Sydney Writers’ Centre- WEBPICK: Creative Kids Tales

WEBPICK: Creative Kids Tales
Creative Kids Tales is a new Australian website that’s been set up by writer, Georgie Donaghey. As an unpublished author, Georgie was looking for somewhere she could display her work and hopefully gain additional exposure, but couldn’t find the right site. So she set it up herself!

Creative Kids Tales is a place for budding authors to display their work and find information about publishing and writing in Australia. Each month a member writer is featured as well as an established kids’ author – this month features Mem Fox.

Georgie hopes to build up the site as a go-to for publishing information and tips and a thriving community of children’s book writers.

Check it out at http://www.creativekidstales.com.au/index.html

Sydney Writers’ Centre- Commonwealth Short Story Prize

Commonwealth Short Story Prize

A great opportunity for new and established writers, the annual Commonwealth Short Story Prize is now open for entries. This award for the best un-published short fiction (stories of 2,000 to 5,000 words long) is open to any writer living in a commonwealth country.

The overall winner of the prize will receive £5,000 and each regional winner (there are four regions) will receive £1,000. Entries close Wednesday 30 November 2011.

Check out the Writing Bar at http://www.writingbar.com/2011/11/competitions/2012-commonwealth-short-story-competition-is-now-open/ for more details.

Sydney Writers’ Centre- Writing Australia Unpublished Manuscript Award Walk away with $10,000

Writing Australia Unpublished Manuscript Award
Writing Australia is the new, national body committed to promoting writing and literature around the country. And they’re wasting no time! They’ve just launched the Unpublished Manuscript Award, an incredible opportunity that will see the winner walk away with $10,000 plus a $2,000 mentorship.

The award is for an unpublished work of adult literary or genre fiction and is open to any writer in Australia. You have until Thursday 13 October 2011 to enter your manuscript.

Entries will only be accepted through the online entry form on Writing Australia’s website. http://writingaustralia.org.au/events/event/unpublished-manuscript-award/

Sydney Writers’ Centre- http://www.sydneywriterscentre.com.au/coursefeesanddates.htm

Sydney Writers’ Centre- National Year of Reading 2012 Writing Competition

National Year of Reading
Next year will be the National Year of Reading and to celebrate, Writing Australia are holding a writing competition. Stories of up to 3,000 words will be accepted and prizes range from $3,000 for published authors, and $1,000 for unpublished authors. Winning stories will also be produced as recordings to help reach the 46% of Australians who struggle with literacy.

Competition closes 5pm Friday 5 August 2011.
For full details visit our online magazine Writing Bar. http://www.writingbar.com/2011/07/news/short-story-competition-for-the-national-year-of-reading-in-2012-now-open-45000-worth-of-prizes/

Sydney Writers’ Centre- Sutherland Shire Fellowship of Australian Writers Festival

Sutherland Shire Fellowship of Australian Writers – Festival
If you’re lucky enough to live in the lovely Sutherland Shire in Sydney (or you can easily get there) you should definitely check out the Fellowship of Australian Writers’ second annual writers festival. It will be held on Sunday 14 November 2010 at the Gymea Community Centre.

Last year’s festival was a huge success, and this year they’ll also be holding two workshops – Writing Romance Fiction with Annie West and Cathleen Ross, and Creating Picture Books with Leigh Hobbs. Also appearing are Marele Day, William Kostakis, Deborah Abela and Sue Whiting.

Tickets are $50 for all panel sessions or $90 for all panel sessions plus 1 workshop.
The full program is available here. For more information or to book call Jodie on 0425 840 719, or email slowgrove@gmail.com.

Sydney Writers’ Centre- WET INK Short Story Prize Winner will receive $3,000

Wet Ink Short Story Prize
Wet Ink is one of Australia’s premier literary magazines. They are committed to seeking out and publishing the best in new Australian writing. Their annual short story writing competition is on again and this is a chance to see your story published in this great magazine – and win some cash!

First prize will be awarded to the best story of no more than 5,000 words. The winner will receive $3,000, one year’s subscription to Wet Ink, and publication in the March 2011 edition. Two highly commended entries will receive $100, a year’s subscription, and will also be published in the March issue. Entry fee is $15 for one story or $25 for two. You have until Tuesday 31 August 2010 to enter.

Download an entry form and more information here.

Melbourne Australia- Melbourne Writers Festival 2009

Melbourne Writers Festival 2009

August 21-30, 2009

WHERE STORIES MEET

Welcome!

Message from Rosemary Cameron, festival director

Why do I love festivals? The usual reasons…my ideas are changed
and my eyes opened. I’m challenged, amused, cajoled and entertained.

But a festival is more than that.

 Festivals are love affairs. The breathlessness and the
hoopla, the dizziness and the don’t-give-a-damn misbehavin’.
They shake you to the core. Festivals are pressure cookers
with an intensity of authors, stories and ideas which spark off
each other in a way that ordinary events can’t. Time does
not run straight during festivals. Festivals are winning the grand final. They are the Coliseum and the smile on the Mona Lisa.

For more information google Melbourne Writers Festival 2009

 

They are a box of 72 Derwent pencils, flying a kite, dancing all night, champagne by
the crate, blue satin sashes and brown paper parcels tied up with string. They are the
razzle dazzle of fireworks, moons and Junes and Ferris wheels. They are Chanel No 5,
shimmying sequins, torch songs, a pot of honey for elevenses, bubble baths and
white tie, top hat and tails.

Abandon the everyday, the tepid and the ordinary and join the Writers Festival. It is a comet streaming across our winter sky – grab its tail and don’t ever let go.

I love festivals. You will too.

(with apologies to Cole Porter, AA Milne, Rogers & Hammerstein, Joni Mitchell et al)

The Productivity Commission has delivered its recommendations to COAG and now the Australian Labor Party (ALP) will establish a working group to ‘consider the matters raised in the Productivity Commission’s report’ on the parallel importation of books. The festival too will have a response during the festival .