What we're planning to see at Melbourne Writers Festival 2016
Staff share their top picks from the Melbourne Writer’s Festival (MWF) program.
As part of this year’s program, we’re hosting a series showcasing a range of new Australian fiction – learn more here. We’ve also prepared a list of terrific international guests who will be in attendance, and you can browse the full Festival program here.
Lian Hingee recommends…
I’ve just finished reading the conclusion to The Passage trilogy. I consider this series to be some of the smartest and most compelling dystopian writing I’ve ever encountered, so I’m looking forward to hearing author Justin Cronin discuss Writing the Undead with Tony Ayres.
Earlier this year I heard Yassmin Abdel-Magied speak at an event at our Carlton shop, and I was so impressed by what she had to say that I’ll definitely be attending Feminism Then & Now, the event that she’s doing with the legendary Anne Summers.
I’m also keen to hear Magda Szubanski and Damon Young talk about the importance of reading at Why I Read, and I’m hoping to take my nephew to see David Levithan and Rainbow Rowell at the YA Superstars event. We’re both big YA readers, and this will be a great opportunity to hear some of the biggest names in the industry speak.
Nina Kenwood recommends…
I am a huge fan of Rainbow Rowell, so my first reaction to the program was pretty much: ‘RAINBOW RAINBOW RAINBOW’ – and not much else! I am looking forward to her YA Superstars and Fantasy Fiction events, and the whole Eye on YA day looks pretty great.
The Opening Night Address by Maxine Beneba Clarke will be a must-see (plus I can’t wait to see who has won this year’s Miles Franklin award), and I am big fan of Lionel Shriver, so her Closing Night Address will make the perfect bookend to the festival. In between, I also want to see Liane Moriarty, Melina Marchetta, Justin Cronin, Jane Harper, Peggy Frew, Angela Flourney and Steve Hely – I have already read and loved books by all of these authors, except Angela Flourney, whose acclaimed novel The Turner House has been on my to-read pile all year and I plan to get to it very soon.
Finally, I am judge for this year’s Readings Prize, and I am very pleased that you’ll be able to hear from (at least) two of the shortlisted authors as part of our New Australian Fiction series.
Chris Gordon recommends…
There are so many authors I want to hear and see at the Melbourne Writers Festival this year. My top picks include everything from Wendy Whiteley talking on her beautiful garden, art and generosity – to hearing YA superstars, David Levithan and Rainbow Rowell, discuss the pleasures of writing for a diverse audience.
I’m also hoping to see A.C. Grayling (because he looks exactly how a philosopher should look and because his language is so beautiful), Helen Garner (because this is Melbourne and Melbourne is Helen), and – of course – the amazing, talented, incredible P.J. Harvey.
Stella Charls recommends…
I recently wrote about some of my favourite books of the year, so far and realised that many of the best books I’ve read have been Australian – including some incredible debut novels (The Healing Party, The Dry, Our Magic Hour), powerful debut non-fiction (Wasted) and new novels by established Australian authors (Between a Wolf and A Dog).
So, I’m excited that this year’s Melbourne Writers Festival is featuring so many of these wonderful local voices. I’m planning to see Jane Harper and Emily Maguire’s conversation on small town crime, Elspeth Muir’s session on her evocative non-fiction book, and Georgia Blain’s session on her stunning novel.
Also on my wishlist is Maxine Beneba Clarke’s Opening Night Address – I’m currently halfway through an advance reading copy of her memoir, The Hate Race, and am completely blown away by it. Beneba Clarke is a stirring writer and performer; her keynote is bound to be a must-see event. Helen Garner is speaking about her latest book at Everywhere I Look, and I’m looking forward to two events with Elizabeth Harrower: Meet Elizabeth Harrower and Talking Text Classics. Harrower recently spoke at the Sydney Writers Festival; in her late-eighties, this was only the second time she’d been interviewed her lifetime and after listening to a recording of that event, I’m so keen to see her talk in person!
Over the past weekend, I inhaled the ABC series based on Christos Tsiolkas’ Barracuda, and would love to see Tsiolkas discuss this adaptation with producer Tony Ayers. Also on the topic of TV, book me in for Steve Hely and Ben Law’s event, The Writers Room.
Apart from Hely, my list of must-see international guests includes Geoff Dyer (I love that one of his events is simply called ‘Being Geoff Dyer’), Eimear McBride and Juliet Jacques. I found Trans completely fascinating, and I’m thrilled that Jaques will be in conversation with Fiona Wright at Writing the Self. Wright’s own memoir/essay collection, Small Acts of Disappearance was my stand-out favourite from last year.
Bronte Coates recommends…
I’m a huge Rainbow Rowell fan and am extremely excited for her event with Lev Grossman: Fantasy Fiction. Both these authors have created contemporary, thrilling, self-aware fantastical worlds, and I’m so interested to hear what they have to say about their influences.
Other events that I’ve pencilled in on my planner include: I Love a Sunburnt Country (in which contemporary Australian poets respond to the classic poem), Asia-Pacific Narratives (in which some terrific authors discuss Asia-Pacific in a literary context), and Queer Literary Salon (because this event is always so much fun). And I’m very interested to hear Sheila Watt-Cloutier as her life sounds fascinating and her work deeply important.
I’m also intrigued by the sounds of Writing Memoir (with Maxine Beneba Clarke and Tracy K Smith), Writing the Undead (with Justin Cronin and Tony Ayres), and Writing the Self (with Juliet Jacques and Fiona Wright). Plus, I’m hoping to see Liane Moriarty, Melina Marchetta, Angela Flournoy, and – phew. What a wonderful program.
