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Melbourne Writers Festival 2017

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The Melbourne Writers Festival is happening in Melbourne, Australia from 25 August till 3 September.

Victoria’s premier annual literary event. The Festival connects writers and stories to celebrate a world of literature, explore universal ideas, and inspire a global community of readers.

This year’s Festival theme is exploring the theme of revolutions past, present and future, it’s revolutionary ideas and fresh new voices that will power this year’s Festival – and invigorate everyone who reads.

For all sessions and workshops check out their website here:

Melbourne Writers Festival

 

 

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Emerging Writers Festival

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The Emerging Writers Festival is happening in Melbourne, Australia next month.

The Emerging Writers’ Festival is a not-for-profit organisation whose foundations are built on supporting emerging writers. They are a place where creativity and innovation is celebrated, where new talent is nurtured and where diverse voices from across Australia are represented.

For all sessions and workshops check out their website here:

Emerging Writers Festival

 

 

What Inspires Me: Second Hand Book Stores

~ tinaaltman ~ 2 Comments

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It was Virginia Woolf who in her essay “Street Haunting” said:

“Second-hand books are wild books, homeless books” 

Well they can come home with me and be tamed because I absolutely love second hand books – they have so much character!

When I have the chance I like to peruse though second hand bookstores.  Due to my addiction to books,  I rarely ever leave a second hand book shop empty handed.

I especially love coming across books with dedications at the beginning of the book as well as personal annotations on the side of pages which highlight some important point to the reader.  I find these even more precious the older they are and it makes me wonder why and how these books with so much personal attachment to them, made it to me.

If you can, visit your local second hand book store and rescue a wild book!

(C) T. Altman 2016

 

 

 

 

Go Read Something…

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Other than my mother who greatly influenced my love of reading, growing up – I was surrounded by people who didn’t read for pleasure or personal growth.   I, however spent a significant amount of time reading for the love and knowledge.

I know people who say they haven’t read a book since they were forced to in school and that boggles my mind because I couldn’t imagine that myself.  A couple of these same people have then gone out and read the Twilight or 50 Shades trilogies due to the hype in the media and think its the best literary creations they have ever come across (simply because they haven’t exposed themselves to reading anything else).  I completely disagree but the way I look at it is that at least they are reading SOMETHING!

I personally believe you need to exercise your brain and reading does that.

Regardless of the book being good or not according to best seller lists, reviews, recommendations or the like – just do it – read a book and expand your mind as its never too late to do that!

 

 

What Inspires Me: Elizabeth Harrower

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I went and saw Elizabeth Harrower speak this past weekend at the Melbourne Writers Festival, about her coming back to the land of literature.

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Elizabeth is someone I can relate to as she’s aged she speaks the unabated truth, yet retains her passion with writing.  I also love the fact she unapologetically states she didn’t cultivate people or write for others.  To me that is why I love being a writer – for my own need to create and not for others.

Here are a few of her quotes from her talk which resonated with me:

“I had this great need to communicate with people.”
– on why she became a writer.

“If you are going to write it has to matter to you”
– on what you should focus on as a writer

Elizabeth Harrower – September 4th 2016, Melbourne Australia

 

2016 Reading Challenge

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Taken from the Modern Mrs Darcy website I took up the following challenge for 2016 and here is my completed list:

A book published this year:
Harry Potter and The Cursed Child by JK Rowling

A book you can finish in a day:
Alone by Beverley Farmer

A book you’ve been meaning to read:
The Hollow of the Hand by PJ Harvey

A book recommended by your local librarian or book seller:
Girl in the Dark by Anna Lyndsey

A book you should have read in school:
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

A book chosen for you by your spouse, partner, sibling, child, or BFF:
Imajica by Clive Barker

A book published before your were born:
Aesop’s Fables by Aesop

A book that was banned at some point:
The Flowers of Evil by Charles Boudelaire

A book you previously abandoned:
The Unruly Passions of Eugenie R by Carole De Santi

A book you own but have never read:
Ordeal by Linda Lovelace

A book that intimidates you:
When the Wattles Bloom Again by Shirley W Wencke

A book you’ve already read at least once:
The Complete Words of Edgar Allan Poe

Melbourne Writers Festival 2016

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The Melbourne Writers Festival is happening in Melbourne, Australia next month.

Victoria’s premier annual literary event. The Festival connects writers and stories to celebrate a world of literature, explore universal ideas, and inspire a global community of readers.

 

The Festival invites thought-provoking discussion at events exploring the hottest topical issues. For those who prefer to focus on life’s pleasures, there’ll be events for foodies, travelers and connoisseurs of culture. We’ll also invite adventurous readers to join like-minded lovers of literature for a range of relaxed social activities in unexpected places.

For all sessions and workshops check out their website here:

Melbourne Writers Festival

 

 

What Inspires Me: Old Photos

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Have you ever looked through your family’s old photo albums or gone to a market or antique store and seen old photos for sale?

These photos can be very useful for character development or inspiration in your fictional stories.

You can use them for historical fiction as well as flashbacks within your contemporary story.

So next time you come across some old photos – look again as they might inspire you to write something which never crossed your mind.

 

 

What Inspires Me: Gloria Steinem

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13256008_10155004641479762_5445005361616120898_nI went and saw Gloria Steinem speak last month about her autobiographical new book “My Life on the Road” and she was phenomenally inspirational!

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Gloria is someone I aspire to live my life like (speaking up and living her life according to her own rules) and these were some of her quotes which resonated with me that night:

“WE are the women our parents warned us about.”

“Not everyone has to live the same way. Imagine that.”

“We are not crazy. The system is crazy.”

“Racism and sexism might both be supremacist crimes, because you get nothing out of it but dominance.”

“The single greatest failing of feminism is that we’ve been too nice.”

Gloria Steinem – May 16th 2016, Melbourne Australia