Brisbane Writers Festival

ATTENTION ALL BRISBANEITES

Or anyone who would like to be in Brisbane for the

Brisbane Writers Festival

3 to 7 September 2014

Have you ever wondered if the people who take you on journeys of discovery, tell stories of love, family, travel, history, murder and mayhem can TALK?

Wonder no more, come along to the Brisbane Writers Festival (BWF) and see some of your favourite authors in conversation, telling stories, or even reading books! The programme for the BWF is huge and there is sure to be something for everyone in its pages.There are entry fees for many talks, but there are also free and very low cost events.

I’ve always wondered what happened at a writer’s festival. As someone more interested in reading than writing books, I assumed they were only for the intelligentsia to talk among themselves. Oh dear yet another time I am wrong – well nothing new there, but this old dog is not too old to learn new tricks.

I started to put together my itinerary and within five minutes knew I was in trouble – how was I going to get to all these events and listen to some of my favourite writers when I was supposed to be working!

Silly me volunteered to work at the festival and now I find many of the people I want to see are in different places to where I am rostered!    <Pause for head banging>  I’m off to a volunteers orientation meeting tonight so perhaps I can wheedle the “Boss” into giving me all events I want to hear – why am I sure she is immune to wheedling? Seriously, isn’t being a volunteer exciting? You never know where you may find yourself.

In particular I want to hear Ashley Hay (The Railwayman’s Wife), Mark Tedeschi (Eugenia), Betty Churcher, David Malouf, Frances Whiting (I’m loving her first novel Walking on Trampolines). For those with a political bent there are discussion groups/talks featuring Anna Bligh, Bob Brown and Malcolm Fraser.

For the technology savvy and games lovers, there is a two-day workshop given by the lead writer of Assassins Creed: Brotherhood, which I am reliably advised is a computer game (so far out of my comfort zone!).

Do yourself a favour, click here to see the programme http://bwf.org.au/, although be warned some events are already sold out! In addition, say hello to the Volunteers, one of them might just be me!