Sydney Writers’ Festival: Day Five by Alysha Farry

Day five of the festival is a big one with sessions including Gail Jones, Mike Carlton, Anita Heiss, Suelette Dreyfus, Frank Moorhouse, Matt Condon, Craig Cliff, James Fergusson, Lucinda Holdforth and Fatima Bhutto.

Session one with Gail Jones was all about Sydney – looking at three different ways it has been represented in literature by three very different authors.  Gail’s latest book, FIVE BELLS, is set in Sydney’s Circular Quay and unravels the lives of four individuals over the course of one day.  I read it a while back and it made me think about my city, and her harbour, in a whole new light.  And there’s no more fitting place to talk about FIVE BELLS than at Sydney Writers’  Festival.  The book is sublime and very moving – a must read for any Australian, and not just Sydneysiders.

Session two was chaired by Mike Carlton (such a radio voice!) talking to two journalists who have been fired from their high profile newspaper jobs and have subsequently written books about the experience.  Mike, who writes for the Sydney Morning Herald as well as being an author, lead a very lively discussion on the ethical obligations of the media, and how the commercial objectives of any media organisation can interfere with this.

Tonight I am looking forward to the Town Hall event – Who’s Afraid of Wikileaks, which Suelette Dreyfus, author of UNDERGROUND, will speak at.  It should be a fascinating insight into this phenomena and the man behind it – Julian Assange.

And we all wish Craig Cliff, author of THE MELTING MAN, good luck for the announcement of the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize tomorrow evening at Sydney Theatre.  We’re rooting for you Craig!

Alysha Farry is Head of Publicity at Random House Australia