News

Adelaide is hosting a world first, a physical choose your own adventure story around the CBD using QR codes. It's free and you can win prizes! Rather than reading the Choose Your Own Adventure in printed book form, their project will be placing QR codes around Adelaide city that you can scan with your smart phone. The Adventures start from Dymocks (Rundle Mall), and you can do it any time from 3rd-9th of March. Details here.

Australia's newest book publishing house, MidnightSun Publishing, was launch recently with support from two of the nation's most successful technology entrepreneurs, Ross Williams and Simon Hackett.

Swedish-born Australian author Anna Solding has established MidnightSun Publishing to encourage greater diversity in book publishing in Australia. 'The publishing industry is experiencing major restructuring due to new technology, but the barriers that face new writers are greater than ever,' says Anna.

Want to get a grant but you're not quite sure how to go about it?
Arts SA are running a grant information forum in the Seminar
Room at the SA Writers' Centre on Tuesday, 28th February from
6pm. It's free, so come along with your questions. Project grants
close 5pm Friday, 16 March 2012. You can download application
forms here. Further grants information can be obtained by reading 
the Arts SA Funding Handbook or by visiting their website. 

The shortlist for the 2012 Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature has been announced. The following South Australians have got a guernsey: Rosanne Hawke for Taj and the Great Camel Trek, David Cornish for Factotum and Vikki Wakefield for All I Ever Wanted. Henry Aybee, Belinda Broughton, Rachael Mead, Mag Merilees and Rob Walker have been shortlisted for the Unpublished Manuscript Award. Niki Bloom, David Sornig and Carol LeFevre are the nominees for the Barbara Hanrahan Fellowship. Check out the details here.

Congratulations to young SA screenwriters Charlie Anderson (12), Gina Cameron (14), Harper Robb (12) and Tallulah Robb (14), part of a team of filmmakers, The Screenseekers, who have made the finals of Tropfest Jr. Their short film Juice Lords was one of 13 finalists chosen out of a field of 700. The film was made as part of the MRC's inaugural Tropfest Jr workshop, which will be held again in the October 2012 school holidays.

A homage to film noir, Juice Lords tells the story of a detective, a girl and some blackmarket Nippy's Juice. The film will screen at the Tropfest Jr event on the Glenelg Foreshore on Sunday 19 at 3pm, which will be followed by Tropfest in the early evening. The day is free. For more info ring the MRC on 8410 0979.

Staff from the Literature Board of the Australia Council will be available
on Wednesday, 7 March to discuss possible grant applications. Check
your eligibility at www.australiacouncil.gov.au/artforms/literature 
Please note: there has been a change to the eligibility criteria for
emerging writers ...

Sean Williams became our third Life Member in 2011. Sean has been involved with the Centre for many years, both as a Board member and a supporter, and has encouraged countless South Australian writers to get out there and make a go of it. The news was sprung on the New York Times best-selling author at the St Lucy's Party in December. Somewhat suprised and, of course, delighted with the award his response was inclusive as always, saying he was 'completely honoured and gobsmacked' and that he 'couldn't have done it without Barbara ... and the Writers' Centre.' If you missed out on getting along that evening, the video can be viewed on YouTube.

NonfictioNow is one of the most significant gatherings of writers, teachers and readers of nonfiction from around the world. Three full days of panels, screenings and events will centre on the practice, thinking, communication and writing of nonfiction in all its forms to be hosted by RMIT University in November 2012. The Bedell NonfictioNow Conference seeks panels that showcase the diversity of the genre. For more information please go to our Conventions and Conferences page ...

 

With the assistance of the Copyright Agency Limited, NonfictioNow 2012 will be issuing a limited number of bursaries in order to enable independent Australian writers and journalists to participate in the NonfictioNow 2012 conference in Melbourne. Bursaries will be considered for all writers who apply, however those who are successful as panellists will be prioritised. For more information please go to our Conventions and Conferences page ...

BUZZCUTS ADELAIDE needs young arts reviewers! Since 1997 BUZZCUTS has been training young writers and broadcasters in critical arts reviewing at both the Melbourne and Adelaide Fringe Festivals, along with the Fringe World Festival in Perth for the first time in 2012. Click here for more details.

From Tuesday 13 to Saturday 17 March SPOKE Festival
will occupy The Shimmering West – the lawn area in front of
Adelaide College of the Arts (39 Light Square, Adelaide)
– and Higher Ground. A visual and spoken word smorgasbord ...

For more details go to our Festivals page. 

Flinders University graduate and first-time novelist Hannah Kent has been named the winner of the 2011 Writing Australia Unpublished Manuscript Award for her novel 'Burial Rites'. She will receive a total prize package worth $12,000.

Hannah has the honour of being the Award's inaugural recipient and, while she is thrilled about the prize money, the highlight for her will be working with a mentor: "I'm incredibly excited about the prospect of working with a published Australian author who can look at my work with fresh eyes and give me feedback and advice based on their own experiences."

The SA Writers' Centre, in collaboration with Helping Hand Aged Care, is currently running a Seniors Project at Helping Hand Aged Care, Parafield Gardens, where Patrick Allington, the Writer-in-Residence, works two days a week. The project encourages interested seniors, whether they are Helping Hand residents or members of the wider City of Salisbury community, to express themselves through writing. Patrick will soon begin a number of writing groups in the City of Salisbury, in collaboration with Helping Hand Centre. For more information, or for bookings, please email Patrick: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

The project will run for nine months. The position is funded by Perpetual Trustee with grant money from the Estate [of the] Late James Simpson Love and the Enid Irwin Charitable Trust.

 

As part of the SA Writers' Festival's 'Great Debate: That Books Are So Yesterday' Peter Goers, Adelaide radio personality and debate emcee, burnt Sir John Kerr's autobiography, Matters for Judgement. You can watch Peter's 'inflammatory act' and to hear his humorous commentary here. Steve Evans, Stephanie Johnston and Ruth Starke debated the affirmative argument, while the negative team comprised Tracey Korsten, Greg Mackie OAM and Geoff Strempel.

Indigenous writer and Centre member Dylan Coleman has
won the Unpublished Indigenous Writer – Arts Queensland
David Unaipon Award for her manuscript 'Mazin' Grace,
the story of a young Aboriginal girl's quest to understand