FEATURE
Festival imagined: What might have been In the wake of the cancellation of Byron Writers Festival for a second year in succession, northerly contributor Rebecca Ryall, who was scheduled to be our on-the-ground reporter at the event, has conjured an imagined, envisioned Festival round-up, based on this year’s stellar line-up.
Byron Writers Festival is a smorgasbord of ideas and conversations. This year, having tickets to all three days, I decide to take full advantage of the organising team’s hard work and sample as much as possible of what’s on offer. On Friday, I take my youngest child, aged fifteen, to view the program through their eyes.
the Women Speaking Frankly panel as I am keen to see Shu-Ling Chua in person, and we are both fans of the work of Ren Alessandra, slam poet extraordinaire. It is great to sit in the sunshine of a perfect day in Byron, having writerly discussions and very little angst. We are too full of the ideas of others to clash about our own.
Friday We plan a full day, but thankfully most of it is spent in the same venue, and we have a packed lunch so we don’t waste precious time queuing for food. We start over at the Feros Care Marquee for the Secret Senses panel. I am intrigued by the possibilities of a sensuous engagement with the world that does not include hearing, so Fiona Murphy is a definite drawcard for me. The work of Sophie Hardcastle – both written and painted – inspires my child, so we are both engaged by this panel.
We queue for coffee and hot chocolate and take a short break to people-watch, before heading over to the Southern Cross University Marquee to see Archie Roach, because one must always take the opportunity to listen to this giant of a man. I have had the opportunity once or twice in the past, but this is a rare treat for my teen. They sit quietly and listen, nodding occasionally and rising to applaud at the conclusion.
The next time slot presents the first challenge, as I spy a scheduling clash – do I want to see Richard Flanagan in conversation with Jennifer Byrne, or attend the panel session in the Greenstone Partners Marquee, discussing what’s off-limits in YA? My kids have loved Isobelle Carmody’s work, and Will Kostakis is lauded for his depictions of diversity in his novels so, much as I am in awe of both Flanagan and Byrne, it’s the Greenstone Partners Marquee for us. I only wish Craig Silvey was there to add his two cents’ worth. The next session – Consent – I wish could receive a wider audience. I am so glad to have brought my young person to this event, if only for this discussion, though I have the feeling my child has a greater handle on bodily autonomy than I have ever possessed. We stay on for 20 | SPRING 2021 northerly
It is then time for the final act, and the most anticipated session of the day for us – He, She, They: Talking About Gender. This is, for my money, one of the most artfully curated panels of the entire Festival and definitely one of the most important topics of discussion. We were introduced to Nevo Zisin and their work when they appeared at the Festival a few years ago. I bought several copies of their book; one for us, one to share with family, and one for the school library. I am so excited to see them speak again and to dive into their new book, The Pronoun Lowdown.
Saturday Saturday, I bring my lover to the Festival with me. English is his fourth language, so books written in English are often impenetrable to him. The spoken word is much more accessible and he loves an opportunity for deep discussion. We start early, at the Feros Care Marquee for the What Life Has Taught Me discussion,
