Thursday, October 3, 2013

National Young Writers' Festival 2013

The National Young Writers' Festival (NYWF) is celebrating its sweet 16th birthday in Newcastle this weekend. It features 100 artists and 75 free events.


The NYWF is the country’s largest gathering of young and innovative writers working in both new and traditional forms including zines, comics, blogging, screenwriting, poetry, spoken word, hip hop music, journalism, autobiography, comedy, songwriting and prose. The festival presents ‘writing’ in its broadest sense through panels, discussions, workshops, launches, performances, readings, installations, and more. The event gives young writers a place to present their work and share ideas, to learn about the industry in which they write and to meet with like-minded people in a friendly festival atmosphere. 
Because the NYWF is officially coming-of-age, it has themed a few things to suit. The annual Saturday night party is the Paranormal Formal – a dĂ©butante combining dry ice and ectoplasm. The comedy showcase First Time for Everything will no doubt share a few awkward first kisses, and it’s followed by a for-real Sleepover – pack your adult onesie! The event has swapped the regular Spelling Bee for the infinitely more extreme Stop! Grammar Time!, and put together a panel entirely comprised of underage overachievers. Each of the Late Night Readings is themed around a key part of the adolescent canon, soaps, with Closer Each Day, Home & AwayHi, Heartbreak; and Everybody Needs Good Neighbours.

There’s plenty of serious stuff too with a series themed around the powers of memory; an existential trilogy questioning why we writego to festivals, or seek awards; a debate squaring off journalistic facts and personal opinions; an evening of readings on illness; a presentation of quality journal design; and a suite of workshops helping you write, pitch, create and feel better.
What will be of particular interest to comikers is the annual NYWF / TiNA (ie. This is Not Art) Zine Fair which has a new home in the NYWF HQ – the Blue Writer Disco at the Kensington. Come along for specialty coffee, cracking tunes played on vinyl, and zines, zines and more zines. The Zine Fair will be held Sunday 6 October from 11am to 3.30pm.

Here is the info you need for the entire event:

Dates: Friday 3 to Sunday 6 October 2013
Times: Various – check the event schedule
Venue: Various locations around Newcastle
Cost: Free

CLICK HERE to download the program.

CLICK HERE to check out the website for more information.

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