The Longest Write is fully catered weekend of workshops and writing time dedicated to the art, craft and business of writing and is taking place over the Winter Solstice weekend of June 22 and 23rd in historic Highfield House in Hobart’s CBD. Lunches and snacks of delicious, seasonal Tasmanian fare are included and for those of you travelling from interstate we can arrange a couch-surfing style billet for you. We’re excited to announce the schedule for the weekend, with workshops delivered by experts on a range of aspects of the art and business of writing.
10.00-11.00
Saturday morning starts with Matthew Lamb, the founding editor of the Review of Australian Fiction and editor of Island. A published writer and regular reviewer, Matt will speak about the process of writing for and submitting to literary magazines. Armed with a list of ‘dos and don’ts,’ he will also discuss the future of literary magazines in Australia.
11.15-12.15
After a short break for coffees and something delicious, Johanna Baker Dowdell of Strawberry Communications will talk about her decision to self publish and how she ran a successful crowd-funding project to do so. Johanna worked at several newspapers before trying her hand at marketing and public relations. She built her freelance writing and public relations work into a business and launched Strawberry Communications in 2007. (11.15-12.15)
12.30-1.30
Danielle Woods is the author of fiction and non fiction books, for which she has won various prizes. She teaches writing at the University of Tasmania and her most recent book is the children’s novel Finding Serendipity, which she co-authored (as ‘Angelica Banks’) with Heather Rose. Danielle will speak about the process of writing creatively She’ll offer some tricks, motivations and suggest some habits that successful writers cultivate – alongside some hints about getting creative juices flowing.
1.30-2.30
Lunchtime – and we’re keeping the menu under wraps for a while longer just to keep you tantalised.
2.30-3.30
David Winter grew up in Hobart. He has been deputy editor of the Monthly magazine and associate editor of the quarterly Griffith Review. For the past four years he has been an editor at Text, an independent Melbourne publisher of literary fiction and non-fiction. He will discuss the best ways to bring your work to the attention of publishers and then explore what happens once a work is accepted for publication.
3.30 – 6.00
Dedicated writing time, followed by a warming tipple and snack before we venture out to another night of Dark MOFO Winter Solstice darkness and delight. It is the longest night of the year.
Sunday
10.00- 11.00
To kick off Sunday in an inspiring fashion, Jessica White recipient of the inaugural Ridgeline Residency, will talk about the residency and the essay that she is working on. This essay will be published in The Tasmanian Papers, Island 135, Summer 2013. Her debut novel, A Curious Intimacy, was short-listed for the 2008 Dobbie Award and Western Australia Premier’s literary awards. She has a PhD from the London Consortium, University of London, and her poetry and short fiction have been published extensively in literary journals. She was named a Sydney Morning Herald Best Young Novelist of the Year in 2008. (10-11).
The rest of Sunday is dedicated to writing (and eating).
And don’t forget, following the weekend, Island crew are offering some feedback on your work, for a limited time only!
Spaces are still available for The Longest Write. It is only $180 for all of the workshops and all of the food. Send a short bio and any thoughts you may have about what you’d like to write that weekend to Rachel@islandmag.com. Payment can be made here.
PS You can register for Dark Mofo’s nude Solstice swim here.