Sunday, March 11, 2018

Paige Turner - March


Recently, I read a disdainful comment regarding mindfulness and storytelling, suggesting that they are both flash-in-the-pan fads. Oh Disdainful Commentator, how wrong you are – both of these activities, practices and wisdoms are already long enduring and it is with delight that I point you to a twenty-first century iteration of storytelling - the Story Island Project’s free, fun storytelling activities for young people at the Moonah Taste of the World Festival on Sunday 25 March. Activities will include live storytelling sessions from notable Tasmanian children's authors, book-making challenges and opportunities for young people to explore new writing ideas. Come along and pick up a free kids' storytelling activity booklet to take home! Follow the Story Island Project on Facebook for more information.

Also, Strategic Storytelling for Social Change is happening – and this is two days dedicated to story, the crafting, capture, and harnessing of story that foster community, explores shared values and creates hope – and ideally influences others on a path of social justice. For more information, check out Storytelling for Social Change on the old F’book.- or via the website.

Revolutionary Readers Relax! Reading for the Revolution is back. It is a monthly discussion that is taking place in March on Tuesday 13th at 7.30am, upstairs in the Food Store in South Hobart. March’s discussion will rove around Bruce Pascoe’s Dark Emu, The UluruStatement from the Heart, and The Referendum Council Final Report. Y

Tamar Valley based writer Shirley Patton has her debut novel The Secrets We Keep launching in Hobart on March 22 at Fullerswhere she will be in conversation with poet and former Island editor, Gina Mercer. Launceston, fear not! Shirley will be at Petrarch’s Bookshop on April 12. 

Still pondering the very lovely Tamar Valley, the Tamar Valley Writers Festival, which is happening in September this year (14-16, mark your diaries) is co-hosting the Tasmanian part of Tim Winton's national tour to promote his new novel. Tender Hearts, Sons of Brutes  is a one-hour-long presentation conducted in partnership with Penguin and Petrarch's Bookshop. This is taking place on March 24th at the Tramsheds Function Centre in Inveresk, bookings are essential and details can be found on the Tamar Valley Writers Festival website.

The Tasmanian Society of Editors, who offer some gems of workshops, are hosting Merridy Pugh to chat about her adventures publishing Pig Tails: The First-Ever Guinea Pig Novel on Thursday 15 March, 7pm at Rosny LINC. Details and booking information are ontheir website.

A TasmanianRequiem is a “new work for voice and brass” that is being performed in Hobart in April. Get your tickets soon, this is a short season and it is the piece of theatre I am most excited about in Tasmania this year. http://tasmanianrequiem.com/

On March 15 at the Hobart Bookshop, one of Tasmania’s most respected poets, Anne Kellas is launching her new chap book The Netted Air, with official launching duties falling to another poet elder, Sarah Day.

CutCommon has released its first ever print issue and it is awesome. Steph Eslake, the editor believes it to be the first classical music street press in the world. Pick it up for free around Tasmania (there are more than 2900 copies being distributed to more than 50 locations as part of a national Roving Launch in the next few months). For more details check out the website. 

KickStart Creative Exchange are again offering some gems, including sessions on Celtic History beginning on March 25th. More info is available on the website. 

Twenty years ago Paul Pritchard wrote an incredible book recounting his catastrophic brain injury on the slenderest piece of rock in the ocean, the Totem Pole. He now has the rights to the book and you can pre-order a copy here. 

A View for Lovers and Sinners examines the blurred lines between love and sin through a collection of short pieces created by Tasmanian artists Kitty Taylor and Nathan Tucker. Each piece combines an image from a unique location with a short fiction response. They will be posted into a FBalbum, at the rate of one a week.

Island is at it again, hosting the Writing Cave on March 6,13 and 27, Silent Reading on March 7 at Quartermasters (in partnership with Transportation Press and Bright Thinking on March 15. For more information on all of these activities, plus Damon Young’s March 22 Philosophy Class, check out the Island Facebook page.

The launch of Jane Williams’ new collection of haiku and senryu echoes of flight will be launched by Lyn Reeves on Saturday, March 17, 11am at the Waterworks (Site number 9, last hut on the left). Lyn will also be leading a short Ginko (haiku walk) following the launch and there will be cake. So many good reasons to go!

If you have any book or story or writing related news you’d like to share, drop me a line – racheledwards488@gmail.com





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