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The Tamar Valley Writers Festival has launched the first in a series of podcasts featuring Tasmanian writers, poets, comedians, playwrights and deep thinkers. These audiovisual podcasts, hosted by Launceston teacher and emerging author Lyndon Riggall and former ABC Radio cultural broadcaster Annie Warburton, will be available on the TVWF website and social media platforms. The podcasts have been filmed and produced by MVisuals’ director Michael O’Neill, who also co-created the eight-part fictional web series Australia’s Best Street Racer with Dylan Hesp. Writers Festival president Mary Machen said: “We are giving some of Tasmania’s brightest writers in diverse genres the opportunity to reveal their stories globally on the digital page. “We have filmed the podcast to give the viewer the sense they are at home with the author." The first round of podcasts will include a conversation with Robbie Arnott, who currently has two novels in the Top 10 best-seller lists and has just been awarded the University of Tasmania’s inaugural Hedberg Writer-in-Residence scholarship; comedian and actor Dylan Hesp; 2020 Vogel Award-winning author Katherine Kruimink; and Stella Kent, revealing the back story to plotting plays. Already available is a conversation with The Bluffs author Kyle Perry (watch it here). “We are excited to be back in planning mode,” Ms Machen said. “It’s imperative to maintain branding momentum but, more importantly, now more than ever, it is important to give a voice to creative talent in this state, it’s important to offer intellectual engagement as well as entertainment through conversation and exchange of ideas. “From a strategy workshop we held in August it became abundantly clear during robust discussion that to put the Festival in mothballs until 2022 would risk sustainability of the Festival. “It’s amazing how a couple of month’s forced hibernation can channel collective thought,” Ms Machen said, in reference to the Covid-19 self-isolation regulations and closure of Tasmania’s borders. “Our Festival was almost fully programmed with tickets due to go on sale in June, but with our focus being on welcoming mainland writers to Northern Tasmania and encouraging visitation to the Tamar Valley, the borders closing threw almost every element of our program into disarray. “Fortunately only a couple of mainland flights had been book rather than our full entourage of guest speakers. “As with all event organisers we were in close consultation with Events Tasmania, our major funding partner, and it was agreed the Festival should be cancelled rather than consider postponement. “The Festival until now has been organised 100 per cent by volunteers and as the pandemic began to take serious hold in mid-March I felt it was in the best interests of everyone that there be no distractions other than staying well as individuals and being with our families." In 2016 the Festival was the recipient of $180,000 funding over six years from Events Tasmania as part of its Major Event Partnerships Program. This tranche of funding will conclude with the 2022 Festival. The Writers Festival has also enjoyed strong support from the West Tamar Council and other Northern Tasmanian businesses. The most recent Tamar Valley Writers Festival was held in September 2018 at the Tamar Valley Resort, Grindelwald, with almost 2000 patrons attending the three-day event. The TVWF Podcast Audio podcast links: Spotify | Apple Podcast

The Tamar Valley Writers Festival committee is excited to announce the appointment of Georgie Todman as creative director. The Launceston-based teacher, playwright, and accomplished theatre director has come on board to drive the Festival’s program into a more interactive and performance-based cultural space. This is a big step for the Festival, which until now has been totally organised by volunteers. "I look forward to bringing together my passion and experience in areas of writing, education, theatre and producing to develop exciting projects that are immersive, interactive and educational," Georgie said."To work closely with the dedicated TVWF team to develop creative projects telling the stories of our region is an opportunity I am thrilled to undertake." The appointment is part of a re-imagined program, including an 18-month rolling program of in-conversation podcasts with Tasmanian authors, special literary events, Back Bar Trivia nights and collaborative projects with other cultural organisations, instead of waiting until the Festival's next fully-fledged iteration in 2022. Festival president Mary Machen said Georgie would help maintain branding momentum during a difficult time for the arts scene. “Now more than ever, it is important to give a voice to creative talent in this state, it’s important to offer intellectual engagement as well as entertainment through conversation and exchange of ideas,” Ms Machen said. “From a strategy workshop we held in August it became abundantly clear during robust discussion that to put the Festival in mothballs until 2022 would risk sustainability of the Festival.“It’s amazing how a couple of month’s forced hibernation can channel collective thought,” Ms Machen said, in reference to the Covid-19 self-isolation regulations and closure of Tasmania’s borders. More about TVWF Creative Director Georgie Todman: Georgie completed a Bachelor of Contemporary Arts with a major in theatre and creative writing at UTAS and has had a long-standing relationship with creative arts. Highlights include co-writing the musical ‘Happy Me’ with funding to tour 13 locations in Tasmania, and co-writing the play ‘One, Two Three, Home’ which was subsequently published through Australians Plays. While in Victoria, Georgie worked with StoryShare in script development consultancy and presented workshops and papers with Drama Victoria/Australia. Other theatrical high points include directing ‘Something Natural but very Childish’ (Centrstage), ‘Dusty - the Original Pop Diva’ (LMS), assistant directing ‘We Will Rock You’ (Encore) and many one day projects as an actor or director with Mudlark. Her production of ‘Killer Joe’ for Three River received the Best Production Award (Community) at the Tasmanian Theatre Awards in 2018. Georgie is a Drama teacher at Brooks High, is on the Three River Theatre and Friends of Theatre North committees, recently started a lively bookclub and initiated a writing retreat for fellow writers, and loves to read and write poetry in her spare time.

A quick shoutout to Michael O'Neill from MVisuals who was interviewed on Chilli FM regarding the launch of our TVWF Podcast series. The podcasts have been filmed and produced by MVisuals, the Launceston-based visual media business that also co-created the eight-part fictional web series Australia’s Best Street Racer with Dylan Hesp, and has worked on content for notable Australian series including Rosehaven and The Gloaming. The Tamar Valley Writers Festival has launched the first in a series of podcasts featuring Tasmanian writers, poets, comedians, playwrights and deep thinkers. These audiovisual podcasts, hosted by Launceston teacher and emerging author Lyndon Riggall and former ABC Radio cultural broadcaster Annie Warburton, will be available on the TVWF website and social media platforms. We think Michael did a fantastic job and skilfully spoke to the motivation behind the podcast as we reimagine the Tamar Valley Writers Festival in a Covid-19 world.

Our sell-out event with international bestselling author Katherine Scholes at Waterton Hall was a great sun-bathed success on Sunday. Seventy patrons joined on the lawns in front of the convict-built barn, now a rustic function space and part of the beautiful Waterton Hall estate at Rowella. They were served sparkling wine and the option of gin tastings from Turner Stillhouse, and those who wished to were treated to a tour of Waterton Hall itself. Petrarch's book store was selling all of Scholes' popular books, and Moon Lily Kitchen and Cakes served a delightful afternoon tea once everyone was seated. But by far the highlight was the conversation that unfolded between Scholes and former ABC broadcaster Annie Warburton. The fact that the two inspiring women are friends was obvious by the candid and engaging conversation that unfolded. Scholes recounted her youth growing up to missionary parents in Tanzania; her father a doctor, her mother an artist. She shared the joys and the hardship of living in Africa, the reason they migrated to Tasmania and why, even today, Tanzania holds a special place in her writing career. Scholes brought along her first ever book 'published', scribed in her own hand as a girl, and shared how her author journey began, with The Rain Queen being picked up by publishing giant Penguin quite quickly. Scholes was a generous speaker, taking questions from the audience before signing books and chatting with anyone who wished to linger. The Tamar Valley Writers Festival committee is grateful to all who helped bring the event together, including the team of volunteers. We look forward to announcing more events of this calibre throughout the year ahead. View photo gallery from the event

We are a region rich with talent! The Tamar Valley is not only abundant with wineries and sweeping water vistas, it is a place that cultivates great storytelling. To acknowledge this, the Tamar Valley Writers Festival is profiling some of the diverse talent emerging from this special Tasmanian region. From today, we will share a Q&A with established and emerging storytellers, so that you learn a little more about their life, inspiration and grounding in this valley. First up, you'll probably be familiar with the rising star of Adam Thompson, who earlier this year released his debut book Born Into This (UQP). Adam has been busy flying across the country promoting his book of short stories, but found the time (at an airport!), to share some insights with you. Adam Thompson and Aviva Tuffield from UQP Tamar Valley Storytellers: Adam Thompson 1. What are you working on? I am still writing short fiction — and I always will! At some point I will release another short story collection. I am writing a novel too, set in Tasmania, but that is all I will reveal . I am keeping the plot close to my chest. This is my main focus at the moment. I also have some exciting screen projects in the works. 2. How does the Tamar Valley influence your writing? I grew up in the Tamar Valley and it is the setting for much of my work. So I would say it has a HUGE influence on my writing. I hope fellow Tasmanians get a kick out of reading about the places that they are familiar with. I know I do. But I also like to change things up a bit, so don't be surprised to find a skewed version of Launceston in my novel. 3. What themes are you exploring? In Born Into This, my debut collection, I explored themes such as heritage and environmental destruction, identity and racism. The theft of cultural and human remains is another issue that I tackle in my work. I find fiction to be a powerful medium to educate and influence people's thinking around these issues. They are not being bombarded, as they are through media, but are taking up a book and absorbing the material in their own time and in their own space. I think it gets through to people that way. 4. Describe for us where you write. I mostly write at home. But I have taken up several residencies at the Varuna Writers House in the Blue Mountains. I have written on the islands, during cultural camps and throughout the muttonbirding season. I like the vibe at cafes and libraries as well. It's nice to have some activity around me when I'm working. I find silence distracting sometimes. 5. What is your day job, or are you a full time writer? I have a day job. I'm proud to have worked at the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre for almost 20 years. I've had various roles including working as an Aboriginal ranger. I fit writing into my life where I can. 6. Finish this sentence: "If I had all the time in the world I would..." ...be with my family all the time. As great as writing is, it's got nothing on family time. I wish time would just stop. I have such an amazing family life. I am married and have a 7-year-old boy. I want the present to stretch on forever. 7. What's your favourite read so far this year? What a hard question! I would say Aboriginal poetry would top my list, with Throat by Ellen van Neerven and Drop Bear by Evelyn Araluen. The novel I have most enjoyed is Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro. Flock, which is a newly released collection of First Nations short stories, edited by Ellen van Neerven, is also a must read.

Dr Shirley Patton grew up in outback Western Australia and now lives with her partner in wine-growing country overlooking the beautiful Tamar River, Northern Tasmania. She left an academic career as a social work lecturer and published researcher on family violence over a decade ago to write fiction full time. Since then, she has had a number of short stories published in a variety of literary publications, and her debut novel, The Secrets We Keep (2018), by HQ-Harper Collins. 1. What are you working on? It’s been three years since Harper Collins published my debut novel, The Secrets We Keep. My recently completed Young Adult historical/legend novel, set in 5th century Cornwall, is now with my agent. Now I’m working on my second adult novel, set in 1860s northern Tasmania, based on real events. Parallel to that I’m gathering research material on a controversial issue, for a contemporary story, that’s bubbling away in the back of my mind. 2. How does the Tamar Valley influence your writing? It inspires me. I’ve lived in the Tamar Valley overlooking the Tamar River for almost thirty years. I love the sense of community and I’ve been involved with the writers’ festivals in the Tamar Valley since the first one at Beaconsfield, as a volunteer, and more recently as a guest author. Over the past decade of writing, I often walk along the river, stopping halfway at Lone Pine Point to reflect. The tidal river with its ever changing moods, the distant mountains, sometimes purple blue, other times snow tipped, seep into my writing, enhancing my creativity. 3. What themes are you exploring? Notions of ‘truth’: the way stories come down through time, rightly or wrongly. Choices: the making of them, the justifying of them and how we live with them interest me, and how that intersects with women’s lives and their sense of agency (or lack of). The idea of hope informs most of what I write about — I’m a born optimist and believe in the goodness of humanity. 4. Describe for us where you write. From my writing desk, I overlook the Tamar River, with a jetty in the foreground, mountains in the distance. My writing habit is usually Monday to Wednesday (except when on a deadline, when it’s seven days a week!). My room is furthest from the hub of the house with the door shut. I’m not one of those writers who can write in cafes, too much distraction — I disappear into another space and need the solitude. My large desktop computer sits upon a black see-through surround desk that reflects the sky through the window — which throws me sometimes when a bird flies by! My black chair is ergonomic — a sore back is a job hazard when you lose track of time writing! Butcher’s paper with timelines and key chapter points cover one wall; floor to ceiling bookcases line either side of the window. The walls are painted wisteria, the same colour as the sofa alongside my desk. Either side of the desk sit a printer and filing cabinet. Upon the desk are a few sentimental objects, along with a flowering cactus. On the return are piles of research papers, stacks of relevant books, notebooks, and print outs of my work in progress. As inspiration, I stick up pictures of my characters (historical and fictional) and the story locations on the sides of the bookcases. 5. Finish this sentence, "The thing I love the most about being a storyteller is..." …expressing the creative aspect of myself. Entering into a storytelling space satisfies that urge for me. Having the opportunity to share those stories is a privilege for which I’m grateful! Beyond that, being a storyteller allows me to bear witness to a time and place. 6. What's your favourite read so far this year? Oh, too many to choose from — I probably read one or two books a week. So here’s four, all Australian authors: Tara June Winch’s hauntingly beautiful The Yield; Tasmanian author, K M Kruimink’s A Treacherous Country - the story of a quixotic character; Pip William’s lyrical The Dictionary of Lost Words; and most recently, from one of my favourite authors, Susan Johnson’s epistolary novel From Where I Fell.

As well as being an Australian Poetry Slam coordinator, Yvonne Gluyas is an active member of the Tasmanian Poetry Festival, Toastmasters International and the Society of Women Writers Tasmania. After gaining a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications from the University of Technology, Sydney, Yvonne worked in China as a teacher and journalist. She has a Masters Degree in Creative Writing from the University of Tasmania, and in her spare time writes poetry and stories, researches family history, drinks tea, enjoys cuddles from her one-year old identical twin grandsons, and lives in Launceston with a three-legged cat, bee hives and free range chooks. 1. What are you working on? I am currently working on a few different projects: A re-edit of my work-in-progress novel, which is a historical fiction set in the time of Australian protests against the American war in Vietnam; putting together an illustrated collection of my poetry for publication; working on Family History stories; and organising a new online Toastmasters Club — “Write Online” — that features writers of all genres who meet up via Zoom twice a month for an hour (contact me for more details)! I am also involved in coordinating the Tasmanian heats and final of the Australian Poetry Slam during August 2021. 2. How does the Tamar Valley influence your writing? The Valley is my home. I escaped from Sydney over thirty years ago to live in this paradise on earth. The impact of this area and its people, are a huge influence on my life and my writing. I am grateful to be here, and totally appreciate the influence local writers have on my work, and the opportunity to be involved in community based events such as the Tasmanian Poetry Festival. 3. What themes are you exploring? The environment, social issues, protection of our precious natural recourses, people from all walks of life, family relationships and kids are the main themes I include in my writings. 4. Describe for us where you write. I write best when the household is silent, sitting at my recently upgraded desktop computer in my untidy study, with the occasional cat wandering in, hoping I will believe it is starving and feed it. At poetry workshops I use ‘pen and paper’, and I use my laptop when on the move. 5. Finish this sentence, "The thing I love the most about being a storyteller is..." ... Being able to take listeners with me on a journey. 6. What's your favourite read so far this year? Fragile Friday, which is the recently published book of beautiful and insightful poetry by Launceston poet Joy Elizabeth.

Cameron Hindrum lives, writes and works in Launceston. He has published a novel, two collections of poetry and had two plays professionally performed in Tasmania. He recently completed a Doctorate of Creative Arts through the University of Wollongong, and is currently working on a script commission for the Launceston Youth Theatre Ensemble. He is a regular contributor to Mudlark Theatre's One Day project, whereby short plays are written, rehearsed and performed in a 24-hour cycle and for 17 years until 2019 he coordinated the annual Tasmanian Poetry Festival. 1. What are you working on? I usually have a couple of different things on the go. I recently finished work on a Creative Writing doctorate so that has freed me up somewhat! I’ve returned to tinkering with a collection of poems and story fragments which I hope to finalise and submit to a publisher this year, and my other major focus is a commission to write a script for the Launceston Youth Theatre Ensemble, to be performed next year. That’s going to be epic—essentially a trilogy of plays, one for each main LYTE ensemble and a huge cast of very talented and passionate young actors. There is also another novel idea hanging around in the background, hoping I’ll eventually pay some attention to it. 2. How does the Tamar Valley influence your writing? It really is a place of extraordinary beauty. My family and I often go swimming down at Lagoon Beach, Low Head, and the drive there is always obscenely pleasant, as the valley slowly unfolds in front of you. What an absolute privilege it is to have fine food and wine available right on our doorstep. I will always be proud of the community activism and protests that were influential in having the notorious Gunns Pulp Mill development stopped in its tracks. That sort of committed dedication—which is stamped into the DNA of many Tasmanians—is in itself influential and very inspiring. 3. What themes are you exploring? Fundamentally I am always fascinated by what makes people tick. What is it in our behaviour that influences relationships and helps create our senses of self? In both of the two plays I’ve written this has manifested itself in examinations of fatherhood, although the net is cast a little wider in the novel I have just finished for my doctorate, The Sand. This is based on an infamous Tasmanian cold case, the as-yet unsolved murder of Victoria Cafasso in broad daylight on an east coast beach in 1995. It explores how trauma can be the catalyst for us to find resolution for other issues in our lives, and how a small regional community reacts to a sudden and shocking act of violence. People are very often simultaneously flawed, sometimes quite deeply, and also capable of great compassion and empathy. I think, overall, I’m interested in trying to explore just how that works at the level of daily interactions, resilience and so on. The first decision I made in starting to write The Sand was not that I would not attempt to neatly resolve the murder, and indeed I’ve remained true to that—which is an attempt to reflect the often messy and confronting reality, that we have to find ways to resolve things that are not resolved. 4. Describe for us where you write. I am extremely fortunate in that I have a splendid home office, lined with books. Over last Summer a builder and I renovated our garage in order for me to use it this way—I had bought too many books to remain adequately accommodated in the smaller space I had been using inside the main part of our house. (Actually, even with the expanded premises, I still don’t have room for all of my books—keep your eyes peeled for news of some giveaways! I would say that I have too many books, but genuinely I don’t really think that’s possible.) My little Writer’s Cave is very cosy, and even features a dedicated reading chair which was a dentist’s chair in a former life, picked up for an absolute bargain at Andy’s Salvage in Mowbray. Often one of our cats will keep me company while I am in there, being affectionate in the hope that I will stop what I am doing and feed her (again). 5. Finish this sentence, "What Tasmanian writers need is..." This could be a long list, but I will assign priority to: More exposure nationwide—we have some excellent writing happening down here and with some notable exceptions, news of it tends to stay here. I would love to see more of a national profile happening for our writers. The ongoing work of a committed (and properly funded) Writers Centre—take a bow, TasWriters! As many literary festivals as we can manage. Opportunities to meet, network, sell work, listen to great writing, make connections, be inspired and motivated, all of that good stuff. 6. What's your favourite read so far this year? There have been some excellent reads but two have stayed with me, and it occurs to me now that they’re both about loss in very different ways. Truganini: Journey Through the Apocalypse, by Cassandra Pybus is a compelling reminder of the price that’s been paid to allow us to live where we do. The debt can never be paid in full but we should engage with the place where we live, with its brutal histories, with open hearts and minds. The other is The Living Sea of Waking Dreams, by Richard Flanagan—a deeply profound, troubling, beautiful novel about loss and the part that we as a species have played in it, rendered in some truly mesmerising prose with a vastly powerful central allegory. Honourable mentions go to The Fire of Joy by Clive James, which is a collection of his poems that he memorised during the course of his life, each of them accompanied by a superb little essay in which he discusses the poem and/or its meaning to him, and to Squeeze Me, the latest novel by American crime writer Carl Hiaasen—very funny as all of his Florida-based crime novels are, taking square aim at the Trump Presidency and its many, many, many failings. *photo by Grace Roberts.

Nancy Corbett was born in Canada in 1944. She has attained her B.A. and M.A. in English Literature from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver before moving to Australia in 1973. Nancy has since published two novels, several non-fiction books and a memoir (Firsthand). In March this year, she published her first book of poems, The Longest Conversation. Nancy has twice won the Launceston Poetry Cup (2016, 2019) and is currently a committee member of the Tasmanian Poetry Festival and a tutor at the Launceston School for Seniors, teaching a course in appreciating poetry and co-tutoring a writing workshop with Patience Stewart Gibb. 1. What are you working on? At the moment I'm editing poems from many years of writing poetry.  I wrote my first poem at the age of six years and published my first book of selected poems, The Longest Conversation, this year.  I am 77 now, so there are a lot of poems from the past which require my attention.  Also, of course, I'm writing new poems.  And stories for the writing workshop I teach at the School For Seniors.  That demands a new story every week when the school is in session.  I'm also taking part in a special project with Kristen Lang. More about that later... 2. How does the Tamar Valley influence your writing? I live in a house that overlooks the Tamar River and the hills across the way.  That view, and the continually changing sky, is a constant inspiration. The creative atmosphere in Northern Tasmania, our rich population of writers, painters, sculptors, actors, musicians and craftspeople is another inspiration, and a joy. One of the writing groups I belong to, Tatlers Women Writers of Northern Tasmania, published an anthology of fiction, history and poems last year titled In Pursuit of Tasmania. Most of us live in the Tamar Valley and it features significantly in the book. 3. What themes are you exploring? At present I'm taking part in a poetry project organised by poet Kristen Lang, exploring the world from the point of view of its non-human or earth-centred life. In Kristen's words: What might poems that support earth-centric ways of being look like and can they contribute to social change? I want to answer these two questions in pieces to begin with. By the end, we will see if we have a deeper, more inclusive answer. 4. Describe for us where you write. I am fortunate to have a study of my own, a dedicated place with a big, solid, old-fashioned wooden desk. On the desk is a small lamp, because I work early in the morning and in winter, it's still dark. There are always piles of books and papers on my desk, as well as my computer and printer. I have my latest journal at hand on the desk, too. I write in it with a pen. The study windows face the front yard where I sometimes see the secret wallaby who sleeps in a narrow, private spot next to the house. There are proteas in bloom now in the yard so I can see the wattle birds getting their honey fix throughout the day. There's a file cabinet which I sporadically try to clear out, and a floor-to-ceiling bookcase filled with essential books collected over many years. Non-essential books are in piles on the floor, as well as many boxes of photos from the pre-digital age. Paintings by friends and some of my own photos are on the walls. I love my study.  I know how lucky I am.  Most days I spend several hours in this wonderful space. 5. Finish this sentence, "I wish the literary scene was more..." Widely known, appreciated and well paid! 6. What's your favourite read so far this year? Devotions: The Selected Poems of Mary Oliver.  The wonderful poet Mary Oliver died in 2019. I don't have any words that are strong enough to express my appreciation of her poems, and my gratitude for her work.

A poet and novelist, Joy Elizabeth has been part of the poetry community in Tasmania for over 36 years. She was guest poet at the inaugural Tasmanian Poetry Festival in 1985, and again this year. In 2004, Joy won the Scarlet Stiletto Awards, Dorothy Porter Award for the Best Crime Story in Verse, for her story The Mystery of the Missing Paycheques, which she says, she wrote in the hope of impressing Dorothy Porter! Joy’s poetry has appeared in a number of collections and journals, including The Loom of Time (1985), Vashti’s Voice, Famous Reporter and Westerly. Her latest collection of poetry, Fragile Friday, was published early this year. Her first novel, Rebekah & Sarah, based on the life of her Jewish grandmother who escaped the Nazis during WWII, has just embarked on its search for a publisher. Passionate about mentoring young poets and promoting poetry and performance, Joy is, with Yvonne Gluyas, co-organiser of the Tasmanian Heats and Final of the Australian Poetry Slam. Together they organise and run poets’ breakfasts and workshops at folk festivals in Tasmania. 1. What are you working on? A collection of poems about my mother, iconic Victorian feminist, Eileen Capocchi’s life, and a spoof crime novel set in Tasmania. 2. How does the Tamar Valley influence your writing? In so many ways; I’ve lived here for most of my life and love this part of the world. The valley’s very varied environment, its moods, the people, towns and rich cultural history, going back so many thousands of years, all directly or indirectly affect the way I approach my work. 3. What themes are you exploring? The courage, determination and commitment of women to overcome painful pasts, betrayals and violence. The power and groundswell of the women’s movement, the environmental movement, and those for indigenous rights; how far we’ve come in some ways and at the same time the bitter realisation that in other ways so very little has been won. The complexity of relationships in a small place like Tasmania. And that ever constant theme; greed. 4. Describe for us where you write. Mostly in the dedicated corner of my living area, in my round house in Newnham, surrounded by a ridiculous amount of clutter, but sometimes in coffee shops or wherever an idea comes to me. More recently I’ve spent time writing in my gorgeous motorhome, Matilda, wherever we happen to be. 5. Finish this sentence, "The thing I love the most about being a storyteller is…" ...that when I least expect it, I find I have spoken to people I don’t know, about what matters to them.” 6. What's your favourite read so far this year? That’s a hard one. I’m relishing Jane Williams’ Points of Recognition and Esther Ottaway’s Intimate, Low-voiced, Delicate Things, both exquisite collections of poetry. But my very recent discovery is the extraordinary novel by American writer Kim Michele Richardson, The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek.

Lyndon Riggall is a writer and secondary English teacher from Launceston, whose passion for words goes as far back as being a volunteer book reviewer at The Examiner at the age of twelve. In 2013, Lyndon won the global Hot Key Books’ Young Writers’ Prize for his manuscript Charlie in the Dark, while his premiere theatre script for Launceston’s Mudlark Theatre Company, ULG, played to sold out audiences at the 2017 Junction Arts Festival. Lyndon has been a judge for the Children’s Book Council of Tasmania, a writer in residence at local Tasmanian schools, and has received national recognition for his screenwriting and poetry. His first picture book for children, Becoming Ellie (created in collaboration with artist Graeme Whittle), was released in 2019. Lyndon can be found by following @lyndonriggall on Twitter and Instagram, or at his website: lyndonriggall.com 1. What are you working on? As always I have a few projects on the go, and I love bouncing between them depending on my mood on a particular day or which idea might be firing. At the moment, the files that I might open on any particular morning include a picture book project, a children’s novel set on the Overland Track and a slightly overwhelming Tasmanian gothic horror novel that is now sitting at 100,000 words long and shows no signs of stopping! 2. How does the Tamar Valley influence your writing? The Tamar Valley will always be home for me, and I think that more than anything else it is a place of peace and space, and those two things are a wonderful breeding ground for a writer. I love travelling to the mainland and soaking up that big city energy and hustle for a few days, but when I come home I am usually exhausted. Somewhere by the banks of the river is where the real work gets done. 3. What themes are you exploring? Almost everything I write has the ultimate goal of helping us understand ourselves and each other better. I like to write about characters who have a single-mindedness to them and who refuse to acknowledge that something is missing from their lives until the story’s conclusion. My first picture book created with my friend Graeme Whittle, Becoming Ellie, is a great and simple example of this: Ellie the greyhound is so focused on being the best runner that she can be that she neglects her basic needs for comfort, rest and a sense of individual identity. When an accident causes her dreams of racing to fall apart, she has to completely reinvent her understanding of who she is from scratch, and that journey is frightening for her, but it is also what life is. The worst thing that we can do is stop growing. 4. Describe for us where you like to write. Writing is the first thing I do to start my day at 6am, usually with one foot still in my dreams. Nevertheless, squeezing some creative expression in before the chaos of school and teaching steals the day away from me is the best way for me to get things done, and once I’ve ticked off my writing I can call the day a win. I have a small desk just near the kitchen (and the kettle!) with a second keyboard, and my laptop up on a small shelf to put the screen properly in my eyeline. It’s basic, but I haven’t seen any evidence yet to suggest that a bigger, better desk would make me write any more often or better. Of course it’s the middle of winter at the moment, and cold, so I must confess that this morning I have snatched my computer off its stand and gone back to bed! 5. Finish this sentence, "I want my writing to..." I want my writing to reignite the reader’s passion for words. I often think about my life and values, and it seems to me that my mission is about sharing the power of stories; not just because developing literacy on this island is so important, but also because all of us have increasingly aggressive demands on our time, and so many people are missing out on those moments where we get so invested in a narrative that we forget where we are, or even that we are reading. My great fear is that these kinds of experiences will eventually slip from rarity to near-impossibility if we don’t find a way to turn it around. 6. What's your favourite read so far this year? There are two books released this year that every Tasmanian should read: Adam Thompson’s Born Into This and Richard Flanagan’s Toxic: The Rotting Underbelly of the Tasmanian Salmon Industry. While Thompson’s work is fictional and Flanagan’s non-fiction, both of them are wake-up calls for the way that we treat the environment around us and each other, and they contribute key arguments to conversations that have been continually pushed aside on this island and need facing. On an international level, for just a great page-turning novel with a fantasy twist you can’t go past The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab. The ending made me gasp!

Anne Layton-Bennett was born in England, and moved to Australia in 1977. While she has always been an inveterate letter writer, she only got serious about writing professionally in 1994, after the sale of the florist business she and her partner owned. Her work has since appeared in a number of newspapers and magazines both in Australia and overseas, including The West Australian, The Weekend Australian, Famous Reporter, Island, Tasmanian Boating and Fishing, Australian Fishing World, The New Writer, Hospital & Aged Care, The Veterinarian, Tasmanian Times and Facility Management. Anne co-edited An Inspired Pursuit: 40 years of writing by women in northern Tasmania (Karuda Press, 2002), and has several essays included in An Inspired Pursuit: Volume 2, (Tatlers, 2012). Her work is also included in Breaking the boundaries: Australian activists tell their stories (Wakefield Press, 2016), and The Fabric of Launceston (Launceston Historical Society, 2016). Challenged several years ago to try her hand at writing poetry, Anne now has a growing portfolio of poems  – some of which have been published. She still writes letters. You can learn more about Anne on her website: www.annelaytonbennett.com 1. What are you working on? In addition to constantly seeking out and following up potential story leads for The Veterinarian, I’m also working on a book about the pulp mill campaign, and the stories of some of those in the community who campaigned so hard and for so long to ensure it never went ahead. The book is from the perspective of myself and some of the people I met during those years, many of whom are now good friends, and who agreed to be interviewed for the book. 2. How does the Tamar Valley influence your writing? Unsurprisingly, so far as the book project is concerned, it’s a significant influence! The pulp mill campaign really showed the extent of the deep love and commitment so many Tasmanians have for their valley home, and who were determined it would not be destroyed by an inappropriate industrial development that threatened its natural beauty and serenity. That so many people from all walks of life spontaneously came together in order to protect our amazing valley from the deadly and polluting impacts of the mill is something I think about—and am grateful for—every day. Those campaign years were undeniably difficult and emotionally tough, but I think our community has emerged stronger, more united, and richer for the experience. 3. What themes are you exploring? How the prospect of the pulp mill exposed both community divisions and strengths, and shone an unflattering light on both state and federal governments. The campaign broke down long held social barriers and forced the Launceston and Tamar Valley community—as well as Tasmania more broadly—to open its eyes and value the environmental treasures we are blessed to have all around us. The campaign also highlighted the diversity and depth of skills and talents within the valley’s community. There was an extraordinary feeling of relief when the campaign was finally over. When the heavy, ominous mill threat lifted it was replaced by a vibrancy, and an awakening confidence and energy that allowed people to finally feel able to make plans and pursue different, and more creative, economic opportunities for our future. 4. Describe for us where you write? I’m lucky to have my own office space in the house we moved to after winding up the flower growing business. Same road, same suburb, and closer to the river, but a smaller property. The large window adjacent to one of my two work stations allows me to look out beyond the garden to catch occasional river glimpses in between the trees. The room is far from tidy, however, despite generous desktop space to plonk books, files, notebooks and papers. The two bookshelves along one wall are chockers—one with mostly reference-type books. The two filing cabinets are full, while the built-in wardrobe that was converted to a stationery and storage cupboard by the previous owners, is crammed with 12 years’ worth of media clippings and assorted pulp mill memorabilia, among other items. Some of these files and memorabilia have recently taken over floor space to make accessing research bits and pieces easier. Also on the floor at the moment are files recently received from a friend who has been decluttering, and has offloaded her pulp mill memorabilia onto me. I’ve still to sort through them. 5. Finish this sentence, "The thing I love the most about being a storyteller is . . ." The thing I love the most about being a story teller is interpreting interviews with scientists, researchers, conservationists, volunteers, and individuals passionate about the work they do, into more accessible stories, articles and features. Although the sometimes dense, dry scientific papers are often the basis for me interviewing people in the first place, the scientific jargon doesn’t always make for easy reading. I’ve spoken with so many fascinating individuals over the years, and nearly all have confirmed the adage ‘everyone has a story in them’. I consider it a privilege to have been given the opportunity to bring some of these stories to a wider audience. 6. What’s your favourite read so far this year? There have been a couple, but a standout is definitely Born Into This by Launceston writer Adam Thompson. Adam is a truly gifted writer and I like to think, with his win in the writing competition that was held as part of the 2016 festival, TVWF played a part in his success. Two other memorable books have been Richard Flanagan’s Toxic — a powerful exposé of Tasmania’s salmon farming industry, and Sonia Purnell’s A Woman of No Importance. This biography of Virginia Hall, an American who established an extensive resistance network in France during World War II, and who evaded the Germans multiple times (often by the skin of her teeth and despite having a wooden leg) was a gripping read. The recent film A Call to Spy is based on the lives of Virginia and other WWII female SOE agents who played a crucial role in the war, but who have largely been overlooked and airbrushed from the history books in the years since. They were amazing and resourceful women, and not all of them survived.