2010 Australian Writers' Week
Event Schedule
PUBLIC EVENTS
2010 Australian Writers’ Week public events will be taking place at The Bookworm, forming part of The Bookworm International Literary Festival programme, as well as at the National Library of China. This is the third year of successful collaboration between Australian Writers’ Week and The Bookworm International Literary Festival. We are also delighted to be partnering for the first time with the National Library of China for Chinese language public events. See below for more details.
Tickets for all events at The Bookworm are available for RMB 50, and include a complimentary glass of wine or soft drink. Ticket purchases should be made in person at The Bookworm, Building 4 Nansanlitun Lu, Chaoyang District, Beijing. Tel: 010-65869507
LINDA JAIVIN
Saturday 6 March
12.30-2pm Bookworm
Sex in the Palace
With Derek Sandhaus and Lijia Zhang
Celebrating the launch of the first publication of the perennially controversial ‘Decadence Manchu’ by Sir Edmund Trelawney Backhouse, edited by Derek Sandhaus, and explored in Linda Jaivin’s current work of fiction-in-progress.
LINDA JAIVIN
Saturday 6 March
9pm Bookworm
Writers’ Cabaret
Linda Jaivin, Steve Connell, Song Yuzhe and friends lay everything bare in an evening of performance and cabaret.
ROBERT DESSAIX AND AMBASSADOR DR GEOFF RABY
Tuesday 9 March
12.30-2pm Bookworm
Robert Dessaix in conversation with the Australian Ambassador to China, Dr Geoff Raby.
ALEXIS WRIGHT
Tuesday 9 March
6.30pm Bookworm
Carpenteria
Alexis Wright in conversation with Sandra Thibodeaux, director of the Northern Territories literary festival, Wordstorm.
ALICE PUNG AND LINDA JAIVIN
Thursday 11 March
3pm Bookworm
Monkeys, Gems and Dragons
Alice Pung and Linda Jaivin discuss writing about Asia from both inside and out. Moderated by Australian Writers' Week programme manager, and former Asialink literature touring programme manager Nikki Anderson.
LES MURRAY
Thursday 11 March
7.30pm Bookworm
A Life in Progress
Les Murray in conversation with Graham Freudenberg, moderated by Chris Warren, CEO of the Walkley Foundation.
NATIONAL LIBRARY OF CHINA EVENT
Linda Jaivin and Professor Dou Kun
Tuesday 9 March
10-11.30am
(In Chinese language only)
Linda Jaivin and Prof Dou Kun discuss George Morrison as History and Inspiration.
George Morrison was an Australian medical doctor, adventurer and journalist who first came to China in 1894 and returned in 1897 as correspondent for The Times of London. He later became advisor to Yuan Shikai. He died in 1920 while still in his fifties.
Dr Dou Kun of the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences has translated Morrison's 1895 account of his overland journey from Shanghai to Burma, An Australian in China, as well as other writings, has edited collections of his photographs and authored a book about his role in Chinese politics of the time.
Linda Jaivin's sixth novel A Most Immoral Woman is based on a true episode from Morrison's life - a love affair he had in 1904 in China and Japan while he was promoting Japan's cause in the Russo-Japanese War.
2009 Australian Writers’ Week public events will be taking place at the Bookworm, forming part of the Bookworm International Literary Festival programme. The Bookworm is a well renowned literary venue in Beijing with a long history of hosting Australian writers including Geraldine Brooks and Doris Pilkington, and more recently Linda Jaivin, as part of the Asialink writers in residence program. This is the second year of successful collaboration between Australian Writers’ Week and the Bookworm International Literary Festival.
CHENGDU EVENTS
ROBERT DESSAIX
Friday 12 March
7.30pm Bookworm Chengdu
ALICE PUNG
Saturday 13 March
5pm Bookworm Chengdu
ALEXIS WRIGHT
Saturday 13 March
7.30-9pm Bookworm Chengdu
EMBASSY EVENTS
Monday 8 March
5pm - 2010 Australian Writers' Week Opening Reception (by invitation only)
In Celebration of Australian Literature
The Australian Embassy will be hosting a champagne reception in the Ambassador’s Residence to officially launch the 2010 Australian Writers’ Week. This opening event brings writers, publishers, sponsors and esteemed guests together for a champagne toast to the 2010 Australian Writers’ Week. With an opening welcome by the Ambassador, Dr Geoff Raby, and readings from participating Australian authors, this evening will be an entertaining literary soiree in celebration of Australian literature.
Wednesday 10 and Thursday 11 March
Publishing Forum
(by invitation only)
The 2010 Publishing Forum, kindly sponsored by the Australia Council for the Arts, and facilitated by Weldon Global Consulting, is a high profile trade event aimed at building links and enhancing exchange between key players in the Australian and Chinese publishing industries. This year we bring Australian publishers including Jane Palfreyman, Allen and Unwin, Andrew Kelly, Black Dog Books, Ivor Indyk, Giramondo Press, and Matthew Sandblom, Pascal Press together with key Chinese publishing personnel with the aim of sharing information and knowledge about our respective markets and key players and generating connections to maximise future trade opportunities. This event will include a full day forum held at the Embassy, with a lunch hosted by the Ambassador Dr Geoff Raby, followed by a half day of face-to-face appointments between key parties for further discussions.
UNIVERSITY EVENTS
A key part of Australian Writers’ Week is our collaboration with Australian Studies Centres in Beijing and Chengdu. Our writers will give a series of lectures to Australian Studies and literature students at Bejing Foreign Studies University, Peking University, Renmin University and Xihua University, Chengdu. This series of large scale events and interactive gatherings are aimed at familiarising students with Australian literature, and building their understanding of Australian culture and identity.
2010 Australian Writers' Week Home