“D” Day of the Festival

Day four was the summery of an overall festival’s achievement. The day started with David Malouf’s resolute lecture. As one of the leading and well known author, David presented a powerful side of literature. He quite clearly and wonderfully outlined the purpose of a good author. Sitting in the audience and listening very carefully to his speech was not only an opportunity to learn and excel but more importantly to hear what a leading author have experienced as a professional writer.

For me the session was not only a learning opportunity but also an inspirational moment that I could find my future as a creative and a professional writer. He provided a good background analysis of a professional author to the audience where he summarised the overall profession clearly and in an interesting way.

The finale lunch was organised in a very casual way for everyone to mingle and chat almost on any issue they have experienced during the festival. On the other hand, for those who suffer from stomach ulcers it was not a good place to join and wait anxiously for the food to be served. However the good side was that foods brings fun and fun brings joy and laughs which is an important element of life.

The award ceremony took place at the Stefeno’s Café which we all came together. This part was really fun and incredibly limits less opportunity for students to reflect what they had learned from the festival. I think it should be acknowledged that Sue our lecturer had this wonderful insight when she designed the subject that student must judge the festival writers to provide not only a feedback but also give confidence to students to reflect on other writers.  

After lunch we headed to Mildura Brewery Theatre Club to share our experience as a student with Sunil and Nick. This was our (students) chance to reflect what we have learned and reveal our future goals. Every student in the gathering shared their long and ambitious goals which I think was received very well by both authors.

Overall, Mildura Writers Festival was a good opportunity to find my way. It provided me a sense of hope to navigate my dream as a creative writer. I really amazed by this opportunity as most writers in the event had not the same opportunity but they still managed to be successful in their chosen profession.

Day Three

Session one day three: Resumed at 10:00 am with Phillip Hodgins Memorial Medal Winner.

Jan Owen had a wonderful poetry session because she brought a lot of laugh and joys to the audience. For me the main attraction was her work in translation and translation of poetry in particular. She spoke brilliantly as the audience listened because she shared not only her experience as a writer but also talked about the art of translation. Besides that, she read some of her poems even some unpublished one which was humours and kind. She really showed her true personality by reading some of her funny and comical poems and even cracked some good poetry jokes. At the same time she talked in details about her experience as a translator particularly translation of famous poems. I think she is not only a good poet but also a good translator as well. She read some of her poems and also managed to talk about her journey as a translator. She provided some helpful tips for me if I choose to be a translator in the future.

At the Q & A session I had my opportunity to ask question which was at the back of my mind for quite some time. It was my turn to ask that question, which ultimately I did. The question was “When translating how would you maintain the balance between the original work (poem) and the translation in terms of meaning and language?” She humbly and gently replied that “Well it is always important to maintain partiality but definitely depends on the skills and hard work of a translator. I try hard to maintain that professionalism and distance”. 

Well, I think she is right as I myself have worked as a translator and interpreter. My experience shows that as a translator one must abide by the relevant ethics of translation. At the same time translator must not be creative and do not bring something new to the original work. 
At the end she was an AWSOME person as I ceased an opportunity to have a close and warm conversation with her.

Soon after Jan's session another warm fiction reading session begin by David Malouf and Emily Bitto. It was a revealing session because Emily revealed that she is a FAN GIRL of David’s work. Not only that but also she mentioned that she wrote her thesis on David’s poem which David become surprised. They both read their favourite part of their selected novels which was interesting. I am not sure why Emily chose that part of her novel as it was not interesting for me because I read that part two times. However, it is worth to mention that the session ended with loud and big appreciation and applause by the audience. Although I did not like it but the audience did as everyone clapped loud and I did follow the crowd in this instance.

Day One and Two

I think it will not be naive to say that I started the Mildura Writer’s Festival from a dark underground hall and finished high on upper deck of paddle steamer. Although day one in the class was a little boring but nonetheless it was fun to meet other new bright students from Mildura and even some from Latrobe Melbourne – Campus. After some warm-up poetry exercises in the class everyone was looking forward for the very first evening session of the literary festival at the Mildura Brewery Club.

The session started by a new and emerging American fiction writer and novelist Sunil Yapa. The session was hosted by economist and writer Richard Dennis. It commenced by some wonderful insight from Richard who not only elaborated on Sunil’s debut novel, ‘Your Heart is a Muscle the Size of a Fist’ but also reflected his personal experience from the current economic disparity and political upheavals around the globe. On the other hand, I don’t know if Richard as a host read closely his novel but he certainly was quite meticulous and eloquent when he discussed the impact of globalisation on the economy. I think Sunil was very lucky to have him as a presenter to ask those well-presented questions and insights.

I really enjoyed his reading which was followed by some discussion and Q & A session from audience. The important lesson I learned from the session was his incredible hard work and flexibility with his writings when he mentioned how he meet some of his characters in the book. I think personally every writer and author must be honest with his or her character when portraying them in their writing even in fiction novels.

Day two was a mix of psychogeography and poetry by Jan Owen and Les Murray. Nick Gadd the 2016 in Sunraysia residency representative at the Mildura Writers Festival provided a close insight history of Mildura city. The tour across Mildura CBD was an eye opening, it was like a hidden treasure where I was not exposed or I was not aware of those rich historic and geographical environments of the city.

In the afternoon session it was Les and Jane who both brought laugh and cheer to the face of dedicated literary audience attended the session. They both recited their poems as requested by audience but also their favourite ones. It was a long tiring day couldn’t resist going for YOGA class at Mildura Waves for a good night sleep.

Les Murray at Best

One of the most fascinating part of the festival was poet and poetry session. I was amazed and privileged to meet some of the most well-known contemporary Australian poet the like of GREAT! Les Murray and Jan Owen. I heard a lot about both of them but had not the opportunity to hear from them live and in action. It will not be naive to say that I had a different Les Murray in my mind because in the year 2013 I wrote one of my assessments about one of his poem the ‘Comete’. I well remember that rightly or unknowingly I called his poem as Moment’s Monument. But since a lot has changed in terms of how I see the same poem and author particularly some other Les’s poem. He like any other great Australian writers and poets have tightened his grip on his poems and expended enormously his style of poetry writing in the Australian contemporary world.

The following is a snapshot of what I remember when I wrote about his poem. This is a great moment for Murray when he looks “Uphill in Melbourne on a beautiful day” where “a woman is walking ahead of her hair” He continues to describe her beauty as “Like teak oiled soft to fracture and sway”.  As I mentioned before, about Moment’s Monument, it is this moment that he experiences the moment at that particular time. 

Throughout the festival he was talking that for poets there is a moment in a time to write about something that every writer should find that hook and get an image from it to write a poem about anything they wants.

Let’s say what I asked him when I chatted with him at the Philip Hodgins Memorial Medal Dinner at Mildura Tennis Club. “How you feel when you are writing poems and do you feel you write what you want”. Well, as a great poet he also mentioned that you are 'still young' but if you do one thing over and over again you will not only be “familiar with it but you will also be very good at it” which I certainly think he is good at now. I found great depth and meaning in his answer because his poems are part of everyday conversation in the society.

I think there are a lot to learn from his answers. First, he is so good when he writes poems that it is part of his daily life, without considering what others think about his poems. Therefore, he knows his game in and out and he is expert how to play with it. Second, it is also an advice for young amateur writers to work hard and reap the reward.

At the end of the day I was tired but it was rewarding. Once again Les Murray is the Best!

 

First Impression

Before participating at the 2016 Mildura Writer's Festival, I had a presumed feeling and idea that the event would be only for guest writers and some elite members of the community. In this way, the writers will read the books they have written, the audience would listen and the book sellers would sell the books. However, participating in the festival through Latrobe University Writers in Action (STC3WIA) subject revealed that the event was much more than what I expected. Therefore, throughout the festival I had a keen eye on the festival as I was much more attracted how a literary festival works as compared to other type of festivals particularly in a small town like Mildura. 

To understand more about the literary festivals, it was also important to know the 2016 Mildura Writers Festival's sponsors. It was very interesting that one of the sponsor for the event was Stefano's family. Although there were many other sponsors for the event but the vocal Mildura man Stefano de Pieri was prominent. I observed that not only him but also people close to him were active in the event and given more opportunity to ask questions from writers. Therefore, the roles of sponsor and sponsorship were evident and had a strong influence on the festivals. And one example is Mildura Italian food identity Stefano which I provide a brief detail of him bellow:

His unstoppable food identity in the Sunraysia region particularly in Mildura has attracted many visitors and locals to his catering business and restaurant in the cellar of Grand Hotel for many years. His Italian heritage has also helped him in the region to use many local ingredients in his favour to craft rustic delicious dishes. 

Photo Courtesy: google image

The point I am trying to make here is that without sponsors and local support like him, it is almost impossible to organise a literary festivals like Mildura Writer Festival. Nevertheless, these are good opportunities for book lovers to excel and use such regional identities to reach more people as compared to only few literary enthusiasts in the region.

The bellow poem was a writing exercise in the class that students shared with each other, lets see what i had to say:

Lost Love

When I look into your eyes! 

They say something especial to me!

I had not known of your love

Until your eyes spoke to me!

It was interesting that you did not know me

When i looked to the notes that you sent to me

Until you met personal me

But by the time you visited me

It was too late to know me

It was interesting that you did not know me

The generous life enlighten me 

But at the same time contaminated me

May be it was not you, it was me

However, life sucks you from me

It was interesting that you did not know me

When i looked into your eyes! 
They say something especial to me!

Digital Revolution and the Book Publishing Industry

Throughout the history of book publishing industry, there have never been a profound and turbulent change as the one been brought by the digital revolution. Digital technology today more than ever has transformed the publishing industry than any other time. Therefore, the digital revolution has brought not only tremendous economic opportunities to the publishing companies but also extended the unparalleled success for authors and writers. It is important to know that although the digital transformation has been benefited the publishing companies and some authors. However, it has also played an important role to liquidate the small to medium book sellers as they are no longer able to compete with global chain monopolies. Therefore, as David Malouf said in his lecture that “publishing industries these days are demand driven not quality driven”.

Source: Getty Images

The digital revolution is still a new phenomenon for not only publishers but also for booksellers and authors. It is similarly important to understand and consider that the digital revolution pendulum is still swinging and no one is aware where it will stop. But authors, particularly new and emerging writers must be flexible and adoptive to new technologies. They can use these technological and digital platforms to their advantage and could increase their reader’s realm. However, the question will be still the same as today, where and what will be the role of the books in an era preoccupied with super-fast computers and the light wave speed internet? How the book publishing industries will be transformed by the economic and the technological upheaval of coming times. And it is certainly another matter. Nonetheless, it is imminent that the changes will certainly occur in different shapes and forms. As David in his lecture noted that “throughout my writing careers I have observed upheaval changes in the publishing industries as the companies have come and gone but only those who accepted the changes stood out”. However, he also mentioned that “I stood with one publishing company only” as he found easy to work and deal with one publisher.

Books particularly digital books in the digital era will become a standard work of the publishing industry at the beginning to middle of the 21st century. It will be of great interest for upcoming professionals in the publishing industries, young students and other policy makers to not only be adaptive but also embrace the new digital age and transformation.

By: Google Image

I remember from the very first day of the festival that Sunil was in conversation with Richard as both talked about the irruptive nature of digital world. He mentioned that “We are living in a brutal globalised economy” that no one is immune from side effect of it. Sunil also mentioned that he suffered personally from this digital world as he “lost his computer and personal hard drive” where the book was written for almost six to seven thousand words in length. Therefore, he has lost all the hard work of two and half years in a simple incident of burglary however, he was not sure if he wanted to publish the writings which he has lost. 
On the other hand, as a new and emergent writer he also benefited tremendously from the digital age. Within a short period of time, after publishing his book he became well-known to the readers and publishers. Therefore, it would be easy for him to publish his new work easily with possibly any publishing company in the world. Thus, his success is partly linked to digital world.

Well, although he had lost some work in the beginning of his writing career because of digital technology however it did not bothered him as the digital world compensate for the loss he has occurred. 

Image Courtesy: Becc K.