Full house for 8th Glenhaven Writers’ Festival
The popular annual Writers’ Festival was held at Living Choice Glenhaven on 31st March and, once again, it was a fully booked event. LORNA CLAYTON REPORTS.
After days of rain, the sun shone brightly on our 8th Writers’ Festival on 31st March and the skies were blue - a perfect autumn day to set us off to a good start. About 120 people filled the auditorium and they proved to be a wonderfully supportive audience.
The two guest speakers provided a nice balance – local author, Joan Stammers, with her light-hearted ‘words of whimsy’ and Ian Macfarlane AC, telling a fascinating story of ten surprisingly multi-talented, adventurous Australians from the past who sadly seem to have slipped from public awareness. With his book, ‘Ten Remarkable Australians’, he has set out to remedy that situation.
While Ian has long been in the public eye, Joan is new to the scene. Her first book, a story for children (aged about 8 to 13) should appear on the shelves in time for Christmas. It’s title? ‘The Champion Camping Catastrophe.’
And then there was our Writing Group, eleven people providing a diversity of styles and moods and points of view – not professional writers, but observers of life. They presented the audience with different takes on such topics as ‘Should I Say Something?’. Plenty to laugh about. Plenty to ponder on.
Two of Chris Henri’s elegant bonsais graced the stage while, once again Maurice York with his carefully chosen slides provided the perfect backdrop for all the readings.
Many thanks to Living Choice for sponsoring this event from year to year and for keeping our energy levels up by providing a delicious morning tea and lunch.
And a huge thank-you to all the people in the background who work in their various ways to make this a special event.
PHOTOS BY YVONNE LORENZI & GAIL EYRES
