Dubbo Writers' Festival 2024
13th - 15th September
Dubbo Writers' Festival is back for our 10th year in 2024. Join writing workshops, book conversations with publishing experts or come to our free events about writing and writers.
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Dubbo Writers' Festival acknowledges the Wiradjuri people who are the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we meet. We pay our respect to Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all First Nations people.
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Dubbo Writers' Festival is organised by the Outback Writers' Centre.
Writing Workshops
Dubbo Writers’ Festival 10th Anniversary -- A Decade of Dreaming
Kim Kelly
Saturday September 14th
Western Plains Cultural Centre
Meeting Room 2
9:30am - 5pm
Workshop 1: Kickstarting Your Creative Drive: a series of writing exercises to get you going when you’re stuck or needing inspiration.
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Workshop 2: Getting into Character: how to create believable, colourful characters who leap off the page and whose voices ring true.
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Workshop 3: Editing, Editing, Editing: how to polish your work, recognise your writing strengths and weakness, and when to ask for help.
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Kim Kelly is the author of thirteen novels, all stories about Australia, its history and people. Her novella, The Rat Catcher: A Love Story, was shortlisted for the Viva La Novella and longlisted for the ARA Historical Novel Prize. Her latest historical fiction, Ladies’ Rest and Writing Room, won the 2023 Finlay Lloyd 20/40 Prize.
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Fairfax reviewer Frank O’Shea said of her work, ‘It is uplifting to know that there are people who can write like this, with clarity, a bit of devilment and a hint of a smile. Why can’t more people write like this?’ Bram Presser has likened her litAuthorSpotlighterary energy to Madeliene St John’s.
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Kim is also a book editor, better known in the margin notes there as Kim Swivel. She holds a Master of Creative Writing from Macquarie University, for which she earned the Faculty of Arts Fred Rush Convocation Prize. She is currently undertaking Creative Writing PhD research into Australian historical fiction, under supervision of novelist and cultural historian, Professor Hsu-Ming Teo.
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A seasoned speaker, interviewer and workshop convenor at all kinds of literary events, and confident over the airwaves, Kim loves a chat about books. She also regularly reviews them for The Newtown Review of Books.
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Originally from Sydney, Kim now lives in central west NSW, on Wiradjuri Country.
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Find Kim on Facebook @KimKellyAuthor; Instagram @kimkellyauthor; and at her website https://kimkellyauthor.com/. Kim is also a member of the Australian Society of Authors, Writing NSW and the Historical Novel Society Australasia.
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This event is brought to you as part of the Dubbo Writers' Festival and is organised by the Outback Writers' Centre. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
Outback Writers' Centre presents Dubbo Writers' Festival. For more information go to dubbowritersfestival@gmail.com
Free Events
Festival Launch
5pm Friday 13th September
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Dubbo Library
​FREE EVENT
Author showcase from 5pm - 6pm. Wander around the author tables, check out their books and chat with these regional writers
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Jenn Cowley will be interviewing Kim Kelly about her latest book, Ladies’ Rest and Writing Room. Check her out here: https://kimkellyauthor.com/
Festival Dinner and Dubbo Festival Cup
6:30pm Saturday 14th September
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Venue: Club Dubbo
Surviving Submission Spur
1pm - 4pm Sunday 15th September
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Western Plains Cultural Centre
Meeting Room 2
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FREE EVENT. Find out how to make your writing submission ready. This is a Festival Signature event in which a panel of three publishing professionals listen to the first chapters of an anonymous member’s unpublished manuscript and let the audience know why they would/would not continue reading.
Let us know if you are interested in having your work discussed at dubbowritersfestival@gmail.com.
Writing Consultations
SOLD OUT!
30 minute Story Consultation with Jane Curry
Jane Curry, Director and Publisher at Ventura Press.
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Book a 30-minute chat with Jane about what you are writing, hope to write or are ready to submit for publishing.
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Jane Curry's 30+ years of experience in publishing is now available to help you navigate all areas of the publishing industry.
- Manuscript assessments
- Where your book fits the publishing market
- How to build your author platform and market yourself
- Self-Publishing guidance
- Contract assessments
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Ventura Press Independent Publishing Since 2002
Ventura Press is one of Sydney’s leading independent book publishers. Synonymous with high-quality titles and internationally respected authors, we publish a broad range of engaging fiction and non-fiction books – each with the aim of enhancing the lives of readers. Our mission is to provide boutique, innovative and exciting publishing to Australia and the world and to bring new and established Australian authors to the world stage.
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Outback Writers' Centre presents Dubbo Writers' Festival. For more information go to www.outbackwriterscentre.com.au
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This event is brought to you as part of the Dubbo Writers' Festival and is organised by the Outback Writers' Centre. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
30 minute Story Consultation with Fiona McDonald
SOLD OUT!
Fiona McDonald is a founding director of Christmas Press.
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Book a 30-minute chat with Fiona about what you are writing, hope to write or are ready to submit for publishing.
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She loves children’s books (illustrated or not) and fantasy novels, but is happy to look at most genres, from history and non-fiction to literary and even ‘romantacy’.
- Manuscript assessments
- Where your book fits the publishing market
- How to build your author platform and market yourself
- Self-Publishing guidance
- Contract assessments
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Outback Writers' Centre presents Dubbo Writers' Festival. For more information go to www.outbackwriterscentre.com.au
​
This event is brought to you as part of the Dubbo Writers' Festival and is organised by the Outback Writers' Centre. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
SOLD OUT!
30 minute Story Consultation with Kate Cuthbert
Dr Kate Cuthbert Editorial Director at Pantera Press.
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Book a 30-minute chat with Kate about what you are writing, hope to write or are ready to submit for publishing.
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Kate is interested in all areas of fiction, including literary and all genres, narrative non-fiction (memoir, popular history, popular science), and adult and YA readerships.
- Manuscript assessments
- Where your book fits the publishing market
- How to build your author platform and market yourself
- Self-Publishing guidance
- Contract assessments
​
Outback Writers' Centre presents Dubbo Writers' Festival. For more information go to www.outbackwriterscentre.com.au
​
This event is brought to you as part of the Dubbo Writers' Festival and is organised by the Outback Writers' Centre. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
