This year’s Brisbane Writers’ Festival – 2-6 September – looks set to be a feast for writers and readers of all tastes and genres. Even those with a hankering for cosplay are catered for.
The 'Minds Wide Open' theme is certainly lived up to in the festival programme, which was launched on 25 July. The festival has a massive number of highlights – far too many to list them all here!
First Dog On The Moon will be there, and so will Agatha Christie… in a way. Agatha fans are invited to attend an evening with Sophie Hannah at glamorous Newstead House. Champagne will be offered, with pearls, moustaches and monocles encouraged.
For those looking to push into new horizons, the festival is offering various forums for debate and interactive conversations. 'Story +' is back for its third year, and in 2015 will tackle the future of writing and storytelling as shaped by technology, design and data. Stakeholders from across the industry will share their views in conversation on the challenges and opportunities facing contemporary storytellers.
The 'Inspire' series is another chance for discussion. Encompassing three themes this year – 'Strive', 'Change' and 'Body', 'Inspire' puts three storytellers in conversation to lend different perspectives to the chosen topic. Join household names such as Jessica Rowe and Tim Flannery and discover other talents such as Abdi Aden, Laurie Penny and Andy Jackson as they discuss how they have changed their brain, overcome genetic conditions, survived as a solo migrant… and invented a zombie jogging ap.
'Brisbane 2050: Imagining Our Future City' invites festival goers to record their impressions and hopes for a future Brisbane in the BWF Instabooth – installed outside Southbank’s ABC studios from 17 August before moving onsite on the opening of the festival. The festival will then host a panel of eminent persons who will lead a town hall meeting to discuss ideal plans for our city’s future. Festival goers can take the discussion to the national level by checking out 'Australia’s Second Chance' with George Megalogenis, to crunch the economics of Australia’s future.
For lovers of Young Adult (YA) novels, the festival has you covered with their 'Love YA' programme. Both young and not so young aficionados are invited to attend, in costume, for prizes. Prominent author John Masden will host a professional development opportunity for teachers interested in the relationship between education and creativity. A range of YA authors will discuss the YA themes of love and relationships, while others will give advice on publication and listen to the pitches of aspiring YA writers. Cassandra Clare and Holly Black will host both a discussion – and the cos play party! All these events are free.
This is just a mere smattering of the events to participate in. Radio National will be there, and for those who rarely venture into Southbank, content from the festival will be delivered in 22 locations across the city. There will be a master class on cryptic crosswords, an interactive art installation on aging and of course, the Festival Club tent is back. It looks set to be a fantastic September for all things literary.
Brisbane Writers Festival will be held in and around Brisbane, 2-6 September.
