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Author Talk: Bernadette Brennan at Newcastle Writers Festival (NSW)

Writing the Lives of Writers

Bernadette Brennan, Catharine Lumby and Brigitta Olubas have written about literary greats such as Helen Garner, Gillian Mears, Frank Moorhouse and Shirley Hazzard. They speak with Susan Wyndham about literary biography and the extraordinary privilege of diving into the often-secret lives of writers.

Dr Bernadette Brennan is an academic and researcher in contemporary Australian writing, literature and ethics. She is the author of a number of publications, including a monograph on Brian Castro and two edited collections: Just Words?: Australian Authors Writing for Justice (UQP 2008), and Ethical Investigations: Essays on Australian Literature and Poetics (Vagabond 2008). She has also written A Writing Life: Helen Garner and Her Work. She lives in Sydney.

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Author Talk: Fiona Murphy on a panel at the Newcastle Writers Festival (NSW)

Life on the Page

Jessica Kirkness grew up close to her grandparents, who were deaf in a hearing world. Sophie Matterson walked across Australia with her beloved camels. Ben Mckelvey experienced a sudden stroke, and then a heart attack, in his twenties. Eye-opening and honest, all three lay bare some of the most intimate and vulnerable moments in their lives. They speak to Fiona Murphy about what compelled them to share their stories.

Fiona Murphy is a Deaf poet and essayist. Her work has been published in Kill Your DarlingsOverlandGriffith Review and the Big Issue, among other publications. In 2019, she was awarded the Overland Fair Australia Essay Prize and the Monash Undergraduate Creative Writing Prize. In 2018, she was shortlisted for the Richell Prize and highly commended by the Wheeler Centre Next Chapter program. She is the author of The Shape of Sound.

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Author Talk: Brenda Matthews at the Newcastle Writers Festival (NSW)

Giyi Para, The Convening of a Gathering

For thousands of generations First People in our country have gathered in a continuing practice of coming together to share knowledge, celebrate country, and strengthen ongoing relationships.

In the spirit of this continued gathering practice, The Wollotuka Institute, in partnership with Newcastle Writers Festival, invites you to an evening of community, corroboree and celebration.

6.00pm to 6.40pm The Last Daughter
When she was two years old, Brenda Matthews and her siblings were taken from their parents. For the next five years she was a much-loved daughter in a white family, unaware of the existence of her Aboriginal family or how hard her parents were fighting for her return. Then, suddenly, she was reunited with her birth family, the last daughter to come home. Decades later, Brenda searched for her foster family and her beloved white sister. Brenda speaks to Victoria Haskins about her journey to discover the truth about her past – and unite two families.

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Author Talk: Kate Grenville at Newcastle Writers Festival (NSW)

Kate Grenville starts each book with a question. The latest one she asked is ‘What happened in my grandmother’s life to make her cranky and a bit scary?’ The result is Restless Dolly Maunder – a novel that blends history, biography and memoir to get to the heart of Kate Grenville’s grandmother, Dolly Maunder. She speaks with Ashley Hay about family history and the potential of literary art to heal and redeem.

This is a free event. No booking required.

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Author Talk: Bernadette Brennan hosting panel at the Newcastle Writers Festival (NSW)

Finding it in the Family

When stories are passed through generations, how does that shape the ones we tell ourselves? These novels use memory and lore to blend the real with the imagined. Tony Birch, Andre Dao and Laura Elizabeth Woollett share how family history helped inform their fiction. Hosted by Bernadette Brennan.

Dr Bernadette Brennan is an academic and researcher in contemporary Australian writing, literature and ethics. She is the author of a number of publications, including a monograph on Brian Castro and two edited collections: Just Words?: Australian Authors Writing for Justice (UQP 2008), and Ethical Investigations: Essays on Australian Literature and Poetics (Vagabond 2008). She has also written A Writing Life: Helen Garner and Her Work. She lives in Sydney.

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Author Talk: Brenda Matthews in conversation at the Newcastle Writers Festival (NSW)

Brenda Matthews in Conversation

At two years old, Brenda Matthews and her siblings were taken from their parents. For five years, she lived happily as a much-loved daughter within a white family, before being swiftly reunited with the birth family she barely remembered. Decades later, Brenda searched for her foster family and learned the truth about her past. Brenda appears in conversation with Melissa Lucashenko about her memoir and Netflix documentary, The Last Daughter.

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Author Talk: John Morrissey on panel at the Newcastle Writers Festival (NSW)

Reimagining Colonial History

At the heart of the recent works of fiction by Sharlene Allsopp, Jane Harrison and John Morrissey lies the question: ‘What if?’ What if history could be rewritten to reflect the truth? What if the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788 had turned out differently? What if we could better understand colonialism through the lens of magic realism? In conversation with Kirli Saunders, these authors discuss writing speculative fiction about a nation that largely refuses to acknowledge its past.

In Firelight, the award-winning John Morrissey investigates colonialism and identity without ever losing sight of his characters’ humanity. Brilliantly imagined and masterfully observed, Firelightmarks the debut of a writer we will be reading for decades to come.

This is a free event; no bookings required.

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Author Talk: Hannah Diviney with Fiona Murphy at the Newcastle Writers Festival (NSW)

Advocacy, Activism and Coming-of-age: Hannah Diviney in Conversation with Fiona Murphy

Hannah Diviney is many things: writer, actor, co-founder of a media company. A disability and women’s rights advocate, the face of the ‘Disabled Disney Princess’ campaign, and the one who called out Lizzo for using an ableist slur in her music. Most importantly, she’s a young woman with a battle cry that needs to be heard. Hannah speaks with Fiona Murphy about her memoir, I’ll Let Myself In.

Fiona Murphy is a Deaf poet and essayist. Her work has been published in Kill Your DarlingsOverlandGriffith Review and the Big Issue, among other publications. In 2019, she was awarded the Overland Fair Australia Essay Prize and the Monash Undergraduate Creative Writing Prize. In 2018, she was shortlisted for the Richell Prize and highly commended by the Wheeler Centre Next Chapter program. She is the author of The Shape of Sound.

This event will be live streamed. Details for the Zoom event will be emailed to you after 8.00am AEST on the day of the event. If you have not received this information prior to the event please check your spam folder.

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Author Talk: Date with a Debut Author, John Morrissey at the Newcastle Writers Festival (NSW)

Date with a Debut Author

Meet the memoirist published for the first time at 92, the short story writer who won a mentorship that led to a dream book deal, and the editorial assistant who worked in book marketing before making the leap to the other side. Rosemary Lewis, John Morrissey and Megan Rogers share their experiences of being published for the first time with ‘Date with a Debut’ podcast host Nick Wasiliev.

In Firelight, the award-winning John Morrissey investigates colonialism and identity without ever losing sight of his characters’ humanity. Brilliantly imagined and masterfully observed, Firelightmarks the debut of a writer we will be reading for decades to come.

This is a free event; no bookings required.

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Author talk: Garry Disher on SANCTUARY (SA)

Matilda Bookshop are thrilled to invite you to their next meet the author event, with the bestselling literary crime writer, Garry Disher, as he launches his latest book, Sanctuary, a tense and atmospheric standalone novel set in regional South Australia. Garry is the bestselling and prize-winning author of Bitter Wash Road and Days End.

Presented in association with Burnside Library, please join us for what promises to be an engaging and dynamic talk from one of Australia's most-esteemed crime writers at 7pm on Thursday April 11th at Burnside Library.

Tickets are $10 or you can purchase Ticket + Book for $35, with the book to be collected at the event. Sanctuary will be on sale for the night for $35 and Garry will be happy to sign your copies at the event.

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