Author Archives: Marty Young

$30,000 FELLOWSHIP TO SUPPORT NSW WRITERS

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MEDIA RELEASE: Thursday 6 February 2014

$30,000 FELLOWSHIP TO SUPPORT NSW WRITERS

Minister for the Arts, George Souris, today called on NSW-based writers to apply for the 2014 NSW Writer’s Fellowship, worth $30,000.

Mr Souris said the fellowship would support a program of professional development for established or mid-career professional writers of fiction, literary non-fiction, children’s and young adult literature, poetry, scripts for performance, literary digital and new media work, and graphic novels.

“This fellowship is being offered as part of the NSW Government’s ongoing support for the professional growth of NSW-based writers,” Mr Souris said.

“The fellowship will provide the writer with new opportunities to progress in their writing career. The money can be used to support national and international travel, mentorships, internships, residencies, short-term workshops, courses and training, research and the creation of new work.

“This is an exciting opportunity for NSW’s talented writers. I particularly encourage writers living in regional communities to apply for the fellowship.”

Mr Souris said the fellowship winner will also have the opportunity to participate in one of two residencies on offer from the State Library of NSW and the City of Sydney.

“The State Library of NSW is offering a residency for up to 12 months including a dedicated desk in the Fellow’s Room, as well as introductions to the Library’s collections experts to assist in their research. The writer will undertake a public engagement about their work during or after the residency, and contribute an article to the Library’s SL Magazine on an aspect of their project.“

The City of Sydney is offering a residency for up to 12 months including studio space and access to places to work in its extensive library network. As part of this residency the writer will undertake a public engagement, such as a talk, reading, question and answer session, workshop or blog.”

The 2014 NSW Writer’s Fellowship is offered by Arts NSW. Applications close on Monday, March 17, 2014. An independent peer assessment panel will assess the applications. The winner of the fellowship will be announced in May 2014.

Further information on the Fellowship can be found at www.arts.nsw.gov.au

Media contact:Hugh Cavill 0408 235 997

A STATE OF FEAR – “HORROR AT THE METCALFE”

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Horror writers and librarians from Australia and beyond will get together at the NSW State Library this March, to brainstorm new ways of connecting with readers.

Every year, the NSW Readers Advisory Working Group in collaboration with the State Library of New South Wales runs a seminar on a different literary genre, as part of their Public Library Services. These events are attended by librarians from all parts of New South Wales. They aim to enhance their ability to advise and assist readers who are interested in that kind of fiction.

This year, it’s horror, and attendees have been asked to read at least one horror story, with suggestions encompassing the classics as well as more recent works by Clive Barker, Neil Gaiman and Kelly Link. “I was surprised to find that I’d already read more horror than I’d thought,” says co-coordinator Ellen Forsyth.

The State Library has liaised with the Australian Horror Writer’s Association to provide an intriguingly varied program. Kaaron Warren, multi-award-winning author of the likes of Slights and The Grinding House will prove that horror writers are quite nice people really, with serious things to say about the world. Author, actor and long-time State library member Kyla Lee Ward will discuss how libraries and horror writers can assist each other, and the work of the AHWA and its American counterpart.

With local stalwart Keith Whelan presenting on writing horror and Becky Siegel (author of The Readers Advisory Guide to Horror) skyping in from Illinois, this promises to be a lively and surprising day, with the potential to create ongoing links between writers and what is now more than ever, the vital gateway of the library.

Horror at the Metcalfe
Public Library Services
Wednesday, 12 March 2014 from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM (EST)
Sydney, NSW

Attendance is limited to professional librarians, but AHWA members interested in putting themselves forward for library visits are asked to contact Kyla on kylaw [@] tabula-rasa.info

ScaryState

Keeping Books Alive is on again

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The Australian Children’s Literary Board and Creative Net are proud to present Keeping Books Alive, a  professional development seminar designed to inform and inspire primary and secondary school teachers and librarians, municipal librarians, literacy support professionals and those interested in promoting literacy.

When: FRIDAY, 30 MAY 2014
Venue: City of Greater Dandenong Civic Centre and Library,
225 Lonsdale Street, Dandenong,
Victoria

Speakers include Kevin Burgemeestre, Gary Crew, Meredith Costain, Tom Danby, Leigh Hobbs, Tristan Bancks, and Deborah Abela.

Features of the day include specialist bookstalls, lively discussions and debates, lucky door prizes, networking opportunities with like-minded colleagues, 10% discount vouchers valid for all of 2014 from INT BOOKS, and much more.

Registration forms and further information can be found at: http://www.fordstreetpublishing.com/cnet/images/stories/downloads/keeping-books-alive-2014.pdf

Aurealis Awards tickets now on sale

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Tickets are on sale for the 2013 Aurealis Awards Ceremony.

The Aurealis Awards recognise the achievements of Australian speculative fiction writers (science fiction, fantasy and horror), and will be presented by Conflux.

The ceremony will take place at University House in the grounds of the Australian National University, Canberra. The Great Hall is a beautiful space and will lend a new aura to the awards.

The awards will feature performances by The Fildenstar.

Until February 28, tickets cost just $30 and include the ceremony, a goodies bag and pre-ceremony drinks.

Spaces are limited, so make sure you book early to avoid disappointment!

Book at http://www.aurealis awards.com/

Wolf Creek Author signing

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[From Notions Unlimited Bookshop]

With the release of WOLF CREEK 2 due next month in Australian cinemas, Notions Unlimited Bookshop is proud to present the following event, to celebrate the release of Penguin’s WOLF CREEK prequel novel series:

Aaron Sterns (writer of WOLF CREEK 2, and co-author, with Greg McLean, of WOLF CREEK : ORIGIN), and Brett McBean (co-author, with Greg McLean, of WOLF CREEK : DESOLATION GAME) will be signing copies of their respective novels in-store.

Venue: Notions Unlimited Bookshop, 426 Nepean Hwy, Chelsea
Date: Saturday 1st Feb 2014
Time: Starts 4pm

Wine & Nibbles – plus some bloody surprises! – provided on the night.

This will be a FREE event, but space is strictly limited, so do please contact us to book your place.

info@notionsunlimitedbookshop.com  /  03-9773-1102

The Digital Writers’ Festival

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The world’s first open online writers’ festival.

When: 13-24 Feb, 2014
Where: Eros & Thanatos Rooms, MONA (Museum of Old and New Art)
651-655 Main Rd, Hobart

In February, the team behind the Emerging Writers’ Festival is going to round up several dozen of the world’s best writers, readers, and publishing types for a series of live-streamed online discussions about the future of all things bookish.

The majority of Digital Writers’ Festival events will be streamed live on the digitalwritersfestival.com website at no charge, enabling readers and writers from across Australia to participate in conversations with artists and peers located interstate and overseas.

The Digital Writers’ Conference will equip writers with new ideas and inspiration about how to share their stories and words with audiences online. Panel discussions full of practical advice will explore how to write for online audiences and where the opportunities are in the digital space. Writers’ will share with you how they use new technologies to create and promote their work online. Most importantly there will be plenty of opportunities to ask questions!

With Bethanie Blanchard (Crikey, The Guardian), Fiona Dunne (Seizure), Rachel Edwards, Kelly Lee Hickey, Matthew Lamb (Island), Benjamin Laird, Kate McKenzie, Jennifer Mills, Connor Tomas O’Brien (Tomely.com), Zora Sanders (Meanjin), Jacinda Woodhead (Overland) and more.

For more details, or to register, please visit http://www.emergingwritersfestival.org.au/event-detail/digital-writers-conference-early-bird-tickets/

About the Emerging Writers’ Festival
The Emerging Writers’ Festival is an independent arts organisation based in Melbourne’s Wheeler Centre for Books, Writing and Ideas. They exist in order to promote the interests of emerging writers – to improve their opportunities for professional development as well as their engagement with the broader public.

Each year the Emerging Writers’ Festival brings writers, editors, publishers and literary performers together with the reading public for a festival that is an essential part of Australia’s literary calendar.

Apocalyptic News

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Some bloody end of the world goodness from Permuted Press…

Paul Mannering (TANKBREAD, TANKBREAD 2: IMMORTAL) has a new SHTF* apocalypse novel under contract with Permuted Press.

“Dead! Dead! Dead!” is the story of an ageing biker who finds himself on the run with an ER doctor after a shipment of contaminated cocaine turns the city’s junkies into contagious cannibals.

This is Mannering’s fourth novel with Permuted Press, and will be published in 2015.

*SHTF = Shit Hits The Fan – an outbreak scenario, be it alien invasion, deadly flu, civil war – anything that triggers a change in civilisation.

*

Martin Livings (CARNIES, LIVING WITH THE DEAD) has just sold his short story “El Caballo Muerte” to Permuted Press’s upcoming Fat Zombie anthology.

Fat Zombie is an anthology of unexpected survivor stories from the apocalypse.

The collection will include stories that tell the tale of the losers, the geeks, the freaks and the sad-sacks. It could also include stories of the differently abled, or anyone lacking skills, physical ability, education, resources so common in many zombie survival stories.

These are the survivor stories of the people you never expected to survive the end of the world.

Coming soon from Permuted Press.

Permuted Press