Sam van Zweden

It’s been a pretty massive week. Between work at the book store (flat out and feral due to school holidays), interning, playing social medium, and trying to maintain a social and love life, it’s been CRAY. And I’m not even doing that much. Big #loveattack for those who are making it all happen.

Hence, a general post to bring together all the exciting things that have happened/been announced in the last week:

Things are really ramping up at Melbourne Writers Festival HQ. Names are being released left, right and centre ahead of next week’s program launch. It’s been exciting knowing these things before the public, but it gets exponentially more exciting when people start reacting to the news that certain guests are coming to town. I can’t wait to see everyone lose their shit when the full program goes out.

I’ve been busy with various whatnot, and haven’t had a chance to blog these exciting announcements straight away, so I’ll just go ahead and put it all together for you now:

A few weeks ago it was announced that the Edinburgh World Writers Conference is coming to Melbourne, and taking place as part of the MWF on the 23rd August at Deakin Edge (which used to be BMW Edge). This is a really switched-on conference, with guests from (literally) all over the world. What I love is that it punches way above the regular session you’ll see at writers festivals. Usually you’ll see a writer talking about their work, plot points and character development. The hows and whys of their particular book. The EWWC is fantastic because it’s a chance to see big-name authors talking about the wider implications of writing and the state of the industry. The list of delegates for EWWC is great, and what’s been released so far: MJ Hyland, Tony Birch, and Junot Diaz.

Then last Wednesday the Tavi bomb dropped. Style queen, young feminist and all-round admirable young lady Tavi Gevinson is coming to town for MWF too! She started blogging when she was 11, and is now editor-in-chief of the blog Rookie, which publishes young women from all over the world. Tavi will be talking to Estelle Tang at the festival – match made in heaven! Australian Rookie contributor Minna Gilligan will be joining Tavi, along with a bunch of other brilliant girls for Rookie Day, the full details of which will be released on 19th July with the full program. Approved teaser words include ‘under-20’, ‘questions’, ‘panelists’, ‘dancing’. That’s all you get.

And this morning the opening keynote speaker Boris Johnson, the quirky literary mayor of London, was announced. I’ve been Google-imaging pictures of him all morning. It’s great, big-happy-making stuff.

Also, MWF and EWF are teaming up again to get baby bloggers into the festival and on the radar. I was lucky enough to be an Emerging Blogger at last year’s festival, and this year they’re calling them Digital Reporters. You can apply here.

Other than MWF, the latest KYD has just been published, and that’s pretty great.

I’ve also been loving the issue of The Lifted Brow that’s just come out. The more I read of it, the more I want to be in it. The Lifted Brow, consider yourself squarely on my list of targets. I promise I won’t send you any metaphors as bad as the one I just wrote. Square listed targets. Pfffft.

Last night was the first annual fundraiser for SlutWalk (which is happening on August 31st), with the fantastic name SlutFest. There was poetry, comedy, singing, dancing, a dancing vagina, a singing dancing naked lady… I almost cried, it was so full of strong women, and the turn-out of men was really encouraging too. So congratulations to Karen Pickering and all the great people behind SlutWalk, your cause is so accessible and important!

On that note… consider yourself caught-up, dear reader.