Overland literary journal

The African Theatre Project

Yeah, I know it's daggy to spruik your own mum's performances, and I don't really have to, since the play sold out even before tonight's opening night but I just wanted to tell you a little about the African Theatre Project's first staged storytelling My Name is Sud:

After being showcased at this year's Sydney Writers' Festival, Blacktown City Council's African Theatre Project presents its first major production, My Name is Sud, written by Yuol Yuol, Akoi Majak, Monica Kualba and John Garang. ... read more

Written by Maxine Clarke on 19-11-2009, No comments

congratulations to Jessica Au

Jess Au from Meanjin's signed a contract for her debut novel. If you want a sense of why that's exciting, try reading this.

Written by Jeff Sparrow on 19-11-2009, 1 user comment

Archive closures – letter to Senator Ludwig

Dear Senator, I am very disappointed to hear that the National Archives will be closing their offices in Darwin, Adelaide, and Hobart over the next two years due to budget cuts. As an author I find this objectionable. The planned closures will make it harder for regional authors to research primary material. Will we have to fly to Canberra to conduct research? Because the NT was administered by the Commonwealth between 1910-1978 I understand the NAA also holds the records relating to the Stolen Generations. As well, the Adelaide office of NAA holds significant records relating to child migrants from the 1940s to 1960s – part of the ‘Remembered Children’ to whom the PM apologised recently (and promised to he

Written by Jennifer Mills on 19-11-2009, 1 user comment

Come Swinging Tonight

Written by Maxine Clarke on 17-11-2009, No comments

talkback on creative writing

Tomorrow on Aural Text  (Wednesdays on 3RRR between 12 and 2), Alicia Sometimes and I will be interviewing the NZ hip hop artiste Tourettes, discussing madness and memoir with Sandy Jeffs and hearing Maxine Clarke's review of the local poetry scene. But we'll also be talking with RMIT's Francesca Rendle-Short about how the creative writing program there has developed and, more generally, about what the rise of academic creative writing means for Australian literature. Afterwards, we want to have some talkback and, given the passions that a previous post on creative writing generated here, it would be great to have some blog readers phone in. ... read more

Written by Jeff Sparrow on 17-11-2009, 4 user comments

The Victorian State Final of the National Poetry Slam

Last Thursday night an odd array of listeners packed a back room at the State Library to watch the Victorian State Final of the 2009 Australian Poetry Slam. Proud parents, siblings and friends chatted a little too excitedly. Ousted heat poets sucked long-necks in commiseration and anticipation. Eager contestants paced the room edges scrubbed up in suits and ties, casual in singlets and ripped jeans, dolled up in off-the-shoulder dresses.

Suitably charming and loquacious host, performance poet Emily Zoey Baker warned that a mobile phone ring would earn the owning audience member a performance space on stage, and it was all I could do not to turn the ring-tone on my bashed brick of a pre-paid up and text a mate to prank me in ten. ... read more

Written by Maxine Clarke on 16-11-2009, No comments

where now for books in Australia?

Two cheers for the decision to reject the Productivity Commission's proposed changes to the publishing industry: one because the reforms would have made life harder for writers and the second because the government's response suggests that there's still a deep suspicion amongst the public about free market reforms.

Beyond that, however, it's hard to get too excited, since in more important respects nothing fundamental has been settled. The world of books faces tremendous turmoil and I rather worry that the brief interest sparked by this debate will now fade, leaving far more far-reaching transformations to take place without scrutiny -- indeed, without any conscious decisions being made at all.

As the Spiketeers note, Craig Emerson's press release justified the decision on the basis that Australian publishing is already struggling to come to terms with the digital revolution. That's certainly the case. One might go as far as to say that no-one really has a clue as to how books might be produced, distributed or read in twenty years time. ... read more

Written by Jeff Sparrow on 13-11-2009, 3 user comments

do not adjust your set

I don't think I've mentioned it here but throughout November and December, I'm moonlighting as co-host with Alicia Sometimes on 3RRR's Aural Text show, between 12 and 2 pm on Wednesdays. This week, we're talking with Delia Falconer about the state of the short story, Sophie Cunningham about conferences and awards and the crew from Going Down Swinging about their latest edition, as well as generally banging on about books and writing and stuff.

Written by Jeff Sparrow on 10-11-2009, No comments

The Green Light of Page Seventeen

One thing you’re never going to forget is that first green light. Red lights surround most writers like a city in permanent gridlock. That first movement forward feels like a liberation from purgatory and fills our heads with dreams of open roads and freedom ruffling our hair. A few metres down the bitumen later, we know we’ll go on dreaming of those mythic speeds and spaces, but that first green light is still the most glorious release. Page Seventeen is all about illuminating those kinds of lights. ... read more

Written by Alec Patric on 9-11-2009, 2 user comments

BBQ, Beer and Bowls in Brunswick!

Overland joins forces with Meanjin to launch their final issues for the year with a special event: BBQ, Beer and Bowls in Brunswick!

Team captains Jeff Sparrow and Sophie Cunningham will face off in an epic battle to the death. Or depending on the teams, maybe just to the bar. But remember, only one side can take home the coveted emu egg trophy so don't miss the action! ... read more

Written by Karen Pickering on 6-11-2009, 3 user comments

Dishonourable Discharge

fucking arabs
man / are they crazy
yeah / okay we know hasan
wz born in virginia
& american bred
bt the real truth
wz there in his blood:
jordanian

& before you say racist
lemme just say
september eleven
before you jump on that
lemme throw at you
seven seven
mean anything to you
how long before we learn
to lock the fucking gates
& save our children
close the fucking borders
send the brown skins back
freeloading boaters or even
if they're fucking born here
who cares
twelve real americans died
at last count
& he injured thirty one

they were sending him to counsel soldiers
to shoot his mother / the army
wz shipping malik to afghanistan
probably / when he couldn/t deal with this
an american born soldier became un-american

they were sending him to ease the guilt
of those who killed his sisters / the army
wz shipping him to afghanistan
& probably his objections just
didn’t go down too well

today / malik nadal hasan
dishonourably discharged himself
the army spilled american blood
bt somehow the news on cnn is
a desperate brown man
army trained / born & bred
who no longer is the slightest bit
american

(crossposted @ slamup.blogspot.com)

Written by Maxine Clarke on 6-11-2009, 5 user comments

Australian Fabians Young Writers Competition – win a trip to London and an internship at Demos!

Overland readers might be interested in the opportunity below:

** Write an opinion piece **
** Get published in The Australian **
** Spend a month with the UK's leading think tank **

What are the most important issues facing Australia today? What practical policy solutions do you have to address those problems? Can you convince people of your argument in 1,000 well-written words? ... read more

Written by Jeff Sparrow on 6-11-2009, 7 user comments