Let's Bang a Few Heads Together

The Sydney Morning Herald today published the programme for this years Sydney Writers' Festival.

This is timely, considering my last couple of posts dealt with the lack of theatre industry forums.

I have had a quick look at the programme and have found a few highlights that may interest Arts Journalist readers.

The number one talk is being held on Friday June 1 at the Sydney Dance Company Studio 4 at 1.30-2.30pm - Everyone's a Critic: Has arts criticism become lost in the white noise of "arts and entertainment" journalism? Gerard Windsor, Alan Saunders, Julie Rigg, Andrew Ford and Bruce Elder - argue the importance of critical debate in forwarding cultural and intellectual life.

Other highlights I saw today, from my quick flick through the programme include:

• Jennifer Byrne is in conversation with Wah-Wah director and Withnail & I champion, Richard E Grant (Sydney Opera House)

• this city is a body - a cross disciplinary arts project that blends together the stories of migrants through theatre, dance, music & film (Hyde Park Barracks)

• The Book Thief author, Markus Zusak has a chat about novels set during the holocaust (Sydney Jewish Museum)

• UK writer Andrew O'Hagan gives an address about the power of literature through the media (Sydney Theatre)

• There's a multi-lingual performance of the work of Sufi poet Rumi (Auburn Council Gallery & Liverpool Migrant Centre)

• Internationally acclaimed Russian-French author Andrei Makine is in conversation (Sydney Theatre)

• The co-directors of the German Literature Institute give a talk about the state of German literature (Sydney Philharmonia Choir Studio)

• Blogs also get a guernsey at the festival too (hooray!) when The Monthly writer Gideon Haigh, Bille Brown and a few others talk about the contemporary memoir (The Mint)

• There's a forum on new writing from western Sydney sponsored by Powerhouse Youth Theatre (Museum of Sydney)

• Herald journo David Marr presents his Quarterly Essay on public debate in Howard's Australia (Richard Wherrett Studio) and also hosts a forum about the silencing of dissent by the Howard Government (Sydney Dance Company Studio 4)

• Eric Rasmussen talks about his new edition of the complete works of William Shakespeare (Richard Wherrett Studio)

• Currency House organises a talk about the preservation of Australian stories in the arts (Sydney Dance Company Studio 1)

• The Patrick White Playwrights' Award is announced, followed by a reading (Wharf 2 Theatre)

• The marvellous Don Watson gives a talk about his life's work (Sydney Theatre)

• There's a talk about the two newest British novels that are causing a lot of buzz (Sydney Theatre)

• Richard Flanagan, the Tasmanian author with no shortage of chutzpa has a chat with Malcolm Knox (Sydney Theatre)

• My new favourite journalist Rosemary Neill hosts a forum asking the question; are we neglecting Australian literature? (Sydney Dance Company Studio 1)

• and Chris Masters talks about the Jonestown journey (Sydney Philharmonia Choir Studio)

Sorry.

I didn't quite realise how many events I was excited about. Not surprisingly, it's only a snapshot of the whole programme which is to say the least, vast.


Image: knitsisters.com