May is packed with literary goodness! The Sydney Writers’ Festival is kicking off and there is a whole feast of readings, slams and launches to keep you busy!
30 April to 6 May: Sydney Writers’ Festival
Sydney Writers’ Festival is right around the corner! With over 400 events, it’s hard to pick which ones to go to—but luckily we’ve made a handy list of our top picks for the coming days. One highlight is Forest for the Trees, featuring talks from fifteen experts in writing and publishing including Julie Koh. Don’t miss out!
4 May: Meet YA Sensation Patrick Ness at Kinokuniya
Head to Kinokuniya at 6pm this Friday 4 May to meet Patrick Ness, bestselling YA author and two-time winner of the Carnegie Medal. Renowned for his beautiful prose and original storylines, several film adaptions have been made of his books including A Monster Calls and the Chaos Walking trilogy (slated for release 2019). Ness is preparing for the release of And the Ocean Was our Sky. RSVP here.
4–6 May: Poetic threads: the lady and the unicorn
Red Room Poetry has invited three excellent performers, Mirrah, Candy Royalle and Scotty Wings, to deliver an intimate reimagining of the The lady and the unicorn tapestries. This is the first time they have been interpreted through the voices of Australian poets. Head to the Art Gallery of NSW on either Friday, Saturday or Sunday (4, 5, 6 May) from 9am to 10am. Click here to book tickets.
5 May: Eileen Chong: Rainforest Launch
Singaporean-Australian poet Eileen Chong is launching her fourth collection of poetry, Rainforest. This new book contains 52 poems which navigate trauma, joy and belonging. Poet, editor and critic Felicity Plunkett is launching the event. Eileen will also be reading her work and signing books at the end of the event. Click here for more information.
8 May: GRAN SLAM #4 | Sara Saleh + Sim
Granville Poetry Slam is back this month for another dank event. Hear performances from Sara Saleh, poet, human rights and refugee advocate and grassroots activist. Open mic sign-up is available on the night with the added fun of random audience scoring. Go here for details.
12 May–30 June: Blackie Blackie Brown: The Traditional Owner of Death
“Your white meat is DONE, mother****er.” Sydney Theatre Company and Malthouse Theatre present Blackie Blackie Brown, a hilarious and provocative new play from social commentator Nakkiah Lui. Newcomer Megan Wildling plays Australia’s brand new superhero who is determined to kill some white people, all of whom are played by Ash Flanders. Check here for info.
12 May: YA Book Meet and Book Launch with Lynette Noni at Dymocks
At George St Dymocks, Lynette Noni will be launching Whisper, the first installation in an addictive YA sci-fi series. Her novel follows Subject Six-Eight-Four—or Jane Doe, as she is known—who is embroiled in a sinister government program and must find the courage to speak out. Lynette will be answering questions, having interesting chats and signing books. Make sure to RSVP here.
17 May: Queer Reading Group Sydney: “The Radicalesbian Manifesto”
Head to Better Read than Dead in Newtown on Thursday 17 May for the next meeting of Queer Reading Group Sydney! The text for discussion this time is ‘The Radicalesbian Manifesto’, written by unknown authors as part of Women’s Liberation and Gay Liberation in Melbourne in 1973. Head here for deets!
17 May: Brow Books launches Balancing Acts: Women in Sport at Gleebooks
Make your way over to Gleebooks for the launch of Brow Books’ new title, Balancing Acts: Women in Sport, a non-fiction collection with over 20 contributions exploring the experiences of women with sport in Australia. Laugh, cry, cringe and yell as you hear from Laura Buzo, Danielle Warby, Emma Jenkins and more. RSVP here.
22 May: Poetica – a night for wordsmithing
Head to Gertrude & Alice Café Bookstore for Poetica! Hear performances from spoken word artist Elliot York Cameron, a finalist of NSW Poetry Slam, Sydney Slam and Bankstown Grand Slam. Open mic is available on the night for 3 minutes of original poetry. Don’t forget to book here!
25 May: Garageworks #1 Slim Set feat Kimchi Princi and more
Garageworks is a series of monthly music nights at Bankstown Arts Centre, featuring musicians from garages and studios in various parts of Western Sydney. The lineup for May’s event is Slim Set, Kimchi Princi, Dominic Talarico and Ailsa Liu. The event is at 7pm-10pm. Head here for tickets.