The Sydney Writers’ Festival

On Monday the 16th of May, a select group of my peers and I were given the opportunity to attend the Sydney Writers’ Festival. We listened to four amazing authors discuss their worst and best times, their inspirations and future dreams. It was an eye opening experience that i’m sure has given many of us the desire to delve into the writing world.

John Boyne

The first author who spoke to us was John Boyne, who is the world renown creator of ‘The Boy In The Stripped Pyjamas’. He spoke of his youth and what inspired him to become a writer, the meaning behind his novels and the release of ‘The Boy at The Top of The Mountain’. His talk was extremely interesting, we received a history lesson about World War 2 and why he decided upon using war as the focus point of his books. He also spoke about his transition from writing just adult fiction to also doing young adult fiction, and why it’s important for him to be flexible in all areas of his writing.

Michael Grant

The talk by Michael Grant was by far my favourite. He interacted with the audience so well and got everybody excited to read his books, I found myself itching to get downstairs so I could have my copy of his book, ‘Front Lines’, signed and snap a quick picture. The whole audience was laughing at his witty remarks and pondering the politics of his works, like Boyne, a few of Grant’s books are based during wartime, both fictional and non-fictional. He has a long list of creations, most of which are quiet renown or popular among people of all ages. His wife, Katherine Alice Applegate, is also an established author and the two have collaborated on a few books together.

Vikki Wakefield

The next author we saw was Vikki Wakefield, who was a quiet woman with many interesting stories to tell and a bit of stage fright. She spoke willingly about her past and the ways it has helped her in her writing. The audience was very quiet and respectful as she talked, and a large group moved to ask questions at the Q&A time later in the talk. Her latest novel, ‘In-between Days’, was the focus point of the session and she explained its personal relevance to her. I wish I could have gotten the chance to speak with her before we left, she seemed very humble and modest about her talents.

Claire Zorn

Claire Zorn was definitely a character. Her personality lit up the stage brighter than any spot light could and she had us all on the edge of our seats. Her hilarious stories and bubbly explanations sent everybody into hysterics, she had a great aura and I was unbelievably excited to meet her. She spoke about her childhood and how she became a writer, the troubles with publishing and her journey to where she is today. One of her more famous works, ‘The Skies So Heavy’, is also based in a war setting and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy. After the talk, a group of my friends and I got a picture and one of our purchases signed.

 

The Sydney Writers’ Festival was an amazing experience that i’ll never forget, we got to interact with the people who bring our dreams to life and I think that’s something to treasure. I posted a few photos on the blog Instagram that you should check out! My fellow blogger, BetweenThePages2016, also attended the festival with me, so make sure you have a peek at her account!

A most bookish of regards,

The Book Owl.