Kicking off tonight (Wednesday 26 June) and in order to ensure the comfort and safety of artists and attendees amongst the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 Emerging Writers’ Festival (EWF) will be delivered completely online.
EWF have previously demonstrated their ability to successfully adapt in exceptional circumstances, after pivoting to a completely online festival under similar conditions in 2020, attracting over 13,000 attendees.
This year, EWF has been working hard behind-the-scenes to transfer over 83% of the festival experience online and are poised to share a roster of over 50 intimate, engaging and illuminating digital performances, panels and projects over the 11 days of the festival.
“Although we wish more than anything to proceed with the original version of the festival we had put so much love and hard work into, we feel it is best to move our festival online for 2021,” said EWF Artistic Director Ruby-Rose Pivet-Marsh.
“This decision was not made easily, but in the interests of the health and safety of our team, artists, and community. Our 2020 digital festival demonstrated that the internet is an incredible platform for the arts.”
Running Wednesday 16 – Saturday 26 June, the 2021 Emerging Writers’ Festival will be accessible to anyone, anywhere, with an internet connection. The program is being updated daily as changes are made to events. For more information, visit: www.emergingwritersfestival.org.au for details.
Image: courtesy of Emerging Writers’ Festival
Highlights of the 2021 Emerging Writers’ Festival program include:
Opening Night: Collective Imaginings
Wednesday 16 June 2021 – 7.00pm
Commemorate the opening of the 18th iteration of Emerging Writers’ Festival with an evening of storytelling and celebration. Four incredible First Nations women, Veronica Heritage-Gorrie, Madeline Hayman-Reber, Jeanine Leane and Alice Skye come together with words to set the stage for 11 days of celebration, learning, connection and creativity. Hear them reflect on storytelling in collective imaginings, and the power language has to shape and shift perceptions.
Storming the Stage
Friday 18 June 2021 – 11.00am
Get ready to storm the city with Write-ability! Listen to writers from the newly appointed Storming the City cohort as they discuss craft, community, and the city and encourage the next generation of metropolitan-based writers with a disability. This event will be AUSLAN interpreted and live captioned!
National Writers’ Conference
Saturday 19 June 2021 – from 9.45am
As the centrepiece of the festival, the National Writers’ Conference is the place to be for emerging writers who are hungry to hear from leaders in the field, develop their skills, meet their peers and forge connections within the industry. Featuring a perfect mix of emerging and established artists and publishing professionals, this one-day online conference provides advice on craft, industry insights and inspiration for writers of all genres and forms.
Industry Insight
Monday 21 June 2021 – 12.30pm
Navigating the media and publishing industries as a freelancer can be confusing and isolating. What are your rights? How do you go about advocating for yourself or organising with other freelancers? How do you turn your work into a business? Our panelists discuss their experiences and what they have learned along the way.
The Next Big Thing
Monday 21 June 2021 – 6.30pm
After a turbulent year, we’ll blow away the literary cobwebs together with The Wheeler Centre. Hosted by Lauren Taylor, join us to hear readings from some of Australia’s best emerging literary voices, including 2020 Next Chapter recipient Sam Elkin, author of Emotional Female Yumiko Kadota, Voiceworks contributor Mickhaella Ermita, and multidisciplinary artist, performer and speaker Esther Tuddenham.
Amazing Babes
Tuesday 22 June 2021 – 7.00pm
Calling all amazing babes! We are gathering some of our most adored artists to honour the babes that helped shape their lives in this intimate night of joyful storytelling. Hosted by Stone Motherless Cold, wonder in admiration as we celebrate the many wonderful humans that our artists have chosen to applaud – from the fictional to the foundational and beyond. Includes the announcement of the winner of the Rachel Funari Prize for Fiction.
Regional Echoes
Take a virtual sound walk through regional and rural Victoria on our interactive sonic map. Click the pins to hear artist reflections on writing place, place as character, writing the country and landscape, small towns in the so-called-Australian literary canon and more – launches Wednesday 16 June 2021.
Comic of Age
EWF is celebrating some of our favourite comic artists by showcasing an eclectic selection of their creations. The journey from childhood to adulthood can be long, bumpy and full of unexpected twists and turns. It is a time of carving out space for oneself in the world, which can be nerve-wracking, challenging and thrilling. Six artists explore the bittersweet moments that define adolescence and what it means to come of age.
Closing Night: Be Kind, Rewind
Saturday 26 June 2021 – from 7.00pm
Break out the butterfly clips, trucker caps and jelly bracelets, because it’s time to party like it’s 2003. EWF invites you to commemorate our 18th birthday with a stunning line-up of artists and friends, old and new. Listen as our wise writers share what they wish they knew when they came of age. Hosted by Mama Alto, guests include Elijah Money, Cecile Richard, Michael Sun, and Sumarlinah Winoto. To get in the groove, listen to EWF early 2000s themed playlist.