Margin Notes News, events and announcements from Byron Writers Festival

McCann visits Byron

The bestselling author Colum McCann will appear at Byron Theatre on Tuesday 5 May, talking about his new novel Apeirogon. Lauded as McCann’s most ambitious work to date, Apeirogon – the name of a shape with a countably infinite number of sides – is a tour de force concerning friendship, love, loss and belonging. Tickets to the event will be available from mid-March via byronwritersfestival.com/whats-on

Extra Early Bird tickets coming soon

Our popular first release of Festival Extra Early Bird tickets will be available again this year for one week only, 1-7 April. During this time, you can purchase your 3-Day Passes for $225 (members) and $265 (non-members). A second release of Early Bird tickets will be available 20-26 May, when the first names of the lineup will be announced, at $235 (members) or $275 (non-members). Tickets will be available for purchase online, over the phone or in person at the Festival office. Be sure to get your friends on board, book early and save! For more details on key dates and ticket prices for the 2020 Byron Writers Festival, head to our website byronwritersfestival.com/ festival

Write your novel with Sarah Armstrong

Make 2020 the year you write your novel. Join author Sarah Armstrong for three terms of writing classes spread over the year. The small group will meet once a week for four-week blocks, and a total of thirty-six face-to-face hours, when Sarah will give you practical guidance, tools and tips. The first term will cover ideas, planning and first drafts; the second term narrative tension, character development and plot; and the third term rewriting and editing, as well as structures and themes. The workshop begins on Wednesday 20 May. For more information turn to page 26 or visit byronwritersfestival.com/whatson/the-year-of-the-novel-withsarah-armstrong/

Residential Mentorship announced

Calling all local writers: it’s time to polish up that manuscript for our twenty-first annual Residential Mentorship. This year’s mentorship will take place 11-15 May. This incredible opportunity offers five days in a glorious Byron Shire location with accommodation and some meals provided. Mentees receive one-on-one mentoring with Marele Day and the company of three other committed writers. The Residential Mentorship is an outstanding opportunity to participate in a writing experience that has proven to be a launchpad for many regional writers. Applications open on Wednesday 4 March and close on Wednesday 25 March. For application details visit byronwritersfestival.com/ members/residential-mentorship/

New office open for business

Byron Writers Festival’s fabulous new office space is now up and running. Be sure to pop in next time you are visiting the Arts and Industrial Estate to have a browse through the lending library and take a break on the comfortable reading lounges. You can find us at Unit 2, 58 Centennial Circuit, behind the Surfboard Agency building. AGM notice The 2020 Byron Writers Festival AGM takes place Tuesday 10 March at 5pm, at the Festival Office at 2/58 Centennial Circuit, Byron Bay. Funds raised for bushfire relief Thank you to all who attended La Nuit des Idees in January. The soldout event raised more than $6000 for the Red Cross Disaster Relief and Recovery Appeal.

Cover story

The cover art for this issue of northerly is Scenic Route to Byron: Whian Whian East Forest by Nikki Wood. Nikki is a professional artist living in Warwick, Queensland. She is a passionate pastellist who also works with acrylic and watercolour. She has a common theme in her work: green. Her recent exhibition at the Northern Rivers Community Gallery in Ballina, Pockets of Green, explores the areas experienced by Nikki, particularly Killarney, the Sunshine Coast Hinterland, the Scenic Rim and the Ballina area. Nikki is now working on a large collection to be exhibited at Warwick Art Gallery in October 2020. You can follow her progress on Facebook and Instagram through the handle ‘Art by Nikki Wood’.

Colin-James wins McCullough prize

Local writer Sally Colin-James was recently named as the winner of the 2019 Colleen McCullough Residency Award for her historical fiction novel The Recipe for White. Given by the Historical Novel Society of Australasia (HNSA) in honour of Australian writing icon Colleen McCullough, the award recognises unpublished manuscripts of historical fiction deemed worthy of support towards publication. Sally travels to Norfolk Island for a writing residency at McCullough’s private guesthouse. In other local literary news, the Kyogle-based journal WOB has just published its second issue, and features work from Jarrah Dundler, Jim Hearn, Lynette Lounsbury, Dusk Dundler and others. For more information go to wob-lit.com.au

New funds for criticism

In encouraging news for the country’s arts criticism, the Copyright Agency, in partnership with the Judith Neilson Institute for Journalism and Ideas, has announced funding of $150,000 to fund arts criticism in The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, Brisbane Times and WA Today. At The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, the funds will be put towards 100 additional reviews focused on books, plays and visual arts from around Australia. Copyright Agency CEO Adam Suckling said, ‘Our job is to support Australian creativity by ensuring that the rights of publishers, writers and visual artists are respected and that they receive fair payment for use of their work.’

Bushfire fellowship

Varuna, The National Writers House, based in the Blue Mountains, has announced a new fellowship: Writing Fire, Writing Drought. The new initiative aims to support writers in the development of new work that responds to the recent bushfires and drought. The fellowship will be awarded to five writers from regional New South Wales or the outer west of Sydney. The fellowship includes a oneweek residential fellowship at Varuna, uninterrupted time to write in a private studio, all meals, the companionship of fellow writers and a one-hour writing consultation. Applications close on 27 March. For more information go to www.varuna.com.au/ fellowships/writingfire