Below is the call for submissions of this year’s National Young Writers’ Festival:

It’s ridiculously easy to get involved. Should you do it? YES, because it will be completely fun. I’m associate director for the festival this year, and I can tell you that, as well as your classic panels, readings, Festival Club parties, and general “we’re not the ones who have to rebuild Newcastle next week” nutbaggin’, on our agenda is: – Programming for conflict! i.e. if a panel looks exciting, it will be. No tears (in the audience).

– “New generation” publishing stuff. Ampersand, Torpedo, Stop Drop n Roll, Brow contributors – that means you.

– Two of the directors are from Brisbane and their backgrounds are in theatre. The other one’s a comics maker from Tasmania. If you’ve been to lots of NYWFs and think you’ll just be seeing the same (basic) program as ever – you won’t. If you’re not from Melbourne, not super-traditionally a writer, hell, not necessarily under 30 – odds are, there’s more room for you than ever.

– Events that combine writing with music, comics, art, Iron Cheffing. If it’s fun to watch, let’s do it. If it feels good, let’s overdo it. If this sounds good to you, you don’t have to come to us with a totally prepackaged idea. The application form is easy, and most importantly, we WANT you to be involved. Tell us what you can about yourself and we’ll figure out where to put you. The festival is 1-5 October in beachside, scenic Newcastle. The deadline for proposals is 31 March – one month from now. If you want to run ideas by me specifically, it’ll have to be this week or next, or else I’m out of the country until well past the deadline. You can email me, or call me on 0434 584 031. Please, please, please pass this around to anybody who might dig it. The wider this goes out, the better.

Submissions are now open for the 2009 National Young Writers’ Festival (NYWF). We are seeking proposals from fiction writers, poets, journalists, zinesters, magazinesters, bloggers, playwrights, editors, curators, independent publishers, critics, activists, media geeks, comics makers, theory-heads, thinkers, performance artists, visual artists—all and sundry Friends of the Word … to take part in the epic 2009 NYWF!
Whether you’re fresh-faced and peppy-toed, or you’ve been around the literary block and lived to tell the tale, we want YOU. If you have a concept to peddle or an idea to burn: grab your lappy, your pen, your crayon—or better yet, all three, and get to filling out the following details.
But write now, think later:
Submissions close MARCH 31ST, 2009.
applications can be sent to submissions@nywf.org