I flew back to Melbourne on a one-way ticket a week ago.
Last February I visited for a month after my job 'finished'. I loved it - spending time with my family, reading, swimming - but I remember looking out the window as I drove interstate or caught the train to the other side of town to visit a friend, thinking I just couldn't see myself in Melbourne. I couldn't see where I'd live or what I'd do.
I was ready to return home to London.
Thanks to some vigorous encouragement by my good (writer) friend Amanda Saint, while she established and built-up Retreat West, I moved writing out of hobby status and got involved in the writing world. It started with this blog and Twitter (using Books for Dummies and a healthy vocabulary of swear words), as well as reading more widely, studying as I read (it was a good excuse for the time I spent doing it), and producing more and more of my own work.
By the end of 2013 I'd been to Word Factory UK and Spread The Word events, retreats by different fabulous people in Sheepwash, Exmoor and Portugal, and almost met my 25k word short story collection target.
And I'd decided it was time to move back to Melbourne.
Lots of things went into that decision, and yesterday while my dad was driving me to another appointment, I said to a friend how strange it is to look out the window and feel the thrill of being here. A sense of belonging again.
Tomorrow I'm going to listen to Lisa Dempster, Director of the Melbourne Writers' Festival, query a panel of experts on 'Writing Now.' Next week I'll be at The Wheeler Centre to hear David Vann and then I'm meeting at Writers Victoria to talk about volunteering with them.
And on Saturday I'm going down to a beach house where there's no internet. I'm going to read, write, hopefully throw away the crutches (finally) and fall into the salt water, and feel like I'm home again.
Last year was a significant one for me, and it feels now like it doesn't necessarily matter where I am, so long as I'm writing and around people who love words as much as I do. I can't wait to get involved with, and share my experience of, the writing world down here.
Showing posts with label events. Show all posts
Showing posts with label events. Show all posts
Thursday, 20 February 2014
Saturday, 20 July 2013
What a schedule, and what a lucky lady...
WARNING: This is not supposed to be a brag or name dropping, I just want to share my love for my live world of words.
Last month I talked about coming out of the writer closet, and the authors I'd heard (and bought) at great events.
And the hits just keep on coming.
At Clapham Books last week, Tom Canty read from his debut novel, Clapham Lights. The thing that really struck me was how well a young writer could stand in front of a crowded room and read his work aloud. He was funny, in the characters, and confident in what he was saying.
If I were his publisher I'd be getting Tom straight into a studio to record his novel. Apparently his girlfriend thinks his female voice is, well, pants I think he said. Maybe she could help him out there, but otherwise his delivery was brilliant.
Yesterday I went to the Spread The Word event at Woolfson and Tay. The afternoon was informal, for writers to write about 'things that happen in a bookshop'. I met a Shakespearian scholar, got talking to Paul Sherreard (who gave me a fantastic business idea - cheers) and had plot inspiration from the crazy (Shaun Levin's word, not mine) Devawn Wilkinson.
Most of us bought the Write Around the Bookshop map and used a prompt from that, along with the setting (surrounded by books, opposite a pub) to come up with a new piece of work.
After a break a selection of young writers who have been involved in various Spread the Word schemes read, either from anthologies and/or the exercises they'd done in the afternoon.
Again, I was so impressed with how well young writers can deliver their work. You'd think they've been doing it for years, and they're definitely ready for being on bigger stages.
A few open mic slots were taken with, let's just call them (myself included), less published and slightly more mature writers, who also read their output from the afternoon.
It was a great opportunity to write, mix, listen, and of course eat. The red velvet cake was a big hit, and next week I want to go back for the Savoury Asian Pulled Pork - sounds amazing.
And next Saturday I'm back at The Society Club for July's Word Factory event.
What luck!
I'd really love to hear what events others have been to, and how it's helped their writing. And hopefully anyone who hasn't been taking advantage of local events might think about getting along to one soon.
Last month I talked about coming out of the writer closet, and the authors I'd heard (and bought) at great events.
And the hits just keep on coming.
At Clapham Books last week, Tom Canty read from his debut novel, Clapham Lights. The thing that really struck me was how well a young writer could stand in front of a crowded room and read his work aloud. He was funny, in the characters, and confident in what he was saying.
If I were his publisher I'd be getting Tom straight into a studio to record his novel. Apparently his girlfriend thinks his female voice is, well, pants I think he said. Maybe she could help him out there, but otherwise his delivery was brilliant.
Yesterday I went to the Spread The Word event at Woolfson and Tay. The afternoon was informal, for writers to write about 'things that happen in a bookshop'. I met a Shakespearian scholar, got talking to Paul Sherreard (who gave me a fantastic business idea - cheers) and had plot inspiration from the crazy (Shaun Levin's word, not mine) Devawn Wilkinson.
Most of us bought the Write Around the Bookshop map and used a prompt from that, along with the setting (surrounded by books, opposite a pub) to come up with a new piece of work.
After a break a selection of young writers who have been involved in various Spread the Word schemes read, either from anthologies and/or the exercises they'd done in the afternoon.
Again, I was so impressed with how well young writers can deliver their work. You'd think they've been doing it for years, and they're definitely ready for being on bigger stages.
A few open mic slots were taken with, let's just call them (myself included), less published and slightly more mature writers, who also read their output from the afternoon.
It was a great opportunity to write, mix, listen, and of course eat. The red velvet cake was a big hit, and next week I want to go back for the Savoury Asian Pulled Pork - sounds amazing.
And next Saturday I'm back at The Society Club for July's Word Factory event.
What luck!
I'd really love to hear what events others have been to, and how it's helped their writing. And hopefully anyone who hasn't been taking advantage of local events might think about getting along to one soon.
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