BWF IS THE WORD THIS SEPTEMBER
It has long been said that culture and artistry can soothe the soul….
This September (7th - 11th) Brisbane Writers Festival (BWF) is jam packed full of both these things and will bring you an extraordinary list of outstanding international, national and local authors who will delight, inspire and soothe your soul!
Building on her theme of What Now? What Next? – Resilience and Recovery, Festival Director Jane O’Hara said, “BWF 2011 celebrates the adaptability of the human spirit and brings together some of the best writers in the world - from New York based Jonathan Franzen to Orange prize winner Ann Patchett, Phillip Pullman (via live video cross) whose controversial novel challenges the story of creation, through to Korea’s national living treasure Kyung-sook Shin, with her first novel to be translated into English, Please Look After Mother.
Showcasing the best of our local talent, our very own Krissy Kneen, Ashley Hay, Nick Earls and Matthew Condon come together and discuss Queenslanders’ resilience and recovery in the aftermath of the Floods in What Now?
Our lovers of fiction will not miss out, as we welcome Oprah book club favourite Anita Shreve, alongside Australia’s own Kate Grenville and Gail Jones, while intrigue will abound when Millennium Trilogy author Stieg Larsson’s life partner Eva Gabrielsson has the chance to tell the real story of the man behind the books, his intended legacy and what could become of the fourth book.
Budding authors, or even those inclined to scribble a stray sentence or two, should sharpen their pencils and prepare for one of the 32 workshops and masterclasses. The ever popular 20 Pages in 20 Minutes offers a rare, one-on-one opportunity to have your work read and critiqued by an international publisher, and anyone who wants to start, survive and succeed in the young adult and children’s publishing market should not miss the BWF seminar with industry experts including five time winner of the Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Award, Emily Rodda and Editorial Director, HarperCollins Children’s Books, New York, Farrin Jacobs.
Some exciting new additions to the Friday program include the inaugural MothUP* Brisbane hosted by Richard Fidler on site at the Festival Club in the Breezeway at State Library, while over at the Powerhouse, in collaboration with Brisbane Festival, New York based songwriter, poet and author Simone Felice will share his songs and stories in a one-night only Festival feature event.”
So whether it be through the madcap tales of real life adventurer Paul Carter, with his latest book Is That Thing Diesel?, to the inspiring journeys of writers including Leah Chishugi , a nurse and survivor of the genocide in Rwanda, and Jay Bahadur, a Canadian freelance journalist who has spent time with pirates in Somalia — writers from around the world will come together at State Library of Queensland to share their experiences with you.
A final word from O’Hara, “It is my hope people will come along to the Festival to see a favourite author and discover so many more whilst they are with us!”
*MothUP - Tell your 3minute tale of resilience and recovery. No readings, no notes and no stand up routines…just stories!

FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS
Workshops and Masterclasses:
• 20 Pages in 20 Minutes
• Publishing in the Young Adult and Children’s Market
• Tell Me A Story – How to Find Your Voice and Your Audience
• Short Story Writing
• Writing Romance That Sells
• Creating Character and Conflict
Events:
• THURSDAY - Festival First Night with Ann Patchett, Shane Koyczan, Voices of Birralee followed by celebratory drinks with international, national and local writers
• FRIDAY - Simone Felice Solo (Powerhouse) and Anita Shreve (State Library)
• SATURDAY - Jonathan Franzen in conversation with Richard Fidler (Powerhouse) and Please Don’t Make Me Be Funny with Corrine Grant, Marieke Hardy and Wendy Harmer (State Library)
• SUNDAY - What Next? with Simone Felice, Eliot Weinberger, Shifra Horn, Nick Bryant and Jane O’Hara