SYDNEY — The NSW Writers' Centre will host its annual literary festival, Spring Writing, on September 7-8. This year the festival will welcome international guests, Balmain writers, regional Australian writers, writers from non-English backgrounds and Aboriginal writers, including a special session with new Aboriginal writers.
The weekend will be a varied program of workshops, forums, readings, book launches, performances and showcase sessions for particular writers. The Back to Balmain session, scheduled for Saturday at 4.30pm and sponsored by Leichhardt Council, will be readings and commentary on the heady days of the early '70s Balmain literary and artistic life, with Robert Adamson, Nigel Roberts, Robyn Ravlich, Elisabeth Wynhausen, Richard Tipping and Michael Wilding.
Karen Connelly from Canada, Don Graham from Texas, John E. Smelcer from Alaska, Pira Sudham from Thailand and George Zarkadakis from Greece will appear through the weekend at sessions on regionalism versus parochialism, Asian writing, popular Australian poetry in other languages, biography writing and overseas writers' readings.
Aboriginal writer Ruby Langford Ginibi, best known for her autobiography Don't take your love to town, will speak at a forum for HSC English students. In a session titled "Tiddas Business", on new writings by Aboriginal women, Cathy Craigie, Anita Heiss, Romaine Moreton and Kerry Reed-Gilbert will read and discuss their work. Reed-Gilbert and Moreton will later have their new works launched by Craigie, who manages Gadigal Aboriginal Broadcasting Service.
Other highlights of the weekend include a forum presented by the National Playwrights' Centre, with May-Brit Akerholt, Russell Kiefel, Stephen Sewell and Alana Valentine, on Saturday morning. The Multicultural Theatre Alliance will also present Ten by six, dramas by Paula Abood, Peggy Giakoumelos, Bill Kokkaris, Andrew Ma, Rose Nakad and Jim Sadeli.
For more information on the program and venue details, telephone Geraldine McKenna at the NSW Writers' Centre on (02) 9555 9757. n