It’s July! If you’re not spending all your time curled up with a book in front of the heater, head out to some of these great events happening around NSW.
3-12 July: Winter Reading Retreat with the Centre for Deep Reading
Want to tackle your reading list with a group of fellow book lovers? This winter, the Centre for Deep Reading is heading up to Tyaraman Retreat in the Hunter Valley. For ten nights, the collective will read and live together, with solo reading, all-group meetings and one-on-one conversation sessions. Special guests Ross Gibson, Gary Warner and Vanessa Berry will also drop in to share their wisdom!
7 July: High Tea with Jessie Cole
Head to Better Read than Dead at 3pm to join acclaimed author Jessie Cole in conversation over sweets, scones, sandwiches and champagne. Jessie will discuss Staying, a sublime memoir about survival, tragedy and healing.
8 July: WestWords – ‘The Magic of Words’ at Way Out West Festival
Head to the Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre for ‘The Magic of Words’, a workshop presented by WestWords. With different sessions for different age groups, get excellent writing tips from Harry Laing, a poet, children’s author and comic performer. If you feel like sharing your work, there will be the chance to read your pieces out in public!
9-13 July: SHARP 2018
Western Sydney University Library is hosting SHARP, the annual conference of the Society for the History of Authorship, Reading and Publishing. With an opening address about the forgotten history of the dog ear, come along to hear discussions around the theme “From First to Last”. The conference is also featuring events at the State Library of New South Wales.
9-14 July: ‘Hello, Beautiful!’ at Griffin Theatre Company
Hannie Rayson, playwright and author, is bringing a fantastic, one-woman comedy performance Griffin. A stage version of her memoir Hello, Beautiful!, Rayson shares true stories from a fascinating life, spanning suburban Melbourne, Fitzroy sharehouses, Hollywood and rural Australia. Don’t miss out on this hilarious, warm and thought-provoking show.
10 July: ‘BECAUSE OF HER WE CAN’ – Indigenous Literacy Foundation NAIDOC Event
The Indigenous Literacy Foundation and the State Library of New South Wales present ‘BECAUSE OF HER WE CAN’, a special NAIDOC event. Mary Vanbee, Jessie Moora and Nina Black are just a few women working to preserve their language and culture in remote communities. Come along to the State Library of NSW from 12pm to 1.30pm for a special presentation discussing their work and their impact.
10 July: AVANT GAGA #38: Poetry @ Sappho
Poetry night at Sappho Books is back this July, featuring performances from Duncan Hose, Jini Maxwell, Jake Goetz and Claire Albrecht. Come along for drinks and tapas, warm yourself with heaters and Glühwein and sign up for the open mic!
12 July: Sweatshop – Workshop for Diverse Women
Sweatshop is running monthly writing workshops for female writers from Indigenous and culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. July’s workshop will meet at Western Sydney University, Parramatta City Campus, and will feature the wisdom of special guest writer Michelle Law.
14 July: Seen&Heard at the Red Rattler Theatre
Seen&Heard and Subbed In are celebrating the launch of the first Seen&Heard zine and cassette! Come along to hear music from Canine, Carb on Carb, Sports Bra and Arafura, as well as reading from Zhi Yi Cham, Tanya Ali, Mimi Lee and many more excellent performers!
17-28 July: Bondi Feast
Bondi Feast is a fringe-style winter festival that showcases the best in home-grown theatre, music, comedy, cabaret, circus and food. Happening over two weeks at the Bondi Pavilion, come along for an action-packed program featuring over 40 shows from more than 150 artists.
20-21 July: Southern Highlands Writers’ Festival
The seventh annual Southern Highlands Writers’ Festival is taking place at the end of July! This year, the program is showcasing an all-female lineup of excellent authors, including Michelle Scott Tucker, Nicola Moriarty and Virginia Lloyd. This year’s raffle is raising funds for Share the Dignity, a charity that distributes sanitary products to women in need. Book your place soon!