Opinion as Art When was the last time you read a story that made you want to change course, speak up, rethink your life, or take action? In this workshop, we’ll talk about how stories can function both as political pieces and as art. We discuss how writers Terry Tempest Williams, Bill McKibben, Gloria Steinem, Sandra Steingraber, Wallace Shawn and Rebecca Solnit weave together story, experience and conviction to move their readers to action or to challenge political ideas.

We’ll practice mining our own personal stories and experiences in order to explain and humanise our convictions. We’ll talk about how to write our feelings and opinions with authenticity. We’ll consider how to use research and reporting to strengthen the case we are trying to make. We’ll also draw on lessons from Louise Dunlap’s book, Undoing the Silence, which explores how to overcome the barriers that make us reluctant to speak out.

We will read some of the country’s best political essayists and columnists, and try our hand at writing different forms of opinion pieces, from short blogs and op-eds to long form narrative essays.

At Mattie Furphy House, 9.30 -11.30 on Saturday 25th May Members $22/Non-members $33

Madeline Ostrander is a writer and journalist, who brings the sensibilities of an ecologist to bear on the stories she tells about people, landscape, and the possibility for change.

She is the senior editor for YES! Magazine, a national, independent magazine offering solutions to critical challenges our world faces. She holds a Master’s degree in environmental science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is visiting Perth for a short time to work with students at Edith Cowan University.

]]> http://fawwa.org.au/madeline-ostrander-at-fridayfurphys-may-10/feed/ 0 http://fawwa.org.au/coming-up-in-june/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=coming-up-in-june http://fawwa.org.au/coming-up-in-june/#comments Sat, 18 May 2013 09:08:57 +0000 admin http://fawwa.org.au/?p=2428

June 8^th

1.30 – 4.30 with Annabel Smith

At Mattie Furphy House

Learn about Social Media Marketing

$30 for Members/$35 for Non-members

This hands-on interactive workshop will equip participants with the practical skills and knowledge to begin creating a social media presence, or consolidate their existing presence. It includes plenty of practise opportunities, and a wealth of tips and tools that will empower participants to continue to build their expertise and confidence with social media after the workshop.

ANNABEL SMITH has published two novels; her first novel, A New Map of the Universe, was published by UWA Publishing in 2005 and chosen as their flagship novel to launch their adult fiction series. It was shortlisted for the WA Premier’s Book Awards. Fremantle Press published her second novel, Charlie Whisky Foxtrot. Annabel holds a PhD in Writing.
Mattie Furphy House is located in the Bush Heritage Precinct next to Allen Park, Kirkwood Road, Swanbourne
$30 for members/$35 for non-members

To book for this workshop please ring 9384 4771 or email admin@fawwa.org.au

Annabel’s first novel, A New Map of the Universe, was published by UWA Publishing in 2005. It was chosen as their flagship novel to launch their adult fiction series and was shortlisted for the WA Premier’s Book Awards. She hold a PhD in Writing. Her second novel, Whisky Charlie Foxtrot was published by Fremantle Press.

She is at Mattie’s House the 3rd – 28th June, when she will present two workshops. Annabel will also be available to look at member’s work.

TINEKE VAN DER EECKEN writes creative non-fiction and poetry. She self-published her first book Cafe d’Afrique: a Personal Discovery in 2012. Tineke was a guest at the 2012 Big Sky Readers and Writers Festival in Geraldton where she facilitated a workshop on Self-Publishing and Book Marketing. She is a co-ordinator and publicist of Love Poetry 2012, Poetry de Amour 2013, The Cat in the Box as well as other initiatives. She has a background in social sciences and worked in management and PR for over 15 years. She runs a small business, Tineke Creations. More info on the net http://www.tinekecreations.com.

The workshop will run from 10am until 1pm on Saturday the 18th of May at Mattie Furphy House
$30 for members/$35 for non-members

1. Beginnings

In June 1938 American writer, Hartley Grattan, visited Perth. Katharine Susannah Prichard and John K. Ewers organised a dinner for him with local writers. Only 11 West Australian writers were present and of those 11 not one writer knew all the others.

Following a suggestion by Grattan, the oldest writer present, Jesse Hammond, urged John K. Ewers to form an organisation where writers could meet and support each other.

After ongoing discussions with Henrietta Drake-Brockman, Gavin Casey and others, the first meeting of the new Fellowship of Australian Writers (WA) was held in October 1938 and Ewers was elected as Foundation President

Katharine Susannah Prichard was a founding member.

The Press publishes the ‘forward thinkers’ among our writers. Even Jeremy’s residency is experimental. Rather than living in the house for four weeks he is using it as a writing studio, working there in the evenings and some day-times, whenever the demands of fathering young children allows him time. Jeremy will present 2 workshops during his residency: the first on Creating character, on Saturday 20the April from 1pm to 4.30pm; the second, on evoking landscape, date t be announced. Jeremy will also feature at the informal gathering, Friday at Furphy’s on Friday 12th April, from 5pm to 7pm.

In June we have young novelist Annabel Smith, whose first book A New Map of the Universe, was shortlisted for the W.A. Premier’s Book Award. her second novel, Whiskey, Charlie, Foxtrot was published in late 2012.

Iris Lavell, known to many as to organiser of the Book Length Project Group and author of Elsewhere in Success, will be the Emerging Writer in Residence for August, as she continues work on her second novel.

Novelist Robert Drewe, author of The Shark Net, and many other works will be our Established Writer in Residence for 2013, dates to be announced.

Poem Clinic with Jackson

Don’t abandon your sick and injured poems — bring them in for a group healing session. Some poems just need cosmetic surgery; some need deep healing. In a supportive friendly group we will explore what works and what doesn’t work in our poems and what to do about it. Please bring writing materials and two or three poems. 10am-1pm, Sat 11 May, at Mattie Furphy House, Allen Park Heritage Precinct, 88 Wood Street, Swanbourne. Pay as you feel: if you’re able to pay, please pay what you think is fair and that you can afford.