Farewell, MWF 2011

As we decamp from Beer Deluxe, accept that no, we can’t live in the magnificent BMW Edge, and unplug our laptops from ACMI powerpoints, I have to admit it’s nice to have some breathing space and an opportunity to reflect on another brilliant MWF.

Of course, there were some low points. For example, when the MWF team thought up the theme ‘Stories Unbound’, I’m pretty sure they didn’t mean that I should accost festival guests with questionable snippets of my life experience every time I had a wine (or eight). Plus, the usual festival dashing about meant that I didn’t catch all the sessions I wanted to; despite daily trying to one-up festival director Steve Grimwade in terms of how many I managed to see, I had to lie to beat him.

But I am always energised when I reflect upon MWF events, and my memories from the past eleven days provide no exception. Here are my 2011 festival highlights, in no particular order:

1. Peggy Frew’s reading at the launch of The Big Issue fiction edition. Like a lot of festival punters, I’m often in two minds about readings, but when Frew finished reading from her Big Issue story, ‘Camping’, you could hear the audience collectively, finally exhale.

2. Speaking with debut and early-career novelists Melanie Joosten, Jessica Au, SJ Finn and Raphael Brous about love, growing up, work and ghosts in Melbourne’s New Wave

3. The passionate and incendiary Mona Eltahawy on the uprising in Egypt and how it was inspired by and will influence the politics of the Middle East

4. Engaging in a bit of Julia Zemiro-love at Friday Night Live

5. The modest but utterly original César Aira discussing his slim novels and his unusual no-editing, ‘flight forward’ technique

While all these experiences are defined by having been part of MWF 2011, they are also springboards that will propel me into directed and engaged reading for the rest of the year and beyond.

As always, my thanks to the MWF team for an inspiring, varied, well-run and exciting festival. And this year, a guernsey too to Melbourne weather, which was mostly salutary, mostly kind.

What were your highlights from MWF 2011?

Good things come in small packages: Big Issue Fiction Edition

I’m somewhat on the short side. And so I grew up hearing ‘good things come in small packages’, over and over. I wonder if this nurtured my love for short stories?

One of the great joys of my working life over the past three years has been co-editing The Big Issue’s annual fiction edition, with the magazine’s associate editor Melissa Cranenburgh.

We decided to time the release of this year’s fiction edition with the Melbourne Writers Festival, so we could bring the two Melbourne institutions of The Big Issue and MWF together. We also thought an event as part of MWF would be the perfect platform to bring attention to the fact that The Big Issue isn’t just a magazine worth buying for the good it does. As you may know, half the $5 cover price goes to keep the magazine running, and half goes to the vendor you buy it from. But it’s also a damn good read.

Did you know that Anna Krien’s Into the Woods – a book shortlisted for almost every literary prize in Australia – began in the pages of The Big Issue, as a 10,000 word essay? Or that when I started as books editor of The Big Issue (a position I recently, reluctantly resigned after five years), the much-loved Benjamin Law (The Family Law) had been writing regular author profiles for the mag?

We wanted to send a message to those occasionally who tell us they buy the magazine to help their local vendor, but don’t read it (why would anyone tell us that?!). To let them know what they’re missing out on. And to encourage others to think of The Big Issue when they’re looking for good writing and an entertaining read.

This is one of the stand-out achievements of the fiction edition – it brings together many of Australia’s most loved writers, with the up-and-coming writers who are destined to join their ranks, in one issue. It is the best example there is for why The Big Issue is a home of excellent writing. And at $5 for 12 new short stories, it’s pretty amazing value.

 

This year’s fiction edition features Frank Moorhouse, Charlotte Wood, Chris Womersley, Amanda Lohrey, Nick Earls, Krissy Kneen, Peggy Frew, Josephine Rowe, Catherine Harris, Emma Schwarcz, Laura Jean and Nic Lowe. (You see what I mean about top-shelf writers, don’t you?)

On Saturday 27 August at 1pm, in a session titled Big Shorts, Melissa and I will be talking about this year’s The Big Issue Fiction Edition – and about short stories more generally.

We’ll be joined by two of this year’s contributors, Nick Earls (who I approached because I read Zigzag Street about five times, but you’ll know him from his latest novel, The Fix) and Peggy Frew, whose terrific debut novel, House of Sticks, is released in September (Peggy also won The Age Short Story Award in 2008).

Nick and Peggy will read from their stories and share their insights into the craft and business of short fiction.

Please join us! And please help spread the word about The Big Issue Fiction Edition – you’ll be doing any fiction lover you know a favour.

The Big Issue Fiction Edition will for be for sale on streets around Australia from Tuesday 30 August (Friday 29 August in Melbourne) to Tuesday 13 September.