Tuesday, July 21, 2020

Top Ten Tuesday - Writer's I've Seen at MWF




Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's theme is Book Events/Festivals I’d Love to Go to Someday (Real or Fictional) which was  submitted by Nandini @ Unputdownable Books)

Is it too much of a cop out to say all of them? It feels like it is!

I am very lucky to live in a city which was the second city in the world to be named as a UNESCO City of Literature and there are plenty of festivals or conferences around the city. The main one, the Melbourne Writers Festival, is announcing it's line up and format tomorrow! If the program had been released today then my Top Ten post would have been about that, but instead, it is out tomorrow, so instead I have decided to use my post this week to talk about some of the authors who I have heard speak in previous years.

I have been going to Melbourne Writers Festival for around 10 years now. Not only have I had the chance to listen to some great authors speak, but also I have been able to meet up with other book bloggers over the years. Some of the authors I have heard speak at MWF include:



Ann Patchett - I saw Ann Patchett back in 2011, where she was talking about her book State of Wonder. I did enjoy that book. I do still need to read her newest book The Dutch House too.


Sarah Dunant - I saw a couple of sessions with Sarah Dunant back in 2013 and both were fascinating. The first session was talking about Italian art and history, with a particular focus on Lucrezia Borgia. I got her book, Blood and Beauty, at that time. Still haven't read it!


Kate Grenville - I saw a session with Kim Scott and Rohan Wilson back in 2011 talking about the challenges of writing about the settlement of Australia, particularly in relation to native Australian portrayals. Kate Grenville has a new book out and looking at the current MWF website, I would suggest she is going to be a featured author again this year.



Kim Scott -After hearing Kim Scott speak in the same session as  Kate Grenville, I knew that I had to read his book That Deadman Dance, which I thought was excellent.



Kevin Kwan - Kevin Kwan was a speaker in 2013at as session which focussed on books as objects of beauty which was fascinating.


John Boyne - This session was memorable for a couple of reasons. Firstly because I could have listened to him talk for hours, but also because a friend of mine who lives in Sydney happened to walk in and sit down in front of me. I had no idea she was in Melbourne, and for her it was a impulsive decision to attend a session.


Melina Marchetta - This was one of the sessions I attended last year because I do love her books! And I would totally go and listen to her talk any time!


Justin Cronin - In 2016 I attended several MWF sessions, including Rainbow Rowell and David Leviathan, but for the purpose of this post I am going to mention seeing the author of the Passage trilogy.


Susan Johnson - I saw Australian author Susan Johnson speak back in 2013 at a session called Sex and Sensibility. You know that a session exploring sex and sensuality in literature is going to be fun, which it was!




Margo Lanagan - My final author for today's post is another Australian author, Margo Lanagan who I saw speak back in 2013.


Back in the day I was very diligent and wrote recaps of many of the sessions I attended which you can revisit through the links I have included above. The last couple of years I haven't written anything! Whoops! This year I will try to do better and do something between those two extremes.

Oh, and in answer to the actual question for this week, in addition to all the Australia capital city festivals (Perth, Adelaide, Sydney etc) I would like to visit the Ubud festival in Bali, Hay on Wye festival in the UK, and Book Expo America. Closer to home there is a small town in country Victoria called Clunes which has an annual weekend festival which I would like to visit one day.

46 comments:

  1. funny you mentioning melina marchetta - i've just this minute finished her book tell the truth, shame the devil. I loved it!

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  2. oh yes and i was on a zoom book launch last week with kate grenville. what a fabulous speaker, cant wait to read her new book.

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    1. Kate Grenville is a very interesting speaker for sure Sherry.

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  3. Fingers crossed that the line up for Melbourne is good this year! I'm super jealous about all the authors you've gotten to see!

    My TTT

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    1. It will be very interesting to see what the format is and who the speakers are Anna.

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  4. What a phenomenal opportunity to meet so many authors.

    My TTT---Bookstores to visit

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    1. We are very lucky indeed. There were several other festivals here in Melbourne that I could have mentioned Anne.


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  5. I'm glad you posted this because I had totally forgotten that the MWF program is out tomorrow. I am so hoping that the new director is an improvement on the previous two years!

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    1. I suspect there might be some similarities in style Lisa, but I guess we will see!

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  6. Love your twist on this week's topic! I really need to try some of Sarah Dunant's work; I love Italy and I love historical fiction, so it's crazy I haven't yet.

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    1. Birth of Venus and In the Company of the Courtesan were so good Jess! I would recommend starting there.

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  7. I've actually not heard of the majority of these authors but I love the sound of some of their work. Sarah Dunant sounds like a fascinating read!

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    1. If you like historical fiction she is a good author to read Proxyfish

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  8. Excellent choice! I am actually quite excited for the MWF line up to come out tomorrow! Hoping for some interesting names/sessions to maybe attend virtually

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    1. I am really keen to see the lineup tomorrow too Bree!

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  9. Fantastic list - am I jealous? AM I JEALOUS?! Would love to hear Ann Patchett and John Boyne speak!
    My list is here TTT

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    1. Are you jealous? I'm not sure! It sounds that way! I was jealous of a couple of yours too!

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  10. Can I just say the Melbourne Writers Festival sounds more fun that the Sydney one? Also Kevin Kwan -- what a lovely topic that is!

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  11. I knew that the Texas Book Festival in Austin was going online this year in November, and I started thinking...I wonder about other festivals...and guess what? The National Book Festival in Washington DC? Yes! And the Edinburgh Book Festival in Scotland? Yes! I'm very excited to think about attending these, even virtually.

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    1. We have also been taking advantage of lots of online author events as well Deb.

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  12. Book events/festivals are fun and it's always so interesting to hear the authors talk about their books and anything in general.

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    1. Absolutely Melody.I refer to bookish events as feeding my soul.

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  13. I wonder if we have something like that here in Toronto. I really need to look into that. You're so lucky for meeting all of these authors :)

    Here's my Top Ten Tuesday post.

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    1. It looks like there is an international festival of authors Natalie, so you could be lucky!

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  14. You picked some good ones. I recently discovered Ann Patchett and have been reading as many of her books the library will get me.

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    1. I need to get back to Ann Patchett at some point Tina!

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  15. Kevin Kwan and Justine Cronin I’d love to meet! You’ve done amazingly well meeting all these talented peeps!

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    1. Kevin Kwan is on this year's festival program as well!

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  16. The Melbourne Writers Festival sounds amazing! Wow!

    Thanks for stopping by earlier.

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    1. We are certainly very lucky to have this in our city Lydia

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  17. Great post. I'd like to read Kate Grenville again. Enjoyed The Secret River. Will the MWF be taking place in person or online this year? Someday I hope to visit Melbourne!

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    1. It's online. The whole city of Melbourne is currently back in lockdown so no public gatherings at the moment unfortunately

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  18. That's great. Here is my TTT.
    https://dmhoisington.wordpress.com/2020/07/21/top-ten-tuesday-7/

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  19. How fun that your city has its own book festival! Looks like they bring in some great authors as well. I'm glad you've gotten to enjoy it many times. Lucky you!

    Happy TTT!

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    1. I am looking forward to enjoying it again this year Susan

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  20. This looks like a wonderful line up of authors, and it's also so fascinating to learn about all the amazing book festivals around the world! The settling of Australia and the issues surrounding portrayals of that sounds really interesting. I often think about that with our own history here as well.

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    1. I think there are definitely some similarities in settlement stories around the world Greg.

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  21. Fun fact -- many moons before The Passage, I had Justin Cronin as an adjunct writing professor for a grad school class I took at night. I think it was something like Organizational Writing. Crazy. I never finished that degree and he...well, went onto bigger and better things.

    I saw Ann Patchett when she came to Pittsburgh one time. Delightful - loved her. She gave people book recommendations (not hers) in the book signing line. And I love John Boyne's novels and would listen to him anytime.

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  22. Ahh, it is so cool that you have been able to see all of these authors! I'm totally envious!

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  23. What a great list of authors! So many i'd like to see. I need to do my own list for fun!

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