Local Festival Events Going Ahead
The 2021 NT Writers Festival has been cancelled. But a number of exciting local events are going ahead, and a selection of talks and panel discussions will be made available online as on demand content as part of our special September sessions.
Don’t miss these exciting local events still happening over the festival weekend:
- Book launch: Tough, Tantalizing or Tasty – Peter Latz
- Book launch: The Last Muster – Leonie Norrington – now taking place on Sat 28 Aug, 1pm at Red Kangaroo Books
- Cuttings – A play by Jo Dutton
- Gathering Ground: Shimmer – workshop with Kelly Lee Hickey
The Writing History – Eleanor Hogan workshop has been postponed to the 19 September, 10am-12pm in the same location. Talk: Peace Crimes – Kieran Finnane has been postponed to Sat 9 Sep. Ticket holders to the Peace Crimes talk have been refunded and we will make a new ticketing link for the new event available soon.
All ticket holders to cancelled events will be refunded.
Thank you to our audiences, artists and sponsors for your wonderful enthusiasm and support for this year’s program. We could never have got this far without you all.
NTWF Ticket Sales Suspended
**PLEASE NOTE** All sales of NTWF 2021 tickets are currently suspended in light of Chief Minister Michael Gunner’s announcement yesterday of a 72 hour lockdown in the Darwin and Katherine regions. We will make an announcement about our 2021 Festival Program shortly. In the meantime, thanks for your understanding and stay safe!
Notice of Special General Meeting
A Special General Meeting of the NT Writers’ Centre (NTWC) will take place via Zoom on 3 August 2021 (Tuesday) at 5.00pm.
The meeting will address a Special Resolution to approve changes to the NT Writers’ Centre constitution.
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Second Line-up Announcement
We are delighted to announce that multi award-winning writers Laura Jean McKay and Omar Sakr will be joining us at this year’s NT Writers Festival, alongside celebrated Ngukurr Elder and artist Karen Rogers and one of Australia’s leading historians Mark McKenna.
Laura Jean McKay’s wildly original debut novel, The Animals In That Country, which won the 2021 Victorian Prize for Literature, upends the usual assumptions about the animal kingdom. Arab-Australian writer Omar Sakr’s visceral yet deeply lyrical poetry confronts issues of family, identity and nation. His most recent collection The Lost Arabs won the 2020 Prime Minister’s Literary Award for poetry.
With stunning artwork and a lyrical text in Kriol and English, Karen Rogers’ picture book, Main Abija – My Grandad, is at once a tribute to her much-loved grandfather and a celebration of Aboriginal culture and country. Mark McKenna’s compelling history, Return to Uluru, is a story of recognition and return that goes to the very heart of the country.
These brilliant writers are part of an exciting program, yet to be announced, featuring four days of talks, performances and immersive experiences in an unforgettable location, the Olive Pink Botanic Garden in Mparntwe/Alice Springs.
Full program launch and tickets available Thursday 22nd July.
First Festival Line-up Announcement
A writer, journalist and essayist whose work illuminates the weight of history on migrant lives; a West Australian novelist who explores the perspectives of those often misunderstood or overlooked; a powerful new First Nations voice whose work sings of ancient connections; and an award-winning journalist and non-fiction author who candidly reveals the struggles of those less fortunate.
We are thrilled to announce that Alice Pung, Craig Silvey, Nardi Simpson and Rick Morton are among the talented writers who will be appearing at this year’s NT Writers Festival.
Join us as the NT Writers Festival returns to the glorious Olive Pink Botanic Garden in Mparntwe/Alice Springs for four inspiring days of words, performance, discussions, immersive experiences, storied walks and more.
Stay tuned on our website or follow us on Facebook for more line-up announcements and festival news!
L-R: Alice Pung, Craig Silvey, Nardi Simpson, Rick Morton
Photo Credit: Courtney Brown, Daniel James Grant, Perry Duffin
2021 NT Literary Awards
It’s that time of year again – time to polish up your best writing and submit it to the NT Literary Awards!
With range of fantastic prizes up for grabs (including cash prizes!), the NT Literary Awards are a great way to get your work recognised. All shortlisted entires are published in an anthology that will be available at the Library and Archives NT.
There are seven award categories you can enter:
- Brown’s Mart Theatre Award
- Charles Darwin University Creative Non-Fiction Award
- Charles Darwin University Essay Award
- Flash Fiction Award
- Kath Manzie Youth Award
- NT Writers’ Centre Poetry Award
- Zip Print Short Story Award
These awards are brought to you by Library and Archives NT, and proudly sponsored by the NT Writers’ Centre.
Submissions close 31 May 2021. For more information and how to enter, visit the LANT website.
Notice of Annual General Meeting
The Annual General Meeting of the NT Writers’ Centre (NTWC) will take place via Zoom on 27 April (Tuesday) at 5.00pm.
The NT Writers’ Centre is governed by a volunteer Board, elected from and by our membership. As per the NTWC constitution, all board positions will be declared vacant at the Annual General Meeting and members will be elected or re-elected. (more…)
Anpernirrentye | Everything is connected
We are thrilled to unveil the theme for the 2021 NT Writers Festival – Alice Springs: anpernirrentye | ever
This year’s theme draws from the Arrernte concept of anpernirrentye, the Arrernte relationship system, which describes the way in which everything is connected to everything else – people, animals, land, language and culture. Last year our interconnectedness with the larger web of life was illuminated like never before, as we reckoned with firestorms, floods and a global pandemic, and felt the fragility of the systems we depend upon. This festival we bring our minds to anpernirrentye and the connections between all things.
With thanks to Arrernte language and cultural consultant Veronica Dobson for her assistance in developing the theme and to the 2021 NT Writers Festival Advisory Committee: Sylvia Purrurle Neale, Leni Shilton, Meg Mooney and Gabriel Curtin.
Just Write!
Need a space to get away from everything to focus on your writing? Just Write! could be just what you need! No noise, no responsibilities, just two hours of uninterrupted writing time. Join like-minded people in a quiet space to get your creative juices flowing! No bookings required, just show up.
Mparntwe/Alice Springs
Dates: Third Monday of the month
Time: 5-7pm
Venue: The Base Cafe (inside the Royal Flying Doctor’s Building)
Gift vouchers now available!
For Christmas or for a birthday, you can now buy a gift voucher to be redeemed from our online shop!
Click here to buy a $100 voucher
Click here to buy a $50 voucher
NT Literary Award winners!
The Northern Territory Library has announced the winners of the NT Literary Awards. Congratulations to all!
Of the finalists in the short story, poetry, essay, young writer, flash fiction, non-fiction works and theatre categories, seven winners were chosen:
o Brown’s Mart Theatre Award – $1000
When the Clock Strikes Two – Sarah Rose Reuben and Jeffrey Jay Fowler
o Charles Darwin University Creative Non-Fiction Award – $500
Mother’s Day – Susannah Ritchie
o Charles Darwin University Essay Award – $1000
To what extent does architecture of the paediatric department of the RDH promote a child’s mental wellbeing and healing process? – Nuhansie Wijesinghe
o Flash Fiction Award – $600
Sardines – Kaye Aldenhoven
o Kath Manzie Youth Award – $600
The Dripping Tap – Jethro Pollock
o NT Writers’ Centre Poetry Award – $1000
If I were a Bird – Johanna Bell
o Zip Print Short Story Award – $1000
Take Shelter – Miranda Tetlow
The winners were chosen from the finalists below:
Browns Mart Theatre Award
• Ruptured – Ciella Williams
• Faltering – Eleanor Kay
• When the Clock Strikes Two – Sarah Reuben
Charles Darwin University Creative Non-Fiction Award
• Motion Sickness – James Murray
• Dear Bill – Kylie Stevenson
• Mother’s Day – Susannah Ritchie
Charles Darwin University Essay Award
• States of Deferral: A Recent History of Housing at Borroloola – Liam
Greely, Kirsty Howey, Tess Lea
• To what extend does architecture of the paediatric department at
RDH promote a child’s mental wellbeing and healing process? –
Nuhansi Wijesinghe
• The Hero who Wasn’t – the Mythic Deeds of Pilot Robert Oestreicher
in Darwin’s First Air Attack – Dr Tom Lewis
Flash Fiction Award
• Sally Gleeson – James Murray
• Fire on the Horizon – Julie U’Ren
• Sardines – Kaye Aldenhoven
• Letter to Nathan – Lee Frank
Kath Manzie Youth Award
• What happens to the imaginary friend when the child dies? – Angela
Keating
• The Dripping Tap- Jethro Pollock
• The Visit – Peter Susanto
• Pudding – Tippipon (Tippi) Morgan
NT Writers’ Centre Poetry Award
• in search of something beautiful, perhaps & maybe– Brian Obiri-
Asare
• We all adapt to survive, don’t we? & If I were a bird – Johanna Bell
• Civilisation… is.. – Kaye Aldenhoven
• brown goshawk – Leni Shilton
Zip Print Short Story Award
• Bull Buster – Karen Manton
• Of Ruts and Roars – Mhairi Duncan
• Take Shelter – Miranda Tetlow
Winners will be announced and presented with their prizes at a ceremony held at the Northern Territory Library, later in the year.
The free event will be open to the public with tickets available online four weeks prior to the event date.
Imprint 2020 Pitches Welcome!
It’s that time of year again, and the NT Writers’ Centre staff are buzzing around like little bees as they jostle for fun content to be included in our annual magazine imprint. As always, we want to hear from you – our members and supporters – and all the amazing projects you have been up to over the past 12 months. So send us an email to executive@ntwriters.com.au and pitch us your idea for a 1500 word submission. We’ll commission the best two and pay you $300 each.
Cash for writing about your awesomeness, can’t say fairer than that!
Pitch deadline is 6th September (50 words)
Submission deadline for those selected is 22nd October.
Book Club Trivia Night is Back!
Fancy yourself a book worm? Do you know your Dickens from your Dostoevsky? Get your book club (or aspiring book club) together and put your bookish smarts to the test with the NT Writers’ Centre Book Club Trivia Night. With rounds on books and music and books and film, this is a fun night out for everyone!
Enjoy a great night out and help the NT Writers’ Centre raise funds to run the 2021 NT Writers Festival. Plus we’ll have a raffle with heaps of fabulous goodies up for grabs, including a delicious bottle of plonk to quaff while you read!
Thursday, June 3rd, 6.30pm for a 7pm start
$20 per person (includes a free Coopers beer, thanks to the Trailer Boat Club)
Click here to buy a ticket in advance
Or come along and buy a ticket on the night (cash sales only).
