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Making memoirs at the Orange Readers and Writers Festival


A television producer, a director, journalists, fiction writers, novelists, historians and academics offer up their minds as a smorgasbord of tasty tid bits in Orange for the third annual Readers and Writers Festival next month.

Run by Orange City Library, the theme of this year’s festival Life & Love; Memoir and Life Stories will allow guests to explore contemporary memoir writing created by award winning authors.

Orange City Council’s Services Policy Chair Cr Ron Gander said this year’s line-up of guest speakers was first-class and includes a broad range of specialists in the field.

“The Orange Readers and Writers Festival brings these award winning authors, academics and historians to us so it means Orange’s book-lovers and budding authors have access to these great minds without having to travel,” Cr Gander said.

“This year’s event, on July 21 and 22 promises to be an in-depth, exciting discussion about life and love and history and writing.

“Anyone with a love of reading or writing cannot miss this opportunity.”

The Festival also includes a day-long event with the History Council of NSW on historical storytelling, a memoir writing workshop with memoir specialist author and teacher Amanda Hampson, and the announcement of the Banjo Paterson Writing Awards winners.

Guest speakers are author Amanda Hampson, director of Better Reading TV Cheryl Akle, director of Education and Scholarship at the State Library of NSW Richard Neville, television producer Annette Janic, journalist, ABC TV presenter and author Julia Baird, historian Catherine Bishop and author Sofie Laguna.

Central West Libraries Manager Jan Richards AM said the annual festival was an opportunity for people to expand their knowledge and hone their writing skills.

“Our presenters have all delved into the real or imagined world of their subjects to bring them to life,” Ms Richards said.

“They may be the early female entrepreneurs who built a business in the new colony described by award winning author Dr Catherine Bishop, the much documented Queen Victoria who inspired Julia Baird to delve into regal intimacies, Amanda Hampson who has skilfully combined historical novel and memoir writing workshops and Annette Janic who turned her own family secrets into a compelling memoir.”

“Both sides of the literary award process are represented by Sofie Laguna as a recipient of the Miles Franklin Literary Award and Richard Neville, whose role as the Mitchell Librarian includes being a judge of this award.”

“We have included a memoir writing workshop with Amanda Hampson on Friday 21 July as an additional event. We also welcome aboard the History Council of NSW who have programmed a day of Voices from the past: Uncovering local and personal stories on Friday 21 July.”

Tickets for the Festival are available from Orange City Library. The costs for the Saturday is $65 or early bird price $60 for tickets purchased before June 30. Bookings close 14 July.

The Memoir Writing Workshop is $35 and tickets for the History Council of NSW all day storytelling workshop are $35 available from Eventbrite.com https://hcnswstorytelling.eventbrite.com.au



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