2010 Australian Writers’ Week
The Australian Embassy in Beijing is pleased to announce the 2010 Australian Writers’ Week from 8-14 March in Beijing and Chengdu. This is the third event to be held in China, with Writers’ Week becoming an annual highlight on the Australia-China cultural events calendar.
The 2010 Australian Writers’ Week will showcase a wide variety of award winning contemporary Australian fiction, nonfiction and poetry, with a focus on ‘True Stories’. Over the week, audiences in Beijing and Chengdu will be given the rare opportunity to meet and hear from some outstanding Australian writers – including Alexis Wright, Les Murray, Linda Jaivin and Alice Pung – who will take part in a series of dynamic book talks, workshops, panel discussions and forums at universities, The Bookworm, The National Library of China and the Australian Embassy in Beijing.
“I am very excited to have this opportunity to introduce Chinese readers to the very best of Australian contemporary literature,” said Australian Ambassador Dr Geoff Raby.
“Our aim with the Australian Writers’ Week is to give current and potential future Chinese decision-makers and opinion leaders opportunities to hear the unique and independent voice of Australian writers on a range of issues. We are also keen to raise the profile of Australian writers and their work in China, an important and fast growing literary market,” Dr Raby said.
This will be the third Australian Writers’ Week to be held in China and will build in the success of previous years in developing and strengthening ties between Australian and Chinese literary and publishing communities.
The Embassy will again be hosting a two day Publishers’ Forum, bringing high profile Australian publishers including Jane Palfreyman from Allen and Unwin Publishing, Ivor Indyk from Giramondo Press and Michael Sandblom from Pascal Press, together with key Chinese publishing leaders. The Forum will run over 10-11 March with the aim of sharing information and knowledge about our respective markets and building relationships to maximize future trade opportunities.
And those who enjoy the 2010 Australian Writers’ Week have much more to look forward to inm June 2010 with the launch the Year of Australian Culture in China 2010-11. This year will bring to China a broad, highly innovative and dynamic program of Australian cultural events from across all fields of the arts. The Year of Australian Culture in China is a bilateral initiative supported at the highest level by both Governments, and will be followed by a reciprocal Year of Chinese Culture in Australia 2011-12. These exciting cultural programs will besignificant milestones in fostering the ongoing development and deepening of Australia-China cultural relations.
The 2010 Australian Writers’ Week is presented by the Australian Embassy in Beijing, and supported by the Copyright Agency Limited, the Australia Council for the Arts, and Qantas. For more information, please visit the Embassy website at www.china.embassy.gov.au.
For program and other information or to arrange an interview with participating authors, please contact Hannah Skrzynski at [email protected].