Alas, only one panel, which is on at 6.00 p.m! I found that today and tomorrow seem to be the schools days and just about everything I wanted to see was a schools session. I used to go to those with my students when I was a teacher librarian. When I left, I thought, great, now I can go to the festival during the day!
No such luck, it seems. There was a whole YA weekend I couldn’t attend because of family commitments, and there is very little on today apart from the sessions aimed at schools, which I don’t think I’d be welcome at, but which are sold out anyway.
However, I did find out that Deborah Lipstadt will be on a panel at the gorgeous Capitol Theatre tonight, and I have read her non fiction book Denial, on which a movie was based. In case you don’t know about her, she teaches Jewish and Holocaust Studies and some years ago the Holocaust denier David Irving tried to sue her. She had to go to England to face a British court, due to a technical thing by which it was up to her to prove her point, not his to disprove it. It was a fascinating read and became a very interesting movie, with Timothy Spall as David Irving. You may remember him as the nasty Peter “Wormtail” Pettigrew in the Harry Potter movies, and I must say, he makes a very good villain. He did play as the artist Turner, in a movie I haven’t seen yet, but it’s a bit like David Warner, whom I only saw once in a sympathetic role, as the Grail seeker in Babylon 5.
Tomorrow I’m going to hear DeRay McKesson, who has written a book about the founding of Black Lives Matter. I’ll buy that in ebook.
I’ve also bought a copy of Will Kostakis’s new novel Monuments, though I won’t be able to hear him - again, schools sessions and sold out. Looks like he’s gone from contemporary YA to fantasy YA, but I opened it and chuckled over the opening line and bought it. I love YA fantasy, but he is just so good at contemporary! My favourite is The First Third, his second novel. Our students loved it too. One girl was so concerned about the fate of the grandmother in the novel, inspired by his own, that he had to reassure her that his own yiayia is alive and well - in fact, she rang while he was with the kids of my book club, and he handed the girl the phone - and autographed her book with “To the President of the YiaYia fan club”!
It’s times like this I really miss my students - I’m quite sure nobody is taking them to the festival this year, unless it’s a year level to hear someone whose book they’re studying. Not that there is anything wrong with that, th authors are delightful when you actually meet them, and I remember how much my EAL students enjoyed hearing Melina Marchetta when they were studying Looking For Alibrandi.
I’d just like them to be able to go for fun.
Time to go for a cuppa before the panel starts. See you!
No such luck, it seems. There was a whole YA weekend I couldn’t attend because of family commitments, and there is very little on today apart from the sessions aimed at schools, which I don’t think I’d be welcome at, but which are sold out anyway.
However, I did find out that Deborah Lipstadt will be on a panel at the gorgeous Capitol Theatre tonight, and I have read her non fiction book Denial, on which a movie was based. In case you don’t know about her, she teaches Jewish and Holocaust Studies and some years ago the Holocaust denier David Irving tried to sue her. She had to go to England to face a British court, due to a technical thing by which it was up to her to prove her point, not his to disprove it. It was a fascinating read and became a very interesting movie, with Timothy Spall as David Irving. You may remember him as the nasty Peter “Wormtail” Pettigrew in the Harry Potter movies, and I must say, he makes a very good villain. He did play as the artist Turner, in a movie I haven’t seen yet, but it’s a bit like David Warner, whom I only saw once in a sympathetic role, as the Grail seeker in Babylon 5.
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| Update: been to the panel, enjoyed it! That’s Deborah on the right! |
Tomorrow I’m going to hear DeRay McKesson, who has written a book about the founding of Black Lives Matter. I’ll buy that in ebook.
I’ve also bought a copy of Will Kostakis’s new novel Monuments, though I won’t be able to hear him - again, schools sessions and sold out. Looks like he’s gone from contemporary YA to fantasy YA, but I opened it and chuckled over the opening line and bought it. I love YA fantasy, but he is just so good at contemporary! My favourite is The First Third, his second novel. Our students loved it too. One girl was so concerned about the fate of the grandmother in the novel, inspired by his own, that he had to reassure her that his own yiayia is alive and well - in fact, she rang while he was with the kids of my book club, and he handed the girl the phone - and autographed her book with “To the President of the YiaYia fan club”!
It’s times like this I really miss my students - I’m quite sure nobody is taking them to the festival this year, unless it’s a year level to hear someone whose book they’re studying. Not that there is anything wrong with that, th authors are delightful when you actually meet them, and I remember how much my EAL students enjoyed hearing Melina Marchetta when they were studying Looking For Alibrandi.
I’d just like them to be able to go for fun.
Time to go for a cuppa before the panel starts. See you!
8 comments:
I have a few friends presenting at the Festival this year. There are some sessions that sound marvellous - alas, I won't be at any.
I hadn't heard of Denial but it sounds fascinating. I will have to look it up at the library (fingers crossed they have it).
Deborah Lipstadt is well worth going to listen, particularly since that evil Holocaust denier David Irving tried to sue her. I don't always think good writers necessarily make good public speakers, but Lipstadt is a confident speaker with great content.
Anita, lovely! Who are those friends? I can forget about Thursday and most of tomorrow, but there are other times...
Hi, Hels! Yes, I’ve been to see her, since writing this post(see the photo)and she was indeed worth the price of the ticket, very entertaining yet saying important things. The session was full up, so I’m glad I booked in advance.
Writer festivals can be so enlightening and fun. It has been too long since I have attended one. Deborah Lipstadt sounds like someone worth hearing.
Leisl Leighton and Daniel De Lorne. Not sure when their workshops are (I think they are on a panel together and Dan is presenting a workshop). No idea when or if there are spots still available.
Thanks, I’ll look it up on the app. Brian, I can definitely r commend Deborah L as a speaker. I really enjoyed her panel.
I really need to go to a big writers festival - they sound like so much fun!
They certainly can be. There don’t seem to be any SF or fantasy panels this year...
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