What's on ...

For information about the program or to book for events: Phone (02) 6772 7210 or email newc@northnet.com.au

Unless otherwise stated all events will be held at the New England Writers' Centre (NEWC), in the Neighbourhood Centre, 129 Rusden St, Armidale (between the Council Building and the Town Hall). During opening hours and workshops, access is through the Cinders Lane carpark (first door on left, in the corridor).

Please note:

• there is a one-hour parking restriction in the Cinders Lane carpark.
• About booking. At the time of booking you can become a member and do the workshop at the member rate (see How to Join).

APRIL

POETRY WORKSHOP & SLAM POETRY COMPETITION - with David Hallett.
Slam Poetry contest, judged by David. NEWC is co-sponsoring the workshop with Poetzinc, and we’re putting up $100 prize money for the open poetry slam. Sponsored by Arts NSW.

Workshop: Saturday, April 5, 2-3pm, in the Funk Lush room at the back of the Top Pub in Uralla, to be followed by a reading in the Beer Garden. Cost of workshop $10.

Poetry Slam Contest: April 6, 10am, Top Pub, Uralla.

For information and bookings email Maxine or ring 6778 5038.

GETTING STARTED - one-day creative writing workshop with Wendy James.
Knowing where to begin is often the hardest part of writing, but at the end of this class you’ll have characters, a plot, and plenty of inspiration. You’ll be ready to start making stories. Award-winning novelist, Wendy, is now working on her third novel. If you’re having trouble starting your first (novel, short story or any creative writing) this is the place to get going.

DATE: April 19 (Saturday), 10am to 4pm.
VENUE: NEWC
COST: $50 members / $65 non-members

MAY

FREELANCE WORKSHOP - WRITING FOR PROFIT with Lesley Sly.
Learn how to turn your interests/knowledge into profitable writing for newspapers and general and specialist magazines. Learn:

• interview/research/writing skills,
• how to analyse publications/readership,
• write in style suitable for general and specialist publications,
• pitch stories,
• syndicate your work, and
• run a profitable freelance writing business.

Lesley has worked as an editor (newspapers/magazines), reporter for print and radio, senior sub editor for the Sydney Morning Herald, Financial Review, columnist for Rolling Stone, travel writer for BBC Radio and various UK newspapers. As a freelance her work has appeared in The Bulletin, Good Weekend, HQ, Limelight, and many other national and overseas magazines. She also wrote a 400-page book, The Power & The Passion, a guide to the Australian music industry, based on 150 interviews.

DATE: May 10 (Saturday). 10am to 4pm.
VENUE: NEWC.
COST: $50 members / $65 non-members.

WRITING GYM – a one-day workshop with Wendy James for writers at all stages.
Exercises to limber up the imagination. Bring plenty of paper – and a towel!

DATE: May 24 (Saturday) 10am to 4pm.
VENUE: NEWC
COST: $50 members / $65 non-members.

JULY

MANUSCRIPT ASSESSMENT CONSULTATIONS - with Peter Bishop, director of Varuna, The Writers House. For members only. You can become a member and book a place.

DATE: Armidale, July 18 and 19; Tamworth, July 17.
COST: (one-hour assessment) $30.

AUGUST

LOVING WRITING - An Introduction to Writing Romantic Fiction - with Bronwyn Parry.
Contrary to the myths, writing romance isn't easy. There's no formula, and no easy path to success in what is now a large, diverse, and highly competitive industry. This one-day workshop will provide an overview of the genre, its markets and readership, and will explore, through practical exercises, examples, and discussion, some of the key skills for aspiring writers in the genre:

• developing a strong premise for a romance novel
• creating complex, empathetic characters
• crafting emotional journeys and character arcs
• using text and texture effectively
• pacing, structure, and plot development
• finding good resources for romance writers.

Participants will find the exercises most beneficial if they have at least some ideas about a novel they'd like to write. Bronwyn Parry's first novel, As Darkness Falls, will be published in September 2008 by Hachette Australia, with a second book contracted for publication in 2009. Combining the emotion of a romance with the intensity of a suspense plot, As Darkness Falls follows two detectives searching for an abducted child in a traumatised town on the edge of the outback.

Prior to signing with Hachette, Bronwyn's unpublished manuscripts won a number of awards and contests, including a prestigious Golden Heart Award from the Romance Writers of America, and the Valerie Parv Award and Single (Title) and Loving It contest from the Romance Writers of Australia. Bronwyn's interests in the romance genre go beyond writing it; she is also doing a PhD project exploring romance readers' and writers' internet communities and their perspectives on the genre.

DATE: August 16 (Saturday) 10am to 4pm.
VENUE: NEWC.
COST: $50 members / $65 non-members.

'BRICK LANE' – NEWC hosts Film Fundraiser

Brick Lane has won numerous awards and NEWC is looking forward to presenting it as our annual fundraiser on Thursday, 21 August at 7.00pm at the Belgrave Cinema.

Based on Monica Alis’ prize winning novel, Brick Lane is the story of a beautiful young Bangladeshi woman, Nazneen, whose life is turned upside down. She arrives in 1980s London, leaving behind her beloved sister and home, for an arranged marriage and a new life. Trapped within the four walls of her flat in East London, and in a loveless marriage with the middle aged Chanu, she fears her soul is quietly dying.

Her sister Hasina, meanwhile, continues to live a carefree life back in Bangladesh, stumbling from one adventure to the next. Nazneen struggles to do her duty to her husband, he tests her compliance. She struggles to accept her own lifestyle, and keeps her head down in spite of life's blows, but she soon discovers that life cannot be avoided - and is forced to confront it the day that the hotheaded young Karim comes knocking at her door.

DATE: August 21 (Thursday) 7.00 pm
VENUE: Belgrave Cinema
COST: $12 (available from NEWC)

Don’t miss out on a great evening’s entertainment and a chance to support New England Writer’s Centre. For more information about the film or to book tickets, please phone 6772 7210 or email NEWC.

CREATIVE JOURNAL WORKSHOP- with Karla Meyer
This is a writers' workshop with a difference. Karla explains: "usually, the main purpose of writing is the product – here, it is the process which is at the centre of our attention. You can certainly use the techniques specifically to further your writing career, but the applications are potentially much broader than that: you can employ them for problem solving, to get in touch with your intuition, to strengthen your creativity, to get a healthier perspective on old issues, and in general, to get a more positive outlook on life. They can also help to uncover layers of your subconscious mind. I have chosen 6 processes that were particularly helpful to participants of previous workshops. In nearly 40 years of journalling, I have learnt, adapted and developed the techniques I'm going to share with you. Self-help books, my studies of linguistics and psychology and my NLP training have provided many ideas and inspirations. Journalling is a great tool, and anyone can do it – you don't need any literary talents for it."

DATE: August 23 (Saturday) 9.30am to 4.00pm.
VENUE: NEWC
COST: $45 members / $55 non-members.

Bring an exercise book or your journal, if you have one. There will be 15-minute morning and afternoon tea breaks, and a 30-minute lunch break (BYO lunch). Hot drinks and biscuits are provided.

KARLA MEYER was born in Germany, migrated to Australia in 1980 at age 28. Spent two years travelling with camels and wagon in north -west NSW; had two children, studied philosophy, linguistics and psychology, achieved BA in 2002, and learnt a number of specific psychological techniques through additional courses. Currently she is employed as an aged carer for people with dementia, and as a computer trainer for CRS.

OCTOBER

PUNCTUATING POETRY - a workshop for readers and writers of poetry, with Michael Sharkey.
This workshop will focus on how poetry employs the resources of conventional punctuation and concepts of the poetic ‘line’. Many examples will be provided of wide variation in the ways poets control and add meaning to what they have to say.

Bring along copies of three or four brief examples of your own poetry or that of writers who interest you, to discuss with other people.

Michael Sharkey is the author of many collections of poetry, most recent of which is The Sweeping Plain (Five Islands Press, 2007). His work is featured in several of the Best Australian Poetry anthologies published by Black Inc (Melbourne) and University of Queensland Press, and his essays and articles on poetry are included in Blue Dog: Australian Poetry, Five Bells, and other magazines.

DATE: October 4 (Saturday) 2 to 4.30 pm.
VENUE: NEWC
COST: $17.50 members / $25 non-members

HOOKS & ANCHORS - how to keep readers turning pages, with Marele Day.
Top crime writer, Marele has also written other sorts of novels. The techniques she'll teach in this workshop are relevant to all sorts of fiction. [More details later.]

DATE: October 11 (Saturday) 10am to 4pm.
VENUE: NEWC
COST: $65 members / $75 non-members.

POLISHING FOR PUBLICATION - a one-day workshop with Wendy James.
Ready to polish the final draft, or start the final draft, or just want to know what’s involved in polishing your work for publication? Not just major publication, such as a novel, but for smaller works too. It’s becoming more and more crucial that writers can polish their work, as publishers offer less and less in the way of editing.

DATE: October 18 (Saturday) 10am to 4pm.
VENUE: NEWC
COST: $50 members / $65 non-members.

NOVEMBER

HEADS FOR TALES - how to write for young readers.
A one-day workshop with award-winning author of many books for children and young adults, John Heffernan. The workshop will deal with various aspects of writing for young readers, particularly in relation to John's own works, with hands-on exercises.

DATE: November 1 (Saturday) 10am to 4pm.
VENUE: NEWC
COST: $50 members / $65 non-members. Must be booked and paid in advance.

Since he began writing in 1997, John has published 20 books on a range of subjects and genre, for a variety of ages. His main age group is 10-14 years, but he writes for older and younger readers, producing both Young Adult novels and picture books.

One series that has been very popular is the award-winning SPUD novels. There are three books (SPUD, CHIPS and PUP) that deal with life on the land in Australia seen through the eyes of the work dogs. The books are fiercely realistic and pull no punches, showing a way of life that can be hard and cruel at times, but also beautiful.
In these books John deals with issues such as dysfunctional families, alcoholism, cruelty to animals, as well as environmental matters. His books leave readers in no doubt about the importance of trust, friendship and love especially between human and animals.

A more recent novel – A HORSE CALLED ELVIS – is also in this vein, but goes further. This is a book written on several levels. It can be enjoyed by readers in the 10-14 year range, but John has intentionally given the novel more layers so that older readers can gain something from it.

John has also written on war and refugees. MY DOG is a picture book for all ages about the war in Bosnia. The sequel to this book (MORE THAN GOLD) deals with a young Bosnian refugee who settles in Australia with his mother. This novel has been popular with a wide range of readers. Although exploring several serious issues, it is essentially a story of friendship between two very different boys.

John has made forays into the science fiction/fantasy genre as well. He has two books out in the Mythos Trilogy, which focus on a post-apocalyptic Sydney in the 23rd Century. Wild, tattooed tribes called the Oztrakii battle with the rulers of the Sydney basin called the CroNullas. The two titles published so far are CBD and GBH. A third book is being written at present, called FAQ, and even though this is a trilogy, John thinks it may extend to five books.

He has received several national and international awards. SPUD and PUP were both classified as Notable Books by the Children’s Book Council of Australia. RACHAEL’S FOREST was short listed for the Wilderness Society’s Environmental Award for Literature. MY DOG was awarded Book of the Year and Honour book by the CBCA, as well as being short-listed for the NSW Premier’s Literary Award. MY DOG has been being translated into French and Japanese. John’s next picture book, TWO SUMMERS was short-listed for the CBCA Picture Book of the Year in 2004, and won the Crichton award for Freya Blackwood’s wonderful illustrations.

"I never have enough time to write, even though I’m doing it full-time now. I don’t think I’ll ever get all those tales out that are floating around inside my head. It’s great fun trying, though. Story writing is one of the most wonderful and fulfilling of crafts", he says.

For further information go to: John Heffernan - Australian Author of Children's Books

LONGLINES & LITLINK: Creating real pathways for writers
Writers of prose, poetry and drama living away from the metropolitan centres of Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne are invited to send in applications for the Macquarie Group Foundation LongLines Varuna Workshops & Residencies.

Writers from regional NSW applying for the LongLines program will also be applying for the LitLink Varuna Residencies – ten (10) one-week residencies at Varuna during the weeks July 28-August 3 and September 8-14.

For each state and territory, one (1) two-week LongLines Varuna residency is awarded. There are:

• five (5) places in the prose workshop,
• four (4) places in the poetry workshop, and
• three (3) places in the drama workshop.

In addition, there are fifteen (15) non-residential readings & consultations –your chance for a considered reading of your whole work plus an hour long conversation with one of Varuna’s experienced team of writing consultants. Thirty-five (35) valuable places in all.

But... read on!

From 2008, the LongLines Poetry Workshop will be presented in partnership with the Australian Poetry Centre, with additional funding from the Myer Foundation, and the four poets selected will be the four poets to be published in the annual New Poets program –the program that has grown from the annual Five Islands Press New Poets Program. Yes, you read that right –being selected for the LongLines Poetry Workshop means a publication!

For prose writers there’s the new annual Penguin/Varuna Scholarship.
Penguin has generously provided a $5000 scholarship, plus 20 hours editorial guidance from Penguin, exclusively for a LongLines writer.

Each year, Varuna’s Creative Director, Peter Bishop, selects up to fifteen (15) vibrant and viable manuscripts to present to Penguin – that’s fifteen LongLines manuscripts being read and considered by one of Australia’s most distinguished publishing houses. In 2007, ten (10) of the eighteen (18) manuscripts submitted were from LitLink writers.

The Penguin/Varuna Scholarship winner will be announced in early April.

A LongLines application can make a lot of things happen!

For more information go to Varuna. Phone 02 4782 5674.

All applications must be on an application form, accompanied by a $25 application fee and be postmarked no later than April 30.

For further information about the program or to book for events:

Phone 02 6772 7210 or email newc@northnet.com.au

Unless otherwise stated all events will be held at the New England Writers' Centre (NEWC), in the Neighbourhood Centre building, 129 Rusden St, Armidale (between the Council Building and the Town Hall).

During opening hours and workshops, access is through the Cinders Lane carpark (first door on left, in the corridor).

Please note:

• there is a one-hour parking restriction in the Cinders Lane carpark.
• About booking. At the time of booking you can become a member and do the workshop at the member rate (see How to Join).