Festival tickets including 3 day, 2 day, 1 day and individual sessions are now available. In 2015 we focus on the environment, nature and the seasons of our lives. The theme `Seasons’ encapsulates all of those things, with Autumn in Margaret River a beautiful time. Every year the festival gets bigger, and in 2015, our seventh year, we have around 30 authors and presenters who have written everything from landscape design books to environmental poems, songs and love stories. From Tomorrow When The War Began’ author John Marsden to science fiction author Isobelle Carmody, comedian and authors Sami Shah, Justin Heazelwood and Luke Ryan to romance author Fiona Palmer, crime author Robert Gott, bookclub favourites Michelle de Kretser and Amanda Curtin to food/nature poet Susan Hawthorne and author/chef Sophie Zalokar, we have something for everyone. In addition to a huge raft of amazing authors we also have a big line-up of journalists, authors and academics who will interview our guests on stage, including Subiaco Post editor Bret Christian, West Australian journalists Colleen Egan, Steve Butler and William Yeoman, community newspaper editor Michele Nugent, Fairfax journalist Doug Green and academics Dennis Haskell, Rosemary Sayer and Richard Rossiter. They are joined by garden tour operator and author Julie Kinney, author Laurie Steed, chef Ian Parmenter, author Ray Glickam and journalist Jacqueline Lang.
Schools wishing to book students to attend the Isobelle Carmody and John Marsden presentations on Friday, May 29 at the Margaret River Recreation Centre (cost $5 student) must book by emailing festival@artsmargaretriver.com.
An all-day workshop comprising or two sessions will be held for aspiring and emerging writers on Friday 29 May, 9.30am to 3.30pm. The first session, run by Now Age Publishing proprietor Anita Revel will guide people through how to publish their own books both hard copy and online. The second session will be conducted by Margaret River Press director Caroline Wood, Spinifex Press director Dr Susan Hawthorne and publisher Nicky Zubriski. These publishers will accept the first chapter of emerging writers’ work and give them specific feedback on how to make sure their manuscript is noticed and gets the best chance of being published. The workshop numbers are limited to 40 and people must submit their chapters by the end of March to festival@artsmargaretriver.com. The workshop cost is $150 and will be held at the Margaret River TAFE. Tickets can be booked online: staging-artsmargaretriverms.kinsta.cloud or by phoning Arts Margaret River on 9758 7316. VIEW PROGRAM
Margaret River Press and Arts Margaret River are delighted to announce the winners of the Margaret River Short Story Writing Competition. First prize has been awarded to Melbourne-based writer Melanie Napthine for her story ‘Lost Boy’. Second prize has been awarded to Eva Lomski for her story ‘The Trapper’. ‘Bringing Home the Ashes’ by Carol McDowall was awarded the Southwest prize. Margaret River Press Director, Caroline Wood said “this year’s competition received a record number of entries, with 353 entries from all around Australia and overseas. The competition continues to be an important pathway to publication for emerging writers.” Twenty four stories have been selected for this publication which will be launched at the Margaret River Readers and Writers Festival launch on Friday 29 May. If you are keen to find out all the latest info and updates for the 2015 Margaret River Readers and Writers Festival, make sure you ‘like’ the festival facebook page: