BendigoWeekly www.bendigoweekly.com
ISSUE 1129 FRIDAY, JULY 12, 2019
Coming together ANNE Conway OAM and Bobby Wise were amongst hundreds of residents who came together to celebrate NAIDOC Week, honouring one of the oldest cultures in the world while looking towards a peaceful future of friendship and acceptance. – Story Page 3
WRITE OFF Photo: ANDREW PERRYMAN
By PETER KENNEDY
THE Bendigo Writers Festival has been rocked by the sudden withdrawal of a high-profile author amid claims she was left with no choice but to step aside under pressure from the City of Greater Bendigo. Crime writer Maryrose Cuskelly is the author of Wedderburn, a nonfiction account of a triple murder case from 2014 that was published in 2018 after a man was sentenced to life in prison for the murders of three members of a neighbouring family. The book has sparked contro-
■ RMIT
Crime author withdraws under pressure
versy among grief stricken members of the victims’ family, who are understood to have made representations to the City of Greater Bendigo for Ms Cuskelly’s appearance at the festival to be cancelled. Ms Cuskelly yesterday confirmed she had been asked to withdraw from the program, and after being told about the ongoing pain and anguish of family members following the 2014 murders, she agreed to
do so. “It just seemed appropriate to acquiesce,” she said. Ms Cuskelly was scheduled to appear as part of three panels across the festival, and confirmed her book on the Wedderburn deaths was not to be the focus of any of those sessions. She said she was aware of concerns the festival could have been disrupted as a means of protest against her participation, and that this could
flight training underway – Page 5
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have had an impact on other speakers. “I really don’t want the BWF to be damaged.” In a statement to the Bendigo Weekly, festival chair Rod Fyffe said he and mayor Margaret O’Rourke had been contacted by some family members concerned about the author’s inclusion in the program. “We then met with these family members, who shared that they
■ 40-page
continue to experience significant pain and heartache. They were quite distressed and their concerns were passed on to the author, who, following a discussion with City of Greater Bendigo staff, agreed to withdraw from the festival.” Asked whether the City of Greater Bendigo was concerned at how this matter would be viewed in the wider community, Cr Fyffe said council and the organisation understands the family members involved continue to experience significant pain and heartache. Continued Page 2
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