If you’ve never been to the Brisbane Writers Festival then pencil it into your diaries for 2008 (17 – 21 September). It’s a festival that takes over the cultural precinct of the State Library of Queensland for five whole days, attracting huge audiences of school students, literary fans, aspiring writers and anyone with an interest in ideas.
Planning your visit
There are a variety of panel discussions, debates, readings and more scheduled over the five days. Many of the sessions will be held inside the rooms of the State Library, as well as in the large marquee between the State Library and GoMA. Since sessions run parallel to each other, take some time to plan in advance what you want to see. The full program is online and you might have to make some tough choices to get to see a particular author or session. If you aren’t sure what looks good, simply turn up and wander between the venues. Something is bound to grab your interest and it can be a pleasant surprise discovering a new book, writer or idea. The majority of the sessions are free.
Workshops
The workshops with leading authors, publishers and others in the industry are a real highlight of BWF. It’s a great opportunity to get some writing advice and practice, or an insight into publishing. You need to pay and book in advance for the workshops as they often fill quickly.
Marketplace
Another great thing about the Festival is the outdoor Marketplace. It’s a good place to browse the bookshop for book titles that have captured your interest and get authors to sign copies. There are also stalls from various writing organisations and groups you may not otherwise know about. Join up and get inspired to write, to publish or learn.
Children
Babes in arms are accommodated at the BWF and I remember sitting with my newborn in the back of a theatre, feeding her milk along with the ideas of the session. But it’s hard for energetic toddlers and young children to find quiet amusement at the Festival. There are, however, a number of daily, free activities (most taking place in the morning) for children and their carers at the State Library of Queensland. Unfortunately, child minding isn’t available on site.
School students
There is a full calendar of talks and workshops for school students called Word Play. It has grown over the years and now reaches 10 000 students from Grades 6 – 12. Schools were sent the programs.
Volunteers
Volunteers are critical to the success of the Festival. Over 150 volunteers keep the mics turned on, the venues running smoothly and the authors happy. Be nice to the people wearing the BWF t-shirts (they’re working for nix!) and if you’ve always wanted to be part of the proceedings, consider volunteering for 2009.
History of BWF
BWF has had a long history of ups and downs…it began as an element of Brisbane’s Warana Festival in the 1960s and in 1985 became Warana Writers Week. In 1996 the event became an incorporated association and took the name Brisbane Writers Festival. From these origins, BWF has given Brisbane’s book lovers, years of a cornucopia of books, writing, ideas and authors. Keep turning the pages!
