The Emerging Writers’ Festival work, learn and play largely on the land of the Kulin nation, and pay our respects to their Elders, past and present.

EWF celebrates the history and creativity of the world’s oldest living culture.

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Masterclass, Online & Professional Development

Masterclass: Genre Fiction

Genre fiction is the bread and butter of the book industry. Join this group of remarkable writers for a day of everything genre fiction – from applying research in your work, to the differences between types of fiction and the way they are marketed. Each session provides writers with tools and information they can apply to their own genre fiction practice, be it in romance or fantasy, historical fiction or crime writing.

10AM – KEYNOTE: WRESTLING WITH GENRE

Award-winning author of From Here On, Monsters Elizabeth Bryer, shares her wisdom on embracing the limitations and freedoms of genre. Hear Elizabeth speak to the power of risk taking, failure, and approaching each draft as an opportunity to experiment and actively resist neoliberal morality.

With Elizabeth Bryar

11AM – BREAK

11:15AM – SUBVERTING GENRE CONVENTIONS
Tropes and clichés have historically run rampant throughout works of genre fiction. Hear some of the best writers in the field discuss how they challenge and de-construct these archetypes to write original stories within their genres. Hear about each writer’s relationship to taking risks and pushing boundaries within their fiction writing, as well as hopes and predictions for the future of the genres they love to read and write.

With Sharlene Allsopp, Imogen Dewey, Saman Shad and Sean Wilson

12:15PM – LUNCH BREAK

12:45pm – SPECULATIVE VISIONS
Travel to the future with author Briohny Doyle. This workshop blends the art of writing pertinent and thought-provoking speculative fiction, with conversations around the responsibilities writers of genre fiction have to the future of storytelling, and to future storytellers.

With Briohny Doyle

2:45PM – BREAK

3PM – IMMERSIVITY

Discover the craft of writing distinct, immersive moods within works of Genre Fiction, with master of atmosphere Anna Snoekstra. Learn how to set intentions in your novel writing when it comes to creating strong settings, narrative arcs and characters, and how to employ these devices to create an idiosyncratic feel in your writing. 

With Anna Snoekstra 


Accessibility

Closed Captions, keyboard navigable, zoom text, break time

Featuring...

Sharlene Allsopp

Sharlene Allsopp was born and raised on unceded Bundjalung Country into the Olive mob.

Elizabeth Bryer

Elizabeth Bryer’s first novel, FROM HERE ON, MONSTERS, was joint winner of the Norma K. Hemming Award.

Imogen Dewey

Imogen Dewey is a writer, editor and journalist based in Sydney, on Gadigal land.

Briohny Doyle

Briohny Doyle is the author of Echolalia, Adult Fantasy and The Island Will Sink.

Saman Shad

Saman Shad is a writer, editor, journalist and teller of stories.

Anna Snoekstra

Anna Snoekstra is the author of Only Daughter, Little Secrets and The Spite Game.

Sean Wilson

Sean Wilson is a writer from Perth, now based in Melbourne.