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A Reflection on the Writer's Festival


One of the most extraordinary experiences I have had during my time as a La Trobe University student has been attending the Writer’s Festival in Mildura, as I learned a great deal about what direction I wanted to take my writing career in while also being fortunate enough to meet many writers in the industry who put their life and career into perspective for me. I was also captivated by the overall sense of community between the locals of Mildura who came out to the sessions during the festival; while the interaction and support of the writers had for each other was quite fascinating to see. 

A week before the commencement for the festival I wrote an article on Gail Jones (see here) who was one of the writers coming to Mildura, where I noted my hopes to meet and interview her if I got the chance. However, I did feel as though I spent the whole half of the festival nervous as it was all building up to her session yet despite  this I was able to have an interview with Gail and ask her a few questions about her novel A Guide to Berlin (2015). I also told her about my Japanese heritage and how grateful I was to her for including an accurate depiction of the two Japanese tourists in her novel, as it was fantastic to see the portrayal of their modern culture rather than the ‘pop culture’ side. To my surprise Gail then happily offered to send me a copy of another one of her novels based in Japan called Dreams of Speaking (2006), to which I was incredibility grateful for to receive. I don’t think any other writer inspired me more than Gail did that day at the festival, as her kindness and ability to overlook my nervousness made me feel much more at ease. Her graciousness as an author and humble personality proved me with an amazing interview, but she also taught me what it takes to be a successful author by explaining that it will not make you rich or famous, but it will give you the ability to share your knowledge and passion with the world.

Photo taken by Erica Little

I was also fortunate enough to get a few words from Sue Gillett, our teacher/ lecturer and subject coordinator of The Writers’ in Action class for The Mildura Writers Festival. I found Sue to be an incredibly wonderful teacher who was easily approachable, which allowed my teammates and I to enjoy the festival and the work involved with no difficulty. I caught Sue at the Phillip Hodgins Memorial Medal Dinner and asked her about her experience at the festival so far, and what she thought of the function that night. Sue spoke of the speeches given by the individuals who made the weekend possible, explaining how their words demonstrate the hard work that has been put into creating a sense of community at the festival. She believes that aspect has helped create a good space for everyone, as we all interact with one another including the writers; however they are still given the chance to mingle separately at the lunches and dinners. 
“…I think writers really like this festival, because they create intimate spaces for them. They respect them as writers, and give them opportunities to network with each other.”
– Sue Gillett
Overall the time I had at the festival was very enjoyable as well as educational, and even though Mildura was a long way out which made me quite anxious, I was still able to carry on with my work and meet many interesting people. There was a good social environment around me as well, as I was surrounded by good friends and equally passionate people from Melbourne all of whom made it a fantastic weekend.

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