The start of a new month means there's a new issue of Readings Monthly available online and in our shops. Below you can read the foreword from the latest issue – and keep an eye on the blog for more updates and recommended new releases throughout the month!
It has been an eventful start to the year for the Australian literary world. I was taking some leave in January, watching on as Adelaide Writers’ Week collapsed. I have never been to AWW – in fact, this year we were planning our first trip – but I’ve always been aware of its great reputation. Held in tents at the Pioneer Women’s Memorial Garden, it is highly regarded among publishers and authors as being one of the best literary festivals in the country. As well as attracting some of the biggest names from Australia and internationally, it is the only literary festival of its size that has free admission to all events. This, of course, helps significantly with book sales, and rumour has it that it has the highest book sales of any comparable festival. So this year’s cancellation of the festival comes at a great loss not only to the audiences and organisers, but also to the authors and publishers.
For debut, or less well-known authors, AWW might have been the highlight of their year, one of the real ways they could get word about their book out there. To have that opportunity taken away would have been heartbreaking. Writers depend on those events to sell books, connect with readers, and build their careers. Last year you might remember that Bendigo Writers Festival was called off in similar circumstances.
This disturbing trend is a real threat to the fabric of Australia’s literary community, with huge implications for readers, writers, publishers and public discourse. There is the danger that these events cease to exist, or become much more rare. There is also a risk that they become victim to ‘safe’ programming, designed to be controversy-free. The general effect of this could be to increase these rapidly growing divides. And in this scenario, audiences will be denied the full breadth of Australia’s writing talent. Or, worse, if publishers feel like authors aren’t going to be programmed for festivals or events, this might affect publishing decisions.
In another recent blow, Writers Victoria, which provides support and employment to writers, has been defunded by the State Government. Creative Victoria has provided emergency funding until the middle of the year, but unless other funding can be secured, Writers Victoria will close in July. For those who love and value books and writing, it is easy to feel hopeless, but there is something you can do: sign the petition to restore funding to Writers Victoria on the Parliament Victoria website.
