Sunday 1 March: The Dorothea Mackellar Poetry Awards opens, seeking to inspire school students across Australia to express their thoughts and feelings through poetry. Taking place in Gunnedah, visit the website for more details.
Friday 6 March: Writing NSW’s First Friday Club series returns featuring Mathilda Imlah, Publisher of Picador Australia with over 12 years of global editing and publishing experience – in conversation with WNSW CEO, Jane McCredie. This is a free event for members with morning tea included.
Saturday 7 March: Head down to the State Library of NSW to learn The Craft of Writing Picture Books in this hands-on workshop with children’s author and editor Sue Whiting. Bookings are essential with a $100 fee for six hours.
Sunday 8 March: Garden Lounge Creative Space in Newtown celebrates International Women’s Day with the Big Poetry Read. Women-identifying poets can read their work with others invited to read poetry by women. Feature readers will be Holly Isemonger and Big SIIS. Tickets from $8 with profits going to charity.
Image from Garden Lounge Creative Space
Tuesday 10 March: Writers Rumble is a group and safe environment for aspiring writers of all levels and genres to come share, discuss and review each other’s work. Hosted by Desire Books and Records at the shop in Manly on the second Tuesday of every month, for more info and to join, click here.
Friday 13 March – Sunday 15 March: The Scone Literary Festival takes place in the Upper Hunter. Annually, bookworms, writers and bush poets come together from near and wide, with this year’s theme being ‘For the love of words’.
Saturday 21 March: On World Poetry Day, Better Read than Dead launches of David Stavanger’s new collection Case Notes (UWAP) a mix tape of free verse, lyric poetry, found text, spoken word & flash fiction. Enjoy readings and entertainment from other acts as well as drinks and nibbles. Entry is free to the store in Newtown.
Image from Better Read Than Dead and David Stavanger
Saturday 21 March: Join WestWords for a full day of panels and conversations with Western Sydney authors and creatives in Parramatta. See their event for more info.
Sunday 22 March: Try your hand at English language haiku, with this workshop to mark the autumn equinox hosted by JETAA at Writing NSW. Free, but please register by March 14, with your name, email address and mobile phone number to: info@jetaansw.org.
Saturday 28 March: Gouldburn welcomes visitors for the BookFest – Goulburn Reader Writer Festival. Enjoy author talks and book signings, writing workshops, local writer showcases and more.
Saturday 28 March: FondueShop presents readings from Dan Hogan, Janette Chen and Lucia Moon with an open mic segment inspired by photography from Wouter Van de Voorde. Taking place in Newtown with free entry – more details to come – follow Fondue on Facebook or Insta for updates.