Fiction Feedback Clinic
This intensive, small-group session is designed for writers seeking feedback on an excerpt of writing (up to 2,500 words) from a work-in-progress fiction manuscript.
Creative Writing
Develop your creative writing skills through writing exercises & group discussion.
From Marquez to Mudgee: Magical Realism in Oz
Though the master of magical realism passed away over a decade ago, the impact of the genre stretches far from its Latin American roots. Some of the most unforgettable novels of the past half century blur the lines between reality and fantasy, where folklore, the metaphysical and the supernatural brush up against everyday life. Explore these strange and familiar worlds with three of Australia’s most dazzling literary voices.
In Conversation: Sofie Laguna
From her latest children’s book, The Song of Lewis Carmichael, to her award-winning adult novels (including Infinite Splendours, winner of the 2021 Colin Roderick Award), Sofie Laguna is one of the most versatile and enchanting authors in the country. To learn more about her literary paints and palette, Penguin Literary Prize-winner Sophie Overett leads this quirky, colourful conversation.
Road Warriors
Road novels are almost as old as literature itself. A character strikes out into the world, following the road less travelled through cities, woods, mountains, time … They are journeys of self-discovery that often tell us more about the world at large than we’d like to know, and in the pages of Emily’s Wild Abandon and Kate’s The Mother Fault we discover two unforgettable characters travelling landscapes that are as familiar as they are threatening. Who doesn’t love a good road trip?
BWF: The Millennial Hustle
Despite still being labelled “the youth”, most Millennials are now in their thirties and forties. Many are raising kids, trapped out of secure housing and working in an economy more precarious than ever. How do these writers make it work? And how do they depict Millennial life on the page?
Panel: Tayi Tibble, Loki Liddle, Sophie Overett
BWF: Journeys to Publication
How do you get your first book out there? Should you go with a big press, a small press or forge your own path? Our panelists break down their own journeys to publication, and talk through next steps for anyone who dreams of publishing their work.
Panel: C.S. Pacat, Marianna Shek, Sophie Overett
Chair: Aimée Lindorff
BWF: Debuting in a Pandemic
We all know someone who said they would write a book in lockdown — meet the people who actually did. These debut authors discuss how the past two years of global pandemic affected, or perhaps inspired, their writing, and what the final push was to get those manuscripts published.
Panel: Lyndall Clipstone, Jacqueline Maley, Sophie Overett
Chair: Kathleen Jennings
BWF: Domesticity under Scrutiny
The revelation of family secrets and the minutia of domestic life has proven rich fodder for fiction and biography alike. Join Al Campbell, Miro Bilbrough and Michelle Law as they discuss the enduring appeal of stories in which the private is made public and why they chose to write their own.
Panel: Al Campbell, Michelle Law, Miro Bilbrough
Chair: Sophie Overett
BWF: In Your Suburb
Meet Sophie Overett, whose debut novel The Rabbits won the Penguin Literary Prize for debut authors and explores the complicated, multigenerational story of a family touched by loneliness, strange connections, and unusual secrets.
BWF: Brisvegas and Beyond
Picture this: you finally decide to escape the Brisbane heat and move south, but just when you think you’re out… something draws you back to the river city. Our panel of authors who honed their craft in Brisbane discuss what it takes to build a career in BrisVegas and beyond.
Melbourne Writers Festival: Left Behind
Join two of the year’s most impressive debut novelists, Sophie Overett and Emily Spurr, as they talk about capturing the confusion, grief and resilience of characters grappling with the disappearance of loved ones. Overett won the Penguin Literary Prize for The Rabbits, a magic-realism-infused story of a family grieving the disappearance of a son, who they soon learn has turned invisible. Shortlisted for the Victorian Premier’s Unpublished Manuscript Award, Spurr’s A Million Things is the enthralling and wrenching tale of a brave, spiky young girl who must fend for herself in her mother’s absence. With Elizabeth Flux.
For more information, visit: https://mwf.com.au/program/left-behind-c4ac/
The Wheeler Centre: The Next Big Thing
Whether we’re talking early bloomers, late bloomers, or those who are right on time, stepping into a new chapter of our lives can be exciting, comforting, and often surprising.
In this edition of The Next Big Thing, we’re exploring what it feels like to blossom in authentic and sometimes unexpected directions.
For more details, visit https://www.wheelercentre.com/events/full-bloom
ONLINE: The Rabbits In Conversation
Join Sophie Overett and Avid Reader for the Queensland launch of The Rabbits.
Previous Events
2024 Readings, Speakings & Teachings
Teaching: Fiction Feedback Clinic @ Queensland Writers Centre, March 2024
Teaching: Creative Writing @ Waverly Community Learning Centre, February-March 2024
2022 Readings, Speakings & Teachings
Panel: Brisvegas and Beyond @ Brisbane Writers Festival, May 2022
In Conversation: The Rabbits @ Bulimba Library, May 2022
Panel: Journeys to Publication @ Brisbane Writers Festival, May 2022
Panel: Domesticity Under Scrutiny @ Brisbane Writers Festival, May 2022
Panel: Debuting in a Pandemic @ Brisbane Writers Festival, May 2022
Panel: The Millenial Hustle @ Brisbane Writers Festival, May 2022
2021 Readings, Speakings & Teachings
Virtual Launch: The Rabbits @ Avid Reader, July 2022
2020 Readings, Speakings & Teachings
Reading: AAWP - Celebration of Prize Winners and launch of ACE II: Arresting, Contemporary Stories by Emerging Writers @ Online, November 2020
2019 Readings, Speakings & Teachings
Teaching: Writing Short Stories @ Kooralbyn Community Centre, September 2019
Lady Parts Podcast Live Commentary: Scream @ Gold Coast Film Festival, QLD, April 2019
2018 Readings, Speakings & Teachings
Teaching: Social Media and Author Platforms @ Queensland Writers Centre, QLD, November 2018
Teaching: Social Media for Writers @ Mt. Ommaney Library, QLD, November 2018
Teaching: Introduction to Creative Writing @ Bulimba Library, QLD, November 2018
Speaking: Podcasting panel @ National Young Writers Festival, NSW, September 2018
Speaking: Short Fiction panel @ National Young Writers Festival, NSW, September 2018
Teaching: Sole Trader 101 @ National Young Writers Festival, NSW, September 2018
2017 Readings, Speakings & Teachings
Teaching: Pitching to Publishers @ Indooroopilly Library, QLD, September 2017
Teaching: Introduction to Screenwriting @ Wynnum Library, QLD, October 2017
2016 Readings, Speakings & Teachings
Teaching @ Noted Festival, Podcasting 101, ACT, March 2016
Teaching and speaking @ Contact16, QLD, March 2016
Teaching Toolkit for Writers @ Queensland Writers Centre, QLD, May 2016
Teaching and speaking @ Digital Writers Festival, Online, Oct 2016
2015 Readings, Speakings & Teachings
Reading @ Avid Reader, Sleepers Almanac Launch, QLD, October 2015
Teaching @ Queensland Writers Centre, Harnessing Fanfiction for writers aged 12-17, QLD, September 2015
Teaching @ Brisbane Writers Festival, Pen to Paper, QLD, September 2015
Moderating panels @ Brisbane Writers Festival, QLD, September 2015
Reading @ The launch of Kate Forsyth’s The Beast’s Garden at Avid Reader, QLD, August 2015
Speaking @ National Young Writers Month, AUS, June 2015
2014 Readings, Speakings & Teachings
Speaking @ Toowoomba Writers Festival, QLD, November 2014
Teaching @ Queensland Writers Centre, Toolkit for Writers, QLD, October 2014
Teaching @ Brisbane Writers Festival, Pen to Paper, QLD, September 2014
Speaking @ LadyFest: Women in the Arts Panel, QLD, July 2014
Teaching @ Queensland Writers Centre, Writing 101, QLD, July 2014
Reading @ Yarn: Stories Spun in Brisbane, Unplugged, QLD, May 2014
Reading @ Sleepers Almanac #9 launch, VIC, April 2014
Reading @ Voiceworks #96 Launch, QLD, April 2014
2013 Readings, Speakings & Teachings
Reading @ National Young Writers Festival, NSW, October 2013
Reading @ Whispers Out of the Frying Pan, QLD, June 2013