moving story of living with post-traumatic stress, and Amanda Lohry asks former leader of the Greens, Bob Brown, about the future of activism. Hannah Kent, whose debut novel, Burial Rites, caused a bidding war around the world, describes her love letter to Iceland and the true story behind it. As we hear more and more about technological innovation, it’s easy to forget that the platform is only as interesting as the story. Eli Horowitz, creator of The Silent History, a serialised novel for iPhones, shows us the possibilities of digital storytelling when the creatives take control. You will be treated to some of the best live storytelling from Australia and around the world. From London we have 5x15 – five speakers each talking for 15 minutes about a passion or obsession. Scotland’s Jackie Kay retells some of her favourite taxi conversations, Lawrence Krauss argues that Star Trek saved the world, Australian hiphop artist Urthboy defends new beginnings, novelist Kate Mosse reveals the importance of female heroes and Amelia Lester gives us the inside scoop on being Managing Editor of The New Yorker. In SWF Shorts, Claudia Karvan, Jacqueline McKenzie, Brendan Cowell and William McInnes read their favourite short stories. And Kip Williams from Sydney Theatre Company curates readings straight from the bazaar in The Thousand and One Nights. In this election year, we look more closely INSTAGRAM IPHONE USERS CAN VIEW AND SHARE FESTIVAL IMAGES USING THE APPLICATION INSTAGRAM. SIMPLY SEARCH SYDNEY_WRITERS_FESTIVAL. HASHTAG YOUR PHOTOS #SWF2013 FACEBOOK VISIT US AT FACEBOOK.COM/ SYDWRITERSFEST at how political stories are told, and who is really crafting the message behind the politicians we love and loathe. At Town Hall, the ABC’s Leigh Sales speaks to President Barack Obama’s chief digital strategist Joe Rospars, alongside pollster Mark Textor and advertising guru Neil Lawrence. In the Opera House, philosopher and “rock-star moralist” Michael Sandel confronts one of the biggest ethical issues of our time, asking if there’s something wrong with a world in which everything is for sale. Comedian, writer and activist Ruby Wax, who has openly battled depression, takes to the stage to tell us how to keep sane in an insane world. Ruby is here as part of our collaboration with London’s Southbank Centre’s WOW – Women of the World – festival, which we’re thrilled to be launching in Australia. Feminist and author Naomi Wolf delves into sex and creativity, and journalist Janine di Giovanni looks at love in the aftermath of war. These are just a few of the fabulous women on the program. Film icon, writer and “silk-voiced jazz chanteuse” Molly Ringwald comes to Sydney to share her eclectic work with us. Her first novel, When it Happens to You, explores love, betrayal and the intricacies of the human heart. Molly and her band will close the Festival in style with an evening of jazz, in homage to the great American songbook. Down at the wharves, Pat Grant and Leigh Rigozzi create a drawing spectacle, alongside installations and parading poets. By night, the Festival Club returns, with The Chaser team and a fine selection of writers and musicians brought together by Eddie Sharp. At Parramatta’s Riverside Theatre, don’t miss the genius performance poets Kate Tempest and Anis Mojgani, and Daniel Morden, who will enthrall you with gypsy tales from the woods of Wales. In the city, there’s poetry in one of the last places you’d expect – curated by the winner of the Prime Minister’s Literary Award for Poetry, Luke Davies. Check our blog for daily posts and interviews from writer-in-residence Josephine Rowe. On Sunday, we have family activities in the spectacular Big Top for Little People. Australia’s Dreaming will come alive with Aboriginal storytellers and music, and Archie Roach will launch his illustrated songbook. This year, Sydney Writers’ Festival brings together an exhilarating selection of storytellers who will delight, inform and entertain. So come along, sit back, and let us tell you a story. Jemma Birrell Artistic Director, Sydney Writers’ Festival TWITTER FOLLOW US AT @SYDWRITERSFEST. USE THE HASHTAG #SWF2013 WEBSITE VISIT SWF.ORG.AU TO CATCH UP ON ALL THE FESTIVAL NEWS swf.org.au 3 CONTENTS CITY & WALSH BAY EVENTS MAY 18–23 PAGE 4 CITY & WALSH BAY EVENTS THURSDAY MAY 23 PAGES 4–8 CITY & WALSH BAY EVENTS FRIDAY MAY 24 PAGES 10–11 Daniel Morden Aleks Krotoski Jackie Kay FESTIVAL CALENDAR PAGES 12–13 CITY & WALSH BAY EVENTS SATURDAY MAY 25 PAGES 14–17 CITY & WALSH BAY EVENTS SUNDAY MAY 26 PAGE 17–19 WORKSHOPS PAGE 20 SUBURBAN & REGIONAL EVENTS PAGE 21 PARTICIPANTS PAGE 22 Carlos Ruiz Zafón Molly Ringwald Melanie Tait Cheryl Strayed Rachael Treasure VENUES & BOOKINGS PAGE 23 PRODUCED BY FX (FAIRFAX) EDITOR ISOBEL KING ADVERTISING ELISHA CLOTHIER 9282 2373 READERLINK 9282 1569 1HERSA1 S003 4 swf.org.au SATURDAY, MAY 18 – THURSDAY, MAY 23 This year’s Festival celebrates the strength and creativity of women, with a range of writers and thinkers whose work explores what it is to be a woman. We launch London’s Southbank Centre’s WOW – Women of the World – festival in Australia, featuring Ruby Wax in the Opera House on how to find calm in a frenetic world; the WOW Lecture by Shami Chakrabarti, the Director of UK rights organisation Liberty; bestselling author Kate Mosse; Jude Kelly, the Artistic Director of Southbank Centre and founder of WOW; a speed mentoring session for women; WOW Bites showcasing women’s life stories; and at Town Hall, a panel with Dale Spender, Mia Freedman, Jamila Rizvi and more, that ponders the question, “I’m a Feminist – Can I Vajazzle?” There are so many fabulous women in the program: bestselling author and feminist Naomi Wolf; Rachael Treasure, rural romance icon; Anne Summers on The Misogyny Factor; Cheryl Strayed of Wild and “Dear Sugar” fame; some “Digital Divas”; Anna Goldsworthy and Monica Dux on motherhood; correspondent Janine di Giovanni on love and war; and artist Wangechi Mutu exploring sex and representation. There are also Stella Prize events, the Griffith REVIEW examining women and power, and Jane Caro and Destroying the Joint contributors. To help you navigate, these events are highlighted in blue throughout this guide. They are listed below in the order in which they appear. 14 Ruby Wax: Sane New World 21 Unexpected Motherhood 24 Lost and Found 28 What Makes Fabulous Female Fiction? 42 Griffith REVIEW: Women and Power, Turning Things Around 72 Wangechi Mutu 83 Sex and Representation 84 A Prize Of One’s Own 92 Conversations with Richard Fidler: Cheryl Strayed 106 Digital Divas 149 Fifty Shades of Feminism 151 Janine di Giovanni: Love, War and Redemption 161 WOW Bites 162 Naomi Wolf with Mia Freedman 169 Rachael Treasure and Rural Romance 172 Under 10s Feminist Corner 175 The Misogyny Factor 178 Stella Prize Trivia 179 Shami Chakrabarti: WOW at Sydney Writers’ Festival Lecture 196 Speed Mentoring 203 I’m a Feminist - Can I Vajazzle? 210 Destroying the Joint 219 Stella Stories 236 Dear Sugar: Advice on Life and Love SR8 Wild: Stories from the Trail SR10 Sexism, Australian Style MAY 18 MAY 19 1 TROUBADOURS AND MINSTRELS May 18, 12-1pm The Rocks Square Four musos lead four small crowds to alcoves, underpasses and secret corners. These mini-performance spaces, decked out with couches, rugs, curtains and little amps, are the backdrop for poetry readings. The crowd rotates until everyone has seen all four venues. Presented by Word Travels and supported by The Rocks pop-up. Free, no bookings 3 TROUBADOURS AND MINSTRELS May 19, 12-1pm The Rocks Square Four musos lead four small crowds to alcoves, underpasses and secret corners. These mini-performance spaces, decked out with couches, rugs, curtains and little amps, are the backdrop for poetry readings. The crowd rotates until everyone has seen all four venues. Presented by Word Travels and supported by The Rocks pop-up. Free, no bookings 2 WRITER OVERNIGHTER WITH CHRISTOPHER CHENG May 18, from 2.30pm Powerhouse Museum Stay overnight in the Powerhouse Museum for an evening of cracking ideas, with children’s author Christopher Cheng. Includes a special visit to the Wallace & Gromit’s World of Invention exhibition. Presented by the Powerhouse Museum. $120 ($100 for Powerhouse members), bookings 9217 0222, play.powerhousemuseum.com 4 JORDIE ALBISTON: THE BOOK OF ETHEL LAUNCH May 19, 2-4pm Brett Whiteley Studio Jordie Albiston talks with David Musgrave about The Book of Ethel, her new collection of poems about her maternal great grandmother, who was born in Cornwell in 1872 and emigrated to Australia. Ethel’s voice speaks across centuries in precise micro-portraits. Free, bookings essential, email: [email protected] 1HERSA1 S004 5 NSW PREMIER’S LITERARY AWARDS DINNER May 19, 6-10pm State Library of NSW A glittering celebration of excellence in Australian writing, which takes place on the eve of Sydney Writers’ Festival 2013. Winners of the 2013 NSW Premier’s Literary Awards will be presented with prizes totalling up to $315,000. Presented by the NSW Government and administered by the State Library of NSW in association with Arts NSW. $150, bookings 9273 1770, sl.nsw.gov.au/premiersliteraryawards MAY 20 6 THE EDITOR’S CUT May 20, 5-6pm University of Sydney Macleay Museum Three editors talk about the complexities and challenges of editing another’s work, how you decide what makes it in and what is left out, and whether you need to be a writer to be a good editor. Presented by Macleay Museum, the University of Sydney. Free, bookings essential, 9036 5253 7 NICK EARLS: FROM BOOK TO FILM AND BEYOND May 20, 6-7pm Customs House Reading Room Nick Earls discusses how it pans out when a novelist trespasses into the world of film and e-books. Will a book always lose something in the process of adaptation or is there a way to keep the integrity of the written word? Bring your wireless e-reading device along to download a free story! Presented with City of Sydney Libraries. Free, bookings essential, 9242 8555, coslibrary.eventbrite.com. MAY 22 9 BUSINESS BREAKFAST: JOE ROSPARS May 22, 7-9am The Wharf Restaurant George Megalogenis interviews Joe Rospars, co-founder and CEO of Blue State Digital and President Barack Obama’s principal digital strategist for the 2008 and 2012 campaigns. $80, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au 10 BOHEMIAN SYDNEY: DANCING WITH EMPTY POCKETS May 22, 6-7pm State Library of NSW, Metcalfe Auditorium Debauched, deprived and drunken was the common view about bohemians in the mid-19th century. Dr Tony Moore traces the history of Australia’s bohemians with Elizabeth Farrelly. Presented by State Library of NSW. $20/$15, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au 11 MICHAEL SANDEL: WHAT MONEY CAN’T BUY May 22, 6.30-7.30pm SOH, Joan Sutherland Theatre Is there something wrong with a world in which everything is for sale? In What Money Can’t Buy: The Moral Limits of Markets, Harvard philosopher Michael Sandel tackles this big ethical question. Chair: George Megalogenis. Supported by Deutsche Bank. $40/$35, bookings 9250 1988 or 9250 7777, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au or sydneyoperahouse.com 12 STORIES THEN & NOW May 22, 7-8.30pm Carriageworks Stories Then & Now brings together six Asian Australians to tell personal stories DANIEL MORDEN 8 OPENING ADDRESS: THE GHOST AT MY SHOULDER May 21, 6.30-8.30pm Sydney Theatre Daniel Morden is one of Europe’s greatest storytellers. He has collected and told stories from the Arctic to Haiti to London’s National Theatre. For the 2013 Opening Address, Daniel blends traditional tale, anecdote and insight, examining the place of story in our lives. “To experience Daniel Morden in full flight is an amazing thing” (BBC). $30/$25, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au from their past, to unravel the threads to their present day lives. Directed by William Yang and Annette Shun Wah. Presented by Carriageworks and Performance 4a. $35, bookings Ticketmaster 1300 723 038 13 FESTIVAL CLUB May 22, 7-11.45pm Pier 2/3 Club Stage Featuring Slide Night with Tom Tilley; The Chaser’s Empty Vessel with special guests Amelia Lester, Faramerz Dabhoiwala and Janine di Giovanni; and SWF Up Late with Teen Diary Readings featuring Catherine Deveny, Lucinda Gleeson and Michael Hing. $10 at the door, full details swf.org.au 14 RUBY WAX: SANE NEW WORLD May 22, 8.30-10pm SOH, Joan Sutherland Theatre Comedian, writer and mental health campaigner Ruby Wax shows us how to rewire our thinking and find calm in a frenetic world. Presented with Southbank Centre’s WOW. $45/$35, bookings 9250 1988 or 9250 7777, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au or sydneyoperahouse.com MAY 23 15 COFFEE AND PAPERS WITH THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD May 23, 9-10am The Bar at the End of the Wharf Join The Sydney Morning Herald’s journalists and special guest Amelia Lester to hear their take on the stand-out stories and what is making news headlines today. Supported by The Sydney Morning Herald. Free, no bookings 16 PUBLIC SYDNEY May 23, 10-11am The Mint Public places, essential to a democratic society, are often controversial and marginalised. The authors of Public Sydney: Drawing the City discuss. Free, no bookings 17 A CHARACTER CALLED PLACE May 23, 10-11am Bangarra Mezzanine How do Amy Espeseth, Ashley Hay and Stephen Scourfield create such a vivid sense of place that it becomes a character in itself? They talk with Jill Eddington. Free, no bookings 18 MEET THE NSW PREMIER’S LITERARY AWARD WINNERS May 23, 10-11am Philharmonia Studio Winners of this year’s NSW Premier’s Literary Awards discuss their work with Suzanne Leal. Presented by the State Library of NSW. Free, no bookings THURSDAY, MAY 23 19 RARE OBJECT SERIES LAUNCH May 23, 10-11am Pier 2/3 Club Stage Luke Davies launches new poetry chapbooks by David Malouf, Robert Adamson, Martin Harrison and Adam Aitken, part of the iconic Rare Object Series from Vagabond Press. Free, no bookings 20 THE UNCOMMON READER May 23, 10-11am Pier 2/3 Main Stage What makes a good reader? How does one develop a critical instinct? James Wood, Geordie Williamson and Jane Gleeson-White share some of the books that inspire and compel them with Tegan Bennett Daylight. $20/$14, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au 21 UNEXPECTED MOTHERHOOD May 23, 10-11am Pier 2/3 The Loft Monica Dux and Anna Goldsworthy join anthropologist and author Sally Warhaft for a frank discussion about pregnancy, birth and what it means to be a mother today. Free, no bookings 22 LAUREN BEUKES: THE SHINING GIRLS May 23, 10-11am Sydney Dance 1 Michael Cathcart interviews Lauren Beukes about her new serial-killer novel, The Shining Girls, live on ABC Radio National’s Books and Arts Daily. Free, no bookings 23 NARRATIVE IN DOCUMENTARY May 23, 10-11am Sydney Dance 2 A discussion of the journalistic issues tackled in documentary, with the 2012 Walkley Documentary winner Celeste Geer and finalists Morag Ramsay and Rick McPhee. Chaired by the ABC’s Quentin Dempster and presented by The Walkley Foundation for Journalism. Free, no bookings 24 LOST AND FOUND May 23, 10-11am Sydney Theatre Writers Ailsa Piper and Cheryl Strayed have both turned to travel in a bid to find redemption and connection. They talk with Caroline Baum about the journeys that have shaped who they are today. $20/$14, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au 25 AFFAIRS OF THE ART May 23, 10-11am Richard Wherrett Studio Katrina Strickland (Affairs of the Art) and Huon Hooke speak to Julianne Schultz about the role of those left behind in swf.org.au 5 burnishing an artist’s reputation after their death. $14/$10, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au 38 HARBOUR CITY POETS: SOME PEOPLE YOU MAY KNOW May 23, 1-2pm Bangarra Mezzanine Showcasing poems about personalities, fictional characters, individuals and types, Harbour City Poets deliver a fast-paced, witty and professional onstage dialogue. Featuring Margaret Bradstock, John Carey, David Musgrave, Louise Wakeling and Les Wicks. Free, no bookings ALEKS KROTOSKI 26 ANNE DEVESON WITH PHILLIP ADAMS: WAGING PEACE May 23, 10-11am Wharf Theatre 2 Writer and documentary filmmaker Anne Deveson speaks to Phillip Adams about Waging Peace, her memoir of an activist’s life. $20/$14, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au 29 UNTANGLING THE WEB 39 FAN FICTION May 23, 1-2pm Philharmonia Studio With the publishing success of Fifty Shades of Grey, which began its life as online fan fiction, everyone wants to know more. Sydney University’s Joseph Brennan speaks to Amanda Hayward alongside novelist Lauren Beukes and David Large. Free, no bookings 27 MICHELLE DE KRETSER: QUESTIONS OF TRAVEL May 23, 11.30am-12.30pm Bangarra Mezzanine A mesmerising novel, Questions of Travel follows the two very different lives of Laura, who travels the world, and Ravi, who dreams of being a tourist until he is driven from Sri Lanka. Michelle de Kretser speaks with The Sydney Morning Herald’s Susan Wyndham. Free, no bookings 28 WHAT MAKES FABULOUS FEMALE FICTION? May 23, 11.30am-12.30pm Philharmonia Studio Publishers Hilary Teeman, Frederique Polet and Annette Barlow discuss what makes a fabulous “women’s fiction read” with Caroline Overington, author and Associate Editor of Australian Women’s Weekly. Supported by The Writer’s Coffee Shop (TWCS). Free, no bookings 30 THE PUBLIC PHILOSOPHER: SOCIAL JUSTICE IN THE AGE OF MARKETS May 23, 11.30am-12.30pm Pier 2/3 Main Stage Join Harvard philosopher and “rock-star moralist” Michael Sandel for a conversation with Julian Morrow. On the agenda is the question of whether social justice is dead; the future of global education; and the idea of the “common good” in an age of markets. $20/$14, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au 31 THE SPIRIT OF ROMANCE May 23, 11.30am-12.30pm Pier 2/3 The Loft Since Samuel Richardson’s 1740 novel Pamela, romance novels have become the world’s most popular literary genre. What styles of romance writing are people reading today? Suzy Duffy, Kate Forsyth and Rachael Treasure discuss with Amanda Hooton. Supported by The Writer’s Coffee Shop (TWCS). Free, no bookings 32 THE HUMAN COST OF WAR May 23, 11.30am-12.30pm Sydney Dance 1 May 23, 11.30am-12.30pm Pier 2/3 Club Stage Social psychologist and presenter of BBC Radio 4’s The Digital Human, Aleks Krotoski has spent a decade probing the effects of the web on our lives. She Major General John Cantwell (Exit Wounds), investigative journalist Chris Masters (Uncommon Soldier) and historian Ross McMullin (Farewell, Dear People) discuss with Mark Corcoran Australia’s involvement in wars past and present. Free, no bookings 33 BOOKS TO LIVE BY May 23, 11.30am-12.30pm Sydney Dance 2 Want some great book recommendations from three of Sydney’s most in-the-know booksellers and tastemakers? John Purcell (Booktopia), Morgan Smith (Gleebooks) and Barbara Horgan (Shearers) speak to Walter Mason and recommend their favourite books. Free, no bookings 34 FARAMERZ DABHOIWALA: THE ORIGINS OF SEX May 23, 11.30am-12.30pm Sydney Theatre Faramerz Dabhoiwala has been described as “the Stephen Hawking of sex”. In this witty talk, Faramerz explains the origins of our modern sexual culture and how we came to live in a world where sex is supposedly private, yet ever more publicised. $20/$14, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au 35 MAXINE MCKEW: OUT OF THE TRENCHES broadcasts and writes on our increasing dependence on the online world. Aleks talks with ABC Radio National’s Marc Fennell. Supported by Bloomberg. $14/$10, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au 40 IS THERE A SOUNDTRACK? May 23, 1-2pm Pier 2/3 Club Stage Josephine Rowe, Arnold Zable and Courtney Collins discuss with Michaela Kalowski whether music has played a role in the creation of their books. $14/$10, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au May 23, 11.30am-12.30pm Richard Wherrett Studio Maxine McKew spectacularly unseated John Howard in the 2007 Federal election. Then in 2010 she became one of the casualties of a disastrous election campaign. Maxine speaks to Margot Saville about Tales From the Political Trenches, what went wrong and the current political climate. Supported by K&L Gates. $14/$10, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au 41 BEDTIME STORIES WITH PHILLIP ADAMS May 23, 1-2pm Pier 2/3 Main Stage For 22 years, Phillip Adams has graced the airways of ABC Radio National’s Late Night Live. He shares previously unknown stories about the world leaders, thinkers, ideologues, gurus and crackpots who have joined him on air. $20/$14, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au 36 ON COLLECTING May 23, 11.30am-12.30pm Wharf Theatre 2 From vintage fashion and homewares to contemporary art, fanzines and antiquarian books, three influential collectors talk about their collections and the obsession that drives them. David Francis talks with Sibella Court, Glenn Barkley and Nicholas Pounder. $20/$14, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au 42 GRIFFITH REVIEW: WOMEN AND POWER, TURNING THINGS AROUND May 23, 1-2pm Pier 2/3 The Loft Join Anne Summers, Mary Delahunty, Chris Wallace, Yassmin Abdel-Magied and Julianne Schultz for a discussion about the changing relationship between women and power. Presented with Griffith REVIEW. Free, no bookings 37 SHAPING PUBLIC SYDNEY May 23, 1-2pm The Mint Former Government Architect Peter Mould and City Historian Lisa Murray discuss the various factors that have influenced Sydney’s development with Dr Caroline Butler-Bowdon, HHT Assistant Director, Creative Services. Free, no bookings 43 WHY READ DICTIONARIES? May 23, 1-2pm Sydney Dance 1 Crossword-maker David Astle interrogates Mark Forsyth, bestselling author of The Etymologicon and The Horologicon, and blogger known as The Inky Fool, on having the most boring hobby in the world. Supported by Editor Group. Free, no bookings THE STATE LIBRARY OF NSW PRESENTS 2013 NSW Premier’s Literary Awards presentation dinner, Mitchell Library Sunday 19 May, 6 pm – 10 pm Cost: $150 per ticket Bookings required (02) 9273 1770, [email protected] Visit www.sl.nsw.gov.au/premiersliteraryawards People’s Choice Vote now for your favourite book from the 2013 Christina Stead Prize for Fiction shortlist: , Murray Bail (Text Publishing) Gillian Mears (Allen & Unwin) , Frank Moorhouse (Random House Australia) , Carrie Tiffany (Pan Macmillan Australia) , Charlotte Wood (Allen & Unwin) , Tom Keneally (Random House Australia) Cast your vote by midnight Sunday 12 May and go into the draw to win fantastic prizes. Vote here: www.sl.nsw.gov.au/peopleschoice The winner will be announced on Sunday 19 May 2013. The Book Stack: People’s Choice Thursday 9 May, 6 pm – 8 pm Cost: $15, bookings required Venue: Dixson Room, State Library of NSW Enjoy dramatic readings from the Christina Stead Prize for Fiction shortlist, hosted by award-winning author Dr Kathryn Heyman Event bookings: (02) 9273 1770 [email protected] Meet the NSW Premier’s Literary Award winners Thursday 23 May, 10 am – 11 am Free, no bookings Venue: Philharmonia Studio Pier 4/5, Hickson Road, Walsh Bay Join the winners of this year’s NSW Premier’s Literary Awards as they discuss their work with author and literary judge Suzanne Leal. Macquarie St Sydney Ph (02) 9273 1414 www.sl.nsw.gov.au The NSW Premier’s Literary Awards are presented by the NSW Government and administered by the State Library of NSW in association with Arts NSW P&D-4035-4/2013 Congratulations to the shortlisted authors of the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards. The winners will be announced at the 1HERSA1 S005 THURSDAY, MAY 23 Photo: Prudence Upton 6 swf.org.au 44 CAN WRITERS LEARN LESSONS FROM SPORT? May 23, 1-2pm Sydney Dance 2 Goal setting, agility, patience, commitment and overcoming adversity are all sporting virtues. Malcolm Knox, Michael Robotham and Melissa Lucashenko speak to P.M. Newton and consider what sporting skills can be applied to their writing technique. Free, no bookings 45 WILLIAM DALRYMPLE: RETURN OF A KING May 23, 1-2pm Sydney Theatre Join historian William Dalrymple as he talks about his new book, Return of a King: The Battle for Afghanistan, described by The Guardian as a “clear-eyed, non-judgmental, sober history, beautifully told”. $25/$20, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au 48 ANTARCTICA DREAMING May 23, 2.30-3.30pm Bangarra Mezzanine Jesse Blackadder (Chasing the Light) and Alasdair McGregor (Antarctica: That Sweep of Savage Splendour) discuss their shared passion for the “big, white desert” with historian and biographer Ross McMullin. Free, no bookings 49 LOVE AND EXTINCTION May 23, 2.30-3.30pm Philharmonia Studio As a writer in a world with threatened ecologies, how do you grab people’s attention? UNSW’s Stephen Muecke speaks to Robert Drewe, Deborah Bird Rose and Stephen Scourfield about exploring environmental issues in their work. Supported by UNSW. Free, no bookings 46 KIRSTIE CLEMENTS: THE VOGUE FACTOR May 23, 1-2pm Richard Wherrett Studio Ex-Vogue editor Kirstie Clements talks to Tara Moss about her 25 years at Vogue and how fashion bloggers are challenging glossy magazine predominance. $14/$10, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au 50 IN THEIR OWN WORDS: CRAIG TAYLOR May 23, 2.30-3.30pm Pier 2/3 Club Stage Craig Taylor discusses his bestselling book, Londoners. You’ll hear from street sweepers and investment bankers, manicurists and a very British dominatrix. “A rich and exuberant kaleidoscopic portrait” (The New York Times). $14/$10, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au 47 NICK CATER: THE LUCKY CULTURE May 23, 1-2pm Wharf Theatre 2 Is the secret of Australia’s good fortune our particular Australian character? Fifty years after Donald Horne named Australia The Lucky Country, Nick Cater examines whether that spirit of egalitarianism is threatened. $20/$14, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au 51 BY THE BOOK: RAMONA KOVAL WITH RICHARD GILL May 23, 2.30-3.30pm Pier 2/3 Main Stage Award-winning conductor Richard Gill talks with Ramona Koval about her lifelong love affair with books, captured in her stunning By the Book: A Reader’s Guide to Life. $20/$14, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au 1HERSA1 S006 There’s more Festival to enjoy in Walsh Bay this year, with special attractions and exhibitions. Have a bite to eat with an SWF restaurant partner or grab a snack from the Sydney Food Trucks. And while you’re in Pier 2/3: n Take a moment to relax in the Reading Room, supported by The Sydney Morning Herald. n Watch SWF free events on the big screen in the Viewing Lounge, thanks to Bloomberg. n Grab some headphones and listen to non-fiction tales from regional Australia via abc.net.au/open n Look for Chanelle Collier’s beautifully carved book sculptures. n See The Sydney Book Art Group’s “Lifecycle” installation, made of “reborn text”. n Watch for the collaborative drawing spectacle from cartoonists Pat Grant and Leigh Rigozzi on May 25-26. n Bring the kids to join in all the fun of The Big Top for Little People on Sunday, May 26. n When you least expect it, you might get a gift from the Q-poets – CJ Bowerbird, Jo Sri, Eleanor Jackson, Scott Sandwich, project creator Skye Loneragan and more – as they deliver literary relief to dedicated festival-goers. 53 WHAT OUR FOOD SAYS ABOUT US May 23, 2.30-3.30pm Sydney Dance 1 How does our relationship with food reflect our culture and who we are? Stephanie Alexander (Kitchen Gardens Program), Lorraine Elliott (Not Quite Nigella) and Pauline Nguyen (Red Lantern restaurant) speak with food journalist John Newton. Free, no bookings 55 HISTORICAL FACT AND FICTION May 23, 2.30-3.30pm Sydney Theatre Edward Rutherfurd, Faramerz Dabhoiwala and Hannah Kent explain the differences between historical fact and fiction with Miriam Cosic. Are the boundaries between them important? $20/$14, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au 54 FAMILY MATTERS May 23, 2.30-3.30pm Sydney Dance 2 We all cherish our heritage and stories passed down in the family, but writing a book dealing with the intimacies of family is not always easy and can bring both heartache and joy. James Button, Anna Goldsworthy and Jackie Kay discuss the challenges with Benjamin Law. Free, no bookings 56 THE IVANHOE HOTEL: AUSTRALIAN CREATIVITY May 23, 2.30-3.30pm Richard Wherrett Studio W.G. Sebald’s work is crammed with history and stories. David Brooks considers what an Australian version might be, and whether our lack of settler stories might offer creative freedom from the weight of history. Chair: Steven Gale. $14/$10, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au DERMOT HEALY 52 ON CRAFT: THE ORAL TRADITION May 23, 2.30-3.30pm Pier 2/3 The Loft Join novelist, playwright, poet and short story writer Dermot Healy, who Roddy Doyle has called “Ireland’s greatest writer”, for a talk on the oral tradition and the craft of writing. He will discuss his thoughts on dialogue being the key to fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Part of the SWF Craft Series. Free, no bookings 57 THE 21ST CENTURY AUTHOR May 23, 2.30-3.30pm Wharf Theatre 2 Social innovator, Rachel Botsman (What’s Mine Is Yours: The Rise of Collaborative Consumption), says we are “wired to share”. She talks to journalist Caroline Baum about how technology will change the role of authors. $20/$14, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au 58 DESIGNER SUBURBS May 23, 3-4pm The Mint Join Dr Judith O’Callaghan, Dr Charles Pickett and Ian Innes as they discuss how architects took high-end design to the suburbs during the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s, and why these designer homes are important today. Free, no bookings 59 DANIEL MORDEN: THE EMPTY HAND May 23, 4-5pm Bangarra Mezzanine What if the one you loved was taken from you? How far would you go to find them? Join Daniel Morden, one of Europe’s greatest storytellers, for haunting tales of love in this world and the next. Free, no bookings 60 THE CUTTING EDGE May 23, 4-5pm Philharmonia Studio Satirists Jonathan Biggins and James Jeffrey (editor of Strewth) celebrate satire in Australian journalism with Steve Lewis. Presented by The Walkley Foundation for Journalism. Free, no bookings 61 THE BIG READ May 23, 4-5pm Pier 2/3 Main Stage A Festival favourite, this year The Big Read brings together Australian and international guests Lauren Beukes, Sheila Heti, Patrick Ness, Nicolas Rothwell and Arnold Zable. Hosted by Annette Shun Wah. Includes presentation of The Sydney Morning Herald Best Young Australian Novelist awards for 2013. Supported by The Sydney Morning Herald. $20/$14, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au 62 THE GARDEN: AN ADVENTURE IN IDEAS May 23, 4-5pm Pier 2/3 The Loft “If you have a garden in your library,” wrote Cicero, “we will want for nothing.” Gardens and literature are ancient bedfellows, and Damon Young gives a unique presentation about the great ideas that have flowered in parks, yards and pots. Free, no bookings 1HERSA1 S007 THURSDAY, MAY 23 8 swf.org.au 63 WRITING PAINFUL EXPERIENCES May 23, 4-5pm Sydney Dance 1 Anne Deveson, Dawn Barker and Helen Sage speak with Caroline Overington and offer their perspectives on writing through trauma. Free, no bookings 64 CHINA, FRIEND OR FOE? May 23, 4-5pm Sydney Dance 2 China is a key economy of the current era, but what other effects will economic power have on China? Experts Dr Bates Gill, Mobo Gao and Feng Chongji talk with Kerry Brown. Presented by the University of Sydney. Free, no bookings 66 THE POWER OF LANDSCAPE May 23, 4-5pm Richard Wherrett Studio Melissa Lucashenko and Sue Woolfe discuss the power and influence of the Australian landscape on their writing with Walter Mason. $14/$10, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au McGuire present a rare “People of Letters”, in which five pairs of people write “a letter to my other half”. Join them for a homage to the lost art of letter writing. Stamps provided. Free, no bookings 67 PANKAJ MISHRA: FROM THE RUINS OF EMPIRE May 23, 4-5pm Wharf Theatre 2 Pankaj Mishra talks with Julian Morrow about his latest book, From the Ruins of Empire, a deeply researched look at the Victorian era from the perspective of Asia. $20/$14, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au 69 ANITA DESAI WITH DEBORAH LEVY: THE ARTIST OF DISAPPEARANCE May 23, 6-7pm City Recital Hall, Angel Place Hailed by The Guardian as India’s “greatest living writer”, Anita Desai’s writing spans decades, continents and emotional landscapes. She speaks about The Artist of Disappearance and her extraordinary body of work with 2012 Man Booker finalist Deborah Levy. Supported by the City of Sydney. $32/$25, bookings 9250 1988 or 8256 2222, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au or cityrecitalhall.com 68 PEOPLE OF LETTERS May 23, 4-5.30pm Pier 2/3 Club Stage Co-curators Marieke Hardy and Michaela ROBERT GREENE 65 ON CREATIVITY May 23, 4-5pm Sydney Theatre Drawing on the years of research that went into his latest book, Mastery, this presentation from The New York Times bestselling author Robert Greene will challenge all of your basic assumptions about creative thinking. Supported by BDO. $20/$14, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au Proud major partner of the Sydney Writers’ Festival 70 THE STATE OF REVIEWS May 23, 6-7pm State Library of NSW, Metcalfe Auditorium Join Sophie Cunningham, Chair of the Literature Board, as she discusses the state of reviews in Australian media with Stephen Romei, James Ley and Angela Meyer. Presented by the State Library of NSW and supported by the Literature Board, Australia Council for the Arts. $20/$15, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au 71 THE 61ST BOOK DESIGN AWARDS May 23, 6-10pm Powerhouse Museum The Book Design Awards is the premier event for recognising creativity, excellence and innovation in contemporary Australian book design. This annual event includes cocktails, the presentation ceremony and awards party. Presented by the Australian Publishers Association. $82.50, bookings 9281 9788, publishers.asn.au 72 WANGECHI MUTU May 23, 6.30-7.30pm Museum of Contemporary Art Join artist Wangechi Mutu and the MCA’s Senior Curator Rachel Kent as they discuss aspects of Wangechi’s practice – including themes of gender, desire and the female body, as well as abjection and violence. Presented by the Museum of Contemporary Art in association with the Human Rights Arts and Film Festival. Free, no bookings 73 2SER IN CONVERSATION: HOLLY THROSBY AND DARREN HANLON May 23, 7-8pm The Green Room Lounge Much-loved Australian songwriters Holly Throsby and Darren Hanlon talk with 2SER Music Director Andrew Khedoori about their approach to songwriting – their inspirations, motivations and how to build a tower of song. Presented by 2SER. Free, bookings email [email protected]. Full details 2ser.com 74 STORIES THEN & NOW May 23, 7-8.30pm Carriageworks Stories Then & Now brings together six Asian Australians to tell personal stories from their past, to unravel the threads to their present day lives. Directed by William Yang and Annette Shun Wah. Presented by Carriageworks and Performance 4a. $35, bookings Ticketmaster 1300 723 038 75 EVENINGS WITH DOMINIC KNIGHT May 23, 7-10pm Sydney Dance Lounge Grab a drink and a bite to eat while you join 702 ABC Sydney Evenings host Dominic Knight for a special version of NORMAN the Quiz, plus engaging discussions with visiting authors. Presented with 702 ABC Sydney. Free, no bookings 76 FESTIVAL CLUB May 23, 7-11.45pm Pier 2/3 Club Stage Featuring Erotic Fan Fiction with Noni Hazlehurst, Benjamin Law and Ben Jenkins; The Chaser’s Empty Vessel with special guests Sylvie Simmons, Mark Forsyth and Aleks Krotoski; and SWF Up Late with Courtney Collins, Kate Miller-Heidke, Swimwear and Dave Graney. Tickets $10 on the door, see swf.org.au 77 OBAMA: THE DIGITAL CAMPAIGN May 23, 8.30-10pm City Recital Hall, Angel Place Barack Obama’s Chief Digital Strategist Joe Rospars, and Stephen Muller, the Obama campaign’s Video Director, offer an overview of how the campaign managed to unite and mobilise 13 million online supporters toward a single goal of electing President Obama. Chair: Michael Brissenden. Supported by the City of Sydney. $32/$25, bookings 9250 1988 or 8256 2222, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au or cityrecitalhall.com Sharpen your writing skills with a national leader in creative writing • Undergraduate degrees • Postgraduate research options • UNSWriting program Cultivating flows of ideas and good writing Connecting writers, publishers and students Offering special events, workshops and public talks arts.unsw.edu.au Never Stand Still Faculty of Arts Social Sciences *2012 Excellence in Research for Australia report Cricos Provider No. 00098G 1HERSA1 S008 FRIDAY, MAY 24 78 COFFEE AND PAPERS WITH THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD May 24, 9-10am The Bar at the End of the Wharf Join The Sydney Morning Herald journalists and special guest Janine di Giovanni to hear their take on the stand-out stories and what is making news headlines. Supported by The Sydney Morning Herald. Free, no bookings 79 MORNINGS WITH LINDA MOTTRAM May 24, 9-11am Pier 2/3 Club Stage Be part of the live audience as Linda Mottram chats with Festival guests and presents her 702 ABC Sydney Mornings program. Hear from some of the Festival’s leading authors as they explore a range of thought-provoking issues. Presented with 702 ABC Sydney. Free, no bookings 80 BOWERBIRD May 24, 10-11am The Mint Interior stylist Sibella Court discusses the process of creating her recent book, Bowerbird: Creating Beautiful Interiors with the Things You Collect. Free, no bookings 81 WRITING ACROSS FORMS May 24, 10-11am Bangarra Mezzanine Panellists Lauren Beukes, Robert Drewe and Luke Davies talk to Sally Heath about the creative challenges, rewards and freedoms of writing across different genres. Free, no bookings 82 WRITERS WHO BLOG May 24, 10-11am Philharmonia Studio Mark Forsyth, Tara Moss, Lorraine Elliot and Angela Meyer discuss the pros and cons of blogging, and the differences between writing on and offline. Free, no bookings 83 SEX AND REPRESENTATION May 24, 10-11am Pier 2/3 Main Stage Join four incredible women for a panel on sex and representation. Wangechi Mutu, Naomi Wolf, Emily Maguire and Dr Juanita Ruys speak to MCA’s Rachel Kent. $20/$14, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au ANNA KRIEN 89 SEX, POWER AND SPORT May 24, 10-11am Richard Wherrett Studio Anna Krien speaks to Amanda Lohrey about her controversial and fearless Night Games, an investigation into sex, consent, power and the dark side of footy culture. $14/$10, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au 1HERSA1 S010 84 A PRIZE OF ONE’S OWN May 24, 10-11am Pier 2/3 The Loft A discussion about the importance of having a prize of one’s own. Introducing the winner of the inaugural Stella Prize, alongside judge Claudia Karvan and Kate Mosse, bestselling novelist and co-founder of UK’s The Women’s Prize for Fiction – formerly the Orange Prize. Presented with the Stella Prize. Free, no bookings 85 FOR THE LOVE OF BOOKS May 24, 10-11am Sydney Dance 1 Richard Glover, Gretel Killeen and Mark Dapin talk to Angelo Loukakis about why they love the beauty, smell and feel of books. Presented with Sydney PEN. Free, no bookings 86 GRIFFITH REVIEW: REVIVING THE NOVELLA May 24, 10-11am Sydney Dance 2 Ian McEwan regards the novella as the “supreme literary form”. Join Julienne van Loon, Jim Hearn and Katerina Cosgove as they debate its future with Julianne Schultz. Presented with Griffith REVIEW. Free, no bookings 87 BOOKS AND ARTS DAILY WITH MICHAEL CATHCART May 24, 10-11am Sydney Dance Lounge ABC Radio National’s Books and Arts Daily, hosted by Michael Cathcart, broadcasts live from Sydney Writers’ Festival. Presented with ABC Radio National. Free, no bookings 88 LEARNING FROM THE PAST May 24, 10-11am Sydney Theatre William Dalrymple and Pankaj Mishra speak to the Lowy Institute’s Michael Fullilove, exploring new perspectives in history and how they challenge, inform and redefine our current world view. $20/$14, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au 90 BOOK DESIGN: A THOUSAND WORDS WORTH May 24, 10-11am Wharf Theatre 2 What rules the cover – image or text? Do Australian illustrations and designs reach international markets? A discussion about the ins and outs of book design, with a panel fresh from the 61st Book Design Awards and Helen Boyle, Templar Publishing in the UK. Presented by the Australian Publishers Association. Free, no bookings 91 CRYPTIC CROSSWORD SOLVING WITH DA May 24, 10.30am-12pm The Bar at the End of the Wharf Unravel a cryptic crossword with DA, alias David Astle. Amid eurekas, David will share the madness and misadventures of a word-nerd. BYO pencil. Supported by The Sydney Morning Herald. Free, no bookings 92 CONVERSATIONS WITH RICHARD FIDLER: CHERYL STRAYED May 24, 11am-12pm Pier 2/3 Club Stage Richard Fidler interviews author and advice columnist Cheryl Strayed about her acclaimed memoir, Wild, a chronicle of her solo hike along the Pacific Crest Trail. Presented with 702 ABC Sydney. Free, no bookings 93 EXTRAORDINARY STORIES OF MIGRATION May 24, 11.30am-12.30pm Bangarra Mezzanine Majok Tulba (Beneath The Darkening Sky), Kooshyar Karimi (I Confess), Arnold Zable (Violin Lessons) and Pauline Nguyen (Secrets of the Red Lanten) talk with Tim Soutphommasane (Don’t Go Back to Where You Came From) about the remarkable stories that brought them to Australia. Free, no bookings CLAIRE MESSUD 116 THE WOMAN UPSTAIRS 94 HOW FARES THE REVOLUTION? May 24, 11.30am-12.30pm Philharmonia Studio News leaders Kate Torney and Lauren Martin reveal success stories and lessons learned at the coalface of the transformed newsroom, and ponder what the future holds. Presented by The Walkley Foundation for Journalism. Free, no bookings 95 WHY CRITICISM MATTERS May 24, 11.30am-12.30pm Pier 2/3 Main Stage Why is it so important to have a robust culture of criticism? James Wood, Susan Wyndham and James Ley discuss this and more with Sophie Cunningham. Supported by the Literature Board, Australia Council for the Arts. $20/$14, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au 96 THE PEOPLE’S REVOLUTION May 24, 11.30am-12.30pm Pier 2/3 The Loft Award-winning author and journalist Janine di Giovanni and Walkley Awardwinning, former Middle East correspondent David Hardaker speak to Mike Carlton about the changing face of people’s revolutions around the world. Free, no bookings 97 PHILOSOPHY AND WRITING May 24, 11.30am-12.30pm Sydney Dance 1 Philosophy informs and inspires writing in both subtle and obvious ways. Join Joe Gelonesi from ABC Radio National’s The Philosopher’s Zone as he discusses its influences in literature with author Scarlett Thomas, philosopher Damon Young and novelist David Brooks. Free, no bookings 98 THE PAST IS A FOREIGN COUNTRY May 24, 11.30am-12.30pm Sydney Dance 2 Winners of the 2012 NSW Premier’s History Awards, Russell McGregor and Deborah Beck, discuss how historians recreate yesterday for the reader with awards judge Caroline Butler-Bowdon. Presented by the History Council of NSW and the State Library of NSW. Free, no bookings 99 EDWARD RUTHERFURD’S PARIS May 24, 11.30am-12.30pm Sydney Theatre Edward Rutherfurd presents his new novel, Paris, which weaves intricate historical details into a sweeping saga, giving the city of lights a whole new dimension. $20/$14, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au 100 DARK DESIRES May 24, 11.30am-12.30pm Richard Wherrett Studio The dark underbelly of human sexuality is endlessly fascinating. Krissy Kneen, Emily Maguire and Chloe Hooper discuss with Courtney Collins the way it’s explored in their work. Supported by The Writer’s Coffee Shop. $14/$10, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au 101 ROBYN DAVIDSON: MAKING TRACKS May 24, 11.30am-12.30pm Wharf Theatre 2 In 1977, Robyn Davidson set off from Alice Springs for the West Australian coast with a dog and four camels. She speaks to Sally Warhaft and Emile Sherman about the enduring interest in her iconic classic, Tracks, and its film adaptation. $20/$14, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au Photo: Lisa Cohen 10 swf.org.au 102 THE BOOK CLUB May 24, 12.45-1.45pm ABC Studios Join Jennifer Byrne with regular panellists Jason Steger and Marieke Hardy for the taping of a Sydney Writers’ Festival edition of The Book Club. Featuring special Festival guests Carlos Ruiz Zafón and Lauren Beukes. Free, bookings essential, 8333 3644 103 COLLECTOMANIA: FROM OBJECTS OF DESIRE TO MAGNIFICENT OBSESSION May 24, 1-2pm The Mint Self-confessed “collectomaniac” Claudia Chan Shaw shares the motives behind her obsession, explains the difference between collecting and hoarding, and celebrates collections both strange and beautiful. Free, no bookings 104 NICOLAS ROTHWELL: BELOMOR May 24, 1-2pm Bangarra Mezzanine Nicolas Rothwell’s writing seeks to convey something of the scale and grandeur of what surrounds us. Join one of our most original writers speaking with The Australian’s chief literary reviewer Geordie Williamson. Free, no bookings 105 LITERARY BUZZ May 24, 1-2pm Philharmonia Studio International publishers Grazia Rusticali, Kirsty Dunseath and Michael Zöllner speak to Hachette’s Matt Richell about what makes particular books worldwide phenomenons. Free, no bookings 106 DIGITAL DIVAS May 24, 1-2pm Pier 2/3 Main Stage Wendy Harmer, Anne Summers and Elisabeth Wynhausen speak with Monica Attard about how women are embracing digital publishing as an economical and efficient way to reach new audiences, and deal with subjects not catered to by the mainstream media. Supported by Forming Circles. $20/$14, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au 107 TENSION AND SUSPENSE May 24, 1-2pm Pier 2/3 The Loft Every novel needs a narrative drive, a reason for people to keep turning the pages. Hannah Richell, Julienne van Loon and Caroline Overington discuss with Matthew Condon. Free, no bookings 108 WHAT SHOULD WE TELL OUR CHILDREN? May 24, 1-2pm Sydney Dance 1 Stephanie Alexander, Chris Sarra, Richard Gill and Maxine McKew discuss the stories and ideas we pass on to our children to prepare them for the way ahead. Free, no bookings 109 FINCH MEMOIR PRIZE May 24, 1-2pm May 24, 2.30-3.30pm Pier 2/3 Main Stage The New York Times bestselling author Claire Messud’s The Woman Upstairs is a tour de force. She speaks to Caroline Baum about this “scorching social anatomy” of ambition, envy and betrayal. Claire also gives the Closing Address on Sunday, May 26 (259). $20/$14, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au Sydney Dance 2 Announcement of the winner of the annual Finch Memoir Prize for an unpublished Australian life story. The winner joins Richard Glover, Susan Duncan and Jacqueline Kent to discuss the book and the writing process. Free, no bookings 110 KATE MOSSE: CITADEL May 24, 1-2pm Sydney Theatre Internationally bestselling novelist, playwright and short story writer Kate Mosse speaks with Steven Gale about Citadel, the last book in her Languedoc trilogy, set in World War II. $20/$14, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au 111 THE SATIRISTS May 24, 1-2pm Richard Wherrett Studio If Australians claim to be anti-authoritarian rabble-rousers, where is the canon of contemporary satirical novels reflecting this stereotype? David Foster, William McInnes and Alan Wearne combine to ruffle some feathers with David Musgrave. $14/$10, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au 112 READING IN THE E-FUTURE May 24, 1-2pm Wharf Theatre 2 Is technology changing how and what we read? Eli Horowitz, Stuart Buchanan, Quintin Schevernels and Neil James speak to Anna Maguire about the various literary forms of the e-future. Presented in collaboration with Vivid Ideas. Supported by the Plain English Foundation. $20/$14, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au 113 AFTERNOONS WITH JAMES VALENTINE May 24, 1-3pm Pier 2/3 Club Stage James Valentine hosts a fun-filled spin on the world of writing in this edition of the 702 ABC Sydney Afternoons program. Presented with 702 ABC Sydney. Free, no bookings 114 LITERARY MAG REVIVAL May 24, 2.30-3.30pm Bangarra Mezzanine Are literary journals going through a revival? Join our expert panellists, Craig Taylor of Five Dials, Rebecca Starford from Kill Your Darlings and Sam Cooney of The Lifted Brow, as they discuss with Alice Grundy (Seizure) what formats are working, and what’s next. Supported by Macleay College. Free, no bookings 115 BEYOND CLIMATE DENIAL ON A NEOLIBERAL PLANET May 24, 2.30-3.30pm Philharmonia Studio Antoinette Abboud, Jeremy Walker and Robert Manne untangle the complex relationships between climate, politics and economic doctrines with Overland editor Jeff Sparrow. Presented with Overland. Free, no bookings FRIDAY, MAY 24 117 ON CRAFT: MONKEYS WITH TYPEWRITERS May 24, 2.30-3.30pm Pier 2/3 The Loft A session about the craft of writing with novelist and creative writing teacher Scarlett Thomas, who offers advice on how to write good characters. Part of the SWF Craft Series. Free, no bookings 118 DERMOT HEALY WITH LUKE DAVIES May 24, 2.30-3.30pm Sydney Dance 1 Luke Davies interviews fellow author and poet Dermot Healy, who Roddy Doyle has called “Ireland’s greatest writer”. A discussion embracing everything from the oral tradition to literary history, Irishness, exile, otherness, poetry, novels and the universality of literature. Free, no bookings 119 TURNING THE TIDE: INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIAN WRITERS AND THINKERS May 24, 2.30-3.30pm Sydney Dance 2 Peter Minter leads a discussion on Indigenous Australian literature and identity with Lionel Fogarty, Jeanine Leane and Melissa Lucashenko. Presented with the Faculty of Education & Social Work, University of Sydney. Free, no bookings 120 LAWRENCE KRAUSS: A UNIVERSE FROM NOTHING May 24, 2.30-3.30pm Sydney Theatre Lawrence Krauss leads an exploration of the discoveries that have revolutionised our understanding of both nothing and something. Chair: Robyn Williams. $20/$14, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au Shane Warne, speak to Julia Baird. $20/$14, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au 124 AN AUSTRALIAN MUSICAL STYLE? May 24, 4-5pm Bangarra Mezzanine Has the Australian musical sound, so prevalent in the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s, evaporated into the vortex of a globalised music industry? Richard Gill, Dave Graney and Andrew Ford look for an Australian music style, with Mark Mordue. Free, no bookings of short stories is Black Vodka. Free, no bookings $14/$10, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au ABC Radio National. Free, no bookings 128 THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE POLITICS May 24, 4-5pm Sydney Dance 1 Using their respective books as jumpingoff points, Michael Brissenden and James Button discuss with Phillip Adams the people behind the politics in a conversation that traverses the Pacific. Free, no bookings 132 UTS ANTHOLOGY LAUNCH: THE EVENING LANDS May 24, 4-5.30pm Wharf Theatre 2 Amanda Lohrey launches the 2013 UTS Anthology, The Evening Lands. The event includes the awarding of the UTS Anthology Writing Prize, followed by the Guy Morrison Prize for Literary Journalism. Presented by the University of Technology, Sydney. Free, no bookings 138 STORIES THEN & NOW May 24, 7-8.30pm Carriageworks Brings together six Asian Australians to tell personal stories from their past, to unravel the threads to their present lives. Directed by William Yang and Annette Shun Wah. Presented by Carriageworks and Performance 4a. $35, bookings Ticketmaster 1300 723 038 129 FICTION ON THE EDGE OF REALITY May 24, 4-5pm Sydney Dance 2 Andrew Croome (Midnight Empire), John M. Green (The Trusted) and Dawn Barker (Fractured) talk with Tom Wright, drawing from their experiences to write novels that are unnervingly real. Free, no bookings 125 MOUTH TO MIC May 24, 4-5pm Philharmonia Studio International spoken wordsmiths Kate Tempest and Anis Mojgani join Australian Poetry Slam Champion CJ Bowerbird, trading samples of powerful poetry. They discuss the whys and hows of their craft with Miles Merrill. Presented with Word Travels. Free, no bookings 126 WOMEN ON THE RUN May 24, 4-5pm Pier 2/3 Main Stage Michael Robotham, Tara Moss and Lauren Beukes all have one thing in common: they have put their female protagonists in grave danger. Do these feisty femmes manage to escape from their novels alive? $20/$14, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au 130 SWF SHORTS May 24, 4-5pm Sydney Theatre Sit back and settle in as some of Australia’s finest actors choose one of their favourite stories to read. Inspired by Selected Shorts in New York, with Claudia Karvan, Jacqueline McKenzie, Brendan Cowell and William McInnes. $25/$20, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au 127 DEBORAH LEVY: SWIMMING HOME AND BLACK VODKA May 24, 4-5pm Pier 2/3 The Loft Man Booker-shortlisted author Deborah Levy speaks with philosopher Damon Young. Deborah is the author of Swimming Home, one of The New York Times’ 100 Notable Books of 2012. Her latest anthology 131 ON ADAPTATION May 24, 4-5pm Richard Wherrett Studio Andrew Upton, Artistic Director of the Sydney Theatre Company, and playwright Joanna Murray-Smith explore the excitement, challenges and questions that arise when adapting classics for Australian theatre with Michaela Kalowski. 121 CONTEMPORARY AUSTRALIAN ASIAN POETRY May 24, 2.30-3.30pm Richard Wherrett Studio Contemporary Asian Australian Poets editors Adam Aitken, Kim Cheng Boey and Michelle Cahill discuss with Nicholas Jose how the anthology might begin to fill existing cultural gaps in our poetic representations. With selected readings. Free, no bookings JACKIE KAY 123 CONVERSATIONS WITH RICHARD FIDLER Photo: Denise Else 122 THE ART AND ETHICS OF BIOGRAPHY May 24, 2.30-3.30pm Wharf Theatre 2 Writing a biography holds a huge responsibility. How does a biographer faithfully report the lives of others? Helen Trinca on Madeleine St John, Sylvie Simmons on Leonard Cohen, Michael Fullilove on Franklin D. Roosevelt and Gideon Haigh on swf.org.au 11 May 24, 3-4pm Pier 2/3 Club Stage Critically acclaimed poet, novelist and short story writer Jackie Kay talks about her extraordinary life, her memoir, Red Dust Road, and Fiere, her recent collection of poems. Presented with 702 ABC Sydney. Free, no bookings 133 THANK GOD IT’S FRIDAY WITH RICHARD GLOVER May 24, 5-6pm Pier 2/3 Club Stage Join Richard Glover on 702 ABC Sydney Drive for a special edition of his weekly TGIF comedy show, including live music with Kate Miller-Heidke. Presented with 702 ABC Sydney. Free, no bookings 134 LAUNCH: STONED CROWS AND OTHER AUSTRALIAN ICONS May 24, 6-7pm Bangarra Mezzanine Watch poets taking the pith out of Australian icons when Newtown Review of Books launches SpinelessWonders’ annual anthology, Stoned Crows And Other Australian Icons. Free, no bookings 135 CRAFTING THE MESSAGE May 24, 6-7.30pm Sydney Town Hall Hear from three image-makers who shape the politicians you loathe and love. Joe Rospars, Neil Lawrence and Mark Textor discuss with Leigh Sales how they mould political messages and reputations. $25/$20, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au 136 STARBURST WORLD: A NIGHT OF IMAGINATION, STARGAZING AND WINE WITH ROSS GIBSON May 24, 6-8pm Sydney Observatory Journey with Ross Gibson to his Starburst World: William Dawes at Sydney Cove 1788-91 at Sydney Observatory, then enjoy a glass of wine, hors d’oeuvres and telescope viewing with astronomers. $32/$28, bookings 9921 3485, sydneyobservatory.com 137 RADIO NATIONAL’S FRIDAY DRIVE WITH JULIAN MORROW May 24, 6-8pm Sydney Dance Lounge ABC Radio National’s Friday Drive, hosted by Julian Morrow, broadcasts live from the Festival. Presented with 139 THE 2013 AUSTRALIAN BOOK INDUSTRY AWARDS May 24, 7-11pm Four Seasons Hotel Join us for the book industry’s premier event, celebrating the best Australian books and recognising our finest authors, booksellers and publishers from the past year. Presented by the Australian Publishers Association, partnering with the Australian Booksellers Association. $176 (APA/ABA members)/$220 (non-members), bookings 9281 9788, publishers.asn.au 140 FESTIVAL CLUB May 24, 7-11.45pm Pier 2/3 Club Stage Featuring Word Travels’ Spoken Four with international artists Anis Mojgani and Kate Tempest; The Chaser’s Empty Vessel with special guests Cheryl Strayed, Dermot Healy and Eli Horowitz; and SWF Up Late with HEDTalks featuring Max Lavergne, Eddie Sharp and Andrew Denton. $10 on the door, details swf.org.au 141 PATRICK WHITE PLAYWRIGHTS’ AWARD AND FELLOWSHIP May 24, 8-10.30pm Wharf Theatre 2 Join STC’s Artistic Director, Andrew Upton, for the announcement of the 2012 Patrick White Playwrights’ Award and Fellowship. Hear the award-winning work read by Sydney Theatre Company artists. $5, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au 142 ARE WE CHANGING SEX OR IS SEX CHANGING US? May 24, 8.30-10pm Sydney Town Hall Are we more liberal than ever about sex? Have times really changed? Join our sexperts Naomi Wolf, Faramerz Dabhoiwala, Frank Bongiorno and Benjamin Law, as they speak with Natasha Mitchell. $25/$20, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au 2013: The Perfect Year for Reading OUT NOW COMING SOON IN 2013 Get up to 40% off* the RRP on these titles at bookworld.com.au/swf. Enter discount code BW-SWF13 at checkout before 1 June 2013. Make sure you are a Citizen member of Bookworld to receive the full discount. Citizens get an EXTRA 10% off all books, everyday. Join now for free. *T&Cs apply at bookworld.com.au/swf SPECIAL OFFER Up to 40% off* 1HERSA1 S011 walsh bay EVENT LIFT-OUT THURSDAY, MAY 23 - FRIDAY, MAY 24 12 swf.org.au THURSDAY, MAY 23 SYDNEY THEATRE RICHARD WHERRETT WHARF THEATRE 2 9am 10am Lost and Found 24 Affairs of the Art 25 11am 11.30am 12pm 12.30pm 2pm 3pm 5pm Anne Deveson with Phillip Adams: Waging Peace 26 Lauren Beukes: The Shining Girls 22 PIER 2/3 MAINSTAGE PIER 2/3 CLUB STAGE PIER 2/3 THE LOFT The Human Cost of War 32 Books to Live By 33 Can Writers Learn Lessons from Sport? 44 William Dalrymple: Return of a King 45 Kirstie Clements: The Vogue Factor 46 Nick Cater: The Lucky Culture 47 Why Read Dictionaries? 43 Historical Fact and Fiction 55 The Ivanhoe Hotel: David Brooks 56 The 21st Century Author: Rachel Botsman 57 What Our Food Says About Us 53 Family Matters 54 Robert Greene: On Creativity 65 The Power of Landscape 66 Pankaj Mishra: From the Ruins of Empire 67 Writing Painful Experiences 63 China, Friend or Foe 64 10am Meet the NSW Premier’s Literary Award winners 18 The Uncommon Reader 20 What Makes Fabulous Female Fiction? 28 The Public Philosopher: Michael Sandel 30 Aleks Krotoski: Untangling the Web 29 The Spirit of Romance 31 Harbour City Poets: Some People You May Know 38 Fan Fiction 39 Bedtime Stories with Phillip Adams 41 Is There a Soundtrack? 40 Griffith REVIEW: Women and Power 42 Antarctica Dreaming 48 Love and Extinction 49 By the Book: Ramona Koval with Richard Gill 51 In their Own Words: Craig Taylor 50 A Character Called Place 17 Narrative in Documentary 23 On Collecting 36 4pm 4.30pm PHILHARMONIA STUDIO 9.30am Maxine McKew: Out of the Trenches 35 2.30pm 3.30pm BANGARRA MEZZANINE 9am Faramerz Dabhoiwala: The Origins of Sex 34 1pm 1.30pm SYDNEY DANCE LOUNGE Coffee and Papers with The Sydney Morning Herald 15 9.30am 10.30am SYDNEY DANCE 2 SYDNEY DANCE 1 BAR AT THE END OF THE WHARF Michelle de Kretser: Questions of Travel 27 Daniel Morden: The Empty Hand 59 Rare Object Series Launch 19 Unexpected Motherhood 21 11am 11.30am The Big Read 61 People of Letters 68 The Garden: Damon Young 62 Also showing tonight at City Recital Hall Angel Place: 69 Anita Desai with Deborah Levy 77 Obama: The Digital Campaign 9pm 9.30pm 10pm Evenings with Dominic Knight 75 8pm 8.30pm 9pm The Chaser’s Empty Vessel 76 9.30pm 10pm 10.30pm 11pm 11pm SWF Up Late 76 11.30pm 11.30pm 12am 12am FRIDAY, MAY 24 SYDNEY THEATRE RICHARD WHERRETT WHARF THEATRE 2 9am SYDNEY DANCE 2 SYDNEY DANCE 1 BAR AT THE END OF THE WHARF SYDNEY DANCE LOUNGE BANGARRA MEZZANINE PHILHARMONIA STUDIO PIER 2/3 MAINSTAGE 10am Learning From The Past 88 Anna Krien: Sex, Power and Sport 89 11am Book Design: A Thousand Words Worth 90 Dark Desires 100 Kate Mosse: Citadel 110 The Satirists 111 Lawrence Krauss: A Universe From Nothing 120 Contemporary Australian Asian Poetry 121 SWF Shorts 130 On Adaptation 131 Robyn Davidson: Making Tracks 101 PIER 2/3 THE LOFT 9.30am Griffith REVIEW: Reviving the Novella 86 For the Love of Books 85 Books and Arts Daily with Michael Cathcart 87 Writing Across Forms 81 Writers Who Blog 82 Sex and Representation 83 Cryptic Crossword Solving with DA 91 Edward Rutherfurd’s Paris 99 PIER 2/3 CLUB STAGE 9am Coffee and Papers with The Sydney Morning Herald 78 9.30am Philosophy and Writing 97 The Past is a Foreign Country 98 Extraordinary Stories of Migration 93 How Fares the Revolution? 94 Nicolas Rothwell: Belomor 104 Literary Buzz 105 Why Criticism Matters 95 Mornings with Linda Mottram 79 Conversations with Richard Fidler: Cheryl Strayed 92 10am A Prize Of One’s Own 84 11.30am The People’s Revolution 96 5pm What Should We Tell Finch Memoir Prize 109 Our Children? 108 The Art and Ethics of Biography 122 Dermot Healy with Luke Davies 118 Turning the Tide 119 UTS Anthology Launch: The Evening Lands 132 The People Behind the Politics 128 Fiction on the Edge of Reality 129 Literary Mag Revival 114 An Australian Musical Style? 124 12.30pm 6pm 6.30pm RN’s Friday Drive with Julian Morrow 137 7pm 7.30pm 8pm 9pm 9.30pm 10pm 10.30pm 11pm 11.30pm 12am Patrick White Playwrights’ Award and Fellowship 141 Digital Divas 106 Afternoons with James Valentine 113 Beyond Climate Claire Messud: Denial on a The Woman Upstairs Conversations with Neoliberal Planet 115 116 Richard Fidler: Jackie Kay 123 Mouth to Mic 125 Also showing tonight at Town Hall: 135 Crafting the Message 142 Are We Changing Sex or is Sex Changing Us? Tension and Suspense 107 Launch: Stoned Crows and Other Australian Icons 134 1.30pm 2pm On Craft: Scarlett Thomas 117 Deborah Levy: Swimming Home and Black Vodka 127 Women on the Run 126 Thank God It’s Friday with Richard Glover 133 5.30pm 8.30pm 12pm 1pm Reading in the E-Future 112 4pm 4.30pm 10.30am 11am 1pm 3.30pm 5pm 7.30pm Erotic Fan Fiction 76 10.30pm 3pm 4.30pm 7pm 8.30pm 2.30pm 3.30pm 6.30pm 8pm 2pm 3pm 6pm 7.30pm 1.30pm 2pm 5.30pm 7pm 12.30pm 1.30pm 4pm The Cutting Edge 60 6pm 12pm 1pm 2.30pm On Craft: Dermot Healy 52 6.30pm 11.30am 12pm 12.30pm 5.30pm 10.30am 10.30am 2.30pm 3pm 3.30pm 4pm 4.30pm 5pm 5.30pm 6pm 6.30pm 7pm 7.30pm Spoken Four 140 8pm 8.30pm 9pm The Chaser’s Empty Vessel 140 9.30pm 10pm 10.30pm SWF Up Late 140 11pm 11.30pm 12am walsh bay EVENT LIFT-OUT SATURDAY, MAY 25 - SUNDAY, MAY 26 SATURDAY, MAY 25 SYDNEY THEATRE RICHARD WHERRETT 9am 10.30am 11am 12pm 2pm 3pm PIER 2/3 MAINSTAGE PIER 2/3 CLUB STAGE PIER 2/3 THE LOFT Human Endurance in the Extreme South 153 9.30am 10am Courtney Collins: The Burial 163 Patrick Ness: The Crane Wife 164 Sylvie Simmons on Leonard Cohen 160 WOW Bites 161 James Wood: The Fun Stuff 173 Robert Drewe: Montebello 174 The Misogyny Factor: Anne Summers 175 What the Classics Teach Us 170 Hactivism, Internet Privacy and Encryption 171 Escape and Reinvention 165 Carlos Ruiz Zafón 183 In Cold Blood 184 Around the World in Eighty Etymologies: Mark Forsyth 185 The Future Face of Asia 181 War Stories 182 Kate Atkinson: Life After Life 193 In Praise of Short Form 194 Diego Marani 191 Australian Character 192 4pm 4.30pm PHILHARMONIA STUDIO 9am Naomi Wolf with Mia Freedman 162 2.30pm 3.30pm BANGARRA MEZZANINE Telling Stories: Conflict in Art 152 1pm 1.30pm SYDNEY DANCE LOUNGE Janine di Giovanni: Love, War and Redemption 151 11.30am 12.30pm SYDNEY DANCE 2 Coffee and Papers with The Sydney Morning Herald 143 9.30am 10am SYDNEY DANCE 1 BAR AT THE END OF THE WHARF WHARF THEATRE 2 swf.org.au 13 5pm Water: New Writing 154 Effective Political Storytelling: Stephen Muller 195 Fifty Shades of Feminism 149 Storytelling and Business 150 Boys to Men 144 Writing Great TV 145 Defining Moments 147 The Silent History 146 Words and Music 148 11am 11.30am Who Are We Without Language? 155 Question Time with Sheila Heti 157 Love and Laughter 159 When a Book Travels Ideas That Changed the World 168 166 Five Dials Launch 167 Rachael Treasure and Rural Romance 169 Questions of Morality 176 Creative Writing as Freedom, Education as Exploration 177 Shami Chakrabarti: WOW Lecture 179 Stella Prize Trivia 178 Marathon Poetry Reading 187 Meet The SMH Best Young Australian Novelists 188 Bob Brown: The Future of Activism 190 Now Hear This: Lost the Plot 189 Speculative Fiction 156 Tash Aw: Five Star Billionaire 158 Speed Mentoring 196 Meanjin LetterRips 197 Is Caxton Cactus - Newspaper Nullius? 199 5x15 198 9pm 10pm Story Club 202 9pm The Chaser’s Empty Vessel 202 9.30pm 10pm 10.30pm 11pm SWF Up Late 202 11.30pm 11.30pm 12am 12am SUNDAY, MAY 26 SYDNEY THEATRE RICHARD WHERRETT WHARF THEATRE 2 9am 2.30pm 3pm 3.30pm BAR AT THE END OF THE WHARF SYDNEY DANCE 1 SYDNEY DANCE 2 SYDNEY DANCE LOUNGE BANGARRA MEZZANINE PHILHARMONIA STUDIO PIER 2/3 MAINSTAGE PIER 2/3 CLUB STAGE 9am Sylvia Nasar: Is the West Over and What Would Keynes say? 212 Framing a Life: On Memoir 213 Gillian Mears: Foal’s Luke Davies: Poetry, Fiction, Screen and Bread and Living Beyond 226 Life 225 The Amber Amulet: Short Film Screening 214 Destroying the Joint 210 Griffith REVIEW: Tasmania – The Soft Power of Culture 211 Transformation: Books to Film, Film to Books 205 Fantastical Tales 206 Hugh Mackay: What Makes a Life Worth Living? 208 Fun and Games with Libba and Justine 207 Daniel Morden: Tales From the Odyssey 209 Sheila Heti: How Should a Person Be? 228 John Cantwell: Exit Wounds 223 Press Freedom and the Public’s Right to Know 224 Research and Writing 218 Stella Stories 219 Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice 221 Storytelling for Young and Old 220 Love Letter to Iceland: Hannah Kent 222 Cricket and Country 237 Free Voices: Waleed Aly Sydney PEN Lecture 238 Sex, Deception and Justice: Mark Tedeschi 232 Ben Goldacre: Bad Pharma 235 Aleks Krotoski: Stories without Words 234 Is Rhetoric Dead in the Age of the Soundbite? 239 Stories That Last 240 Archie Roach 241 SWF Shorts: The One Thousand and One Nights 253 Karl Ove Knausgaard: My Struggle 254 Adapting Reality: The Truth is in the Details 256 4pm 9.30am Food: New Writing 255 Canberra Unmasked 250 Tales From the Editorial Front Line 251 Words Collide: Kate Tempest and Anis Mojgani 252 Following Gertrude Stein 247 The Art and Pleasure of Reading 233 Unlocked: Poets, Police and Prisoners 257 5.30pm On Craft: Deborah Levy 249 10pm 10.30pm 11pm 11.30pm 12am 12pm 12.30pm 1pm 1.30pm 2pm 3pm 5pm 5.30pm 6pm 6.30pm 7.30pm 9pm 11.30am 4.30pm Closing Address: Claire Messud 259 7pm 9.30pm 11am 4pm 6.30pm 8.30pm 10.30am 3.30pm 6pm 8pm Dear Sugar: Cheryl Strayed 236 10am 2.30pm Almost French to All Good Things: Sarah Turnbull 248 4.30pm 5pm PIER 2/3 THE LOFT Coffee and Papers with The Sydney Morning Herald 204 9.30am 2pm 5pm 8.30pm 11pm 1pm 4.30pm 8pm 10.30pm 1.30pm 3.30pm 6.30pm Also showing tonight at Town Hall: 200 Molly Ringwald: When It Happens to You 203 I’m a Feminist – Can I Vajazzle? 9.30pm 12.30pm 3pm 7.30pm 8.30pm 12pm 2pm 7pm 8pm 11.30am 1.30pm 6pm 7.30pm 11am 1pm 4pm 7pm 10am 12.30pm 5.30pm 6pm 10.30am 12pm 2.30pm On Craft: Jackie Kay 180 5.30pm 6.30pm 10.30am Don’t miss kids’ activities and events at The Big Top for Little People. See page 19. Finale: Molly Ringwald and Her Jazz Band 260 7pm 7.30pm 8pm 8.30pm 9pm 9.30pm 10pm 10.30pm 11pm 11.30pm 12am SATURDAY, MAY 25 14 swf.org.au 143 COFFEE AND PAPERS WITH THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD May 25, 9-10am The Bar at the End of the Wharf Join The Sydney Morning Herald journalists and special guest Ben Goldacre to hear their take on the stand-out stories and what is making news headlines today. Supported by The Sydney Morning Herald. Free, no bookings 147 DEFINING MOMENTS May 25, 10-11am Pier 2/3 Main Stage Claire Messud, Georgia Blain and Cate Kennedy speak to Monica Dux about delving into the truth of human nature: our motivations and desires. They discuss their individual approaches to writing. $20/$14, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au 144 BOYS TO MEN May 25, 10-11am Bangarra Mezzanine How challenging is it for boys to become men? Richard Glover discusses the issues for boys in this period of transition with Dr Arne Rubinstein, Richard Beasley and Craig Silvey. Free, no bookings 148 WORDS AND MUSIC May 25, 10-11am Pier 2/3 The Loft Music and literature are two very different artistic mediums, yet wholly connected. Jeff Lang, Kate Miller-Heidke, Kate Fagan and Andrew Ford discuss with Luke Davies how lyrics and poetry intertwine. Free, no bookings 149 FIFTY SHADES OF FEMINISM May 25, 10-11am Sydney Dance 1 Celebrating the launch of Virago’s Fifty Shades of Feminism, contributors Jude Kelly, Shami Chakrabarti and Kate Mosse discuss with ABC Radio National’s Natasha Mitchell what being a woman today really is about. Presented with ABC Radio National and Southbank Centre’s WOW. Free, no bookings 150 RACHEL BOTSMAN: STORYTELLING AND BUSINESS May 25, 10-11am Sydney Dance 2 Corporations are discovering the power of storytelling and using it to great effect. Join Shehan Karunatilaka (Chinaman), Robert Greene (Mastery), Rachel Botsman (What’s 145 WRITING GREAT TV May 25, 10-11am Philharmonia Studio Australian TV writing is going through a boom period, with hit series such as Puberty Blues, Offspring, Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, Underbelly, Paper Giants and Howzat! Join Deb Cox, Christopher Lee and Debra Oswald with Ruth Ritchie as they share their inside knowledge. Free, no bookings JANINE DI GIOVANNI 151 LOVE, WAR & REDEMPTION Photo: Rannjan Joawn 146 THE SILENT HISTORY May 25, 10-11am Pier 2/3 Club Stage Sam Cooney speaks to Eli Horowitz about The Silent History, his revolutionary novel written for the iPad and iPhone. With readings from Australian contributors Josephine Rowe, Krissy Kneen and Sam Cooney. $14/$10, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au OPERA VERDI May 25, 10-11am Sydney Theatre War correspondent Janine di Giovanni has reported on most of the world’s violent conflicts since the late 1980s. She talks with ABC TV The Book Club’s Jennifer Byrne about her deeply moving memoir, Ghosts by Daylight. $25/$20, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au Mine Is Yours) and Neil Lawrence, famed for his renowned “Kevin 07” campaign, as they speak with Moya Sayer-Jones. Supported by the Plain English Foundation. Free, no bookings 152 TELLING STORIES: CONFLICT IN ART May 25, 10-11am Richard Wherrett Studio How do artists engage with war and what stories are they telling? MCA Senior Curator Rachel Kent speaks with critic Michael Fried, Afghan artist Khadim Ali and award-winning photographer Benjamin Lowy. With thanks to the Museum of Contemporary Art, Head On Photo Festival and the University of Sydney. $14/$10, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au 155 WHO ARE WE WITHOUT LANGUAGE? May 25, 11.30am-12.30pm Bangarra Mezzanine A discussion of language and its place in human identity, with Diego Marani, Martin Harrison, Karl Ove Knausgaard and Sue Woolfe. Free, no bookings 156 SPECULATIVE FICTION May 25, 11.30am-12.30pm Philharmonia Studio Join Lauren Beukes, Scott Westerfeld, David M. Henley and James Bradley as they speculate on speculative fiction. What is it? Where do the boundaries blur between genres and sub-genres? Free, no bookings 153 HUMAN ENDURANCE IN THE EXTREME SOUTH May 25, 10-11am Wharf Theatre 2 Aussie explorers Justin Jones and James Castrission (Extreme South) are constantly pushing the boundaries of human endurance. Last year they completed the longest ever unsupported polar expedition. Hear Justin speak about their daring journey. $20/$14, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au 157 QUESTION TIME WITH SHEILA HETI May 25, 11.30am-12.30pm Pier 2/3 Club Stage Sheila Heti blends the real and imaginary in her novel, How Should a Person Be? In this Q&A performance she asks the audience questions to find out what makes a person “interesting”. $14/$10, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au 154 WATER: NEW WRITING May 25, 10.30-11.30am The Bar at the End of the Wharf India’s Anita Desai, Ireland’s Dermot Healy and Australia’s Amanda Lohrey read new short pieces themed around water, especially created for the 2013 Sydney Writers’ Festival. Hosted by UNSW’s Stephanie Bishop. Supported by UNSW. Free, no bookings 158 TASH AW: FIVE STAR BILLIONAIRE May 25, 11.30am-12.30pm Pier 2/3 Main Stage ABC Radio National’s Michael Cathcart chats to Tash Aw about his new novel, Five Star Billionaire, a tale of migrant Malaysian workers forging lives for themselves in sprawling Shanghai. $20/$14, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au Soul-stirring singing, intense emotions, thrilling music... Welcome to the spectacular world of opera. At Sydney Opera House • 29 June – 2 November PUCCINI INTRODUCE YOUR MUM TO THE OPERA THIS MOTHER’S DAY Give her a gift voucher for tickets to the opera and you give her a special occasion, a night to remember and an experience to cherish. Gift vouchers come in an attractive presentation pack or electronic format and can be mailed or emailed to you or your mum. Only available through Opera Australia. LA TRAVIATA TOSCA 30 JULY – 31 AUGUST 6 JULY – 31 AUGUST Emma Matthews, one of Australia’s leading sopranos, stars as Violetta Valéry in Elijah Moshinsky’s acclaimed production of Verdi’s heartbreaking tale. Set in Paris in the late 19th century, La Traviata remains one of the most beautiful operas ever written and is a perfect first-time opera experience. Puccini’s stirring music dramatises a dark tale of deceit, murder and jealousy as two young lovers, the painter Mario Cavaradossi and singer Floria Tosca, become trapped in a plot to help their friend escape from prison. Directed by John Bell, this production is rich with drama and emotion and will have you on the edge of your seat. TICKETS FROM $108* Opera Australia (02) 9318 8200 • opera-australia.org.au Sydney Opera House (02) 9250 7777 • sydneyoperahouse.com *Conditions and booking fees may apply. 1HERSA1 S014 PRINCIPAL PARTNER GOVERNMENT PARTNERS HERO PARTNER PERFORMANCE PARTNER SATURDAY, MAY 25 159 LOVE AND LAUGHTER May 25, 11.30am-12.30pm Pier 2/3 The Loft In their recent novels, both William McInnes and Graeme Simsion have created engaging, loveable characters that make us laugh and empathise with them. What is their secret? They talk with Fiona Harari. Free, no bookings 160 SYLVIE SIMMONS ON LEONARD COHEN May 25, 11.30am-12.30pm Sydney Dance 1 Sylvie Simmons, one of the best-known names in British rock writing, talks to ABC Radio National’s Robbie Buck about I’m Your Man, her biography of Leonard Cohen. Presented with ABC Radio National. Free, no bookings 161 WOW BITES May 25, 11.30am-12.30pm Sydney Dance 2 Hear amazing women’s stories as part of WOW Bites: talks and ideas, achievements, obsessions, performances, and more. With Yassmin Abdel-Magied, Melissa Lucashenko, Kristi Mansfield, Katharine Brisbane, Elaf Khaleel and Maheen Bhutta. Presented with Southbank Centre’s WOW. Free, no bookings 162 NAOMI WOLF WITH MIA FREEDMAN May 25, 11.30am-12.30pm Sydney Theatre Can women only be creative if they’re having great sex? Feminist writer Naomi Wolf is never far from controversy. Her first book, The Beauty Myth, launched a new wave of feminism and her latest work, Vagina: A New Biography, is no less provocative. Naomi speaks to Mia Freedman. $20/$14, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au 163 COURTNEY COLLINS: THE BURIAL May 25, 11.30am-12.30pm Richard Wherrett Studio Courtney Collins’ debut novel, The Burial, is inspired by real-life bushranger Jessie Hickman. Courtney speaks to Claudia Karvan about this heartbreaking novel. $14/$10, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au 164 PATRICK NESS: THE CRANE WIFE May 25, 11.30am-12.30pm Wharf Theatre 2 Patrick Ness speaks to Steven Gale about The Crane Wife, his first adult novel in nine years. Based on an ancient Japanese folk-tale, it’s a hymn to the creative imagination and a celebration of the power of love. $20/$14, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au 165 ESCAPE AND REINVENTION May 25, 1-2pm Bangarra Mezzanine What is it about human nature that drives many of us to run away from our everyday lives to seek out different experiences in other places? Emily Maguire, Catherine Deveny and Arnold Zable speak to Sarah Macdonald and ponder why home isn’t always where the heart is. Free, no bookings 166 WHEN A BOOK TRAVELS May 25, 1-2pm Philharmonia Studio Craig Silvey and Chloe Hooper discuss with international publishers, Erin Clarke and Paul Whitlatch, the way Australian books are edited and packaged for different markets. Chaired by Penguin’s Ben Ball. Includes the announcement of the 2014 Beatrice Davis Editorial Fellowship. Supported by Macleay College. Free, no bookings JAMES WOOD 173 THE FUN STUFF May 25, 1-2pm Sydney Theatre In his only solo appearance at the Festival, The New Yorker’s book critic James Wood talks to Susan Wyndham, Literary Editor of The Sydney Morning Herald, about the art of critiquing. He discusses his latest collection of essays, The Fun Stuff. Supported by the University of Sydney. $20/$14, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au 167 FIVE DIALS LAUNCH May 25, 1-2pm Pier 2/3 Club Stage Join Five Dials editor Craig Taylor as he releases a special edition of this international magazine, which includes new Australian writing. Free, no bookings 168 IDEAS THAT CHANGED THE WORLD May 25, 1-2pm Pier 2/3 Main Stage Throughout history, remarkable ideas have changed the way we play, work and think. Sylvia Nasar, Rachel Botsman and Aleks Krotoski speak to Richard Glover about some of the key ideas that have irrevocably changed our lives. Supported by Forming Circles. $20/$14, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au 169 RACHAEL TREASURE AND RURAL ROMANCE May 25, 1-2pm Pier 2/3 The Loft Rachael Treasure talks to Caroline Baum about her latest novel, The Farmer’s Wife, and the phenomenon of rural romance that she kick-started with her first novel, Jillaroo. Free, no bookings swf.org.au 15 170 WHAT THE CLASSICS TEACH US May 25, 1-2pm Sydney Dance 1 Alastair Blanshard speaks to Robert Greene, David Brooks and Richard Gill about the ways in which they bring new life and relevance to classic stories in their work. Free, no bookings 171 HACTIVISM, INTERNET PRIVACY AND ENCRYPTION: THE FUTURE OF POLITICS? May 25, 1-2pm Sydney Dance 2 Will the future belong to those who understand technology? Cryptoparty founder Asher Wolf, programmer Benjamin Laird and author Neil Chenoweth discuss with Overland editor Jeff Sparrow. Presented with Overland. Free, no bookings 172 UNDER 10S FEMINIST CORNER May 25, 1-2pm Sydney Dance Studio Join other young feminists for an interactive workshop exploring what being a girl means and how to start a campaign in your bedroom. Presented with Southbank Centre’s WOW. Free, bookings essential, email [email protected] 174 ROBERT DREWE: MONTEBELLO May 25, 1-2pm Richard Wherrett Studio Malcolm Knox speaks to award-winning novelist, non-fiction writer and editor Robert Drewe about Montebello, the sequel to his acclaimed memoir, The Shark Net. $14/$10, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au 1HERSA1 S015 16 swf.org.au 175 THE MISOGYNY FACTOR May 25, 1-2pm Wharf Theatre 2 Anne Summers takes a hard look at what kind of society Australia really is in light of the unprecedented expressions of hatred directed at women at the top. $20/$14, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au SATURDAY, MAY 25 CARLOS RUIZ ZAFÓN 183 IN CONVERSATION WITH SUZANNE LEAL 188 MEET THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD BEST YOUNG AUSTRALIAN NOVELISTS May 25, 4-5pm Philharmonia Studio Each year The Sydney Morning Herald names the authors it considers the best young novelists in the country. SMH Literary Editor Susan Wyndham leads a discussion with the 2013 winners about their novels, with short readings. Presented with The Sydney Morning Herald. Free, no bookings 246 STORIES THEN & NOW May 25, 2-3.30pm Carriageworks Stories Then & Now brings together six Asian Australians to tell stories from their past, unravelling the threads to their present day lives. Directed by William Yang and Annette Shun Wah. Presented by Carriageworks and Performance 4a. $35, bookings Ticketmaster 1300 723 038 176 QUESTIONS OF MORALITY May 25, 2.30-3.30pm Bangarra Mezzanine Infanticide, incest or even using one’s family as creative fodder ... literature is a perfect vehicle to explore human boundaries. Karl Ove Knausgaard, Amy Espeseth, Krissy Kneen and Courtney Collins discuss moral and social boundaries in their work, with Steven Gale. Free, no bookings 177 CREATIVE WRITING AS FREEDOM, EDUCATION AS EXPLORATION May 25, 2.30-3.30pm Philharmonia Studio Creative writing is more than just words on a page; it’s freedom. Libby Gleeson, Professor Robyn Ewing and Teya Dusseldorp discuss how imaginative freedom can improve children’s life chances. Presented with Sydney PEN. Free, no bookings 178 STELLA PRIZE TRIVIA May 25, 2.30-3.30pm Pier 2/3 Club Stage Join MC Sally Warhaft and some of your favourite Australian authors in an afternoon of trivia and laughs, celebrating the writing of Australian women, past and present. Presented with The Stella Prize. Free, no bookings 179 SHAMI CHAKRABARTI: WOW AT SYDNEY WRITERS’ FESTIVAL LECTURE May 25, 2.30-3.30pm Pier 2/3 Main Stage Shami Chakrabarti, Director of the UK’s Liberty, sets out the story of women’s struggles for freedom across the world – and why it’s important that we don’t stop making noise. Presented with Southbank Centre’s WOW. $20/$14, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au and sensuality, the everyday and the ecstatic. With Elizabeth Allen, Michael Brennan, L.K. Holt, Jessica L. Wilkinson, Luke Davies, Kate Fagan and Lionel Fogarty, hosted by Michelle Cahill. Supported by Forming Circles. Free, no bookings May 25, 2.30-3.30pm Sydney Theatre Carlos Ruiz Zafón, author of international bestseller The Shadow of the Wind, and one of the world’s most 180 ON CRAFT: HOW THE IMAGINATION CAN HELP US SURVIVE May 25, 2.30-3.30pm Pier 2/3 The Loft Plagued by dementia, delusions and desperation, the characters in Jackie Kay’s books often struggle with reality. In this lecture, Jackie will speak about how they use imagination to survive. Part of the SWF Craft Series. Supported by Forming Circles. Free, no bookings 181 THE FUTURE FACE OF ASIA May 25, 2.30-3.30pm Sydney Dance 1 Where is Asia, the world’s largest and most populous continent, heading next? Will the 21st century be Asia’s finest? Tash Aw, Pankaj Mishra and Benjamin Law debate Asia’s future with Monica Attard. Free, no bookings 182 WAR STORIES May 25, 2.30-3.30pm Sydney Dance 2 Mike Carlton speaks to Ross McMullin, Tim Bowden and national treasure, Thai-Burma Railway survivor, 92-year-old Tom Uren, about Australians who went to war. Free, no bookings 184 IN COLD BLOOD May 25, 2.30-3.30pm Richard Wherrett Studio In the tradition of Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood, three bold Australian non-fiction loved authors, speaks to Suzanne Leal about his work and thrilling new book, The Prisoner of Heaven. $20/$14, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au writers bring insights into the complexities of criminal trials and trial by media. Anna Krien, Mark Tedeschi AM QC and Matthew Condon discuss with P.M. Newton. $14/$10, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au 185 AROUND THE WORLD IN EIGHTY ETYMOLOGIES May 25, 2.30-3.30pm Wharf Theatre 2 English language “pedant” and author Mark Forsyth circles the world in 80 etymologies: 30 seconds each, with etymologies from London to Sydney and beyond. $20/$14, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au 186 LUCKY SYDNEY: A LUCKY PEACH EVENT May 25, 4-5pm Grain Bar, Four Seasons Hotel Quarterly journal of food and writing Lucky Peach is a culinary bible produced by Editor-in-Chief Chris Ying and superchef David Chang (Momofuku). Chris shares his recipe for preparing the perfect publication and his tips for crafting delicious food writing with Adam Liaw. Presented in collaboration with Vivid Ideas. Free, no bookings 187 MARATHON POETRY READING May 25, 4-5pm Bangarra Mezzanine An afternoon of poetics and protest, sense 189 NOW HEAR THIS: LOST THE PLOT May 25, 4-5pm Pier 2/3 Club Stage Join ABC Radio National’s Now Hear This host Melanie Tait and Conversations’ Richard Fidler for a special afternoon of live stories, as five well-known Australians reveal their true story on the theme, “Lost the Plot”. $14/$10, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au 190 BOB BROWN: THE FUTURE OF ACTIVISM May 25, 4-5pm Pier 2/3 Main Stage In 1976, a young Bob Brown fasted at the top of Hobart’s Mount Wellington in protest against the arrival of a nuclear warship. Now, after 16 years in the Senate, he’s joined the Sea Shepherd to direct their campaign against Japanese whalers. Amanda Lohrey talks to him about the future of activism. $20/$14, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au 191 DIEGO MARANI May 25, 4-5pm Sydney Dance 1 Diego Marani (novelist, essayist, translator and creator of Europanto, a language without rules) talks with the Plain English Foundation’s Neil James about his recent novels, looking at whether we need language to define ourselves. Supported by the Plain English Foundation. Free, no bookings 192 AUSTRALIAN CHARACTER May 25, 4-5pm Sydney Dance 2 What does the fabric of our multicultural society say about who we are? How exactly do we define the Australian character, and is it racist to say Australia and Australians are special? Nick Cater, Tim Soutphommasane and Pat Grant speak with Julia Baird. Free, no bookings 193 KATE ATKINSON: LIFE AFTER LIFE May 25, 4-5pm Sydney Theatre Caroline Baum speaks to Kate Atkinson about Life After Life, her most ambitious novel to date. “Kate Atkinson’s new novel is a box of delights ... If you wish to be moved and astonished, read it” (Hilary Mantel). $20/$14, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au 194 IN PRAISE OF SHORT FORM May 25, 4-5pm Richard Wherrett Studio Join Deborah Levy, Anita Desai and Cate Kennedy as they speak to Tegan Bennett Daylight about why telling a story in short form can be immensely satisfying. $14/$10, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au 195 EFFECTIVE POLITICAL STORYTELLING: STEPHEN MULLER May 25, 4-5pm Wharf Theatre 2 Stephen Muller, the Obama campaign’s Video Director, speaks to Marc Fennell about building the largest internal digital team in political history, producing 1300 pieces of video content that resulted in more than 130 million views. $20/$14, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au 196 SPEED MENTORING May 25, 4-5.30pm Pier 2/3 The Loft Join a women-only speed-mentoring session with experts across many fields, for four 15-minute mentoring sessions. To sign up to be a mentor or apply to be a mentee, use the email below. Places on a first come first served basis. Presented with Southbank Centre’s WOW. Free, registration essential, email [email protected] 197 MEANJIN LETTERRIPS May 25, 5.30-6.30pm Sydney Dance Lounge Meanjin goes head-to-head with rival Sydney Review of Books in a series of fun, fast-paced literary games, to see who the real literary heavyweights are. Free, no bookings 198 5X15 May 25, 5.30-7pm Sydney Theatre Five speakers, 15 minutes: Amelia Lester dishes the inside word on The New Yorker; author Jackie Kay shares taxi chats; Urthboy defends unclean slates and new beginnings; Kate Mosse speaks about the importance of female heroes; and Lawrence Krauss argues that Star Trek saved the world. $20/$14, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au Nine letter word for engrossed Crossword lovers will love David Astle’s Cryptic Crossword event on Friday, May 24 at this year’s Sydney Writers’ Festival, proudly supported by The Sydney Morning Herald. You’ll also love the SMH app for iPad® which gives you more of the content you love: interactive crosswords, video in full HD, full screen images and full depth profiles. Best of all, for a limited time you get free access to the new features and all your SMH favourites. Download the SMH for iPad from App StoreSM today. Apple, the Apple logo and iPad are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc. 1HERSA1 S016 SATURDAY, MAY 25 - SUNDAY, MAY 26 199 IS CAXTON CACTUS - NEWSPAPER NULLIUS? May 25, 5.30-7pm Wharf Theatre 2 702 ABC’s Simon Marnie leads a debate on print media’s future with Margot Saville, Don Groves, Simon Thomsen and Mark Colvin. Includes presentation of The Critic of the Year Pascall Prize. Presented by the Geraldine Pascall Foundation. Free, no bookings 200 MOLLY RINGWALD: WHEN IT HAPPENS TO YOU May 25, 6-7pm Sydney Town Hall Molly Ringwald, of The Breakfast Club fame, discusses her debut novel, When it Happens to You, a series of stories exploring love, loss and betrayal. With Jane Gleeson-White. $30/$25, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au 201 STORIES THEN & NOW May 25, 7-8.30pm Carriageworks Stories Then & Now captures the stories of six Asian Australians. Directed by William Yang and Annette Shun Wah. Presented by Carriageworks and Performance 4a. $35, bookings Ticketmaster 1300 723 038 202 FESTIVAL CLUB May 25, 7-11.45pm Pier 2/3 Club Stage Featuring Story Club’s The Sincerest Form of Flattery; The Chaser’s Empty Vessel with Lauren Beukes, Graeme Simsion and Robert Greene; and SWF Up Late with Pat Grant, Jeff Lang, Melodie Nelson and Solo. $10 on the door, details swf.org.au Pier 2/3 The Loft Join master-storyteller Daniel Morden for the first and greatest adventure story of all, The Odyssey, with the one-eyed Cyclops, the enchanting music of the sirens and the temptress Calypso. Supported by Macquarie. Free, no bookings SUNDAY MAY 26 204 COFFEE AND PAPERS WITH THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD May 26, 9-10am The Bar at the End of the Wharf Join The Sydney Morning Herald journalists and Festival special guest Robert Greene to hear their take on the stand-out stories and what is making news headlines today. Supported by The Sydney Morning Herald. Free, no bookings 205 TRANSFORMATION: BOOKS TO FILM, FILM TO BOOKS May 26, 10-11am Bangarra Mezzanine How do books morph into film, and films into books? Robyn Davidson, Nick Earls and Graeme Simsion discuss the differences between writing for film and writing books, and question what is lost and/or gained in the transformation, with Marc Fennell. Free, no bookings 208 HUGH MACKAY: WHAT MAKES A LIFE WORTH LIVING? May 26, 10-11am Pier 2/3 Main Stage In his new book, The Good Life, social researcher and psychologist Hugh Mackay addresses the ultimate question: what makes a life worth living? Chair: Peter Shergold. $20/$14, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au 209 DANIEL MORDEN: TALES FROM THE ODYSSEY May 26, 10-11am 210 DESTROYING THE JOINT May 26, 10-11am Sydney Dance 1 #Destroythejoint initiator Jane Caro will ask Senator Christine Milne, Catherine Deveny, Monica Dux and Jenna Price to do what women do best – wreak a little more havoc! Free, no bookings 211 GRIFFITH REVIEW: TASMANIA THE SOFT POWER OF CULTURE May 26, 10-11am Sydney Dance 2 Tasmania is the new black. Natasha Cica, co-editor of Griffith REVIEW: Tasmania – The Tipping Point?, leads a discussion with contributors Scott Rankin and Kathy Marks about the soft power of Tasmanian culture. Presented with Griffith REVIEW. Free, no bookings 212 SYLVIA NASAR: IS THE WEST OVER AND WHAT WOULD KEYNES SAY? May 26, 10-11am Sydney Theatre Really smart people have argued that the Western model – market economies and democracy – is no longer the best way forward. Hear what Sylvia Nasar, author of Grand Pursuit: The Story of Economic RUBY WAX 203 I’M A FEMINIST - CAN I VAJAZZLE? May 25, 8.30-10pm Sydney Town Hall In an era of slut-shaming and porn-ondemand, comedian and writer Ruby Wax joins Shami Chakrabarti, Mia Freedman, Dale Spender and Jamila Rizvi in a discussion with Jude Kelly, founder of WOW Festival, about what it means for a woman to own her own body. Presented with Southbank Centre’s WOW. Ruby will also appear solo in the Sydney Opera House on Wednesday, May 22 (14). $25/$20, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au Genius, has to say. With Jane GleesonWhite. Supported by K&L Gates. $20/$14, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au 213 FRAMING A LIFE: ON MEMOIR May 26, 10-11am Richard Wherrett Studio Tanya Levin (CrimWife), Rebecca Huntley (The Italian Girl), Sarah Turnbull (All Good Things) and Kirstie Clements (The Vogue Factor) discuss writing their memoirs and the challenges they faced in life and on the page, with Elizabeth Johnstone. $14/$10, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au 214 THE AMBER AMULET: SHORT FILM SCREENING May 26, 10-11am Wharf Theatre 2 Award-winning short-film maker Matthew Moore and producer/actor Genevieve Hegney discuss adapting The Amber Amulet for the big screen with author Craig Silvey. Includes a special Australian debut screening of the film. $20/$14, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au 217 MCA ZINE FAIR May 26, 11am-4pm Museum of Contemporary Art Browse, buy and make zines at the sixth annual MCA Zine Fair. Stuff your pockets full of boutique handmade zines, catch a drop-in workshop, and don’t miss the Show & Tell session with zine-enthusiast and MCA Curator Glenn Barkley. Presented by the Museum of Contemporary Art. Free, no bookings 218 RESEARCH AND WRITING May 26, 11.30am-12.30pm Bangarra Mezzanine Suzanne Leal leads a discussion with 2012 Nib Waverley Library Award winner Jane Gleeson-White, and shortlistees Robin de Crespigny and Fiona Harari, about the different approaches to research they used in their books. Presented with Waverley Library. Free, no bookings 219 STELLA STORIES May 26, 11.30am-12.30pm Philharmonia Studio Women are working in many different genres and across many different mediums to tell their stories. Debra Oswald, Kate Mulvany and Cate Kennedy discuss the art and importance of telling women’s stories with Sophie Cunningham. Presented with The Stella Prize. Free, no bookings swf.org.au 17 221 JANE AUSTEN’S PRIDE AND PREJUDICE May 26, 11.30am-12.30pm Pier 2/3 Main Stage Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is one of the world’s best-loved classics. Mark its 200th anniversary with Amanda Hooton, Damon Young and Tegan Bennett Daylight, who speak with Susannah Fullerton, President of the Jane Austen Society of Australia. $20/$14, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au 222 LOVE LETTER TO ICELAND May 26, 11.30am-12.30pm Pier 2/3 The Loft In northern Iceland, 1829, Agnes Magnúsdóttir is condemned to death for her part in the brutal murder of two men. Hannah Kent talks with SMH Literary Editor Susan Wyndham about her powerful debut, Burial Rites, one of this year’s most talked-about novels. Free, no bookings 223 JOHN CANTWELL: EXIT WOUNDS May 26, 11.30am-12.30pm Sydney Dance 1 Author, journalist and political commentator David Marr talks with Major General John Cantwell about his powerful book, Exit Wounds, a raw and compassionate account of the modern battlefield and a plea for understanding the hidden wounds of war. Free, no bookings 224 PRESS FREEDOM AND THE PUBLIC’S RIGHT TO KNOW May 26, 11.30am-12.30pm Sydney Dance 2 A panel analysing freedom of expression and freedom of the press in Australia, featuring Kate McClymont, Steve Pennells and Linton Besser, led by Christopher Warren. Presented by The Walkley Foundation for Journalism. Free, no bookings 225 GILLIAN MEARS: FOAL’S BREAD AND LIVING LIFE May 26, 11.30am-12.30pm Sydney Theatre Gillan Mears reunites with her first publisher, Bruce Pascoe, to speak about her most recent novel, Foal’s Bread, winner of the 2012 Prime Minister’s Literary Award for Fiction, her writing and her love of horses. $20/$14, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au 226 LUKE DAVIES: POETRY, FICTION, SCREEN AND BEYOND May 26, 11.30am-12.30pm Richard Wherrett Studio Award-winning poet, novelist and screenwriter Luke Davies discusses the OUR IDEAS LEAD THE WAY FACULTY OF ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES The Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at the University of Sydney is once again a proud partner of the Sydney Writers’ Festival in 2013. Ranked in the top 21 universities in the world for the study of arts and humanities (Times Higher Education UK) since 2006, we share the Festival’s passion for outstanding writing and informed debate about the big questions of our time. Among the highlights of the Festival is a panel on fan fiction, which features PhD candidate Joseph Brennan (pictured) as chair. Joseph’s doctoral research is on slash fiction. Learn more at sydney.edu.au/arts CRICOS 00026A 1HERSA1 S017 SUNDAY, MAY 26 18 swf.org.au range and breadth of his work – from cult favourite, Candy, through to the 2012 Prime Minister’s Literary Award winning poetry collection, Interferon Psalms – with David Michôd. $14/$10, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au 228 SHEILA HETI: HOW SHOULD A PERSON BE? May 26, 11.30am-12.30pm Wharf Theatre 2 Sheila Heti blends the real and the imaginary in her novel, How Should a Person Be? Hear the Canadian author talk about her “novel from life”, dubbed the book version of HBO series Girls. “An engaging mashup of memoir, fiction and philosophy” (The Guardian). $20/$14, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au 229 TROUBADOURS AND MINSTRELS May 26, 12-1pm The Rocks Square Alcoves, underpasses and secret corners around The Rocks provide miniperformance spaces, decked out with couches, rugs, curtains and little amps. Four musos lead four small crowds to poets in these intimate spaces. The crowd rotates until each group has visited the four makeshift venues. Presented by Word Travels and supported by The Rocks pop-up. Free, no bookings 232 SEX, DECEPTION AND JUSTICE: THE STORY OF EUGENIA FALLENI May 26, 1-2pm Bangarra Mezzanine Mark Tedeschi AM QC will speak with Elsa Atkin about his book Eugenia: A True Story of Tragedy, Adversity, Crime and Courage, in which a woman who lived in Sydney for 22 years as a man faced trial for murder. Free, no bookings 233 THE ART AND PLEASURE OF READING May 26, 1-2pm Philharmonia Studio A reader lives 1000 lives before they die, a non-reader only one. Ramona Koval, William McInnes, Ashley Hay and Jill Eddington discuss the art and pleasure of reading, and how it impacts on writers. Free, no bookings KARL OVE KNAUSGAARD 254 MY STRUGGLE May 26, 2.30-3.30pm Richard Wherrett Studio Karl Ove Knausgaard discusses My Struggle, the six-volume autobiographical novel that intrigued the people of Norway to the extent that some workplaces had to declare “Knausgaard-free days”. By turning a frank and unforgiving eye on his own life – without changing any names – Karl shocked his family and became a media sensation. $14/$10, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au 234 ALEKS KROTOSKI: STORIES WITHOUT WORDS May 26, 1-2pm Pier 2/3 Club Stage Aleks Krotoski, presenter of BBC Radio 4’s The Digital Human, shares her series of fascinating interviews with people who tell stories without using words. Hear from a five-star Michelin chef on taste and a perfume-interpreter on storytelling through scent. Supported by Daily Life. $14/$10, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au 235 BEN GOLDACRE: BAD PHARMA May 26, 1-2pm Pier 2/3 Main Stage Ben Goldacre discusses the scathing critique of today’s pharmaceutical industry presented in his second book, Bad Pharma, with Lisa Pryor. $20/$14, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au 236 DEAR SUGAR: ADVICE ON LIFE AND LOVE May 26, 1-2pm Pier 2/3 The Loft Cheryl Strayed, bestselling author and beloved advice-columnist known as “Dear Sugar” at The Rumpus, takes ARCHIE ROACH 241 BUTCHER PAPER, TEXTA, BLACKBOARD AND CHALK May 26, 1-2pm Wharf Theatre 2 Join Archie Roach, Australia’s beloved Aboriginal singer/songwriter, who for the first time in Sydney will launch Butcher Paper, Texta, Blackboard and Chalk, a collection of children’s songs. A documentary will also be screened and Archie will treat the audience to a couple of songs. Chair: Jeff McMullen. $20/$14, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au questions from the audience, offering her advice on love and life. Free, no bookings 237 CRICKET AND COUNTRY May 26, 1-2pm Sydney Dance 1 Shehan Karunatilaka, winner of the 2012 Commonwealth Book Prize, and Gideon Haigh, dubbed “the greatest cricket writer alive”, discuss with P.M. Newton how sport defines and reflects a culture and country. Free, no bookings 238 FREE VOICES: FREE SPEECH, VILIFICATION AND POWER May 26, 1-2pm Sydney Dance 2 Waleed Aly, broadcaster, author and commentator, gives the 2013 Sydney PEN Free Voices lecture: “Free speech, vilification and power”. Presented by Sydney PEN. Free, no bookings 239 IS RHETORIC DEAD IN THE AGE OF THE SOUNDBITE? May 26, 1-2pm Sydney Theatre Last year, Prime Minister Julia Gillard electrified the world with her misogyny speech, but this was a rare exception. Has our political discourse been reduced to slogans? And what does this mean for our democracy? Michael Fullilove puts the big questions to James Button, Malcolm Turnbull, Annabel Crabb and Neil James. Supported by the Plain English Foundation. $20/$14, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au 5 -16 JUNE 2013 25 FILMS REVEALED! FULL PROGRAM 8 MAY READY TO POP! SFF now at Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace! 1HERSA1 S018 240 STORIES THAT LAST May 26, 1-2pm Richard Wherrett Studio In a conversation about ancient literature and the power of storytelling over centuries, Dr Juanita Ruys, from The University of Sydney, talks to William Dalrymple, Daniel Morden and Kooshyar Karimi. $14/$10, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au 242 DAVID SHRIGLEY: HOW ARE YOU FEELING? May 26, 1-3pm Museum of Contemporary Art In this Australian exclusive, David Shrigley takes us through his quirky creative journey, explores the ideas behind his books, and explains his collaborations with artists from David Byrne to Franz Ferdinand. Presented in collaboration with Vivid Ideas. $25/$20, bookings vividsydney.com 244 ZINES: SHOW AND TELL WITH CURATOR GLENN BARKLEY May 26, 2-3pm Museum of Contemporary Art Join zine-enthusiast and Museum of Contemporary Art Curator Glenn Barkley for an interactive exploration of zines and artist books from his own personal stash. Presented by the Museum of Contemporary Art. Free, no bookings 245 LUKE DAVIES AND MICHAEL BRENNAN: POETRY DOUBLE LAUNCH May 26, 2-3.30pm Brett Whiteley Studio David Malouf will launch Michael Brennan’s third collection of poetry, Autoethnographic, co-winner of the Grace Leven Prize. Irish author Dermot Healy will launch the long-awaited reprint edition of Luke Davies’ first book of poems, Four Plots for Magnets. Free, bookings essential, email: [email protected] 247 FOLLOWING GERTRUDE STEIN May 26, 2.30-3.30pm Bangarra Mezzanine The hip, modern poetry of Jill Jones, Toby Fitch, Astrid Lorange and Michael Farrell playfully debates meaning. In this panel discussion with readings, there will be spars with high and low culture, politics, wit and lots of energy. Presented with Australian Poetry. Free, no bookings 248 ALMOST FRENCH TO ALL GOOD THINGS May 26, 2.30-3.30pm Pier 2/3 Main Stage Sarah Turnbull’s eagerly anticipated follow-up to her bestselling memoir, Almost French, is finally here. She talks with Moya Sayer-Jones about All Good Things, which picks up her story after she leaves Paris for a different kind of paradise on earth – Tahiti. $20/$14, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au 249 ON CRAFT: WHY I WRITE AND THE COST OF LIVING May 26, 2.30-3.30pm Pier 2/3 The Loft Inspired by George Orwell’s classic essay, Why I Write, Deborah Levy addresses the many motivations and inspirations behind her writing. Part of the SWF Craft Series. Free, no bookings 250 CANBERRA UNMASKED May 26, 2.30-3.30pm Sydney Dance 1 Join Shadow Treasurer Joe Hockey and Canberra Press Gallery reporters Chris Uhlmann and Steve Lewis as they take a no-holds-barred (and only slightly mischievous) look at this election year. Free, no bookings 251 TALES FROM THE EDITORIAL FRONT LINE May 26, 2.30-3.30pm Sydney Dance 2 Eli Horowitz, Craig Taylor, Ben Ball and Jane Palfreyman share war stories, love stories and advice from the editorial front line with author Matthew Condon. Supported by Macleay College. Free, no bookings SUNDAY, MAY 26 255 FOOD: NEW WRITING May 26, 2.30-3.30pm The Bar at the End of the Wharf Whet your appetite with readings of new, as yet unpublished, works around the theme of food, from Scarlett Thomas, Pauline Nguyen and Josephine Rowe. Chair: Amelia Lester, Managing Editor of The New Yorker. Free, no bookings 256 ADAPTING REALITY: THE TRUTH IS IN THE DETAILS May 26, 2.30-3.30pm Wharf Theatre 2 A provocative re-examination of the death in custody of Cameron Doomadgee, as retold in 257 UNLOCKED: POETS, POLICE AND PRISONERS May 26, 3-4pm Philharmonia Studio Experience a series of poetry readings set in a “prison cell” and a discussion with Anthony Lawrence, Philip Hammial, Solo, Gareth Jenkins and Lorna Munro. Presented by Johanna Featherstone and The Red Room Company. Free, no bookings 258 FRED WATSON’S JOURNEY THROUGH TIME AND SPACE WITH PIZZA May 26, 3.30-5.30pm Sydney Observatory Astronomer Fred Watson takes you on an adventure, exploring observatories from ancient Peru to smashing atoms in Switzerland, followed by planetary twilight telescope viewing (weather permitting) and pizza. $55, family of 4 (including pizza), bookings 9921 3485, sydneyobservatory.com 259 CLOSING ADDRESS: CLAIRE MESSUD May 26, 4.30-5.30pm Sydney Theatre Claire Messud, who juggles American, Canadian and French identities, and who spent her formative childhood years in Sydney, will speak about a writer’s rootlessness in the global era, and the underpinning importance of “imaginary homelands” in her storytelling. $25/$20, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au MOLLY RINGWALD 260 FINALE: MOLLY RINGWALD AND HER JAZZ BAND May 26, 6.30-8pm Pier 2/3 Club Stage Join us as Molly Ringwald and her jazz band close the Festival in style with a homage to the great American songbook. A performance not to be missed from this “silk-voiced jazz chanteuse” (Huffington Post). On May 25 (200) Molly also talks about her new book, When It Happens To You. $30/$25, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au Bring the whole family to the Festival on Sunday as we celebrate storytelling for young and old. There are free sessions featuring bestselling authors of books for children and young adults. Come to The Big Top For Little People, at Pier 2/3, an amazing activity centre where children explore storytelling, characters come to life, murals are painted, dinosaurs drawn, zines made, and much more! See scheduled events below or at swf.org.au With US literary agent, Barry Goldblatt. Free, no bookings 206 FANTASTICAL TALES May 26, 10-11am Philharmonia Studio Young adult fantasy is riding high. The benefit for writers and their publishers is that the genre crosses the generation gap, reaching large audiences. Kate Forsyth, S.D. Gentill and K.B. Hoyle speak with Judith Ridge about listening to our inner child and our desire to read fantastical tales as adults and children. Supported by The Writer’s Coffee Shop (TWCS). Free, no bookings THE BIG TOP FOR LITTLE PEOPLE All events held at Pier 2/3 Big Top 207 FUN AND GAMES WITH LIBBA AND JUSTINE May 26, 10-11am Pier 2/3 Club Stage Venture inside the dark, supernatural underbelly of 1920s New York with Libba Bray’s The Diviners, and the strange world of vampire dating with Justine Larbalestier’s Team Human. 220 STORYTELLING FOR YOUNG AND OLD: PATRICK NESS AND CARLOS RUIZ ZAFÓN May 26, 11.30am-12.30pm Pier 2/3 Club Stage Patrick Ness and Carlos Ruiz Zafón speak with Judith Ridge about how great storytelling transcends age. Free, no bookings 215 FESTIVAL SHUTTERBUGGING May 26, 10am-12pm Time to investigate the Festival with Sydney Story Factory! Festival-goers aged 10-15 years set out with cameras and pens to discover a few secrets about what’s going on down at the wharves, and then create their own personal zine. Presented with Sydney Story Factory. Free, registrations essential, 9250 1988 216 DANCE WITH DINOSAURS! May 26, 10.30-11.15am Giraffes can’t resist the trees … I love sandwiches … but who stole the cheese? Go wild in a romping, stomping reading of Dinosaurs Love Cheese, with popular children’s author Jackie French. Free, no bookings 227 DREAMING STORIES May 26, 11.30am-12.30pm The Big Top for Little People becomes a meeting place for four stunning storytellers. Nardi Simpson, Kaleena Briggs, Richard Green and Lucy Simpson share stories from the dreaming. Children will be enchanted and entertained. Free, no bookings 230 THERE IS A MONSTER UNDER MY BED WHO FARTS May 26, 12.30-1pm Tim Miller and Matt Stanton engage the audience with a lively reading of their book, There is a Monster Under My Bed Who Farts, and demonstrate how to draw the Fart Monster step-by-step. Free, no bookings 231 FESTIVAL SHUTTERBUGGING May 26, 12.30-2.30pm Time to investigate the Festival with Sydney Story Factory! Festival goers aged 10-15 years set out with cameras and pens to discover a few secrets about what’s going on down at the wharves, and then create their own personal zine. Presented with Sydney Story Factory. Free, registrations essential, 9250 1988 243 MAKING CHARACTERS WHO DO WHAT YOU WANT THEM TO DO! May 26, 2-2.45pm Nick Earls and Terry Whidborne, the creators of the Word Hunters series, open their bag of tricks and teach people of all ages how to bring characters to life! Free, no bookings P&D-4014-4/2013 253 SWF SHORTS: THE ONE THOUSAND AND ONE NIGHTS May 26, 2.30-3.30pm Sydney Theatre A Middle Eastern storytelling adventure, The Thousand and One Nights delivers a series of stories straight from the bazaar. These readings will be directed by STC Resident Director Kip Williams, and feature some of Sydney’s finest actors. Presented with Sydney Theatre Company. $20/$14, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au The Tall Man. With Tony Kravitz, Darren Dale and Chloe Hooper discussing the adaptation with Ross Grayson Bell. Presented with AFTRS. Free, no bookings Photo: Getty Images 252 WORDS COLLIDE: KATE TEMPEST AND ANIS MOJGANI May 26, 2.30-3.30pm Sydney Dance Lounge Performance poets Kate Tempest and Anis Mojgani are both described as “fierce” and “genius” – a potent combination. Here in Sydney their worlds and words collide. Also featuring Q-poets, hosted by Miles Merrill. Presented with Word Travels. Supported by Belgiovane Williams Mackay. Free, no bookings swf.org.au 19 Currently showing: 60 intriguing objects from the Sir William Dixson collection An exciting space of changing objects and revealing stories from the Library’s amazing collections. FREE ENTRY STATE LIBRARY OF NSW MACQUARIE ST SYDNEY 2000 (02) 9273 1414 WWW.SL.NSW.GOV.AU 1HERSA1 S019 20 swf.org.au WORKSHOPS SATURDAY, MAY 18 – SATURDAY, MAY 25 into what publishers are looking for, what drives editors crazy, and how to present your work for publication. $85/$75 Sydney Writers’ Festival workshops are led by acclaimed local and international authors. The workshops kick off Saturday, May 18, and run for a week. Workshops for children take place between Sunday, May 19, and Tuesday, May 21. All workshops are held at Sydney’s State Library of New South Wales, Macquarie Street. Tickets can be booked through Sydney Theatre Box Office, 9250 1988 or swf.sydneytheatre.org.au, unless otherwise stated. The Sydney Writers’ Festival workshop program is supported by Pantera Press. W1 DAVID M. HENLEY: SCI-FI AND ESCAPING THE KNOWN WORLD May 18, 9.30am-12.30pm David M. Henley discusses the history of science fiction, challenges for contemporary authors to stay relevant in the face of technological changes, and techniques for writing in the genre. $85/$75 W2 TOMMY MURPHY: DRAMATIC ACTION May 18, 9.30am-12.30pm A practical introduction to playwriting led by Tommy Murphy. Develop your skills in dialogue and dramatic structure, and discover techniques and tips of the trade. $85/$75 W3 REBECCA HUNTLEY: RESEARCH AND CREATIVE NARRATIVE IN MEMOIR May 18, 1.30-4.30pm Social researcher and writer Rebecca Huntley explores the ways in which the research process itself might be incorporated into memoir writing. $85/$75 W4 WILL SWANTON: SPORTS AS LIFE May 18, 1.30-4.30pm Learn how to write about the real meaning of sport: the life lessons. Sport is hope, glory, disappointment and triumph. $85/$75 W5 NEIL JAMES: THE GENTLE ART OF PERSUASION May 19, 10am-4.30pm What makes one text compelling and another pedestrian? Whether you are writing fiction or for the web, learn from Neil James how to supercharge your text. Supported by the Plain English Foundation. $150/$140 W6 GABRIEL CLARK: MAKING COMICS – CLARITY, CLOSURE AND SEQUENTIAL ART May 19, 10am-4.30pm Learn the tools to help you communicate in the language of comics. $150/$140 1HERSA1 S020 MELANIE TAIT W20 LEARNING LIVE STORYTELLING May 23, 10am-4.30pm State Library of NSW Live storytelling is fast becoming the most popular way to spend a night out. ABC Radio National’s Now Hear This host Melanie Tait explains what makes a good story and how to become a great storyteller. Supported by Pantera Press. $150/$140, bookings 9250 1988, swf.sydneytheatre.org.au W7 CBCA JUNIOR MASTERCLASS: JACQUELINE HARVEY May 19, 10am-4.30pm Share your writing ideas with Jacqueline Harvey and learn new, interesting ways to show your characters’ personalities, build exciting scenes and write riveting endings. For young writers aged 9-13 years. Presented by the Children’s Book Council of Australia (NSW). $70/$70 W8 B. MICHAEL RADBURN: WRITING A SUCCESSFUL THRILLER May 19, 1.30-4.30pm B. Michael Radburn will fill your literary toolbox with the skills you need to write the best thriller you can. $85/$75 W9 CBCA JUNIOR MASTERCLASS: OLIVER PHOMMAVANH May 20, 9am-3.30pm Oliver Phommavanh shares the secrets of writing comedy. Create crazy characters, weird plots and get ideas for funnier stories. Things will get strange! For young writers aged 9-13 years. Presented by the Children’s Book Council of Australia (NSW). $70/$70 W10 ANN CURTHOYS: WRITING HISTORY May 20, 10am-4.30pm Ann Curthoys leads writing exercises and class discussion of issues related to writing history. Bring a project description. $150/$140 W11 ANNA MAGUIRE: USING AND UNDERSTANDING CROWDFUNDING May 20, 1.30-4.30pm Find out how to maximise your chance of success through crowdfunding. Anna Maguire examines choosing your platform, planning your project, communication, how to engage support and more. $85/$75 W12 CBCA JUNIOR MASTERCLASS: SUE WHITING May 21, 9am-3.30pm Author and editor Sue Whiting shows how to create sizzling starts to your stories, dramatic details and page-turning plots. For young writers aged 9-13 years. Presented by the Children’s Book Council of Australia (NSW). $70/$70 W13 BENJAMIN LAW: FREELANCE WRITING FOR MAGAZINES May 22, 9.30am-12.30pm Freelance writer Benjamin Law (Good Weekend, frankie, Qweekend, The Monthly) teaches the skills necessary to write the stories that magazines want. $85/$75 W14 JULIENNE VAN LOON: REVIVING THE NOVELLA May 22, 10am-4.30pm Has the digital age ushered in a new opportunity for this most rewarding of forms? Bring along a single-page synopsis for your yet-to-be-written novella and talk strategy and form with Julienne van Loon. $150/$140 W15 ASHLEY HAY: WHEN ‘WHERE’ BECOMES ‘WHO’ May 22, 1.30-4.30pm A vivid location can cement a story’s truth and power in non-fiction and fiction, rendering place a character in its own right. Explore how and why with Ashley Hay. $85/$75 W16 KILLING YOUR DARLINGS: INTENSIVE EDITING WORKSHOP WITH REBECCA STARFORD May 22, 1.30-4.30pm Editor and publisher Rebecca Starford teaches you the mechanics of editing and drafting (including plot, structure, character and voice) and offers insight W17 STEPHANIE CLIFFORD-SMITH: MAKE YOUR FOOD WRITING STAND OUT May 23, 9.30am-12.30pm Stephanie Clifford-Smith looks at key ingredients in the descriptive language of flavour, texture and aroma, and what makes the best food writers stand out from the crowd. $85/$75 W18 MATTHEW CONDON: WRITING CREATIVE NON-FICTION May 23, 9.30am-12.30pm With creative non-fiction being one of the most popular genres in Australia, Matthew Condon shows how real life events can spark creativity, and how you can develop a story for a variety of narrative directions. $85/$75 W19 FOREST FOR THE TREES: WRITERS & PUBLISHING IN 2013 May 23, 10am-4.30pm, Metcalfe Auditorium A one-day seminar looking at the current state of publishing for Australian writers. The seminar brings together writers, publishers, marketers and agents to discuss what is happening in 2013. Presented in association with the NSW Writers’ Centre. $45/$35, bookings 9555 9757, nswwc.org.au W24 CATHERINE DEVENY: WRITING THE FUNNY SIDE OF LIFE May 24, 10am-4.30pm Catherine Deveny shares her tips for finding your voice and writing with humour, no matter what life throws at you. She will cover comedy, non-fiction, columns and social media. $150/$140 W25 JESSE BLACKADDER: WRITING HISTORICAL FICTION May 24, 1.30-4.30pm Jesse Blackadder explores how to write dramatic historical fiction. You’ll learn about using real characters and events; how truth and fiction enrich each other; and uses of language. $85/$75 W26 STEPHEN SCOURFIELD: TRAVEL IN WORDS AND PICTURES May 24, 1.30-4.30pm Stephen Scourfield focuses on technical and creative aspects of travel writing and photography: research, observation and writing techniques, as well as photographic equipment, techniques and composition. $85/$75 W27 SCARLETT THOMAS: BEGINNING A NOVEL May 25, 9.30am-12.30pm Novelist Scarlett Thomas shows you how to come up with original, exciting ideas and then develop writing plans for that successful novel. $85/$75 W21 KRISSY KNEEN: WRITING THE EROTIC May 23, 1.30-4.30pm How can you avoid winning the Bad Sex Award whilst writing sensual prose? Join critically acclaimed writer of erotic sex, Krissy Kneen, and explore the art and craft of sex writing. $85/$75 W28 BRIAN FALKNER: TO KILL A MOCKINGJAY May 25, 10am-4.30pm Bestselling YA author Brian Falkner cracks the code of The Hunger Games series, examining what made the books such a huge success and looking at common writing techniques in YA blockbusters. $150/$140 W22 ANGELA MEYER: BLOGGING FOR BEGINNERS May 23, 1.30-4.30pm Long-term literary blogger Angela Meyer teaches you everything you need to know: why do it, how to get started, how to make your blog engaging, and more. $85/$75 W29 ALAN WEARNE: THE SEARCH FOR THE GROUP VILLANELLE May 25, 10am-4.30pm A fun, collaborative poetry workshop. Participants submit poems to tutor Alan Wearne in advance of the workshop for comment. You will be taught how to construct an elaborate villanelle poem. $150/$140 W23 ASHLEY HAY’S PEP SESSION: DODGING THE DUMPS, THE BLOCKS, BLACK HOLES AND DEAD ENDS May 24, 9.30am-12.30pm Ashley Hay tenders tools and tricks for getting back on track or on the page in those times when your project hits the slumps and sloughs. $85/$75 W30 SALLY RIPPIN: WHAT IT TAKES TO WRITE GREAT KIDS’ BOOKS May 25, 1.30-4.30pm What does it take to write a great kids’ book? Join children’s author Sally Rippin for a fun and practical workshop on writing books for younger readers. $85/$75 SUBURBAN & REGIONAL SATURDAY, MAY 18 – SUNDAY, MAY 26 ASHFIELD SR16 MATTHEW CONDON: THE TOE TAG QUINTET May 22, 6.30-7.30pm Ashfield Civic Centre Matthew Condon discusses his latest crime novel, The Toe Tag Quintet, which follows the adventures of a retired Sydney detective. Presented with Ashfield Library. Free, bookings essential, 9716 1810, eventbrite.com.au AUBURN SR17 COLOURS IN WAITING ... CAN’T WAIT! May 24, 4-5pm Australia Post, Auburn Join Auburn Poets and Writers Group as they join queues across Auburn, turning mindless waiting into entertainment with spoken-word performances. Presented by Auburn Poets and Writers Group and supported by the University of Western Sydney. Free, group meeting point is outside the Australia Post Office, G2 Level, Auburn Central, 57 Queen St, Auburn BELROSE SR18 REBECCA HUNTLEY: THE ITALIAN GIRL May 22, 11am-12pm Glen Street Theatre Rebecca Huntley shares her search for the truth about her family in The Italian Girl, and their lives as migrants in pre-World War II Australia. Presented with Glen Street Theatre. $7.50, bookings essential, 9975 1455, glenstreet.com.au SR19 SHEHAN KARUNATILAKA: CHINAMAN May 22, 2-3pm Glen Street Theatre 2012 Commonwealth Book Prize winner Shehan Karunatilaka speaks with P.M. Newtown about his novel, Chinaman, the story of a retired sportswriter’s quest to find a Sri Lankan cricket legend. Presented with Glen Street Theatre. $7.50, bookings essential, 9975 1455, glenstreet.com.au BLACKTOWN SR20 DAWN BARKER: FRACTURED May 22, 7-8pm Blacktown Library Dawn Barker reflects on her heartbreaking novel, Fractured, the story of a new mother struggling to cope. Presented with Blacktown City Library and supported by the University of Western Sydney. Free, bookings essential, 9839 6620 the intersections between literature, spoken word and music. Presented by Campbelltown Arts Centre and supported by the University of Western Sydney. $5, bookings 4645 4100, campbelltownartscentre.com.au CASTLE HILL SR24 AN EVENING WITH RACHAEL TREASURE May 23, 7-8pm Castle Hill Library Rachael Treasure speaks about her new book, The Farmer’s Wife, and her previous novels. Presented with The Hills Shire Library Service. $10, bookings essential, available from 22 April thehills.nsw.gov.au/library CASULA SR25 TIM SOUTPHOMMASANE: DON’T GO BACK TO WHERE YOU CAME FROM May 26, 2-3pm Casula Powerhouse Tim Soutphommasane makes the case for the success of Australian multiculturalism. Presented with Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre and the University of Western Sydney. Free, bookings essential, 9824 1121 CHATSWOOD SR26 KATE ATKINSON: CRIMINAL TENDENCIES May 26, 2-3pm The Concourse Theatre Kate Atkinson speaks to Linda Morris about writing crime, Case Histories and what the future holds in store for Brodie. $16/$10, bookings 9250 1988l or swf.sydneytheatre.org.au or theconcourse.com.au HORNSBY SR27 KATE FORSYTH: THE BROTHERS GRIMM AND THE WILD GIRL May 22, 6.30-7.30pm Hornsby Library Kate Forsyth’s new novel, The Wild Girl, tells the love story of Dortchen Wild and Wilhelm Grimm. Presented with Hornsby Central Library. Free, bookings essential, 9847 6614, email [email protected] SR28 GOOD MORNING, MR SARRA May 23, 6.30-7.30pm Hornsby Library Chris Sarra has spent his life working for a better future for our children. He discusses his book, Good Morning, Mr Sarra. Presented with Hornsby Central Library. Free, bookings essential, 9847 6614, email [email protected] HURSTVILLE SR21 INTERCULTURAL DIALOGUES: LOVE UNBOUND May 24, 7-8pm Blacktown Arts Centre An evening of conversation, music and art, with Kooshyar Karimi, Majok Tulba and Nakkiah Lui. Presented by Blacktown Arts Centre with WestWords, and supported by the University of Western Sydney. Free, bookings essential, 9389 6558 SR29 TIM BOWDEN: THE CHANGI CAMERA May 23, 7-8pm Hurstville Library Tim Bowden tells the stories of brave Australian soldiers in The Changi Camera. Presented with Hurstville Library. Free, bookings essential, 9330 6142 CAMDEN SR30 CATHERINE DEVENY: THE HAPPINESS SHOW May 23, 7-8pm Ingleburn Library Catherine Deveny discusses her novel, The Happiness Show, a story of love, fidelity and messy second chances. Presented with Campbelltown Library and supported by the University of Western Sydney. Free, bookings essential 4645 4444 SR22 EDWARD RUTHERFURD: PARIS May 22, 6-8pm Camden Civic Centre Edward Rutherfurd presents Paris, with readings and discussion about the history of this magical city. Presented with Camden Council Library Service and supported by the University of Western Sydney. $10, including refreshments, bookings essential, trybooking.com/CPSN. Phone Camden Council Library Service 4654 7951 or 4645 5039 CAMPBELLTOWN SR23 SIMON BARKER: INTERSECTIONS May 25, 4-6pm Campbelltown Arts Centre Simon Barker’s Intersections is a new performance work developed with local writing groups and musicians, exploring INGLEBURN KENSINGTON SR31 ANIS MOJGANI: SPOKEN WORD ARTIST, POET May 23, 6.30-7.30pm Io Myers Studio, UNSW International poetry slam champion Anis Mojgani takes to the stage for a special performance event of his words and rhymes. Presented with UNSWriting. Free, bookings essential, sam.arts.unsw.edu.au/unswriting/ The Blue Mountains program is presented with Varuna, the Writers’ House. Book tickets online at varuna. com.au unless otherwise stated. SR1 BOOK LAUNCH: MARK O’FLYNN May 18, 4-5pm Blue Mountains Cultural Centre Join Mark O’Flynn for the launch of his novel, The Forgotten World. Free, no bookings SR2 FESTIVAL LAUNCH: WITH JOYFUL STRAINS May 18, 5.30-7.30pm Blue Mountains Cultural Centre Roanna Gonsalaves, Malla Nunn, Catherine Rey and Hsu-Ming Teo share their personal experiences of migration with Ali Lemer, editor of the anthology, Joyful Strains: Making Australia Home. Free, no bookings SR3 Poetry in the Caves May 19, 3.30-5.30pm Jenolan Caves A poetry reading in Cathedral Cave, hosted by David Brooks, with Ireland’s Dermot Healy alongside Robert Adamson, Kate Fagan and Lionel Fogarty. $60 ($75 including bus from Katoomba station return), bookings 1300 763 311 The following events are all held at the Carrington Hotel, 15/47 Katoomba Street, Katoomba. All-day passes cost $60/$50 concession, and two-day passes $90 (no concessions). Tickets to single sessions can be purchased on the day at the door for $15, subject to availability. SR4 MICHELLE DE KRETSER IN CONVERSATION May 20, 10-11am Ali Lemer speaks with Michelle de Kretser about her latest novel, Questions of Travel. SR5 MISSING IN ACTION: AUSTRALIA’S LITERARY PAST May 20, 11.30am-12.30pm Australian literary critic Geordie Williamson speaks with Tegan Bennett Daylight about his new book, The Burning Library. SR6 LANDSCAPES OF LOVE AND LOSS May 20, 1.30-2.30pm New Australian talents Jessie Cole, Berndt Sellheim and Yvette Walker explore themes of love and loss, and discuss their debut novels. SR7 MADELEINE ST JOHN: A WRITER’S LIFE May 20, 3-4pm Helen Trinca discusses her new book, Madeleine: A Life of Madeleine St John, with Geordie Williamson. SR8 WILD: STORIES FROM THE TRAIL May 20, 4.30-5.30pm Cheryl Strayed, author of bestseller, Wild, shares the incredible story of her 1100-mile solo hike on the Pacific Crest Trail. In conversation with Cate Kennedy. SR9 THE DR DARK MEMORIAL LECTURE - THE GOOD LIFE: WHAT MAKES A LIFE WORTH LIVING? May 20, 6-7pm Hugh Mackay shares his answer to the ultimate question: What makes a life worth living? $15/$10, bookings varuna.com.au SR32 JOHN CANTWELL: EXIT WOUNDS May 23, 7-8pm Kogarah Library John Cantwell shares the realities of the battlefield and post-traumatic stress in Exit Wounds. Presented with Kogarah Library. Free, bookings essential, 9330 9528, kogarahlibrary.eventbrite.com.au SR36 DANIEL MORDEN: DARK TALES FROM THE WOODS May 25, 5-6pm Riverside Theatre Award-winning storyteller Daniel Morden tells haunting gypsy tales from the woods of Wales. They are certainly not for the faint of heart. Supported by the University of Western Sydney and Parramatta City Council. $10, bookings 8839 3399, for ages 8-80 PARRAMATTA PENRITH SR33 SO YOU WANT TO BE A WRITER? May 19, 3-4.30pm Information and Cultural Exchange Experts offer practical advice on publishing. Featuring Sophie Hamley, Shiela Pham, Alice Grundy, Peter Polites, Mohammed Ahmad and Felicity Castagna. Presented with Parramatta City Council, the University of Western Sydney Writing and Society Research Centre and the Information and Cultural Exchange. Free, bookings essential, 9897 5744, email [email protected] SR37 SYLVIA NASAR: GRAND PURSUIT May 22, 6.30-7.30pm Penrith Library Internationally bestselling author of A Beautiful Mind, Sylvia Nasar, discusses her new book, Grand Pursuit, an epic story of the making of modern economics and those who have shaped modern history. Presented with Penrith City Library and supported by the University of Western Sydney. $5, including light refreshments, bookings essential, 4732 7891 SR34 THE RUMBLE - YOUTH SLAM May 25, 1-2pm Riverside Theatre Young poets from Western Sydney battle it out. Featuring DJ/Poet Scott Sandwich, Jo Sri and Miles Merrill. Presented with Word Travels and supported by the University of Western Sydney, Arts NSW and Parramatta City Council. Free, bookings 8839 3399 SR38 WILLIAM MCINNES: THE LAUGHING CLOWNS May 23, 6.30-7.30pm Penrith Library An evening with William McInnes, who shares his new novel, The Laughter of Clowns, about the power of family and discovering what’s important in life by returning home. Presented with Penrith City Library and supported by the University of Western Sydney. $5, including light refreshments, bookings essential, 4732 7891 KOGARAH SR35 KATE TEMPEST AND ANIS MOJGANI May 25, 2.30-3.30pm Riverside Theatre Words collide with performance poets Kate Tempest and Anis Mojgani, both described as “fierce” and “genius”. Presented with Word Travels and supported by the University of Western Sydney and Parramatta City Council. Free, bookings 8839 3399 RANDWICK SR39 ARNOLD ZABLE: A WRITER’S JOURNEY May 22, 6-7pm Randwick Library Acclaimed author, storyteller and human rights advocate Arnold Zable, known for writing stories set both in Australia and swf.org.au 21 SR10 SEXISM, AUSTRALIAN STYLE May 21, 10-11am Leading journalist, writer and feminist Anne Summers discusses her book, The Misogyny Factor, with author Tara Moss. SR11 PLACES OF DARKNESS AND LIGHT: NEW AUSTRALIAN FICTION May 21, 11.30am-12.30pm Jesse Blackadder (Chasing the Light), Mark O’Flynn (The Forgotten World) and Julienne van Loon (Harmless) discuss their new books with Carol Major. SR12 A READER’S GUIDE TO LIFE May 21, 1.30-2.30pm Ramona Koval’s By the Book has been described as a “love letter to the act of reading”. She talks with Geordie Williamson about how books shape our lives. SR13 DERMOT HEALY IN CONVERSATION May 21, 3-4pm Ireland’s Dermot Healy discusses his new book, Long Time, No See, with fellow writer Kate Fagan. SR14 THE ART OF THE SHORT STORY May 21, 4.30-5.30pm Join three of Australia’s finest short story writers, Georgia Blain, Cate Kennedy and Josephine Rowe, as they discuss their new collections with fellow writer Tegan Bennett Daylight. SR15 BOOK LAUNCH: JANE SKELTON - LIVES OF THE DEAD May 21, 6-7pm Universal Heart Book Club’s co-founder Walter Mason launches Lives of the Dead, the debut short fiction collection by Blue Mountains writer and Varuna alumna Jane Skelton. Free, no bookings overseas that weave together family tales, speaks about his most recent collection, Violin Lessons, and his life as a writer. Presented with Randwick City Library Service. Free, bookings essential, 9399 6966, email [email protected] RYDE SR40 MICHAEL BRISSENDEN: AMERICAN STORIES OF HOPE AND ANGER May 22, 6.30-7.30pm Ryde Library In American Stories, ABC current affairs correspondent Michael Brissenden shares the stories of hope and anger around America that he collected while following Obama’s re-election campaign. Presented with Ryde Library Service. $5, bookings 9952 8352 WOLLONGONG SR41 ROCKET READINGS May 19, 1.30-3.30pm Wollongong City Gallery A lively afternoon of readings celebrating the prose poem, with special guests Joanne Burns, Peter Lach-Newinsky, Ron Pretty and Linda Godfrey. Presented by South Coast Writers Centre and supported by Arts NSW and Wollongong City Gallery. Free, no bookings SR42 CELEBRATING THE VOICE WRITERS’ NIGHT May 23, 6.30-8.30pm Wollongong City Gallery Aunty Barbara Nicholson, Simon Luckhurst, John Muk Muk Burke and Bruce Pascoe launch Dreamings Inside, writings by Aboriginal inmates, at the 13th Celebrating the Voice Indigenous Writers’ Night. Presented by South Coast Writers Centre and supported by Arts NSW and Wollongong City Gallery. Free, bookings essential, 4228 0151, email [email protected] 1HERSA1 S021 A-Z OF PARTICIPANTS 22 swf.org.au See swf.org.au for biographies of all participants. KEY: nInternational writer W prefix = workshop, see page 20 SR prefix = Suburban & Regional Event, see page 21 SD = School Days event, see page 19. A Antoinette Abboud 115 Yassmin Abdel-Magied 42, 161 Phillip Adams 26, 41, 128 Robert Adamson 19, SR3 Debra Adelaide 132, 177 Louise Adler 249 Michael Mohammed Ahmad SR33 Adam Aitken 19, 121 Jordie Albiston 4 Stephanie Alexander 53, 108 n Khadim Ali 152 Elizabeth Allen 187 Chris Allen W19 Waleed Aly 238 David Astle 43, 91 Elsa Atkin 232 n Kate Atkinson 193, SR26 Monica Attard 106, 181 n Tash Aw 158, 181 B Sunil Badami 157, 185, 236 Julia Baird 122, 175, 192 Ben Ball 166, 251 Simon Barker SR23 Dawn Barker 63, 108, 129, SR20 Glenn Barkley 36, 244 Annette Barlow 28 Caroline Baum 24, 57, 116, 169, 193 Richard Beasley 144 Deborah Beck 98 Jean Bedford 134 Tegan Bennett Daylight 20, 194, 221, SR5, SR14 Linton Besser 224 n Lauren Beukes 22, 39, 61, 81, 102, 126, 156, 202 Jonathan Biggins 60 Deborah Bird Rose 49 Jemma Birrell 259 Stephanie Bishop 154 Jesse Blackadder 48, SR11, W25 Georgia Blain 147, 178, SR14 Alastair Blanshard 170 Kim Cheng Boey 121 Frank Bongiorno 142 Rachel Botsman 57, 150, 168 Tim Bowden 182, SR29 CJ Bowerbird 125, 140, 229 n Helen Boyle 90 James Bradley 156 Margaret Bradstock 38 n Libba Bray 207, SD Joseph Brennan 39 n Michael Brennan 187, 245 Kaleena Briggs 227 Katharine Brisbane 161 Michael Brissenden 77, 128, SR39 David Brooks 56, 97, 170, SR3 Kerry Brown 64 Bob Brown 190 Nick Bryant 47 Stuart Buchanan 112 Robbie Buck 160 John Muk Muk Burke SR42 Joanne Burns SR41 Caroline Butler-Bowdon 37, 98 James Button 54, 128, 239 Jennifer Byrne 102, 151 C Jane Cadzow 132 Michelle Cahill 121, 187 Peter John Cantrill 16 John Cantwell 32, 223, SR32 Amanda Card 6 John Carey 38 Mike Carlton 96, 182 Jane Caro 210 Felicity Castagna SR33 Nick Cater 47, 192 Michael Cathcart 22, 87, 158 n Shami Chakrabarti 149, 179, 203 Claudia Chan Shaw 103 Christopher Cheng 2 1HERSA1 S022 Neil Chenoweth 171 Julie Chevalier 134 Feng Chongji 64 Natasha Cica 211 Gabriel Clark W6 n Erin Clarke 166 Kirstie Clements 46, 213 Stephanie Clifford-Smith W17 Jessie Cole SR6 Courtney Collins 40, 76, 100, 163, 176 Mark Colvin 199 Matthew Condon 107, 126, 184, 251, SR16, W18 Sam Cooney 114, 146 Mark Corcoran 32 Peter Corris 134 Katerina Cosgrove 86 Miriam Cosic 55 Sibella Court 36, 80 Brendan Cowell 130 Deb Cox 145 Annabel Crabb 239 Andrew Croome 129 David Cunningham 202 Sophie Cunningham 70, 95, 178, 219 Ann Curthoys W10 D n Faramerz Dabhoiwala 13, 34, 55, 142 Darren Dale 256 n William Dalrymple 45, 88, 240 Mark Dapin 85 Robyn Davidson 101, 205 n Luke Davies 19, 81, 118, 148, 187, 226, 245 Robin de Crespigny 218 Michelle de Kretser 27, SR4 Bob Debus SR9 Mary Delahunty 42 Quentin Dempster 23 Andrew Denton 140 n Anita Desai 69, 154, 194 Catherine Deveny 13, 165, 210, SR30, W24 Anne Deveson 26, 63 n Janine di Giovanni 13, 78, 96, 151 Robert Drewe 49, 81, 174 n Suzy Duffy 31 Susan Duncan 109 n Kirsty Dunseath 105 Teya Dusseldorp 177 Monica Dux 21, 147, 178, 210 E Nick Earls SD, 7, 205, 243 Jill Eddington 17, 233 Lorraine Elliott 53, 82 Amy Espeseth 17, 176 Robyn Ewing 177 F Kate Fagan 148, 187, SR3, SR13 Delia Falconer W19 Brian Falkner SD, W28 Michael Farrell 247 Elizabeth Farrelly 10 Johanna Featherstone 257 Marc Fennell 29, 195, 205 Richard Fidler 92, 123, 189 Toby Fitch 247 Lionel Fogarty 119, 187, SR3 Andrew Ford 124, 148 n Mark Forsyth 43, 76, 82, 185 Kate Forsyth 206, SR27 David Foster 111 n David Francis 36, 99, 130 Mia Freedman 162, 203 Jackie French SD, 216 n Michael Fried 152 Solo (from Horrorshow) 202, 257 Susannah Fullerton 221 Michael Fullilove 88, 122, 239 Linda Funnell 134 G n Steven Gale 56, 65, 110, 164, 176, 254 Mobo Gao 64 Celeste Geer 23 Joe Gelonesi 97 Sulari Gentill 206 Ross Gibson 136 Rebecca Giggs 197 Richard Gill 51, 108, 124, 170 Bates Gill 64 Jane Gleeson-White 20, 200, 212, 218 Lucinda Gleeson 13 Libby Gleeson 177 Richard Glover 34, 85, 109, 133, 144, 168 Linda Godfrey 134, SR41 n Ben Goldacre 143, 235 n Barry Goldblatt 207 Anna Goldsworthy 21, 54 Roanna Gonsalves SR2 Dave Graney 76, 124 Pat Grant 192, 202 Ross Grayson Bell 256 Alison Green W19 John M. Green 129 Richard Green 227 n Robert Greene 65, 150, 170, 202, 204 Don Groves 199 Alice Grundy 114, 197, SR33, W19 H Gideon Haigh 122, 237 Sophie Hamley SR33, W19 Philip Hammial 257, SR3 Chris Hanley 62, 153 Darren Hanlon 73 Fiona Harari 159, 218 David Hardaker 96 Marieke Hardy 68, 102 Wendy Harmer 106, SD Martin Harrison 19, 155 Jacqueline Harvey W7 Ashley Hay 17, 52, 233, W15, W23 Amanda Hayward 39 Noni Hazlehurst 76 n Dermot Healy 52, 118, 140, 154, 245, SR3, SR13 Jim Hearn 86 Sally Heath 81 Genevieve Hegney 214 David M Henley 156, W1 n Sheila Heti 61, 157, 228 Sue Hines 166 Michael Hing 13 Joe Hockey 250 Sandy Holmes SR3 Lucy Holt 187 Huon Hooke 25 Chloe Hooper 100, 166, 256 Amanda Hooton 31, 221 Barbara Horgan 33 n Eli Horowitz 112, 140, 146, 251 n K.B. Hoyle 206 Rebecca Huntley 213, SR18, W3 I Ian Innes 58 J Eleanor Jackson 140, 229 Neil James 112, 191, 239, W5 James Jeffrey 60 Ben Jenkins 76, 197 Gareth Jenkins 257 Diana Jenkins 198 n Devin Johnston SR3 Elizabeth Johnstone 117, 180, 213 Justin Jones 153 Jill Jones 247 Nicholas Jose 121 K Michaela Kalowski 40, 131 Kooshyar Karimi 93, 240, SR21 n Shehan Karunatilaka 150, 237, SR19 Claudia Karvan 84, 130, 163 Danny Katz SD n Jackie Kay 54, 123, 180, 198 n Jude Kelly 14, 149, 161, 179, 196, 203 Cate Kennedy 130, 147, 178, 194, 219 SR8, SR14 Rachel Kent 72, 83, 152 Hannah Kent 55, 222 Jacqueline Kent 109 Fenella Kernebone 16 Andrew Khedoori 73 Gretel Killeen 85 Krissy Kneen 100, 146, 176, W21 Dominic Knight 75 Malcolm Knox 44, 174 Ramona Koval 51, 233, SR12 n Lawrence Krauss 120, 198 Tony Kravitz 256 Anna Krien 89, 184 n Aleksandra Krotoski 29, 76, 168, 234 Ambelin Kwaymullina SD L Peter Lach-Newinsky SR41 Benjamin Laird 171 Margo Lanagan 178 Jeff Lang 148, 202 Justine Larbalestier 207 David Large 39 Max Lavergne 140 Benjamin Law 54, 76, 142, 181, 189, W13 Anthony Lawrence 257 Neil Lawrence 135, 150 Suzanne Leal 18, 183, 218 Jeanine Leane 119 Mark Ledbury 6 Christopher Lee 145 Ali Lemer SR2, SR4 n Amelia Lester 13, 15, 198, 255 Connie Levett 6 Tanya Levin 213 Tim Levinson (Urthboy) 198 n Deborah Levy 69, 127, 194, 249 Steve Lewis 60, 250 James Ley 70, 95, 197 Adam Liaw 186 Sophie Lieberman 103 Dionne Lister W19 Amanda Lohrey 89, 132, 154, 190 Skye Loneragan 252 Astrid Lorange 247 Angelo Loukakis 85 Lenny Ann Low SD n Benjamin Lowy 152 Melissa Lucashenko 44, 66, 119, 161 Simon Luckhurst SR42 Nakkiah Lui SR21 M Sarah Macdonald 165 Hugh Mackay 208, SR9 Anna Maguire 7, 112, W11, W19 Emily Maguire 83, 100, 165, W19 Carol Major SR11 David Malouf 19, 245 Robert Manne 115 Kristi Mansfield 161 n Diego Marani 155, 191 Kathy Marks 211 Simon Marnie 199 David Marr 223 Lauren Martin 94 Shona Martyn W19 Walter Mason 33, 66, SR15 Chris Masters 32 Karen McCartney 80 Kate McClymont 224 Alasdair McGregor 48 Russell McGregor 98 Michaela McGuire 68 William McInnes 111, 130, 159, 233, SR38 Jacqueline McKenzie 130 Maxine McKew 35, 108 Jeff McMullen 241 Ross McMullin 32, 48, 182 Rick McPhee 23 Gillian Mears 225 George Megalogenis 9, 11 Miles Merrill 1, 3, 125, 140, 229, 252, SR34, SR35 n Claire Messud 116, 147, 259 Angela Meyer 70, 82, W22 David Michôd 226 Kate Middleton 197 Richard Miles 45 Kate Miller-Heidke 76, 133, 148 Tim Miller 230 Claire Miller W19 Christine Milne 210 Peter Minter 119 n Pankaj Mishra 67, 88, 181 Natasha Mitchell 142, 149 n Anis Mojgani 125, 140, 229, 252, SR31, SR35 Tony Moore 10 Matthew Moore 214 n Daniel Morden 8, 59, 209, 240, SR36 Mark Mordue 124, 197 Linda Morris SR26 Julian Morrow 13, 30, 67, 76, 137, 140, 202 Tara Moss 46, 82, 126, SR10 n Kate Mosse 84, 110, 149, 198 Linda Mottram 79 Peter Mould 37 Stephen Muecke 49 n Stephen Muller 77, 195 Kate Mulvany 189, 219 Lorna Munro 257 Tommy Murphy W2 Joanna Murray-Smith 131 Lisa Murray 37 David Musgrave 4, 38, 111 n Wangechi Mutu 72, 83 N Joel Naoum W19 n Sylvia Nasar 168, 212, SR37 Haylee Nash W19 Melodie Nelson 202 n Patrick Ness 61, 164, 220 P.M. Newton 44, 184, 237, SR19 John Newton 53 Pauline Nguyen 53, 93, 255 Barbara Nicholson SR42 Sherrill Nixon 15, 78, 143, 204 Zoe Norton Lodge 202 Malla Nunn SR2 O Judith O’Callaghan 58 Mark O’Flynn SR1, SR11 Sarah Oakes 234 Brett Osmond W19 Debra Oswald 145, 219 n Karl Ove Knausgaard 155, 176, 254 Caroline Overington 28, 63, 107 P Jane Palfreyman 225, 251 Bruce Pascoe 225, SR42 Steve Pennells 224 Shiela Pham SR33 Oliver Phommavanh W9 Charles Pickett 58 Ailsa Piper 24 n Frederique Polet 28 Peter Polites SR33 Nicholas Pounder 36 Ron Pretty SR41 Jenna Price 210 Lisa Pryor 235 John Purcell 33 R B. Michael Radburn W8 Morag Ramsay 23 Scott Rankin 211 Catherine Rey SR2 Hannah Richell 107 Matt Richell 105 Judith Ridge SD, 206, 220 n Molly Ringwald 200, 260 Sally Rippin SD, W30 Ruth Ritchie 145 Jamila Rizvi 203 Archie Roach 241 Michael Robotham 44, 126 Stephen Romei 70 n Joe Rospars 9, 77, 135 Nicolas Rothwell 61, 104 Josephine Rowe 40, 146, 178, 255, SR14 James Roy SD Arne Rubinstein 144 n Carlos Ruiz Zafón 102, 183, 220 n Grazia Rusticali 105 n Edward Rutherfurd 55, 99, SR22 Juanita Ruys 83, 240 S Helen Sage 63 Leigh Sales 135 n Michael Sandel 11, 30 Scott Sandwich 1, 3, SR34 Sally Sara 13, 189 Chris Sarra 108, SR28 Margot Saville 35, 199 Moya Sayer-Jones 50, 150, 248 n Quintin Schevernels 112 Julianne Schultz 25, 42, 86 Stephen Scourfield 17, 49, W26 Berndt Sellheim SR6 Eddie Sharp 13, 76, 140, 202 Paul Sharrad SR42 Peter Shergold AC 208 Emile Sherman 101 n David Shrigley 242 Annette Shun Wah 12, 61, 74, 138, 201, 246 Craig Silvey 144, 166, 214 n Sylvie Simmons 76, 122, 160 Lucy Simpson 227 Nardi Simpson 227 Graeme Simsion 159, 202, 205 Jane Skelton SR15 Morgan Smith 33 Pip Smith 197 Tim Soutphommasane 93, 192, SR25 Jeff Sparrow 115, 171 Dale Spender 203 Jo Sri 229, SR34 Matt Stanton 230 Rebecca Starford 114, W16 Jason Steger 102 Elisabeth Storrs W19 n Cheryl Strayed 24, 92, 140, 236, SR8 Katrina Strickland 25 Omeima Sukkarieh SR17 Anne Summers 42, 106, 175, SR10 Will Swanton W4 Swimwear 76 T Melanie Tait 189, W20 Chris Taylor 13, 76, 140, 202 n Craig Taylor 50, 114, 167, 228, 251 Mark Tedeschi 184, 232 n Hilary Teeman 28 n Kate Tempest 125, 140, 252, SR35 Hsu-Ming Teo SR2 Mark Textor 135 Philip Thalis 16 Catherine Therese SR6 n Scarlett Thomas 97, 117, 255, W27 Simon Thomsen 199 Holly Throsby 73 Tom Tilley 13 Kate Torney 94 Rachael Treasure 31, 169, SR24 Anne Treasure W19 Helen Trinca 122, SR7 Aviva Tuffield 84 Majok Tulba 93, SR21 Sarah Turnbull 213, 248 Malcolm Turnbull 239 U Chris Uhlmann 250 Andrew Upton 131, 141 Tom Uren AC 182 V James Valentine 113 Julienne van Loon 86, 107, SR11, W14 W Louise Wakeling 38 Jeremy Walker 115 Yvette Walker SR6 Chris Wallace 42 Sally Warhaft 21, 101, 178 Christopher Warren 94, 224 Fred Watson 258 n Ruby Wax 14, 203 Alan Wearne 111, W29 Adina West W19 Scott Westerfeld 156 Terry Whidborne SD, 243 Sue Whiting W12 n Paul Whitlatch 166 Les Wicks 38 Jessica L. Wilkinson 187 Kip Williams 253 Robyn Williams 120 Geordie Williamson 20, 104, SR5, SR7, SR12 Asher Wolf 171 n Naomi Wolf 83, 142, 162 n James Wood 20, 95, 173 Sue Woolfe 66, 155 Tom Wright 129 Susan Wyndham 27, 61, 95, 173, 188, 222 Elisabeth Wynhausen 106 Y Willliam Yang 12, 74, 138, 201, 246 n Chris Ying 186 Damon Young 62, 97, 127, 221 Z Arnold Zable 40, 61, 93, 165, SR40 n Michael Zollner 105 FESTIVAL INFORMATION INFORMATION BOOKINGS Sydney Writers’ Festival presents both free and ticketed events. Seats cannot be booked for free events in the Walsh Bay Precinct. These events fill quickly, so we recommend you arrive early. All venues must be vacated at the end of each event. The majority of ticketed events can be booked through the Sydney Theatre Company box office, either online at swf.sydneytheatre.org.au, by phone on 9250 1988, or in person at 22 Hickson Road, Walsh Bay. Satellite box offices will also operate at Pier 2/3 and Sydney Town Hall for ticket purchases on event days. For bookings not taken by Sydney Theatre, please refer to individual event listings in the program. Concessions apply for children under 16, full-time students and Australian Health Care Card or Centrelink pension cardholders. Transaction fees may apply for all bookings. ACCESSIBILITY All venues are wheelchair accessible with the exception of Bangarra Mezzanine. After the Festival, some events will be available on our website as video or audio files. HEARING LOOP The following venues are fitted with a hearing loop: Sydney Theatre, Wharf Theatre 2, City Recital Hall Angel Place, Sydney Opera House and Sydney Town Hall. ENQUIRIES (EXCLUDING BOOKINGS) For general Festival enquiries, please contact Sydney Writers’ Festival either by phone on 9252 7729, or by email on [email protected] swf.org.au 23 Club Stage (capacity 250) The Loft (capacity 300) The Big Top For Little People (capacity 100) Wharf Restaurant (capacity 160) TRAVELLING TO THE WALSH BAY PRECINCT TRAIN AND FERRY The closest train station and ferry terminal is Circular Quay. It is approximately a 15-minute walk to Walsh Bay. From Circular Quay, walk down George Street and turn right on Hickson Road. Follow Hickson Road under the Harbour Bridge and around past Sebel Pier One to the Festival precinct. BUS Millers Point bus services 431 and 433 depart from QVB, travel down George Street, through The Rocks to Millers Point. It’s a 10-minute walk from Millers Point to the Walsh Bay precinct. The 433 Balmain and Glebe Point bus to Millers Point extends its route down Hickson Road from 6.15-11.30pm nightly. Buses run approximately every 20 minutes during these times and there’s a bus stop outside Pier 4/5. Route 998 runs from 9pm to 4.30am every Friday and Saturday night linking Hickson Road with Town Hall Station via Wynyard. Buses run every 30 minutes and there’s a bus stop outside Pier 4/5. SYDNEY WRITERS’ FESTIVAL SHUTTLE BUS From Thursday, May 23, to Sunday, May 26, a Sydney Writers’ Festival shuttle bus will run a return service from Circular Quay to the Festival precinct at Walsh Bay. Buses depart approximately every 15 minutes between 9am and 6.15pm from the First Fleet Park stop on George Street. The first stop is opposite Sydney Theatre, and the second stop is outside Pier 4/5. Buses then return directly to Circular Quay. The last scheduled return service to Circular Quay departs from Walsh Bay at 6.15pm. Cost is $2 for a Circular Quay return ticket on the SWF shuttle bus. As this is a charter service, one-way tickets, Travel10s, concession cards and pensioner day tickets will not be accepted. BICYCLES Bicycle parking is provided under the awning on Pier 2. PARKING The closest paid parking is at InterPark on 26 Hickson Road (next to Sydney Theatre) and Wilson Carpark at Towns Place, near the junction of Hickson Road and Towns Place. Limited metered parking is available on Hickson Road. WALSH BAY VENUES Sydney Theatre 22 Hickson Road, Walsh Bay Sydney Theatre (capacity 850) Richard Wherrett Studio (capacity 100) Pier 4/5 Hickson Road, Walsh Bay Bangarra Mezzanine (capacity 100) Sydney Dance 1 (capacity 400) Sydney Dance 2 (capacity 160) Sydney Dance Studio (Capacity 40) Sydney Dance Café (capacity 80) Philharmonia Studio (capacity 100) Wharf Theatre 2 (capacity 200) The Bar at the End of The Wharf (capacity 100) Pier 2/3 Hickson Road, Walsh Bay Main Stage (capacity 400) OTHER CITY VENUES City Recital Hall Angel Place Angel Place, Sydney Sydney Opera House Joan Sutherland Theatre Bennelong Point, Sydney Sydney Town Hall 483 George Street, Sydney Carriageworks 245 Wilson Street, Eveleigh ABC Studios 700 Harris Street, Ultimo Brett Whiteley Studio 2 Raper Street, Surry Hills Customs House Reading Room 31 Alfred Street, Circular Quay Museum of Contemporary Art 140 George Street, The Rocks Powerhouse Museum 500 Harris Street, Ultimo State Library of NSW Macquarie Street, Sydney Sydney Observatory Watson Road, Observatory Hill, The Rocks The Four Seasons Hotel Grain Bar and Grand Ballroom, 199 George Street, Sydney The Mint 10 Macquarie Street, Sydney Macleay Museum, University of Sydney Gosper Lane (off Science Road), University of Sydney The Rocks Square Playfair Street, The Rocks The Green Room Lounge 156 Enmore Road, Enmore Setting Agendas, Creating Culture WRITING THEORY AND PRACTICE AT UWS The School of Humanities and Communication Arts and the Writing and Society Research Centre are leaders in the fields of literary studies and performing arts and creative writing. Our research in these fields has consistently been ranked as above world standard*. We not only think about culture, we create culture: we are home to Giramondo Publishing, a major independent publisher of Australian poetry and fiction, and to the Sydney Review of Books, Australia’s premier literary review site. We are pleased to continue our long-standing association with the Sydney Writers’ Festival. For further information please visit www.uws.edu.au/writing or www.uws.edu.au/hca *ERA Ranking 2010 & 2012 University of Western Sydney sydneyreviewofbooks.com 1HERSA1 S023 CREATIVE CITY SYDNEY Does an interest-free arts loan sound like poetry to you? Tell us what creative life you want for Sydney. sydneyyoursay.com.au/creativecity #creativecitysyd