The Emerging Writers’ Festival

When? 21st-30th of May, 2010

Where? Melbourne, VIC

What's it all about then? "Our Festival aims to support grassroots writing by providing a place to showcase the amazing diversity of work that new Australian writers are creating. At the Emerging Writers' Festival, authors outside the mainstream can present their writing without the normal boundaries of literary fashion or favour. It's a great opportunity for readers too, to hear fresh work from the best writers they haven't heard of – yet."

Richard Watts, Inaugural Festival Director, Emerging Writers’ Festival 2004

Who appearing? Emerging writers silly!

Where is it? Mebourne, VIC

When is it? The 2010 festival will be Friday the 21st of May to Sunday the 30th of May, 2010

How much are tickets? Check official site

Festival Website: www.emergingwritersfestival.org.au

The text below is from the Emerging Writers' Festival Website (with thanks) and is reproduced here to help spread the word. . Please visit site directly for up to date information

2010

I want to come along to the 2010 festival.Tickets go on sale 4 weeks prior to the festival. Join our e-newsletter list to get first word on ticket sales and remember we sold out in 2008 and 2009.

I want to appear in the 2010 Melbourne Town Hall program.The Emerging Writers’ Festival values an open and inclusive policy when populating the festival and as such will do an open call out January 2010 for panellists, performers and all possible  involvements for writer in the 2010 festival.

Remember when plotting your submission to be part of the festival, our panels have a representation of people of differing levels of experience and from the wide range of people who call themselves a writer. Within the Emerging Writers’ Festival you will never see a panel just on playwriting rather finding playwrights sprinkled across the program and so it is for all forms of writing.

Also while we are the Emerging Writers’ Festival we don’t judge who is emerging and who isn’t. We are a writers’ festival, so within our festival you will see and hear from writers at all stages of their journey.

I don’t live in Melbourne. Is there still a chance I can be part of the festival? We have limited money for interstate guests, although we did fly in 26 writers from across Australia in 2009, so there is always a chance that we can find a place for you. Unfortunately we have no funding for international guests.

I am a great writer and should be highlighted in a from here to there Our from here to there sessions look at inspirational and intriguing projects, so you have something which will make other writers sit up and go “wow” then of course contact us.

I have a service I want to advertise.There are four possible ways of advertising within the festival

• Festival programs – The Emerging Writers’ Festival’sA6 program is the passport to the festival as well as your chance to reach an exclusive audience of festival attendees and stakeholders; interested in literature.   In 2009 we printed over5000 Programs and distributed them across Melbourne through targeted placement, and direct mail.
• Branded Festival Showbag (Limited to one organisation) – a one off opportunity to have your logo on the EWF show bag itself, including an insert for your service within the showbag. Advertising which will last well beyond the life of the festival.
• Showbag Inserts – Presented to everyparticipant, artists and VIP, the EWF showbag is packed with free materialswhich provide reading and inspiration far beyond the festival itself. Thes howbag is a unique publicity opportunity, which puts your prepared material directly in the hands of the festival goers. In 2009 the EWF distributed 500showbags.
• Exclusive Trade Tables– Present on the Sunday of the Town Hall program, the trade table provides you with an exclusive, interactive opportunity to reach Festival Goers. In 2009 the EWF sold out its Melbourne Town Hall program.

If interested in advertising with the EWF please e-mail your interest to the Director.

I have a book I want to launch Our book launch program, 15 minutes of fame, will return in 2010. We will call out for applications in February 2010

I am a publisher and you really should program our writerOf course we should but we don’t have a book shop within the festival so while the festival will give them a great opportunity to experience presenting in a festival setting we aren’t going tobe able to help you sell any books.

I have a small press publication or zine I want to sell Our small press and zine fair, the Page Parlour, will return in 2010 on Sunday the 23rd of May. We call out for organisations and individuals interested in tables for this program approximately three months out from the festival. We do not take registrations of interest in this program until we have done the call out.

I want to perform Our showcase performance event is Wordstock, within which we challenge performers to respond to a song of a well-known wordsmith in creating a new work for the night. This event i scurated and we do not do a general call out for it.

In 2010 we will have a few other opportunities open up but keep an eye pout for those as we announce them early in 2010

We have an idea for something we should do togetherWe are always happy to hear of ideas for programming within the festival and we are of course especially keen on programming that celebrates the writer and the process of writing across the various styles, forms and areas that makes up the world of writers.

Please contact the Director if you have an idea. Please remember that we program on a twelve month cycle so the earlier wetalk the more likely we can work together be it co-programming or you running the event as an Umbrella Program within the festival.

Can you tell me how to get published or provide me with some help right now? Unfortunately no. Come along to the festival and soak up all the advice you can get. In the times in between festivals we would suggest approaching your local writers centre.

I’d like to volunteerThe EWF uses volunteers across our program,including staff within the Festival program, as well as running our Associate Producer Intern program in the 5 months up to the festival.

The volunteer call out is generally the month prior to the festival. This call out happens through our newsletter list.Our intern program is advertised through Arts Hub, generally 6 months out from the festival.