Newcastle Writers Festival opens new chapter with online sessions

As COVID-19 cases and ensuing restrictions came to bear down on Australia, the Newcastle Writers Festival was cancelled on March 13, just three weeks out from the event.

However, festival director Rosemarie Milsom found a way to breathe life into the festival, this week announcing a program of online events featuring many of the top writers scheduled for the festival, which would have taken place in Newcastle this weekend.

The majority of sessions have been recorded on the Zoom app and will be scheduled to start at 10am on Saturday with local writer David Kelly talking with host Ed Wright on the subject of "How to Survive a Toxic Family".

Other writers in the program include Favel Parrett (shortlisted for the 2020 Stella Prize for There Was Still Love), Charlotte Wood (shortlisted for the Stella Prize for her book The Weekend), David Leser, Lucy Treloar, Sophie Hardcastle, Stephanie Wood, Gabrielle Jackson, Lee Kofman, Sarah Macdonald, Cathy Wilcox, David Stavanger, Ash Grunwald, Clare Bowditch, and Behrouz Boochani (see separate story, Page 19)

This is arguably the first time in Australia, and internationally, that a writers festival has shifted online, and many are looking closely at how successful this weekend's program is. Milsom said she would have liked more time to prepare, but is excited by the prospect of gaining a wider audience.

"We've all had to learn how to be comfortable recording on Zoom," she says. "A couple of people are really familiar with this but most aren't. It's been a steep learning curve."

"It's so surreal because sessions are arriving in my inbox!" Milsom added. "It's exciting."

The events will also be interactive.

"We're encouraging writers to log into Facebook when their session goes live and respond to questions in the comments," Milsom said.

The online events are free.

The Stories To You program:

10am-11am Newcastle writer David Owen Kelly discusses his darkly funny and confronting memoir State of Origin, which explores loyalty, misguided love and loss. Host Ed Wright.

11am-12pm With her novel Wolfe Island, Lucy Treloar joins a growing number of writers whose work explores anthropogenic catastrophe. She discusses the thin line between the present and a dystopian future. Host Susan Wyndham

12pm-1pm Gabrielle Jackson and Lee Kofman explore what it's like to live in a body that deviates from the norm - from the complexity of self-image to the minefield of medical intervention. Host Caroline Baum

1pm-2pm David Leser explores the origins of misogyny, the impact of the #MeToo movement and proposes a new map for masculinity. Host Rosemarie Milsom

2pm-3pm Sarah Macdonald and Cathy Wilcox share their straight-talking, laugh-out-loud survival guide to raising teenagers. Host Meredith Jaffé

3pm-4pm Charlotte Wood discusses her critically acclaimed novel The Weekend, which centres on the intricacies of female friendships and the impact of ageing. Host Ailsa Piper

4pm-5pm Join poet and lapsed psychologist David Stavanger for a live-streamed lockdown from his couch in Port Kembla. There will be readings, poetry karaoke, Q&A, lit games plus 'page meets stage' raves with special guest Anne-Marie Te Whiu. Hosts David Stavanger and Anne-Marie Te Whiu

5pm- 6pm What happens when the person you love conceals their true identity? Susan Francis and Stephanie Wood discuss the devastating fallout. Host Suzanne Leal

6pm-7pm From heavy wipe-outs to heaving crowds, soulful road trips to flow states, Ash Grunwald provides insight into the lives of surfing legends who also happen to be brilliant musicians. Host Nick Milligan

11am-12pm Throughout history, anger has fuelled surges in female-led activism, but is it having an impact where it matters now - and if not, why not? With Jane Gilmore and Ruby Hamad. Host Trisha Pender

12pm-1pm Claire Albrecht, Kait Fenwick, Lu Quade and Hera Lindsay Bird discuss the pitfalls and occasional positives of anxiety in the poetic process. Host Bastian Fox Phelan

1pm-2pm Behrouz Boochani speaks via Skype from New Zealand about life after Manus Island, the impact of his award-winning memoir No Friend but the Mountains, and the enduring power of literature to change the world. Host Michael Byrne

2pm-3pm Against the backdrop of World War II and its far-reaching fallout, Suzanne Leal and Favel Parrett's compelling new novels explore the impact of betrayal and the meaning of home. Host Meredith Jaffé

3pm-4pm For six years Miriam Lancewood lived off the grid in New Zealand's isolated Southern Alps with her partner, surviving by hunting and foraging. She shares her unique experience. Host Rosemarie Milsom (Supported by Creative New Zealand)

4pm-5pm Sophie Hardcastle, Nicola Redhouse and Maria Tumarkin discuss how they have challenged literary boundaries to explore trauma. Host Magdalena Ball

5pm-6pm This year's award, held in collaboration with Spineless Wonders, encouraged writers to use microlit to explore physical, psychological, environmental and historical scars. Hear readings by writers included in the Scars anthology. Host Cassandra Atherton

6pm-7pm Much-loved singer/songwriter Clare Bowditch discusses her heart-breaking, wise, and inspirational memoir. Host Sarah Macdonald