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St Albans Writers' Festival

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25.01.2022 The wonderful Paul Irish grew up in Sydney and started working as an archaeologist on Aboriginal heritage projects almost 20 years ago. Working alongside Aboriginal people looking for ancient traces of Aboriginal life such as stone artefacts and rock engravings, he found he was just as interested in their personal stories and recent history. Come and hear Paul talk about his brilliant book 'Hidden in Plain View' this September. https://www.stalbanswritersfestival.com.au/paul-irish/

24.01.2022 Hear Tony discuss his fiction this weekend in St Albans: https://www.theguardian.com//a-qa-with-tony-jones-fiction-

24.01.2022 For just an hour? You can do better than that! On Thursday September 14, stop what you’re doing for one hour and pick up a book. For more information visit http://www.readinghour.org.au/

24.01.2022 "I remember learning about convicts at school in Tasmania. They were men; they made bricks and had arrows on their clothes. They also seemed to have absolutely nothing to do with me." Rachel Leary discusses Bridget Crack, her new book, which will be launched by Tom Keneally at the festival. https://www.stalbanswritersfestival.com.au/rachel-leary/

23.01.2022 Fresh from their sell-out workshop at the Sydney Writers’ Festival, the writers who make up Alice Campion invite you to join them for ten days of creativity, hilarity and deep insights and local colour in fascinating Nepal!

23.01.2022 We treat all our writers very well... https://twitter.com/casslane/status/907393993129967616

22.01.2022 St Albans festival attendees. You may recall the announcement of the Nib Waverley Prize shortlist over a glass of champagne during our 2016 festival. The shortlist was as follows: Stan Grant - Talking To My Country Gerard Henderson - Santamaria, A Most Unusual Man Melanie Joosten - A Long Time Coming: Essays on old age... Rachel Landers - Who Bombed The Hilton? Helen O’Neill - Daffodil Luke Williams - The Ice Age: A Journey Into Crystal-Meth Addiction The announcement of the winner was made today in Bondi and as sponsors, we were there for the event. So congratulations to.... http://www.stalbanswritersfestival.com.au/nib-waverley-awa/

21.01.2022 "Joy is so much at the heart of writing which isn’t to say every day is skipping through fields of daffodils. Joy is more complex than happiness more meaty and it comes with work, with muscle." Whether you’ve long been imagining the beginnings of a novel or have already drafted several chapters, Kathryn Heyman’s half-day workshop Diving into Fiction is sure to inspire you. https://www.stalbanswritersfestival.com.au/diving-into-fic/

20.01.2022 We all love Sebastian Smee.

20.01.2022 Getting published! Festival regular, facilitator, friend and brilliant writer Nigel Bartlett is sharing his advice on how to make it happen...

19.01.2022 The wonderful Tom Keneally in in the village. Here he is with Rachel Leary (and Ralf and Micahel) who's book he will launch at lunchtime.

19.01.2022 I just finished reading Gil’s latest book ‘Bulga Bala Boree’. Gil took me on a journey through early colonial times and the landscape and country that many of t...he participants of Gil’s tours know well and/or would love to know more about. His scholarly research is impeccable and the result is a historical and cultural document that gives me a deeper understanding of the forces that were present in those early days when the indigenous population were fighting for their lives and their country. I was fascinated by the way he brings out the living aboriginal culture of country that we have walked and travelled in. Although the outcome of post 1788 (1770) contacts has been disastrous for the local inhabitants I feel it is important that we all know what and how things happened. The book concludes with an essay about the historic Myall Creek massacre. Although the book treats events in and around the Macdonald Valley, the greater Bulga country and the massacre of the Darkinyung’s Kamilaroi neighbours I find it emblematic of the fateful interacting between the indigenous population and the invading forces across the continent. The book was launched at the St Albans Writers Festival where Gil spoke about the "Conspiracy of Silence' surrounding John Fleming's role in the Myall Creek Massacre". 'Bala Bulga Boree' by Gil Jones @ $35.00 pick up Narrabeen @ $46.65 including shipping and handling inside Australia. Order: [email protected] or 0410 330 954 Also available from Gleebooks, The Ferry Artists Gallery, National Parks, Wildlife shops, The Burns Bay Bookery in Lane Cove and Collaroy Books in Collaroy.

19.01.2022 "While I did not write the book as therapy, it has made me feel that I am not captive to my past or defined by the tragedies that shaped my parents’ lives anymore." Hear how Caroline Baum wanted to de-clutter her life story, "the way you might de-clutter your wardrobe". https://www.stalbanswritersfestival.com.au/caroline-baum/

19.01.2022 St Albans Writers' Festival retreat in St Albans Court House - Nikki Gemmell, our first resident, is clearly a fan! https://twitter.com/NikkiGemmell/status/907184002234064896

19.01.2022 "I came from an extremely poor background on the outskirts Melbourne. My Dad was hard working. He was always trying to encourage my brother (who was also blind) and me to do the things we wanted to do." Nick Gleeson discussing his book The Many Ways of Seeing. https://www.stalbanswritersfestival.com.au/nick-gleeson/

18.01.2022 Friends, it's been a while since we posted anything on our Facebook page. After all the festival busyness, we have needed to wind down before looking to 2017. But an important issue around our Common has been keeping the community of St Albans occupied, and as people who love our little village we feel we have to share it. Basically, the bill, which will be tabled early this week in the NSW Parliament, would change the status of the St Albans Common redesigning it as Crown La...nd. Currently, the ownership is vested in the trustees of the Common True who run the Common for the benefit of the Commoners. Please sign the campaign: DEFERMENT of CROWN LAND MANAGEMENT BILL 2016. Every name that is added builds momentum around the campaign and makes it more likely for us to get the change we want to see. http://www.communityrun.org//deferment-of-crown-land-manag After you've signed the petition please also take a moment to share it with others. Thank you!

18.01.2022 "I was struck by the number of wild animals that appeared in the rhymes and tales, most of them from the more ‘exotic’ (to the English imagination) countries of the British Empire. There are lions, crocodiles, elephants, but most often there are tigers I thought of The Jungle Book, of course, but also later incarnations like The Tiger Who Came to Tea. So I got interested in the idea of the safe space of the English nursery being invaded thrillingly, terrifyingly by the colonial tiger." Hear multi award-winning Fiona McFarlane discussing her work, and reading by the campfire next month. https://www.stalbanswritersfestival.com.au/fiona-mcfarlane/

18.01.2022 https://www.washingtonpost.com//the-death-of-reading-is-/

18.01.2022 With only a week to go, there's just enough time to squeeze in two more books before the festival. In thanking to Harper Collins for sponsoring the festival, we'd like to highlight two of their books which will be featured in ‘The end of life’ session on Sunday. https://www.stalbanswritersfestival.com.au/harper-collins/

18.01.2022 'Increase in writers festivals matches decrease in religious observance?' Ailsa Piper's words from our launch this year are perfect Sunday morning reading: 'Recently released census figures tell us that, in contemporary Australia, thirty per cent of people say they have no religion. That figure is up from about sixteen per cent in 2001. Of course numbers can’t be taken entirely on face value. The questions asked in the censuses were different, and the population has changed w...Continue reading

18.01.2022 Catch up with George and Hellen next weekend at the festival: http://www.smh.com.au//im-lucky-to-have-survived-artist-ge

17.01.2022 St Albans Writers' Festival and Faber Academy News Congratulations to J T Cramer for winning a complimentary place on the Faber Academy Writing a Novel: Stage 1 course starting in Sydney on 6 March. She also wins a free five-day writing retreat at the historic Courthouse Guest House http://www.stalbanscourthouse.com.au/ in St Albans. We like to support writers and giving them time to write in a beautiful setting is a good start. Who knows, maybe she'll be a guest at the Festi...val one day to talk about the book she's written at the peaceful and lovely Courthouse! We look forward to meeting Jacqueline later this year. For those of you who need encouragement to get that novel or other writing project started or finished, remember http://faberwritingacademy.com.au/ who offer workshops and courses with leading writers like Kathryn Heyman, Toni Jordan, Patti Miller and Anna Feinberg. See more

16.01.2022 ...and she's coming to St Albans this weekend! Hurrah!

16.01.2022 "If we want to turn to people who are comfortable about talking about death we need to talk with children. If we can start at a young age, they do not develop all that fear. We need death literacy." Leah Kaminsky discussing her book 'We’re all going to die' started when she work up one morning and thought I am terrified of dying. https://www.stalbanswritersfestival.com.au/leah-kaminsky/

15.01.2022 "I write to understand, to ask questions; to have them answered if I can, but perhaps not. It's the journey that's important. I was presented with the mystery of my mother's death, and was questioned by police for possible collusion." Hear Nikki Gemmell discuss her extremely personal book After in September. https://www.stalbanswritersfestival.com.au/nikki-gemmell/

15.01.2022 Travelling to St Albans Writers’ Festival, there is a point at which you realise your routine life can be left behind. It’s about the time you’re crossing the Hawkesbury, by the slow pull of the barge through a river lit with sun. Or on arrival at the village, at the stone buildings and blossom trees. There are chickens and kelpies, people and books, children playing hide and seek. Bales of lucerne surround a fire pit, so that writers and readers can merge as one. https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au//autho/15054840005199

15.01.2022 Thank you Simmone Logue for the amazing food throughout the weekend. We thought the goat's cheese tart and roasted spatchcock were amazing but then the flourless chocolate cake arrived..

14.01.2022 Valley launch next Saturday (6pm, 1st July). If you are coming and haven't sent an RSVP, please let us know so we can let the Settlers Arms Inn folk know.

14.01.2022 Take a bow Richard Denniss! Lots of people reported back that they loved your session so you should expect a big spike in book sales!

14.01.2022 David and Tom should have a good catch-up this weekend then!

13.01.2022 "If you look at some art and read the occasional artist biography, the relationships between artists are something you’re always aware of. They exist in poetry and music and other creative fields too think of Coleridge and Wordsworth or Verdi and Wagner. But it was my specific understanding of Lucian Freud’s relationship with Francis Bacon that sent me down this path. Rather than just straight- out competitiveness, what interested me most was the dynamic of seduction falling under someone else’s spell and rejection a kind of necessary or inevitable pushing away." Words from Pulitzer Prize winning Sebastian Smee. Read more here: https://www.stalbanswritersfestival.com.au/sebastian-smee/ Hear Sebastian speak the festival about amazing relationships in art, and about his book The Art of Rivalry.

13.01.2022 The wonderful Kathryn Heyman - another highlight for September: https://www.theguardian.com//when-i-first-wrote-about-dome

13.01.2022 Have you ever found yourself forming an unlikely friendship? Returning for her second year at the festival, multi-talented storyteller Ailsa Piper will be in conversation with co-author and Sydney-based priest Tony Doherty, exploring ‘The Attachment’, the collection of letters exchanged between them that grew into a treasured friendship. Charged with the energy, empathy, humour and insight of their correspondence, this event promises to be deeply moving. https://www.stalbanswritersfestival.com.au/portfolio_page//

13.01.2022 The sun is out, the marquees are going up, the trees are in blossom and we are ready to discuss books! (Remember with these glorious clear skies it can get chilly at night though!)

13.01.2022 Two legendary Georges, Gittoes and Miller, at St Albans Writers' Festival.

13.01.2022 Congratulations Kathryn from your friends in St Albans!

11.01.2022 Get that novel written! Apply now to the Faber Writing Academy for a scholarships for a writing course in Sydney including a writing retreat at the Courthouse in St Albans. http://faberwritingacademy.com.au/Scholarships2018informati

11.01.2022 Another teaser...two more of our festival speakers, Caroline Baum and Nicole Abadee (can't promise that the woman on the wall will be there though!)

11.01.2022 Jane Abbott’s novel Watershed presents a savage and dystopian vision of a world ravaged by climate change. The book will be the starting point for discussion on climate change and its impacts on every aspect of society in Jane’s session 'Speculating about climate change'. Jane has formally been a jillaroo, nurse, secretary, short-time teacher, office administrator and had a reluctant career in marketing now she is a stunning new new voice in Australian fiction. https://www.stalbanswritersfestival.com.au/portfolio_page//

11.01.2022 "Girt now comes with 100 per cent extra truth and is the Australian history preferred by nine out of ten historians." The wonderful David Hunt talks his new book True Girt: https://www.stalbanswritersfestival.com.au/david-hunt/

11.01.2022 Thanks to Dominic Perrottet for inviting us to the launch of the 2017 Hawkesbury-Hills Student Leadership Programme. It's not every night you get to meet an ex-defence force chief, the premier and the treasurer. Plenty of festival fans there too. Hopefully some students will become future leaders in the arts.

10.01.2022 Listen to our ABC radio star, Catherine discussing the scents and smells in the novels of Dickens here: http://www.abc.net.au//the-scents-and-smells-of-di/8412952

09.01.2022 Good luck Paul!

09.01.2022 The festival draws its unique magic from the village of St Albans itself, rich in both indigenous and colonial history. The valley was originally home to the Dharug and Darkinjung peoples, whose legacy will be remembered at the Welcome to Country smoking ceremony lead by local Indigenous representative Col Lyons. https://www.stalbanswritersfestival.com.au/celebrating-st-/

09.01.2022 Did you see Nicole Abadee's books page in last week's Financial Review magazine? You can look forward to her insightful discussions at the festival in September: https://www.stalbanswritersfestival.com.au/portfolio_page//

08.01.2022 "I think I developed my ability to read people through my former career as a recruitment consultant. In that role, I met such a diverse group of people at various stages of their lives." Meredith Jaffé speaking about her new book The Making of Christina. Catch up with Meredith to hear more at the festival next month. https://www.stalbanswritersfestival.com.au/meredith-jaffe/

08.01.2022 "There are many books and scientific papers on climate change. But not many have addressed the denial of climate change science with the general public in mind. So, essentially, my target audience is the average person in the street." Arek Sinanian discussing his book A Climate for Denial. See more here and catch Arek at the festival next weekend: https://www.stalbanswritersfestival.com.au/arek-sinanian/

07.01.2022 Join us as we celebrate Australian Reading Hour with a live reading of True Girt by David Hunt. Warning: Expect some colourful language!

07.01.2022 Still looking for accommodation for the festival? How about Del Rio Riverside Resort with a regular shuttle bus to our festival hub? https://www.stalbanswritersfestival.com.au/del-rio-riversi/

06.01.2022 'A gravity well describes the pull exerted by a planet or large body in space, and the way it draws smaller things towards it. It struck me that families operate in the same way we are held together by an unseen force which can be difficult to escape. It can also cause great conflict if we’re held too close to one another and not allowed our independence.' Meet and hear Melanie Joosten discuss her book Gravity Well next month. https://www.stalbanswritersfestival.com.au/melanie-joosten/

06.01.2022 "In my novel, The Teacher’s Secret, I consider the line between the appropriate and inappropriate care of children by teachers, particularly male teachers. As I understand it, the fear of being accused of inappropriate behaviour is one of the reasons men are leaving the teaching profession in droves." Festival friend, the wonderful Suzanne Leal, gets us thinking. See her next month: https://www.stalbanswritersfestival.com.au/suzanne-leal/

06.01.2022 Not long ago the suggestion that a former reality television star would make it to the White House would have been beyond belief, but here we are. Hear three of the contributors to the Griffith Review discuss the perils of populism this weekend. https://www.stalbanswritersfestival.com.au/griffith-review/

05.01.2022 "I once heard Jane Caro say, regarding her own experience of working in advertising: Did you watch Mad Men? It was a [TV] documentary. There’s some truth in that especially for women who worked in that industry in the bad old days, but the enslavement to commerce is no different from anyone working in a business that has to make a profit from publishing to retailing to Uber." Hugh Mackay discussing his book Selling the Dream. Hugh returns to St Albans this September. https://www.stalbanswritersfestival.com.au/hugh-mackay-2/

05.01.2022 Les Murray reading his poetry by our campfires. Thank you Nikki Gemmell for driving Les to St Albans - this was truly an amazing unique event.

05.01.2022 Congratulations to Fiona McFarlane on the Dylan Thomas Prize. Fiona will visit the St Albans Writers' Festival in September and will read some her stunning short stories by the campfire. https://www.theguardian.com//dylan-thomas-prize-goes-to-au

04.01.2022 We were delighted last night to present a cheque for $500 to St Albans Volunteer Rural Fire Service for their support of our festival. Without the RFS support, we could not have staged our special events (opening night, writers' dinner, etc.) so thanks again to Don, Siobhan and all the team here and at Hawkesbury District RFS.

03.01.2022 Huge thanks from Catherine, Myra, Colleen and Jonathan to Suzanne Leal, Simmone Logue and Ailsa Piper who wowed us at the city launch of the 2017 program this evening. The website is now live and tickets are on sale: www.stalbanswritersfestival.com

03.01.2022 After missing Susan Wyndham's weekly insights in The Sydney Morning Herald, we're very pleased to welcome the veteran literary editor to St Albans. Not only will she be in conversation with Tom Keneally, but she'll also be joining other talented contributors of the powerful collection 'Rebellious Daughters', reflecting on the experience of defying family expectations to find her place in the world. https://www.stalbanswritersfestival.com.au/portfolio_page//

03.01.2022 "I find the writing of history to be a great adventure! And I want to share that sense of excitement with my readers. I think doing history is like time travel because you have to leave the present behind for a while and then hope to return to it. So it is a bit of a gamble and a little perilous." Indulge in a little time travel with Tom Griffiths this September. https://www.stalbanswritersfestival.com.au/tom-griffiths/

03.01.2022 A week after our launch and tickets are selling fast. People are being seduced by desire to escape and explore.....and this little house model (image shows work in progress), featured on our poster, is doing its job. Huge thanks again to Coast Design (www.coastdesign.com.au) for the intricate modelling, eye-catching posters and leaflets and website - we couldn't do any of this without them.

02.01.2022 Nigel Bartlett, former editor of GQ Australia and Inside Out Magazines, is a freelance writer and St Albans frequenter. His first book, King of the Road, was shortlisted for the Ned Kelly Award for Best First Crime Novel in 2014. Join us when Nigel explores the genre in Talking Crime with Melinda Marchetta and Baz Radburn. https://www.stalbanswritersfestival.com.au//nigel-bartlett/

02.01.2022 Congrats Paul - looking forward even more to hearing you at the festival in September.

01.01.2022 Looking forward to giving a few more talks on Sydney's Aboriginal history over the next week or so, and in particular this Sunday at the St Albans Writers' Fest...ival with Stan Grant. Check out the details at www.coastalsydneystories.com/events and www.stalbanswritersfestival.com.au/portfolio_pa/paul_irish/ See more

01.01.2022 In his latest true crime book, ‘Murder at Myall Creek’, Senior Crown Prosecutor for NSW Mark Tedeschi AM QC investigates the brutal massacre of 28 Indigenous men, women and children in 1838 and the ground-breaking trial that followed. In conversation with John Vallance, Mark will bring prosecutor John Hubert Plunkett to life, examining how the trial he conducted came to be one of the most significant in the nation’s history. https://www.stalbanswritersfestival.com.au/portfolio_page//

01.01.2022 Our friends at Pantera Press have been busy. John M Green’s latest book The Tao Deception has been acclaimed by the Australian: ‘John M. Green’s latest novel marks him as a master of the craft of thriller writing. The Tao Deception is a work of power and intrigue that should be required reading for every politician’. We have one copy to give away to the first person to tell us what the ‘M’ in John M Green stands for([email protected]). http://www.th...eaustralian.com.au//8c3f1bda50ed3a43cf05c58c3 B Michael Radburn’s latest crime thriller ‘The Falls’ was Better Reading’s recommended weekend read. ‘This is a dark and disturbing ride’. http://www.betterreading.com.au//weekend-read-the-falls-b/ If you enjoy dark crime, win a copy of this book by some minor detective work. Uncover the name behind the letter B in B Michael Radburn. The first person to send us the answer will receive a copy of the book. Sulari Gentill has given the readers an early e-Christmas present. The Prodigal Son is a free downloadable novella prequel to the Rowland Sinclair mysteries. Download it here http://www.rowlandsinclairnovella.com On Tuesday 22 November, Sulari will be taking part in a Sydney Storytelling night at the Stoneleigh hotel in Chippendale. If you like a glass of wine with your stories, this is for you. http://www.betterreadevents.com//f29cc096-7190-d21b-1cf2-5

01.01.2022 "New Chinese migrants, born in the 60s, 70s, have come from Mandarin-speaking parts of China. They are well-educated, aspirational, and keen to be part of the contemporary global order as they deal with a complex past. I’m glad if my stories provide windows into an unfamiliar culture, because although I write in English, my writing has been deeply influenced by Chinese literary tradition, and inspired by Chinese cultural elements." Isabelle Li discussing her collection of short stories, The Chinese Affair. Hear Isabelle reading by the campfire next month! https://www.stalbanswritersfestival.com.au/isabelle-li/

01.01.2022 "Storm and Grace required physical research I learned to freedive, and spent all my spare time in the water, extending my breath hold, trying to dive deeper so that I could understand the feeling of it " Kathryn Heyman discussing her latest novel, Storm and Grace. https://www.stalbanswritersfestival.com.au/kathryn-heyman/