Despite being traditionally romanticised through history – often as a lonely old man in a suit with a mustache stone-cutting his way through the night on a typewriter and a bottle of whiskey – the life of a contemporary writer is a long, sometimes hard, sometimes discouraging, journey.
In an age where communication and self-publishing are possible by the tapping of a keyboard and the click of a mouse, now is as an exciting and promising time to write. But it is also a competitive and confusing time for young and emerging writers. Quickly approaching adulthood and impending maturity, the 17th annual National Young Writers' Festival (NYWF) is back this October; the country's largest gathering of young and innovative new-age writers eases the anxieties of young writers and transitions them into the industry by exploring writing through panels, discussions, workshops, launches, performances, readings, installations, and less traditional forms including zines, comics, blogging, screenwriting, poetry, spoken word, hip hop, journalism, comedy, songwriting and prose.
Held in Newcastle from the 2nd to the 5th October, The NYWF focuses primarily on creating opportunities for writers aged 18-35 (also featuring a 'Younger Young Writers' Program' for writers aged 13-17, running from September through November) providing a forum for students, writers, artists, thinkers and curious individuals who are critically engaged with creative and experimental art practices. “When you're a young writer, working hard to break into an industry that often seems unbreakable it's easy to feel discouraged,” festival co-director Alexandra Neill said. “NYWF is an annual reminder that everything is going to be ok.”
This year’s event will see over 80 artists and a huge number of literary lovers from across Australia assemble on the NSW coast – including Benjamin Law, Lawrence Leung, Clementine Ford and Kat Muscat – attending panels and workshops in various venues and spaces from theaters, hotels and cafes to churches, public malls and car-parks. Featuring the hilarious panels 'Funny Ladies', 'Stand Up, Sit Down', 'Mustard Chef' and 'Is Jurassic Park A Thing That Should Really Happen', and pertinent talks on 'Slacktivism', 'Mandatory Detention', 'Culture and Identity', there’s over 60 events happening all over Newcastle.
Confirmed attendees include Genevieve Fricker, Steph Harmon, Patrick Lenton, Omar Musa, Luke Ryan, Duncan Felton, Rebecca Shaw, Claire Sullivan, Michelle Law and Zoya Patel. You’ll also get to party with the likes of Yassmin Abdel-Magied, Michael Mohammed Ahmad, Lauren Bok, DA Carter, A.H Cayley, Grace Bellavue, James Colley, Jane Howard, Raelke Grimmer, Georgina Chadderton, Elizabeth Flux and many many more (full list here).
“As always, the festival program is really varied,” Alexandra said. “We'll be exploring everything from the ethics of 'Jurassic Park' and the future of protest right down to how to make a really great sandwich. It's all about celebrating everything that writing is.”
This year those who can’t make it in person will still be able to live the magic in their own cities through podcasts, reviews and live-streamed events on the NYWF website, though there shouldn't be any excuse not to pack up the car, call in sick and head to Newcastle for four days: all core NYWF events won't cost you a penny. True to the nature of connecting and developing new and emerging writers, the NYWF prides itself on being as accessible as humanly possible and will not charge for events unless there is a compelling reason to do so.
Having been the breeding ground for so many emerging literary events (including 'Woman of Letters') and a reputation for building industry relationships and connections, NYWF will remain a staple of the Australian literary community well into it's adulthood.
“NYWF is a community like nothing I've ever experienced. Making the trip up to Newcastle is almost a pilgrimage for a lot of people, really incredible things come out of the connections that are formed over that weekend in October.”
The National Young Writers' Festival will be held in Newcastle from the 2nd to the 5th October.
