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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Estuaries, Writers' Salon & Workshop

Yes, you can lie in a song

Songs, for Ruby Gill, are the only place where she feels able to lie —and the only place she ever tells the whole truth. Join the South Africa-born, award-winning songwriter, musician and poet as she shares practical ways to bend the facts in order to uncover them. Play with language (as irreverently as possible), honour and rewrite your histories, be specific, weird and wrong. You don’t even have to be yourself (although mostly that’s unavoidable). Open to songwriters of all levels, come even if you’re scared, and even if this is your very first time. Established artists with a hankering for a new way in are just as welcome. You’ll leave with song seeds, real tools, and new friendships with other songwriters evolving their craft.


    Presented in partnership with Festival Friend

Accessibility

Auslan Interpretation may be available on request, Wheelchair Accessible, Accessible Toilet.

Wednesday 16 September, 6.30pm-8.30pm

$35 General
$30 Concession
$25 First Nations Tickets

Book tickets

Oddany Gallery
491 Sydney Road, Brunswick 3056

Featuring...

Ruby Gill

If anyone can silence a room, it’s Joburg-born, Beechworth-based songwriter and poet Ruby Gill, whose arresting lyricism and wit have garnered millions of streams, awards and airplay from triple j to BBC and KCRW. Fresh off tours in AUS, South Africa, NZ and UK/EU, the artist’s “lyrical wizardry” has earned the reputation of unmissable, with her 2025 record ‘Some Kind Of Control’ shortlisted for an Australian Music Prize. Ruby’s debut poetry book ‘I’m not exaggerating when I say’ sold out two print runs in launch month. Her writing has appeared in The Saturday Paper, Harvard Advocate, Griffith Review and more.