Big Sky Blog

Big Sky 2008: New Horizons

The Geraldton-Greenough Regional Library is proud to host the fourth annual Big Sky Writers and Readers Festival on the weekend of 12-14 September. The weekend promises to be a feast of discussion, debate. Our guest writers and presenters will be sharing their skills and experience with novice and experienced writers. The program will include workshops and masterclasses, poetry in the pub, book sharing, philosophy club, performances, and a literary dinner with a difference. Check out our amazing line-up of guests:

Hugh Mackay is a psychologist, social researcher and writer who has made a lifelong study of the attitudes and behaviour of Australians. He is the author of eleven books, including five bestsellers in the field of social analysis, and four novels. His latest book, Advance

Australia…Where? was published in August. In recognition of his pioneering work in social research, Hugh has been awarded honorary doctorates by Charles Sturt,

Macquarie and NSW universities. He is a fellow of the Australian Psychological Society and received the

University of Sydney’s 2004 Alumni Award for community service. He writes the weekly ‘Moral Maze’ column for the Sun-Herald and the West Australian, and also writes for the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. He is also a frequent broadcaster on ABC radio.

Elizabeth Honey is an award-winning author of poetry, picture books and novels. Her playful humour, originality and energy strike a chord with children everywhere. Elizabeth is also an artist and illustrates her own books. Her picture books include The Moon in the Man and Not a Nibble! Her novels are published in many countries and include 45 + 47 Stella Street and everything that happened, Don’t Pat the Wombat!, Remote Man, The Ballad of Cauldron Bay, and To the Boy in Berlin, a collaboration with German author Heike Brandt. Her forthcoming picture book, I’m still awake, still!, is also a collaboration, this time with composer Sue Johnson, and includes a CD with eight beautiful new lullabies. Her publisher’s website gives more information— www.allenandunwin.com

Scot Gardner fell into writing by accident, starting when he was a full-time home dad and ending up a well-known and respected author of fiction for young adults and children. Scot’s hobbies include mountain bike riding and power kites, kayaking and taking photos of the world around him. He is licensed to handle explosives and venomous snakes and he got 8 out of 10 from Red Symons on Hey, Hey, It’s Saturday’s ‘Red Faces’. He lives with his wife and one of three children (the other two are grownups), two dogs, four chooks and a big vegie garden in the bush in Eastern Victoria. He spends half his working year on the road talking to mostly young people about his books and the craft of writing.

Tracy Ryan was born in Western Australia but has also lived in England and in the USA. She has worked in libraries, bookselling, editing and community journalism, and has taught at various universities. Her published work with Fremantle Press includes Killing Delilah (1994), Blue Beard in Drag (1996), Hothouse (2002), Jazz Tango (2002) and Scar Revision (2008). Her up and coming novel is called Sweet.

Tracy is especially interested in foreign languages and translation. She has two children. Felicity Young was born in Hanover, Germany, in 1960 and went to boarding school in theUnited Kingdom while her parents were posted around the world with the British Army. When her father retired from the army in 1976 the family settled in Perth. Felicity married at nineteen while she was still doing her nursing training and on completion of training had three children in quick succession. Not surprisingly, an arts degree at the University of Western Australia took ten years to complete. In 1990 Felicity and her family moved from the city and established a Suffolk sheep stud on a small farm in Gidgegannup where she studied music, reared orphan kangaroos and started writing. Having a brother-in-law who is a retired police superintendent, it was almost inevitable she would turn to crime writing. Her first novel, A Certain Malice, was published in Britain by Creme de la Crime in 2005.

Peter O’Mara and Patrick Jones are artist-poets who have each held long-term commitments to interdisciplinary art making, producing intermedia art and literature that has been published and anthologised broadly across Australia’s journals and small independent art and literature presses. O’Mara and Jones have been performing independently and as a duo since 1997. Highlights of their collaborative works have been guest readings at the Judith Wright inspired Two Fires Festival in Braidwood NSW and The Loft Readings, University of Sydney. The work they wish to show together at the Big Sky Festival is a culmination of several years writing, multi-media art, experimentation and performative pleasure, which both poets wish to share with a general audience. Jointly, Their poetry concerns are interested in generating an art of direct experience and response.
Tobsha Learner is originally from London where she trained to be a sculptor, Tobsha Learner now lives and works as a writer in Australia, the USA and the UK. Her internationally acclaimed collection of stories, Quiver, has sold more than 180,000 copies. Her second book, Madonna Mars, was an erotic thriller set in Los Angeles and

Washington. Although she had written historical fiction for both stage and screen, her widely celebrated novel, The Witch of Cologne (2003, set in 17th century

Germany, was her first novel in that genre and has also become an international best seller. Another collection of erotic stores – Tremble – sensual fables of the mystical and sinister – (2004) followed The Witch Of Cologne then SOUL (2006)– a novel set both in 19th century London and 21st century Los Angeles (covering the themes of genetic heritage, sexual betrayal and revenge and the mirroring of the history of the two eras – i.e US civil war with 21st US foreign policy, phrenology with genetics etc) ) . The best way to describe her books would be a blend of historical fiction, magic realism, a certain amount of the thriller and some eroticism. She is immaculate in her research and, in her own opinion, approaches the craft of novel writing with the training of a stage and screen dramatist (where she started). Famous for her imaginative plots and content, the work tends to be epic and visceral. As a playwright, Tobsha’s plays include S.N.A.G., The Glass Mermaid, Wolf, Witchplay, Miracles, The Gun in History and 7 Acts of Love (as witnessed by a cat), Fidelity (a commission for Playbox) and Homage (which premiered at Sydney’s Stables Theatre in June 2004). Her plays have been performed in Croatia, Edinburgh and Washington, as well across

Australia. As a satirist and journalist Tobsha has contributed to The Times (London, ) The Daily Mail, (

London) and many of the national and state-based Australian papers..Her new novel SPHINX will be published in 2009. For further information www.tobshalearner.com or contact Publicity dept: Harper

Collins, Australia: tel 02 995 25446

Andrew Winton is an award winning and internationally recognised independent solo artist based in Western Australia. Combining a range of lap slide instruments including the 7-string Wintonbeast with hollers, stomps & melodic vocals, Andrew delivers an engaging and authentic performance. He plays original music with blues, roots, folk, gospel & jazz influences, and has a reputation for stunning slide, infectious rhythms, quirky lyrics & storytelling. Andrew has released three solo albums, with an eagerly awaited new release due for the end of 2008, and you can find out more at www.andrewwinton.com

Steve Kinnane is a writer and researcher who has worked on a variety of community based cultural heritage projects and has published on history, social justice and sustainability. He co-wrote and produced The Coolbaroo Club (1996) an ABC TV documentary, awarded the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Human Rights Award for the Arts, and collaborated with Lauren Marsh and Alice Nannup on the completion of When the Pelican Laughed, (1992) the story of Mrs Alice Nannup (Fremantle Arts Centre Press). His recent book, Shadow Lines was awarded the WA Premier’s Award for Non-Fiction 2004, the Federation of Australian Writer’s Award for Non-Fiction 2004, The Stanner Award 2004, and was short-listed for the Queensland, South Australian Premier’s Awards.

Jon Doust professional speaker, outstanding comedian, and co-author of two children’s books that have both almost received awards. For further updates on Big Sky 2008 watch this space, check out our website here, or send us an email here.