Bendigo writer's festival

A chance to meet and chat with local authors.

Earlier this year I travelled to Bendigo to attend the Bendigo Writer's Festival. After spending the night before in Melbourne, I headed off early in order to be at the festival for it's 10am start. The cold nipped at my bare ankles as I walked from my car to a tiny coffee shop in a basement below the Bendigo Art Gallery. Waiting in line, I listened in on excited readers and writers aching to get started with the festivities. They were hourly sessions, with topics ranging from slam poetry to gender in young adult writing. I got to listen to a bunch of fabulous local authors, including Judith Rossell, Diana Sweeney, James Moloney, Glenda Millard (always a favourite, The Naming of Tishkin Silk has me in sobs every time I read it) and Isobelle Carmody. In between talks, I hung around the centre of the festival in the arts house, getting my books signed and talking with other avid readers.

The festival went for three days and I was there for the weekend. I stayed with my Uncle and his family at their property outside of Bendigo. I brought chocolates hurriedly purchased at a plaza in the centre of town along with me, as well as a ton of new books I had bought that day. Uncle Stephen made roast pork in his barbeque which we ate inside the house at the giant square table that dominates their kitchen. The next morning I ate porridge with my cousins and played with their dog and cats before heading off for the final couple of sessions of the festival.

While the slam poetry was not really my thing, I thoroughly enjoyed the talks about young adult fiction and writing for children. There's something so magical about children's books, they're my favourite kinds of stories. In between talks I went for a little wander around the area, bringing my camera along with me. Bendigo has some gorgeous old buildings, hopefully next time I will get to stay a little longer and explore the area more.