emerging writers' festival

Letters to the Editor

Something you really liked? Some question you would like to ask? Someone you can’t hear enough from? Letters to the Editor brings the panellists you want to hear more from back in a special end of festival Q & A session.

With that inspirational poet you heard, that editor who you didn’t ask a question to, the playwrite who informed and anyone else you want to hear from again

FROM HERE TO THERE - From start to finish, from conception to completion, from woe to go!

From here to there is an intensive look at a writer’s project. From where they came up with the idea, to how they developed it and where it has gone to since. The nitty gritty of their process encompassing the art of the project, the craft of its creation and the business involved in finding its audiences.

Relaunch of the Riddler – Comic

Comic writer Shane McCarthy was entrusted with the dubious honour of relaunching Batman’s arch nemesis over an extended run across the Batman line. The project involved the unique situation of dealing with a character owned by its readership and writing continents away from his publisher and editors, as well as celebrating the infinite possibilities of writing comics.

In conversation with Adam Ford

The Ghost Poetry Project - Poetry

In 2007 Nathan Curnow set out to stay at the ten most haunted places in Australia and write poetry about his experiences. Driven by an interest in the power of language and the place of poetry in the contemporary world, Nathan stayed overnight in a 'haunted' house, mansion, lunatic asylum, gaol cell, bridge, hearse, hotel room, Norfolk Island and Port Arthur, interpreting his stories and experiences through poetry

In conversation with Zoe Barron

The alternative Travel Guide to Brunswick - Performance

Agents of Proximity are a local, artist-run travel service in the Melbourne suburb of Brunswick. For the past few months, Amy Spiers and Victoria Stead have been taking people on travels within their own neighbourhood, creating new encounters between people, and between people and places. The result is an exhibition of photographic/textual works and an alternative Brunswick Travel Guide to be launched during the Next Wave festival.

In conversation with Melissa Delaney

Debutante Diaries – Comedy

The Debutante Diaries began as a Year 11 instructional essay called “How To Be a Cool Girl at Belmont High” Developed into a series of monologues to the first full-length solo character-comedy piece it is today. Kate McLennan has combined every nightmarish character encountered in high school and woven it together with the stories of 7 teens, their teachers and parents in the lead up to their Deb Ball.

In conversation with Beth Martin

From Pickle to Pie – Literature

Glenices Whitting's ten-year writing journey began when she found a box full of old postcards. From this, she found herself researching her genealogy and history, and creating a short story for her grandchildren so that they would know of her heritage. From this story grew From Pickle to Pie.

In conversation with Bethany Jones

The Seed - Theatre

“I need to write a play. Can I ask you a few questions? ...” With this simple request, playwright Kate Mulvaney began a journey through her father’s unspoken past to write a play about a ten-pound-pom conscripted to fight for Australia in Vietnam. She used the inspiration of her family’s past to develop a play from commission to main stage season.

In conversation with Lucy Stewart

SKILL SHARING FORUMS - Half workshop and half road map.

The EWF special skill sharing forums are a chance to have look at other forms of writing, and to have a taster of other ways of working.

All forums combine instruction and anecdotes, as well as being geared to what you want to know with the EWF special half instruction / half conversation model of skills sharing.

Be quick to sign up for any of our forums, as places are limited.

Listen to me - Pitching your work

The art of the crafty side of selling your work to a publisher.

With Ryan Paine

Ideas into images - Writing a comic

Looking at the special demands that writing a comic places on a writer.

With Shane McCarthy

The unspoken creative writing - Getting Funding

Looking at the various bodies and the realities of dealing with them.

With Tim Sinclair

Making it yourself - Starting a magazine

Looking at the opportunities, possibilities and pitfalls of starting your own publication.

With Emily Clark & Lisa Dempster

All your own work – Zine making

The A to Zine of self publishing. Find out how to create and how to have your creations heard.

With Vanessa Berry

From Page to Stage – Writers as performers

Developing and performing your own work as well as looking at that most delicate of subjects being part of a reading

With Julian Fleetwood

Two people on stage, one better talk - Playwriting

Looking at the challenges of adapting other styles of writing into the world of theatre.

With Ross Mueller

Creating work with words - Copywriting

Looking at copywriting and how you can use your creativity constructively.

With Bernadette Schwerdt

All skill-sharing forums are $5, participants must have a valid Weekend Pass. Skill sharing forums will be limited to 20 participants.

Bookings are essential and can be booked when registering for the festival.

TWO SIDES OF A COIN - A bare fisted, knock it down, all out pub brawl of a debate.

Three rounds of to-ing and fro-ing as we look at the big questions and think of some big answers, with our hands on our hearts and our tongues in our cheeks (sometimes).

Fight One

Should Australian literature have its own shelf in the bookstore? What constitutes the label of ‘Australian literature’? How do Australian writers compare and conflict, thematically and technically, with their international counterparts?

With Alice White, Sam Wagon-Watson and Joel Becker.

Hosted by Esther Analtolitis.

Fight Two

Do ideas run out? Do writers tell the same stories over and over again, just in different ways? Does each artist have an expiry date that they either embrace or fight against? Wille weill all fall victim to our audience’s demands and write what they want rather than what we want?