Brisbane Writers' Festival - September 1 - 5th

The 2010 Brisbane Writers' Festival is upon us next week. Why not pop along and check out some amazing authors and events listed below:

happy hour (or two!) 12-2PM, Friday 27 Aug Two-for-one tickets to Brisbane Writers Festival. Two hours only. Tomorrow from 12-2PM. Call qtix 136 246 to purchase tickets. (Offer not available online. Offer excludes bookend events, Festival First Night and workshops and masterclasses.) BWF Book Raffle Plenty of opportunities for book lovers to indulge at this year's Brisbane Writers Festival! Did you know that BWF will celebrate its 50th birthday in 2012? Show your love and support for the Festival, and help ensure it's around for another 50 years by purchasing a raffle ticket or two from the volunteers in the Knowledge Walk. Your money will go towards bringing more of those internationals we all know and love to next year's Festival. At just $5 a ticket you have the chance to take home the bookshelf and the 100 exceptional Festival books - past and present - that fill it! The winner will be announced Sunday at the Closing Address. Student Rush Tickets BWF 2010 will be offering Student Rush Tickets. 1/2 price tickets will be available for students to purchase (student card required) one hour before every session, from the qtix office at the Festival.Read more. Intimate Conversations Don't miss these one-on-one conversations with extraordinary writers at this year's Festival. The Unexpected Fun of Federal Politics The Australian has labelled Jessica Rudd's debut novel Campaign Ruby'prophetic'; Sydney Morning Herald has called it 'stranger than fiction'. Find out why the press just can't leave this one alone, when Jessica speaks with Ellie O'Gorman about the realities and humour of national politics. Purchase tickets here. I'm Sorry. He's Passed. Tom Jokinen chats to Richard Fidler, revealing the discoveries he made when he quit a good government job to work at a family-run funeral home and crematorium as a trainee undertaker. His book, Curtains: Adventures of an undertaker in training, explores, first-hand, our culture's relationship with the dead, dying and left behind. Purchase tickets here. Christian the Lion: A YouTube Phenomenon You may have seen the video; you've probably heard the story. Christian the Lion shot to celebratory status when a remarkable video filmed in Kenya in 1971 featured on YouTube in 2008. Australian colonial and aboriginal art specialist Ace Bourke will take you back to 1971 to re-tell the remarkable story of his adventures with Christian the Lion. Purchase tickets here. One Book Many Brisbanes at BWF Hear what it's like to be a winner of Brisbane City Council's One Book Many Brisbanes competition. Be inspired by four winning authors from last year's competition who will share their experiences and give their tips on how they approached their short stories. Rosie Fitzgibbon, the editor and mentor of the anthology, will also be there to give industry insights into the competition. Saturday, 4 September, 5.30 - 6.30PM. Breezway Stage. Read more. A Catch of the Breath Co-presented by Metro Arts and Robert Thwaites. Until 4 September at Metro Arts. Brisbane-born poet Michael Thwaites, winner of the prestigious Newdigate Prize and Kings Medal for poetry (putting him in the company of Judith Wright and Les Murray), left behind a body of work that grappled with the themes of his generation. Director and grandson Robert Thwaites breaths new dimension into his verse in a performance of dynamic physicality, original music and powerful spoken word. Read more. For your chance to win one of TWO double passes to see A Catch of the Breath next Monday, 30 Aug, e-mail your name to info@metroarts.com.au with BWF A Catch of the Breath competition in the subject heading. The lucky winners will be notified by Metro Arts to pick up their tickets on the night at the Box Office. Don't miss the A Catch of the Breath ensemble in conversation and performance at BWF on Friday 3 Sept, 3:30-4:30PM. The Australian Writer's Marketplace Industry Masterclass Friday 3 September, 10AM-3PM at Brisbane Writers Festival Here is your chance to meet top industry professionals including Madonna Duffy (Publisher with UQP), Suzanne Babboneau (Publishing Director with Simon & Schuster UK), Sally Collings(Publisher with Red Hill Publishing), Emma Rusher (literary agent), and writers L.A. Larkin andSimon Groth. This industry seminar will introduce you to agents, publishers and writers and take you on a journey from manuscript development to published author promotion. It will cover the role of agents in a writer's life, the publishing process, including developing and submitting your work, and new pathways to publication. You'll learn the tricks of promoting your book and yourself, and the importance of both. This seminar is for emerging writers and those who are just plain curious about books and publishing. Walk away with tools and insider knowledge to help you navigate a pathway in the marketplace. Tickets $100 from qtix. Includes a copy the new edition of The Australian Writer's Marketplace, valued at $49.95. Queensland Brain Institute From the laboratory bench to Brisbane Writers Festival, the Queensland Brain Institute (QBI) is proud to be involved in spreading the word on neurological disorders. On Saturday 4 September, Perminder Sachdev, author of The Yipping Tiger and Other Tales from the Neuropsychiatric Clinic, will discuss 10 fascinating case studies at Brisbane Writers Festival. Professor Bryan Mowry (just one of many internationally renowned neuroscientists working at QBI) will chair the event. Read more. ArtsHub ArtsHub helps industry professionals and up and comers stay connected to the latest jobs, news and events in the arts. As an individual member, you will gain access to the latest arts jobs from over 800 company members as well as the ability to list unlimited events and classifieds. From grass roots not-for-profits to some of the biggest arts companies in the country, we are here to help everyone link together at one central hub. Visit ArtsHub to be a part of it. We encourage all BWF fans to please forward this e-mail to friends, family and members of your community. New subscribers can sign up to our e-news here. Until next time, The BWF Team Brisbane Writers Festival 1 - 5 September 2010 PO Box 3453 South Brisbane Queensland 4101 P: 61 7 3255 0254 F: 61 7 3255 0362 E: info@bwf.org.au www.bwf.org.au

August Book Club - 'The China Garden' by Kristina Olsson

If it feels like I've been away for quite some time and news has been scarce, then you'd be right. Many apologies book clubbers for my absence, but it is for good reason. My eldest daughter Jocelyn recently married her sweetheart Chris, and as everyone knows, weddings are extremely busy times. Certain priorities must change in order for things to happen, and in this case, I took a short vacation from blogging to experience the joy of family and this wonderful occasion. So, I am sure you will all understand and forgive me.

Our August meeting saw us discuss the book, 'The China Garden' by Brisbane author, Kristina Olsson. Whilst most members agreed there were a couple of positives about the book, it was not a favourite amongst us. Many found the writing a little annoying in many places throughout, although occasionally, the author managed to pull off some eloquent and well constructed sentences, which were a pleasure to read.

Some members thought the going tough and tedious, so they decided to call it a day and weren't able to finish the book. Personally I'm glad I finished the book, however, there was little joy in this because it did not feel like it went anywhere and a lot of things were left unexplained. There were a number of places where the text was predictable and quite uninteresting. Many said they could not connect with the characters and so were not able to engage in the story at a deep level.

Overall, book club members felt disappointed by the book because it lacked certain entertaining qualities. There were places within the text when it was obvious that the author tried too hard to show off their writing prowess.

September Book Club - 'The Time Traveler's Wife' by Audrey Niffenegger

September Book Club - 'The Time Traveler's Wife' by Audrey Niffenegger is currently being read by Novel Tea 'n Pages Book Club members and will be discussed at our next meeting on Wednesday, 1st September, 2010.

We look forward to seeing you all. Please check out the events page and click to say if you are attending.

New members are most welcome.