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We are thrilled to announce that we are once again bringing the Sydney Writers’ Festival to the Star Theatre, Invermay, this year! One of Australia’s best-loved forums for literature, ideas and storytelling, Sydney Writers’ Festival will be streaming its headline events from Carriageworks in Sydney direct to the Star Theatre's big screen on Saturday May 1 and Sunday May 2. We are inviting you to be part of Live & Local, streamed live by Sydney Writers’ Festival and delivered locally to Launceston's Star Theatre. Prepare to be engaged by conversations, debates and discussions as the Festival brings some of the world’s finest authors to Launceston in real time. As well as hearing new ideas from great thinkers, audiences have the opportunity to participate in Q&A sessions at each event, sending questions direct to the stage. Tickets General: $20 each Student: $10 each Bookings through Star Theatre on 6333 1190 and startheatre.com.au Don't forget that the Star Theatre offers light snacks and beverages. Our partner Petrarch's Bookshop will also be on site with a popup book store and the featured authors' books for sale. The Lineup Saturday May 1, 4–5pm Richard Flanagan & Laura Tingle Richard Flanagan is a legend of Australian letters. His much-lauded novels are published in 42 countries. He won the Booker Prize for The Narrow Road to the Deep North and the Commonwealth Prize for Gould’s Book of Fish. His latest book The Living Sea of Waking Dreams offers a tender, haunting portrait of a world disappearing around us. With ABC's Laura Tingle, he reflects on capturing in words the things we’re losing. Sunday May 2, 12noon–1pm George Miller: Beyond Thunderdome George Miller is a legend of cinema. From Mad Max to Babe to the recent triumph of Fury Road (with a Happy Feet or two along the way), it’s hard to think of a more revolutionary creative figure in Australia today. Sunday May 2, 4–5pm Great Adaptations: Margaret and David Return Greatly missed on TV screens, the nation’s favourite film critics Margaret Pomeranz and David Stratton reunite in a special event discussing movie adaptations of Australian books. The famously sparring duo settle back into their critics’ chairs to offer their top five standout movies that do justice to the original text, the five-star films that bested the books and the flops that lost their lustre when transposed from page to screen.

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

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.

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.

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