The Culture of Contemporary Writers' Festivals
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The Culture of Contemporary Writers’ Festivals Cori Stewart B.A. Visual Arts, Queensland University of Technology Graduate Diploma Culture and Media Policy, Griffith University B. A. Film, Media and Cultural Studies (Hons), Griffith University Creative Industries Faculty School of Creative Writing and Literary Studies, Drama, Film and TV Queensland University of Technology Submitted in full requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy 2009 Key words Writers’ festivals, urban festivals, literature, authors, public intellectuals, media, celebrity culture, public culture, public sphere. ii Abstract This thesis examines the culture of contemporary writers’ festivals in an international context. In the last five decades writers’ festivals have emerged in cities across the world, and during this time they have expanded their literary discussions and debates to include numerous other topics of broad interest to society. To examine the expanded popularity and function of writers’ festivals, this thesis establishes a new vantage point for theorising the content now typically generated by these events using concepts in urban festivals and public culture research. Importantly, the new vantage point addresses the limitations of current commentary on writers’ festivals which routinely claim they trivialize literature, and more generally, contribute to the decline of public culture. The thesis presents two case studies: one on the Brisbane Writers Festival in Australia and the other on the International Festival of Authors in Toronto, Canada. The first case study, which focuses on the 2007 Brisbane Writers Festival, illustrates the many overlapping and often conflicting discourses as well as opinions productively discussed and debated at writers’ festivals. Key topic discussed and debated at the Festival include local topics about the host city—its history, literature and politics, as well as broader literary, political and celebrity culture topics. The diversity of topics discussed at the 2007 Brisbane Writers Festival is typical of the majority of writers’ festivals similarly located outside the largest geographic centres of global literary production and circulation, and designated as ‘peripheral’ festivals in this research. The second case study on Toronto’s International Festival of Authors examines the ways in which the 2006 Festival almost exclusively focussed on literary and celebrity culture discourses, and promoted itself on these terms. The 2006 International Festival of Authors’ discussion and debate of a narrow range of topics is typical of the few writers’ festivals located in global centres of literary production and circulation, and unlike ‘peripheral’ festivals they are not experiencing the same growth in number or popularity. The aim of these ‘international’ Festivals is not to democratise their elite literary beginnings, but rather to promote ‘literature’ as a niche brand for quality writing that is valid on a global scale. This thesis will assert that while all writers’ festivals are influenced by the marketing desires of publishing companies, the aim of international writers’ festivals in marketing to a virtually and globally connected elite literary audience makes them more susceptible to experiencing declines in audience and author participation. iii Table of Contents Key words ................................................................................................................................. ii Abstract ................................................................................................................................... iii List of Illustrations ................................................................................................................... v Definition of Terms ................................................................................................................. vi Statement of original authorship .......................................................................................... vii Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................... viii Dedication ................................................................................................................................ ix 1 The Rise and Rise of Writers’ Festivals ..................................................................... 1 2 Literature Review ...................................................................................................... 13 3 Research Field and Methodology ............................................................................. 55 4 The Brisbane Writers Festival .................................................................................. 66 5 The International Festival of Authors ................................................................... 120 6 Conclusion ............................................................................................................... 168 Appendix One: Interviewees for the thesis ........................................................................ 177 Appendix Two: Example extracts from writers’ festivals programs .............................. 179 References ............................................................................................................................. 181 iv List of Illustrations 1. 2005 Brisbane Writers Festival poster campaign page 88 2. 2007 Brisbane Writers Festival poster page 89 3. 1995–2006 International Festival of Authors posters page 135 4. Promotional flyer for Penguin Group Canada’s launch event of Craig Davidson’s book The Fighter page 157 5. Now Magazine’s front page cover of Gautam Malkani page 161 6. Appendix Two: Program page from the 2007 Brisbane Writers Festival page 179 7. Appendix Two: Program page from the 2006 International Festival of Authors page 180 v Definition of Terms Public The term ‘public’ in the thesis refers to those who attend, read or hear about writers’ festivals, unless otherwise stated. Culture The definition of ‘culture’ in this thesis is ‘a whole way of life’ employing Raymond Williams’s definition in Culture in Society 1780-1950 (1958: 18). This definition of culture encompasses more than the arts, unless otherwise qualified within terms such as ‘elite’ or ‘high’ art or culture. Media The term ‘media’ in this thesis defines content circulated to a public beyond the live writers’ festival event. In the instance of the writers’ festivals discussed in this thesis, media includes newspaper articles and radio and television programs. Literariness The definition of ‘literariness’, similar to the reference to ‘literary’ in this thesis, refers to ‘high’ culture aesthetic qualities or process. Specifically, literariness is present when form, style or authorial persona is invested with moral and aesthetic value. vi Statement of original authorship The work contained in this thesis has not been previously submitted for a degree or diploma at any other higher education institution. To the best of my knowledge and belief, the thesis contains no material previously published or written by another person except where due reference is made. Signed: …………………………………………… Date: ……………………………………………… vii Acknowledgements A work of this length does not come to fruition without the effort and support of many others. First, I would like to thank Dr Vivienne Muller for her unflagging support throughout my candidature, and the generosity with which she shared her knowledge and humour. I would also like to thank Professor Wenche Ommundsen for her encouragement and for the conversations we shared about researching writers’ festivals. Along the way there were critical readers of the thesis, Dr Stuart Glover (my associate supervisor), Dr Sue Carson, Dr Judy Drennan and Susan Leggett to whom I am grateful. I would also like to extend my gratitude to Patty Stewart, Ricky de Hue and Edu de Hue who generously gave their time to reading early drafts. The research was made possible by the many people in Toronto and Brisbane who kindly shared their experiences, knowledge and time in interviews and more. The willingness of individuals to have their ideas expressed in this thesis greatly strengthened the research. I am particularly indebted to Geoffrey Taylor, and all the staff at the International Festival of Authors, for supporting my research and contributing to my rewarding time working in Toronto. In Brisbane, I am indebted to Michael Campbell for supporting my research and for facilitating my contributions to the 2007 Brisbane Writers Festival. I am also appreciative of Madonna Duffy and Rosemary Cameron who were touchstones throughout the research process. For the support of family and friends I am most thankful. I would like to acknowledge my Father, who passed away in 2007, for his encouragement, kindness and readiness to laugh even when the chips were down. I would especially like to thank Patty Stewart, Edu de Due, Kathryn Kelly and Peter Browning for their support during both the difficult and good times. I would like to thank Barbara Klunder and Lindsey Love for their pan-Pacific friendships. I would like to acknowledge colleagues with whom I’ve shared this intellectual journey and with who I’ve made lasting friendships: among them Dr Tanya Notley, Donna Hancox, Jazz Choi, Siall Waterbright, Clare Dyson, Oksana Zelenko, Helen Jameison, Rachel Parsons and Siti Suria. For this reason alone, the doctorate has been a rewarding endeavour. I would also like to thank Professor Phil