Newcastle Writers Festival 2019
As always the NWF weekend was full of loads of fabulous
information, literacy, books, and authors which got my creativity running. It is
my favourite weekend of the year, and pure joy. Not only are the sessions always
thought provoking and creatively inspiring but you run into a lot of like-minded
people, close friends, and peeps you haven’t seen in a while. The atmosphere is a
buzz. It is most definitely my happy place.
Thursday
The festival started early this year with Literary Trivia at
Foghorn. We had a group of 5 and came in second. It was such fun! Mostly easy peasy
questions, and some that really made us think hard, some we got wrong but mostly
we did ok with each of us being able to cover the spread of questions. We’ll
have more of that thank you!!!
Friday
Friday night is always Opening Night, and I have been to
every one since the NWF commenced, except last year when tickets sold out way
too early and too quick. Back at the lovely Harold Lobb Concert Hall since the
first Opening Night with the formidable Miriam Margolyes, this was another
brilliant evening hosted by the charming Don Cox. After speeches from the
University, and Rosemarie Milsom – the goddess without whom we would not have
this important festival - the evening’s entertainment began.
A wonderful discussion, Does making change mean making
trouble?, between Ben Quilty, Gillian Triggs, and Joe Williams was hosted
by Jane Hutcheon. The subject of opening night led the way for conversation
with a lovely thread, of activism and helping this country change for the better, running throughout the entire weekend.
Gillian, who I call the mother of Australia, was fiercely
intelligent, measured, and astute. Ben was the no bullshit, kind, considerate, and decent man as you would expect. I hadn’t heard of Joe Williams before that
night but was very impressed with his story, resilience, and utter braveness. In
fact, he shone and was the super star of the evening.
Gillian spoke about her life in law and as the president of the Human Rights Commission. She spoke about working under extreme pressure and the bullying she received from some of our less educated Australians. Her decency shone through, with a lovely sense of humour. How lucky are we to call her our own!?
Ben spoke about being bullied for being different as a child and his life’s work in sticking up for the underdog. If every man was half as decent and intelligent and kind as Ben our world would be entirely different.
Joe’s story is one of heartbreak, ex Footy player and Boxer, he suffers from mental health issues, and was diagnosed with bi-polar later in life. An indigenous man, he now works in promoting positive mental health not just for his brothers, but for all men (and women). He was full of information and great advice, a lovely man indeed. He wore the most magnificent silver sparkly gumboots and explained he wears them to help him wade through the mud of mental health. And he sang us a song at the end, with the most beautiful voice.
Gillian spoke about her life in law and as the president of the Human Rights Commission. She spoke about working under extreme pressure and the bullying she received from some of our less educated Australians. Her decency shone through, with a lovely sense of humour. How lucky are we to call her our own!?
Ben spoke about being bullied for being different as a child and his life’s work in sticking up for the underdog. If every man was half as decent and intelligent and kind as Ben our world would be entirely different.
Joe’s story is one of heartbreak, ex Footy player and Boxer, he suffers from mental health issues, and was diagnosed with bi-polar later in life. An indigenous man, he now works in promoting positive mental health not just for his brothers, but for all men (and women). He was full of information and great advice, a lovely man indeed. He wore the most magnificent silver sparkly gumboots and explained he wears them to help him wade through the mud of mental health. And he sang us a song at the end, with the most beautiful voice.
People walked away smiling and uplifted with the reassurance
that whilst the world seems out of control and Australia headed down a gurgler
of racism, sexism, misogyny, and stupidity, there were people working hard to
turn this around. And we were all inspired to follow similarly.
Saturday
Saturday at NWF is always my favourite day of the year, I
tend to be there from fairly early until after 5. Add in Olive Tree Markets
operating at the heart of the festival in Civic Park, that part of the city is a
buzz of activity and excitement.
I got in there early to grab a breakfast Gozleme and some
snacks for in between sessions. It’s lovely to sit in the sun early and watch the
surrounds get busier and busier before heading to my first
session.
The Powers That Be – Gillian Triggs in conversation with
Jill Emberson
This was a wonderful discussion on human rights, juggling
life and work, being a strong minded woman, and dealing with the naysayers. As previously mentioned
Triggs is intelligent and measured, friendly and spare. She had us in the palm
of her hand. I could have listened to her all day.
Far From Home – Kon Karapanagiotidis in conversation with
Felicity Biggins
I have been a huge fan of Kon and his Asylum Seeker Resource
Centre (ASRC) for a long time. His generosity and heart are massive. Another
lovely man that gives me hope for this country. OK, I have a bit of a crush on
Kon! And he was as lovely, if not lovelier than you would imagine. He spoke
about his life growing up Greek in a small country town and how hard his parents
worked for him and his sister to have a better life. He decided to make his
life’s work to assist others and after a myriad of jobs he created the ASRC and
decided to help immigrants, generally and legally. His work is immense and
ground breaking and life changing. A remarkable human being
indeed.
He spoke about being harassed for being from another country and also mentioned Pauline Hanson and made the joke that given she cannot speak English herself, she should really be careful what she says about migrants. Huge laughs!
He also said he refuses to go on a panel unless it is half women, and the love in the room (of mostly women) continued to rise.
Some of his other truths were that the more money you have, you need to make the table longer and not put up walls. Never lose your values and your integrity and if something is wrong and unjust you have a moral obligation to do something about it. Oppression thrives in the silence.
Kon also went through his long list of failures with great humility, but also what each failure brought him, so he says you must learn to embrace failure, you will gain something from it. It reminded me of what my Grandfather would say to me if I told him about something crappy that happened to me. He would listen with kindness but say, "what did you learn?"
He spoke about being harassed for being from another country and also mentioned Pauline Hanson and made the joke that given she cannot speak English herself, she should really be careful what she says about migrants. Huge laughs!
He also said he refuses to go on a panel unless it is half women, and the love in the room (of mostly women) continued to rise.
Some of his other truths were that the more money you have, you need to make the table longer and not put up walls. Never lose your values and your integrity and if something is wrong and unjust you have a moral obligation to do something about it. Oppression thrives in the silence.
Kon also went through his long list of failures with great humility, but also what each failure brought him, so he says you must learn to embrace failure, you will gain something from it. It reminded me of what my Grandfather would say to me if I told him about something crappy that happened to me. He would listen with kindness but say, "what did you learn?"
I met a friend for lunch at Olive Tree and we enjoyed Bao Brothers and cool drink, before heading back to Town Hall for a big afternoon.
The Borderland – a panel of Chloe Hooper, Bram Presser,
and Jock Serong led by Geordie Williamson, exploring the creative space between fact and fiction
I attended this session for Chloe Hooper and she was everything I expected. I only finished The Arsonist the night before and loved it. I have only read that book and thought her very similar to Helen Garner. After the session I realised she gets this all the time, and I imagine that it must be difficult. But in person, her demeanor and measured way of speaking also reminded me of Helen. She spoke about writing the book, interviewing (she is a journalist) those within, and getting the story right. It was great insight into a great book.
Jock Serong writes about early Australian history within fiction and did a lot of research to get the facts right. Not really my genre of fiction, but they did sound fascinating.
But it was Bram Presser that most impressed me, looking like a rock star in black with dreads. His fictional tale, The Book of Dirt, was based on the story of his grandparents in the Holocaust. The story behind the story sounded fascinating, and he read the most engaging opening paragraph from it. His grandparents never really spoke about what happened, but after they died his grandfather was said to be aligned with Hitler. Bram found this difficult to believe so decided to do the research to clear his grandfather's name and there wasn't enough information to write a NF book, he had blanks he had to fill in. Hence the fiction with facts. I cannot wait to read it.
I attended this session for Chloe Hooper and she was everything I expected. I only finished The Arsonist the night before and loved it. I have only read that book and thought her very similar to Helen Garner. After the session I realised she gets this all the time, and I imagine that it must be difficult. But in person, her demeanor and measured way of speaking also reminded me of Helen. She spoke about writing the book, interviewing (she is a journalist) those within, and getting the story right. It was great insight into a great book.
Jock Serong writes about early Australian history within fiction and did a lot of research to get the facts right. Not really my genre of fiction, but they did sound fascinating.
But it was Bram Presser that most impressed me, looking like a rock star in black with dreads. His fictional tale, The Book of Dirt, was based on the story of his grandparents in the Holocaust. The story behind the story sounded fascinating, and he read the most engaging opening paragraph from it. His grandparents never really spoke about what happened, but after they died his grandfather was said to be aligned with Hitler. Bram found this difficult to believe so decided to do the research to clear his grandfather's name and there wasn't enough information to write a NF book, he had blanks he had to fill in. Hence the fiction with facts. I cannot wait to read it.
Writing Women in the Wake of #metoo – Kate Lilley in
conversation with Trisha Pender
I went into this unsure what to expect, but figured there would be some challenging subject matter. I didn't realise how challenging it would be. Kate is the daughter of Australian poet, Dorothy Hewett. In the past year, it came out that when the Dorothy and her sister were young teens and living with their mother in her bohemian life, they were sexually abused by those in their mother's circle, and she encouraged it. The session was about Kate's latest book of poetry that focuses on that time. It was heavy going, and very upsetting, as whilst I expected some challenge with this session, it was far more challenging that I expected. Trisha Pender handled the session with grace and compassion and it was fascinating to listen to Kate, who has obviously come to terms with the situation, well as much as one could. Her poetry was actually beautiful, but also sharp!
I went into this unsure what to expect, but figured there would be some challenging subject matter. I didn't realise how challenging it would be. Kate is the daughter of Australian poet, Dorothy Hewett. In the past year, it came out that when the Dorothy and her sister were young teens and living with their mother in her bohemian life, they were sexually abused by those in their mother's circle, and she encouraged it. The session was about Kate's latest book of poetry that focuses on that time. It was heavy going, and very upsetting, as whilst I expected some challenge with this session, it was far more challenging that I expected. Trisha Pender handled the session with grace and compassion and it was fascinating to listen to Kate, who has obviously come to terms with the situation, well as much as one could. Her poetry was actually beautiful, but also sharp!
Radical Acts of Empathy – a panel with Rod Bower, Kon
Karapanagiotidis, and Anisa Nandaula hosted by Annabel Smith, the importance of walking in anothers shoes in our divided
world
After catching up with friends, I headed to this panel which was the perfect way to end the day. More of lovely Kon with the fabulous Father Rod Bower from Gosford Anglican Church, and slam poet, Anisa. All are activists and had different takes on the subject. But all dealt with their activism in a kind and compassionate way. They made us laugh and cry. Anisa performed some of her very powerful poems. Rod spoke gently about raising certain topics and helping others while Kon got very impassioned about activism and what can be done. It was a very awe inspiring session, and I went home smiling, thinking we might just be ok in this crazy old world we're living in!
After catching up with friends, I headed to this panel which was the perfect way to end the day. More of lovely Kon with the fabulous Father Rod Bower from Gosford Anglican Church, and slam poet, Anisa. All are activists and had different takes on the subject. But all dealt with their activism in a kind and compassionate way. They made us laugh and cry. Anisa performed some of her very powerful poems. Rod spoke gently about raising certain topics and helping others while Kon got very impassioned about activism and what can be done. It was a very awe inspiring session, and I went home smiling, thinking we might just be ok in this crazy old world we're living in!
Sunday
On Sunday I returned and started with a lovely brunch on Darby at Coco Monde. With a full belly I was ready to tackle the day!
One Hundred Years of Dirt – Rick Morton in conversation with Ed Wright
I was halfway through Rick's book which is so rich and fascinating, about life on the land and growing up poor. Rick was not at all the hardened country figure I had expected, which made me see his story in a completely different way. Of course he doesn't come across hardened at all in the book, I was only up to roughly age 10, I just presumed that! Something you should never do. Currently a journalist for The Australian, but definitely more left than right, he spoke about that choice of employer, his career writing, his attachment with the land, coming out, and his family. It was a huge mix master of emotion, good and bad, and a complex story really. He was adorable and the nicest person, so funny too. Everyone should read One Hundred Years of Dirt!
One Hundred Years of Dirt – Rick Morton in conversation with Ed Wright
I was halfway through Rick's book which is so rich and fascinating, about life on the land and growing up poor. Rick was not at all the hardened country figure I had expected, which made me see his story in a completely different way. Of course he doesn't come across hardened at all in the book, I was only up to roughly age 10, I just presumed that! Something you should never do. Currently a journalist for The Australian, but definitely more left than right, he spoke about that choice of employer, his career writing, his attachment with the land, coming out, and his family. It was a huge mix master of emotion, good and bad, and a complex story really. He was adorable and the nicest person, so funny too. Everyone should read One Hundred Years of Dirt!
Why Women’s Stories Matter – a panel with Clementine Ford,
Kate Lilley, and Alison Whittaker hosted by Trisha Pender
Members of the panel each read from their books and spoke about the importance of writing about women, especially now when the glass ceiling seems to be breaking. Each woman came from a different background and perspective and it quite enlightening to hear their stance on the subject.
Members of the panel each read from their books and spoke about the importance of writing about women, especially now when the glass ceiling seems to be breaking. Each woman came from a different background and perspective and it quite enlightening to hear their stance on the subject.
Face to Face – a panel with Trent Dalton, Chloe Hooper,
and Kerry O’Brien hosted by Rosemarie Milsom, effective interviewing, secrets to its
success
This was probably my favourite session of the weekend and a lovely way to end the festival. Rosemarie led this delicious discussion on interviewing. Chloe and Trent had much to say and were funny and informative, but it was - of course - Kerry that stole the show here, with his stories and his grumpy/humourous telling of them. Kerry is very dry, suffers no fools, but was generous and lovely. Quite as you would imagine. I would do none of the antecdotes any justice retelling them, but he had everyone - including the panel - in the palm of his hands...and he knew it! What fun and what joy!!
And so, another Newcastle Writers Festival ends, and I went home with my heart and soul full of joy and my head full of thoughts and ideas. I realised that why things might be dire politically within this country, we still had many intelligent, kind, and compassionate thinkers and if we continue to 'fight' the right fight, we might just be ok!
This was probably my favourite session of the weekend and a lovely way to end the festival. Rosemarie led this delicious discussion on interviewing. Chloe and Trent had much to say and were funny and informative, but it was - of course - Kerry that stole the show here, with his stories and his grumpy/humourous telling of them. Kerry is very dry, suffers no fools, but was generous and lovely. Quite as you would imagine. I would do none of the antecdotes any justice retelling them, but he had everyone - including the panel - in the palm of his hands...and he knew it! What fun and what joy!!
And so, another Newcastle Writers Festival ends, and I went home with my heart and soul full of joy and my head full of thoughts and ideas. I realised that why things might be dire politically within this country, we still had many intelligent, kind, and compassionate thinkers and if we continue to 'fight' the right fight, we might just be ok!
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