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CSU Riverina Playhouse Theatre, Wagga Wagga
On Saturday 20 April, 2024 the audience were treated to Writers in Conversation with Margaret Hickey at CSU Riverina Playhouse. Guests had the opportunity to hear writers discuss their latest book, ask questions and have their individual books signed while meeting the author.
That evening, guests joined us for a Paddock to Plate Dinner showcasing local produce and Cottontail wine. While guests enjoyed their meal, guest professional artist and speaker David Thomas kept everyone entertained while painting a portrait in an hour. The portrait was then auctioned with $638 donated directly to Dolly's Dream.
The dinner was held at: Cottontail Winery, 562 Pattersons Road, Wagga Wagga.
On Sunday 21 April 2024, guests moved to select locations within the grounds of Cottontail Winery for a workshop facilitated by their chosen writer or professional artist, David Thomas.
Writers at the Woolshed 2024 gratefully acknowledges the generous support of -
Wagga Wagga City Council (Major Events, Film and Festival Sponsorship Funding) and Eastern Riverina Arts
(Festival Audience Boost Funding).
Thanks also to the Evening Branch of Uranquinty Country Women's Association (CWA) for their delicious catering; to Anna and Rachael of QBD Books Wagga Wagga for their pop-up book stall, smiling faces and friendly service; to Lily and the team at Cottontail Winery for their sumptuous meal and friendly service; to the team at CSU Riverina Playhouse for their assistance; to Emma and Keeley at The Club Hotel and Apartments for their friendly and efficient service; to Robbie at Ladenbroke Distillery for the generous donation of Writer's Gin won by Kathryn Halliwell in the Lucky Door Prize; to ABC Riverina, Triple M Riverina and Region Riverina; to Booranga Writer's Centre for supporting the festival; and to our wonderful volunteers. Plus a big thank you to our authors, guest artist David Thomas and all who supported our festival by purchasing tickets. Without your help, the festival would not have been possible.
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CHRIS HAMMER is a leading Australian crime fiction novelist, author of the internationally bestselling Martin Scarsden series: Scrublands, Silver and Trust. Chris’s current award-winning series features homicide detectives Nell Buchanan and Ivan Lucic: Treasure & Dirt/ Opal Country; The Tilt/Dead Man’s Creek; and now The Seven/Cover The Bones. Scrublands was an instant bestseller upon publication in 2018, topping the Australian fiction charts. Read more at: chrishammerauthor.com
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MARGARET HICKEY is an award-winning author and playwright from North East Victoria. She has a PhD in Creative Writing and is deeply interested in rural lives and communities. Margaret is the author of the award-winning crime thriller Cutters End, the rural crime drama Stone Town and her latest crime novel Broken Bay. Margaret’s collection of short stories, Rural Dreams was released in 2020. Read more at: penguin.com.au/authors/margaret-hickey
PATTI MILLER is an award winning writer as well as tutor and mentor of other writers. She is the author of ten books – non-fiction, memoir and fiction as well as writing texts – published by UQP, Random House, Allen & Unwin and NewSouth. She is also included in three collections and has contributed articles, essays, stories and interviews to numerous literary magazines and newspapers, including Southerly. Read more at:
lifestories.com.au/patti-miller/writer-teacher
ALISON POULIOT is a natural historian and environmental photographer who uses words and images to evoke stories of the living world, as well as the non-living. Alison is especially interested in forgotten corners and lifeforms; the stuff that slips between the cracks. She aims to convey the extraordinariness of life, both peculiar and familiar, and is rather partial to the fungal and the spineless. Read more at: alisonpouliot.com/about
Photo: Valerie Chetelat
HAYLEY SCRIVENOR is a former festival director and the author of Dirt Town, which was published internationally in 2022 (published as Dirt Creek in the U.S., where it was a USA TODAY bestseller) and quickly became a #1 Australian bestseller. The novel has been shortlisted for multiple national and international awards. In 2023, it won the ILP John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger, the Lambda Literary Award for LGBTQ+ Mystery. Read more at: hayleyscrivenor.com/bio-and-photo
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INGA SIMPSON is an Australian novelist and nature writer. Her latest book is Willowman (Hachette Australia), which has been longlisted for the 2023 Indie Book Awards. The Last Woman in the World (Hachette 2021) was shortlisted for the Margaret and Colin Roderick literary Award and the Indie Book Award for Fiction. Her first novel, Mr Wigg (Hachette 2013), was shortlisted for the Indie Award for Debut Fiction. Read more at: ingasimpson.com.au
MICHAEL THOMPSON describes himself as a ‘serial storyteller’. He has been a journalist, producer and media executive for the last fifteen years. He now co-owns a podcast production company called Fear and Greed – home of Australia’s most popular business podcast. He lives in Sydney with his wife, two young children, two cats and his beloved lawn. How to Be Remembered is Michael’s first novel. Read more at: michaelthompson.net.au
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KAREN VIGGERS is the author of five novels: The Stranding, The Lightkeeper’s Wife, The Grass Castle, The Orchardist’s Daughter and Sidelines. She writes contemporary fiction set in Australian communities and landscapes. Her work explores connection with the bush, grief and loss, healing in nature, death, family pressures, marriage and friendship. And tackles contentious issues including empowerment at the end of life. Read more at: karenviggers.com
ON 20 APRIL, 2024 AT COTTONTAIL WINERY
PADDOCK TO PLATE DINNER
Upon arrival sip a glass of Cottontail Wine while watching the sunset on the vineyards and surrounding countryside. Then savour a delicious two course meal featuring the best of local produce while entertained by professional portrait artist DAVID THOMAS who will paint a portrait in an hour. Finally, dig deep when the portrait painted by David is auctioned in support of Dolly's Dream.
DAVID THOMAS was born in Wales and studied fine art in eminent Welsh and English colleges. His rapid rise of approval soon led to a wave of high profile portrait commissions. In the early 1980’s, Dave set off to travel the world. His quest landed Dave in Italy where he both studied art and was appointed Head of the Art Department of the prestigious, 'International School of Milan'. After his decade-long tenure in Italy, Dave continued his pursuit as a freelance artist with many prestigious galleries exhibiting his work worldwide. While Dave specialises in portraiture, he has occasional forays into landscape and still-life. Read more about David Thomas at: thomaseliteart.com
Chris Hammer: Delve into the Heart of Crime WritingIn this workshop, best-selling crime writer Chris Hammer will lead an exploration of what makes a compelling crime fiction novel. Topics will include setting, plot, character, voice, pacing plus that special x-factor that can lift a book above the ordinary.
Bio:CHRIS HAMMER is a leading Australian crime fiction novelist, author of the internationally bestselling Martin Scarsden series: Scrublands, Silver and Trust. Chris’s current award-winning series features homicide detectives Nell Buchanan and Ivan Lucic: Treasure & Dirt/ Opal Country; The Tilt/Dead Man’s Creek; and now The Seven/Cover The Bones. Scrublands was an instant bestseller upon publication in 2018, topping the Australian fiction charts. It was shortlisted for major writing awards in Australia, the UK and the United States. In the UK it was named the Sunday Times Crime Novel of the Year 2019 and won the prestigious UK Crime Writers’ Association John Creasey New Blood Dagger Award.
Read more: https://chrishammerauthor.com
Chris Hammer
Patti Miller: True Confessions – the difficulties of truth-telling Is it possible to tell the truth and keep your family, friends and dignity relatively intact? And can anything be ‘invented’ in memoir? How far can a writer go in creating ‘life-like’ situations? We will look at the very real reasons for avoiding the truth, navigate the borderlands with fiction, explore ways of telling the truth and surviving - and find out when searing honesty becomes navel-gazing. This workshop offers creative guidance and practical writing exercises based on the text, ‘Writing True Stories’.
Bio:PATTI MILLER is an award winning writer, tutor and mentor of other writers. She is the author of ten books – non-fiction, memoir, fiction and writing texts including The Last One Who Remembers, Child, Whatever The Gods Do, The Mind of a Thief, Ransacking Paris, Writing Your Life, The Memoir Book, Writing True Stories, The Joy of High Places and her latest work True Friends.
Read more: https://lifestories.com.au
Patti Miller
Alison Pouliot: Visual Narratives – Finding Words Through ImagesAs forms of artistic expression, photography and poetry share much in common. Both are the outcome of intense honing and distillation – the art of reduction. Both can convey a point of view or story that goes beyond mere description. Photographers often borrow literary devices such as irony, but writers also have much to glean from photographs. This workshop explores the crossovers and co-habitations of words and images and how they might enhance and inspire one another.
While photographs are often regarded as a definitive record of reality, we’ll examine the dual perspectives and conflicting realities that introduce an ironic element into photography and sharpen its subversive power. Through an interactive critique and discussion of both participants’ images and those of some well-known ironists, we will explore how irony and other visual-literary devices can raise important questions – rather than necessarily provide answers – about the state of the world.
This workshop is suitable to anyone interested in the interplay of aesthetics, images and words, regardless of photographic knowledge. Bio:ALISON POULIOT is an author, ecologist and photographer who uses words and images to evoke stories of the living world. Alison is especially interested in forgotten corners and lifeforms; the fungal, the spineless and those that slip between the cracks. As an ecologist, Alison researches the natural world with the objective and analytical tools of science. As someone who daily wanders in the bush, she relates to it with an aesthetic, literary and sensory appreciation; a natural history of experience. Alison lectures in Australia and internationally across a range of photographic, environmental and ecological themes. Read more: www.alisonpouliot.com
While photographs are often regarded as a definitive record of reality, we’ll examine the dual perspectives and conflicting realities that introduce an ironic element into photography and sharpen its subversive power. Through an interactive critique and discussion of both participants’ images and those of some well-known ironists, we will explore how irony and other visual-literary devices can raise important questions – rather than necessarily provide answers – about the state of the world.
This workshop is suitable to anyone interested in the interplay of aesthetics, images and words, regardless of photographic knowledge. Bio:ALISON POULIOT is an author, ecologist and photographer who uses words and images to evoke stories of the living world. Alison is especially interested in forgotten corners and lifeforms; the fungal, the spineless and those that slip between the cracks. As an ecologist, Alison researches the natural world with the objective and analytical tools of science. As someone who daily wanders in the bush, she relates to it with an aesthetic, literary and sensory appreciation; a natural history of experience. Alison lectures in Australia and internationally across a range of photographic, environmental and ecological themes. Read more: www.alisonpouliot.com
Alison Pouliot
Dr Inga Simpson: Writing NatureNature writing, and perhaps all writing, stems from our relationship with the natural world. This workshop with Inga Simpson explores the intersection of our inner and outer landscapes as a source of creativity and authenticity – key to evoking the natural world on the page and capturing the hearts and minds of readers. Ideal for fiction and non-fiction writers at all levels, you’ll focus on techniques for bringing landscapes, flora and fauna to life for your audience, including: evocative description, effective use of emotion, and the importance of story. You’ll also consider issues such as ecological writing, anthropomorphism, and the challenges of conveying an environmental message.
Bio:DR INGA SIMPSON is an Australian novelist and nature writer. Her books include Willowman - longlisted for the 2023 Indie Book Awards. The Last Woman in the World - shortlisted for the Margaret and Colin Roderick literary Award and the Indie Book Award for Fiction. Inga’s first novel, Mr Wigg, was shortlisted for the Indie Award for Debut Fiction. Nest was longlisted for the Miles Franklin, the Stella Prize, and shortlisted for the ALS Gold Medal. And Where the Trees Were - longlisted for the Miles Franklin, an ABIA Award for Fiction, The Green Carnation Prize, and shortlisted for the Indie Award for Fiction. Understory: a life with trees Inga's first book-length work of nature writing, was shortlisted for the Adelaide Writers Week prize for nonfiction. The Book of Australian Trees, illustrated by Alicia Rogerson is Inga's first book for children.
Read more: https://www.ingasimpson.com.au
Inga Simpson
Professional Artist David Thomas – Painting Plein-Air Landscapes The aim of this workshop is to show students a plein-air system of landscape painting. Students will be supplied with a primed board and photograph of a landscape, and follow Dave step-by-step as he works through the landscape procedure. Although students will draw their inspiration from a photograph, this same process can be used when looking across a landscape. Students will commence with how to set out a pallet, colour selection and mixing of colours. Students will also develop an appreciation of the landscape in terms of light and dark and use this to create distance and depth. This class is suitable for all levels of experience. Students must provide their own paints, pallet, brushes and easel.
Bio:DAVID THOMAS was born in Wales and studied fine art in eminent Welsh and English colleges. His rapid rise of approval soon led to a wave of high profile portrait commissions. In the early 1980’s, Dave set off to travel the world. His quest landed Dave in Italy where he both studied art and was appointed Head of the Art Department of the prestigious, 'International School of Milan'. After his decade-long tenure in Italy, Dave continued his pursuit as a freelance artist with many prestigious galleries exhibiting his work worldwide. While Dave specialises in portraiture, he has occasional forays into landscape and still-life.
Read more: https://www.thomaseliteart.com
David Thomas
Michael Thompson – The 'How To' of PodcastingJoin Michael Thompson for a two part podcast workshop. Podcasts are booming - and this workshop can help you get on board. We'll look at the why and the how of podcasting: why more businesses are using podcasts (and whether it's a good option for you), and how to produce a professional-sounding podcast without spending a fortune.Part One will focus on Getting Started and what equipment you need, artwork, how & where you should record, editing and getting your podcast online. The second part of the workshop will focus on bringing it all together - what to talk about, episode structure, improving your content, podcast marketing and making money from podcasting.
Bio:MICHAEL THOMPSON has been a journalist, producer and media executive for the last fifteen years. He is the co-founder and co-host of podcast production company, Fear and Greed – home of Australia’s most popular business news podcast with around 15million downloads. Michael is the former Executive Producer of The Ray Hadley Morning Show on 2GB, and former Head of Content for Macquarie Media. He lives in Sydney with his wife and two children.How to be Remembered is his first novel, published in 2023 in Australia by Allen & Unwin and in the US / UK by Sourcebooks. It has been sold for translation into six languages, and the book has also been optioned for film by a Hollywood production company.
Read more: https://michaelthompson.net.au
Michael Thompson
Dr. Karen Viggers: Writing About Animals WorkshopIn this workshop, we will discuss and explore the human-animal bond in relation to both domestic and wild animals. Excerpts from the work of several Australian writers will be shared to provide insight into different creative approaches to writing about animals. We will also perform several writing exercises in memoir and/or fiction, experimenting with perspective and voice. Participants will be encouraged to share their work, but this will not be compulsory. It’s meant to be fun!
Bio:DR KAREN VIGGERS is the author of five novels: The Stranding, The Lightkeeper’s Wife, The Grass Castle, The Orchardist’s Daughter and Sidelines. She writes contemporary fiction set in Australian communities and landscapes. Her work explores connection with the bush, grief and loss, healing in nature, death, family pressures, marriage and friendship. And tackles contentious issues including empowerment at the end of life, domestic violence (both physical and psychological), whale rescue, kangaroo culling, scientific research on animals, logging of native forests, and now, parental behaviour in kids’sport.
Read more: https://www.karenviggers.com
Dr Karen Viggers
Lynette Ainsworth: Down the Rabbit Hole: Writing an Interesting Family History through Objects Why do we retained some objects and pass them down through the family while others are so readily discarded? What makes these objects so precious? Why did our ancestors carry them across the ocean; move them from place to place? What’s the story behind these objects? What do they tell us about our family’s place in history, the social structure and where our family slots into it? In this workshop, students are asked to bring along a treasured family item(s). During the workshop, students will use this to kick start writing their family history by looking deeply at their chosen object or objects, the memories invoked, the senses aroused; where and how the object was made and how these facts and more can be woven into a story.
Bio: LYNETTE AINSWORTH is the Festival Co-ordinator of Writers at the Woolshed and has spent over twenty years diving down the rabbit hole in search of her own family history. Lynette holds a Diploma in Family History (UTas) and is a member of The Society of Australian Genealogists. Her short-stories based on family history are published by the ACT Heraldry & Genealogy Society, with one short listed for the EM Fletcher Award. Lynette is also a writer of travel stories and memoir. Mentored by Barbara Brooks, Carol Major and Meera Atkinson, Lynette is Alumni of both Varuna, The National Writer’s House and Faber Writing Academy. Lynette was awarded a Memoir MasterClass with Patti Miller and Varuna Residency in 2017, was Artist-In-Residence in 2019 at The Old Schoolhouse, Mt. Wilson and in 2020 was awarded a CreateNSW Quick Response Grant for her memoir, Sambio.
Lynette Ainsworth
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