There is something especially geeky about
writers’ festivals. Days and days full of sessions with either a writer
discussing their book or a panel of authors discussing a particular issue.
You come away feeling so inspired and all you
want to do is to spend days and day just reading. Stuff everything else, stuff
real life and adult responsibilities, I just want to read!
This year was no less perfect than every year
before. The venue was perfect and so was the weather. The piers at Welsh Bay
did seem a little crowed this year but that was just down to my perception.
My highlights were seeing prolific Feminist Author
Roxanne Gay and hearing her talk on gender, politics, body image, race
relations as well as David Marr and John Safran speak about the Politics of
Fear.
Clementine Ford and
Robert Jensen were
part of a great session chaired by Catherine Fox on gender that covered
everything from masculinity, male privilege, porn, men and feminism and women
in public life, including the internet. In true style, when Clementine Ford’s
baby work up from it’s nap she continued to breast feed it, etc. while carrying
on talking without pause.
Another lovely
session was a tribute to veteran broadcaster Mark Colvin whose life was cut way
too short earlier this year. It interesting to hear about his early early life
and work as a foreign correspondent.
There were many more sessions that I couldn’t get
to but for those I’ll just have to be content to hear them in podcast mode.
I have to wait until next year, when the Sydney Writers’
Festival will again be my refuge and happy place.
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