Melbourne Writers Festival 2020 Annual Report
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
MELBOURNE 2020 ANNUAL REPORT #MWFDIGITAL WRITERS MWF.COM.AU FESTIVAL MWF DIGITAL MELBOURNE WRITERS FESTIVAL ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR’S REPORT 2020 ANNUAL REPORT The events of 2020 bluntly highlighted American writer and visual artist Jenny Odell In 2020, we celebrated some of the year’s most love advice courtesy of Jess McGuire and siblings contemplated how we redirect our attention towards anticipated Australian debuts, including Kokomo by Benjamin Law and Michelle Law. that today’s concerns—the climate crisis, the things that really matter, and how by doing this Victoria Hannan and A Lonely Girl is a Dangerous globalisation and capitalism, and racial, Michelle also featured in our festival gala, where six of we step closer to liberation. Thing by Jessie Tu. Indian-born novelist Megha Australia’s most clear-eyed writers delivered creative joined us to speak about her propulsive cultural and economic inequity—are all In 2020, the matchless Elizabeth Strout, author of Majumdar responses to the prompt: are you paying attention? first book, A Burning, which provides a vivid portrait of connected. When we’re not happy with the the Pulitzer Prize–winning Olive Kitteridge and its She was joined by 2020 Stella Prize–winner Jess Hill; contemporary India’s social and political complexities. circumstances of yesterday and today, what recently released sequel, Olive, Again, joined us for a writer and editor Leah Jing McIntosh; award-winning can we do to change those of tomorrow? rare deep-dive conversation into the heart and mind In the lead-up to the US presidential election, the novelist Favel Parrett; award-winning poet and of her books’ cantankerous heroine. Other literary country buckled beneath the weight of the scholar Alison Whittaker; and Queensland Literary Which book do we pick up next? giants included the celebrated and wickedly funny coronavirus disaster and the ongoing Black Lives Award–winning poet Ellen van Neerven. This year more than 100 of the world’s most Anne Enright who discussed her novel Actress, and Matter protests. Cultural critic Mikki Kendall spoke In 2020, the program featured brand-new original US author who delved into her about the intersectional feminism urgently required perspicacious writers and thinkers converged under Brit Bennett writing from Helen Garner, Sisonke Msimang, Ali bestselling second book, The Vanishing Half. in such times of turmoil, and geopolitical forecaster the banner of the festival’s theme, Attention. They Cobby Eckermann, and Christos Tsiolkas—each offered an ambitious and questioned who we give our attention to and why, American writer Lawrence Wright couldn’t have George Friedman of them reflecting on what has held their attention in unpacked how crises and other major events force us predicted what was about to unfold when he started sometimes provocative forecast of the future of the their lives, their careers, and their writing. This series to reconsider how we connect with each other and working last year on his latest novel, The End of United States. considered how the events of the last few months our environment and, importantly, they celebrated October—a pandemic thriller. He discussed the Keeping with politics, two former Australian Prime have shaped, altered, or shaken up the locus of our their books and writing that hold our attention despite prescience of his work and compared what he Ministers—Julia Gillard and Malcolm Turnbull— individual and collective attention. the world in which we find ourselves. suspected might happen if the world was faced with spoke to their latest books. Gillard’s, co-written with Finally, paragon storyteller and award-winning a deadly pandemic with what is actually happening. Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, shares the experiences and Focusing our attention on justice and equity, our journalist Patrick Radden Keefe closed the festival opening night event featured Megan Davis, Teela Irish author Caoilinn Hughes and Australian writer wisdom of several extraordinary women leaders and with an expansive discussion about his latest Reid and Thomas Mayor reflecting on the three James Bradley explored how crises have shaped their careers on the world stage. Turnbull’s is a projects, including the Orwell Prize–winning Say years since the 2017 Uluru Statement from the Heart their recent work, while Canadian novelist Michael memoir, detailing his astonishing life and career from Nothing and his podcast Wind of Change. Radden was presented at the First Nations National Christie and author and screenwriter Charlotte journalist, lawyer, and businessman to politician and Keefe reflected on a lifetime of following the Constitutional Convention. This historic moment McConaghy considered extinction as a timely Australia’s eventual leader. evidence, and the fascinating, compelling, and theme in fiction. marked the first step towards what many gathered at For much-needed escapism, Kevin Kwan followed sometimes outlandish stories that captured his that convention considered permanent, positive Shifting from fiction to fact, climate and renewable his immensely successful Crazy Rich Asians trilogy attention along the way. change in the way First Nations people and their energy expert Ketan Joshi brought his expertise to with the first book in a new trilogy, Sex and Vanity; rights were represented at a national level. I hope this program was the celebration and refuge two panels. He was joined by writer and academic and Casey McQuiston, author of Red, White & Royal you needed. I hope it captured your attention. Bookmarking our festival were two addresses: Judith Brett to unpack the misinformation Blue, spoke about her big-hearted, whip-smart Orange Prize–winner Kate Grenville considered campaigns waged against the science of climate romantic comedy which became a viral sensation in Gene Smith fact and fiction and the ways we can attend to change, and by social researcher Rebecca Huntley 2019. Jamila Rizvi, Em Rusciano and special guest Associate Director unheard truths to reach a more nuanced and Indigenous fire practitionerVictor Steffensen Miranda Tapsell entertained audiences at the end understanding of our past and present; meanwhile, to reflect on Australia’s response to the climate crisis. of another week in lockdown, followed by late-night 2 MELBOURNE WRITERS FESTIVAL CEO’S REPORT 2020 ANNUAL REPORT pull off a festival that supported the writing Planning to our festival. The University of 2020 is a year Melburnians community and provided solace and connection for Melbourne, Readings and Guardian Australia, the people of Melbourne and beyond. MWF Digital Copyright Agency, the Australia Council for the will remember as one of exceeded all my hopes. Over 37,000 people Arts, Study Melbourne, VicHealth and Helen extraordinary personal watched our events during the festival, with even Macpherson Smith Trust each supported important more reading specially commissioned works by elements of MWF Digital. We could not have done it challenge and great civic Helen Garner, Ali Cobby Eckermann, Sisonke without their trust and investment. success. It was also the year Msimang and Christos Tsiolkas. Thank you to MWF Thank you also to our donors, particularly Allan audiences for coming on this journey with us. and Maria Myers, John Jerome Myers, and the Melbourne Writers Festival The MWF Schools’ Program was also adapted to the trustees of the Robin Campbell Family Foundation, transformed into an entirely new environment. We turned our focus to support who continued their vital support of MWF through teachers, schools and home-schooling parents the pandemic. online festival in the middle of navigating their way through. Our usual 70 live events My personal thanks to Catherine Andrews who stage four restrictions to for young people were transformed into eight digital opened this year’s Melbourne Writers Festival with a events, supported by resources, which interrogated moving personal statement at a time when the world support Melbourne, its writers important issues such as resilience, the value of seemed impossible. We are hugely grateful. listening, conflict and kindness. and its community. There is a lot to look forward to in 2021. Melbourne We also experimented with events outside of the Writers Festival recently welcomed its new artistic festival dates. In February, Neil Gaiman sold out The director, Michaela McGuire, who will share her unique Capitol to charm audiences and discuss his life’s We started the year planning a large-scale, live vision with the MWF community. In 2021, our 35th work with Richard Watts. Julia Donaldson performed year, we imagine a very different kind of festival. With festival, designed to activate the beautiful new her raucous family show, The Gruffalo and Friends, spaces of State Library Victoria and to bring all we have learned this year, we will create a festival to audiences of all ages in Melbourne and Geelong. with both live and digital events, which acknowledges together local and international artists in lively In October, almost 1,000 people joined us to help discussion and debate. Soon it became apparent our vital partnership with both audience and writers. Robert Dessaix and Andrea Goldsmith launch his We look forward to welcoming you on this journey this plan would be impossible: the pandemic meant new book, The Time of Our Lives. that venues closed, travel was banned, and mass with us again. Thank you to our partners. Creative Victoria, City of gatherings were illegal. Rebecca MacFarling Melbourne and the Department of Education and Chief