Sex, sun and syntax

SYDNEY — Now in its third year, the NSW Writers' Centre Spring Writing Literary Festival on September 16-17 is shaping up to be an exciting combination of innovative programming, professional organising and imaginative use of the heritage venue. Under the direction of convener Michael Wilding and the efforts of coordinator and publicist Geraldine McKenna, Spring Writing offers a bigger literary choice than ever, with workshops, readings, book launches, forums, yarn spinning, poetry cup, publishers' showcases, a play reading, lunchtime performances and other literary pursuits being offered in three different sites at the centre — under the "Big Top", the western verandah near the century-old magnolia tree and the ballroom inside the building.
Special guests at this year's Spring Writing include Morris West, who will be presenting a talk on "Writers and the Corporate World of Publishing" at noon on September 16.
Other writers include: Robert Adamson, Graeme Aitken, Richard Allen, Don Anderson, Linda Aronson, Annette Barlow, Judith Beveridge, Peter Boyle, Katharine Brisbane, David Brooks, Jennifer Compton, Matthew Condon, Bryony Cosgrove, Christopher Cyrill, Bruce Dawe, Marele Day, Roger Dean, Joye Dempsey, Nabaneeta Dev Sen, Bob Ellis, Fotini Epanomitis, Justine Ettler, Warren Fahey, Rick Feneley, Anni Finsterer, Judith Fox, Susan Geason, Juno Gemes, Susan Hampton, Ian Hicks, Paul Horsfall, Rae Desmond Jones, Antigone Kefala, Dean Kiley, Andy Kissane, Ruby Langford Ginibi, Angelo Loukakis, Helen McKay, Barry Maitland, Melina Marchetta, Yuriy Mikhailik, Drusilla Modjeska, Frank Moorhouse, Alec Morgan, Penelope Nelson, Gaby Naher, Jane Palfreyman, Karen Pearlman, Ron Pretty, Mandy Sayer, Hazel Smith, Fenella Souter, Beth Spencer, Dale Spender, Lynne Spender, Barry Spurr, Tim Thorne, Alana Valentine, Elizabeth Webby, Morris West, Denis Whitburn, Michael Wilding, Kristin Williamson, Sue Woolfe.
Spring Writing will be opened by Larry Hand, mayor of Leichhardt, which generously gave $4000 towards this year's festival.
A special feature is two forums of writers on the higher school certificate on Saturday and Sunday at 10am, featuring Queensland poet Bruce Dawe, Aboriginal author Ruby Langford Ginibi, Melina Marchetta (Looking for Alibrandi), Sydney poet Judith Beveridge, crime writer Marele Day and novelist Angelo Loukakis.
For the still younger, the Storytellers Association will be putting on a special session for children aged 3-10 on Saturday at 2pm.
The festival features readings from the winners of the NSW Premier's Literary Awards, who will be announced the day before the festival. Premier and Minister for the Arts Bob Carr will be attending on Sunday to present the NSW Writer's Fellowship, which last year went to talented young writer Anna Broinowski.
The centre is especially pleased to be hosting a forum of international writers, including the eminent Russian poet and novelist Yuriy Mikhailik, the prolific Bengali writer Nabaneeta Dev Sen and Indonesian journalist Seno Gumira Ajidarma, who was stripped of his editorship of the newspaper Jakarta Jakarta for its reporting of the 1991 Dili massacre.
The forum on "Writing Sex in the Nineties" will undoubtedly attract a large audience with such literary luminaries as Don Anderson and Frank Moorhouse pitting their wits against prominent feminist writer Dale Spender and talented young script writer Alana Valentine.
On Sunday afternoon, film and television writer Linda Aronson will tackle the subject of the uniqueness of Australian films with fellow script writer, the inimitable Bob Ellis, and David (Carcrash) Caesar.
On Sunday, ABC Radio National's program A Swag of Yarns presents four live performances as part of the festival. There will be four shows of storytelling and yarn spinning, with special guests and audience participation. So, if you have a story to tell and would like to join in the fun — and like a chance for your story to be broadcast on ABC Radio National — come along.
There will also be lunchtime performances of words and music by Hazel Smith and Roger Dean (Saturday) and a poetry and dance performance by Richard Allen and Karen Pearlman (Sunday).
Most sessions are free or carry a nominal admission of $5/$2. The venue is the Writers' Centre in the Rozelle Hospital Grounds: enter from Balmain Road, opposite Cecily Street. For further information, ring (02) 555 9757.