What's on at the Writers Centre in May
The popular Sydney Writers’ Festival Live & Local program is coming to Coledale in May, writes Elizabeth Heffernan of the SCWC
Illawarra readers and writers don’t need to travel to Sydney to enjoy Australia’s largest celebration of books and ideas. The popular Sydney Writers’ Festival Live & Local program brings those ideas direct to your doorstep.
This year, Live & Local Illawarra is moving to Coledale, after several successful years hosted at Wollongong Town Hall. South Coast Writers Centre will be hosting SWF Live & Local sessions over two days, Friday 22 and Saturday 23 May, in Coledale Community Hall.
“We’re excited to host this year’s Live & Local,” says SCWC Director Dr Sarah Nicholson. “The program allows readers and writers across the Illawarra to experience everything the Sydney Writers’ Festival has to offer, without the need to commute.”
Enjoy five sessions livestreamed direct from SWF with some of the biggest names in literature right now: Trent Dalton (Gravity Let Me Go), Florence Knapp (The Names), R.F. Kuang (Katabasis), Roddy Doyle (The Women Behind the Door), Mick Herron (Slow Horses) and more.
Plus, three local authors discuss their new books live on stage.
Gwen Wilson’s debut historical novel Louisa offers a heartfelt and imaginative portrayal of a woman’s quest for independence in 19th-century Australia. She discusses the inspiration found in the life of her great grandmother with author and playwright Christine Sykes.
History and folklore collide in Lauren Keegan’s new novel, The Woman in the Seal Skin, a wonderfully atmospheric tale about a young woman that delves into the selkie myths of 17th-century Scotland. Lauren appears in conversation with author Julie Keys.
Starre Vartan’s The Stronger Sex: What Science Tells Us About the Power of the Female Body is a science-backed, myth-busting love letter to the female body. She chats with Enough Said’s Adara Enthaler about her exploration of the female body’s sensitivity, endurance, immunity, longevity, and more.
Also part of Live & Local at Coledale is a half-day workshop with USA Today bestselling author Alyssa J. Montgomery on how to plot your novel, suitable for beginner and intermediate writers no matter their genre.
To book for Live & Local sessions or a workshop ticket, visit the SCWC website (SCWC member and general admission pricing available): southcoastwriters.org/upcomingevents
