1-3 April 2016 Festival Program 2 Newcastle Writers Festival 1-3 April 2016 Ticket Information Transport Information The Newcastle Writers Festival is The festival is held in the Civic Precinct, which is close to bus links and the bustling Honeysuckle and committed to providing free sessions Darby Street eatery strips. in its program. Tickets are not needed Please note, the rail line has been cut at Hamilton Station and passengers cannot alight at Civic or for these events. Seats are offered on Newcastle stations. Buses are available at Hamilton Station for transfers to the city. For updates a “first in, first served” basis. Admission about track work and for timetable information see www.sydneytrains.info. cannot be guaranteed for free events. For bus timetables see www.newcastlebuses.info. All other tickets are available from Ticketek and can be bought over the Newcastle Taxis bookings can be made by phoning 133 300 or book online at counter, online at www.ticketek.com www.newcastletaxis.com.au. or by contacting the box office on You are encouraged to leave your car at home, especially on Saturday, 2 April, as community markets (02) 4929 1977. Please note, the will be held in Civic Park and parking spaces will be hard to secure. The festival recommends all-day advertised ticket price includes parking at the Wilson Parking station on the corner of Perkins and King streets, Newcastle. For more Ticketek’s service fee but unless you details see www.huntercarparks.com.au and www.wilsonparking.com.au. buy your tickets over the counter, the sale will incur an additional delivery fee. Tickets at the door will be limited. There is no concession price. CIVIC THEATRE KING STREET WILSON KING STREET PARKING BROWN STREET KING STREET KING STREET NEWCASTLE PERKINS STREET CITY HALL DARBY STREET KING STREET Ground Floor - City Hall HUNTER STREET STAGE THE Newcastle City Hall VenueDOOR InformationPLAYHOUSE Ground Floor - City Hall HUNTER STREET The STAGECivic PrecinctCIVICTHE THEATRE is located between Hunter and King streets. There DOOR PLAYHOUSETICKETEK is wheelchair accessBOX OFFICE to City Hall via the Wheeler Place entrance and Lower Ground Floor Ground Lower FESTIVAL BOOKSHOP WARATAH BANQUET ROOM there is an internal lift. If you require assistance, CAFE DOOR BLUE please email CIVIC THEATRE ROOM [email protected] PLACE WHEELER and the festival can arrange CHRISTIE STREETTICKETEK FESTIVAL BOOKSHOP for a volunteerBOX to OFFICE be available. WARATAH BANQUET ROOM CITY HALL CAFE DOOR BLUE LIFT ENTRANCE The main information desk is located in WheelerBURWOOD STREET Place and is staffed ROOM PLACE WHEELER by volunteers.CHRISTIENEWCASTLE STREET Programs and sessionNEWCASTLE information is available. Due to NEWCASTLE CITY HALL CITY COUNCIL CITY HALL restorationCHRISTIE PLACE work at City Hall the King Street driveway will be closed. ROOM LIFT ENTRANCE BURWOOD STREET Access will beENTRANCE limited to the stairs. Please use the Wheeler Place Green Room NEWCASTLESTAIRS ONLY KING STREETNEWCASTLE NEWCASTLE entranceCITY if you HALL have mobilityCITY concerns. COUNCIL CHRISTIE PLACE ROOM Use the maps below as a guide to the venue to locate individual ENTRANCE Green Room STAIRS ONLY KING STREET Ground Floor - City Hall HUNTER STREET rooms. STAGE THE DOOR PLAYHOUSE Sound and video recording is not permitted without approval from the festival director. Please email [email protected]. Level 1 - City Hall CIVIC THEATRE Level 2 - City Hall TICKETEK At the conclusion of each session, all seats are to be vacated. This BOX OFFICE FESTIVAL BOOKSHOP First Level BLUE DOOR CAFE DOOR BLUE enables sound and stage staff to set up for the following session. WARATAH BANQUET ROOM Level 2 - CityDoors Hall will open 20 minutes before the start of each session. ROOM Level 1 - City Hall PLACE WHEELER CHRISTIE STREET UPPER LEVEL CITY HALL CONCERT HALL CONCERT HALL LIFT ENTRANCE BURWOOD STREET NEWCASTLE NEWCASTLE Civic Precinct NEWCASTLE CITY HALL CITY COUNCIL UPPER LEVEL CHRISTIE PLACE CONCERT HALL LIFT LIFT ROOM CONCERT HALL ENTRANCE Green Room STAIRS ONLY Ground Floor - City Hall KING STREET HUNTER STREET LIFT COUNCILSTAGE THE LIFT MULUBINBA ROOM CUMMINGS ROOM HUNTER ROOM CHAMBERSDOOR PLAYHOUSE COUNCIL MULUBINBA ROOM CUMMINGS ROOM HUNTER ROOM CHAMBERS CIVIC THEATRE Level 1 - City Hall Level 2 - City Hall TICKETEK FESTIVAL BOOKSHOP BOX OFFICE Second Level Second WARATAH BANQUET ROOM CAFE DOOR BLUE ROOM PLACE WHEELER UPPER LEVEL CHRISTIE STREET CONCERT HALL CONCERT HALL CITY HALL LIFT LIFT ENTRANCE LIFT BURWOOD STREET NEWCASTLE NEWCASTLE NEWCASTLE CITY HALL CITY COUNCIL COUNCIL CHRISTIE PLACE MULUBINBA ROOM CUMMINGS ROOM HUNTER ROOM ROOM CHAMBERS ENTRANCE Green Room STAIRS ONLY KING STREET Level 1 - City Hall Level 2 - City Hall UPPER LEVEL CONCERT HALL CONCERT HALL LIFT LIFT COUNCIL MULUBINBA ROOM CUMMINGS ROOM HUNTER ROOM CHAMBERS 3 From the Director Welcome to the program for the fourth Newcastle The Newcastle Writers Festival is built on a Writers Festival. I have been asked if this year’s foundation of goodwill – from our enthusiastic festival has a particular focus, and while I tend not volunteers and facilitators to funding partners. I to create the program with any one idea in mind, I extend my appreciation to the festival’s key sponsors: have been guided by two themes that stood out in the NSW Government, Newcastle City Council and the array of Australian books published in the past 18 the University of Newcastle. And also to our media months – how did we get to where we are, and where partners: Newcastle Herald and 1233 ABC. are we going? History, memoir and climate change The festival works closely with a number of local have had a strong influence on this year’s program. businesses and organisations and I want to I am thrilled that internationally acclaimed scientist, acknowledge MacLean’s Booksellers, Scion Audio, explorer and conservationist Tim Flannery is Crowne Plaza Newcastle, Hunter Writers Centre, The Rosemarie Milsom participating. Tim is a fiercely intelligent raconteur and Lock-Up and Ideas Bombing Newcastle. I am looking forward to his contribution. Thank you to Newcastle Region Library staff for This year’s stellar line-up also includes Carmel Bird, managing the hugely successful program for children. Stan Grant, Libby Hathorn, Patti Miller, Kerry O’Brien, I would also like to thank the Newcastle Writers Marcus Westbury, Charlotte Wood and the University Festival board members for their hard work and FOLLOW US #nwf16 of Newcastle’s Vice-Chancellor, Caroline McMillen. support: Jenny Blackford, Maryanne Church, Sally Facebook Discussion will traverse fiction and non-fiction, as Ebert, Sheree Kable, Katrina McKelvey and Sharon facebook.com/ well as politics, family violence, the aftermath of the Roberts. newcastlewritersfestival Paris terrorist attacks, art, coal, misogyny, Indigenous It has been a privilege and a pleasure to create this reconciliation, and copyright in the digital era. year’s program and I look forward to seeing you at the Twitter The festival is committed to supporting local writers, festival. Please say hello and don’t hesitate to give me @newwritersfest and there are a number of events, many of them free, your valued feedback. that showcase the diverse talent in the region. For Enjoy! Instagram those interested in advancing their own writing there are opportunities to learn more. @newcastlewritersfestival Rosemarie Milsom [email protected] OPENING NIGHT Tim Flannery’s Excellent Adventures The scientist, explorer and environmentalist has forged a remarkable path. He will share anecdotes and discuss his new book, Atmosphere of Hope. 7.30pm Friday 1 April 2016 // Civic Theatre MC James Valentine // Hosted by John Doyle // Tickets $33 photography - Chris at Intervision Photography // cover illustration - Tallulah Cunningham // design - Miranda Whittle 4 Newcastle Writers Festival 1-3 April 2016 Festival Masterclasses Short Order Fiction with On the Road: Writing Travel Carmel Bird Memoir with Claire Scobie Friday, 1 April 10am-4pm Friday, 1 April 10am-4pm Tickets $165 Limited to 12 participants Tickets $165 Limited to 12 participants Newcastle Room, Newcastle City Hall Third Floor Conference Room, (Entrance on Wheeler Place due to restoration Newcastle Region Library, Laman Street work at King Street entrance) This masterclass is suited to both first-time This intensive masterclass will help you and seasoned writers. Packed full of tips, write short fiction with a tight deadline. The examples and exercises, this masterclass will aim is to produce the substance of a story of encourage you to leave the armchair behind about 2000 words, in the course of one and write your own travel narrative. Unlike day. This is not a class where students make critical comments travel journalism, literary travel writing is about narrative techniques about each other’s work. – more closely related to fiction than a Sunday magazine travel Participants will be required to send Carmel a one-page letter piece. So whether you consider yourself a travelling writer or a outlining their writing experience. Please email your letter to writing traveller, it’s essential you’re able to tell a good story. [email protected]. You will also be required You will learn how to craft a compelling story with credible to select a short story by a well-known writer, nominate it, and be characters, believable dialogue, atmosphere, tension and revelation. prepared at the class to read out a very brief outline, as well as Remember, the destination is merely the backdrop for your story reasons for choosing it. and experiences. Carmel Bird is one of Australia’s most experienced and Claire Scobie has run creative writing workshops across Australia inspirational teachers of writing and the author of 30 books. These and Asia for more than a decade. She is a regular presenter at include novels, collections of short fiction, books on writing, and the Australian Writers’ Centre, the country’s largest community anthologies of fiction and non-fiction.