Discussing a big year ahead for New England Writers Centre, Program Manager Lyn Aspey, left, Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall and Chair Dr Sophie Masson.
Tuesday, 16 February 2021
EMPOWERING writers to take control of the publishing process of their work is the theme of a program being run by the New England Writers’ Centre this year, with Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall today announcing a $2,465 State Government grant to support the initiative.
Mr Marshall said a highlight of the 2021 NEWC program would be the Prepare to Self-Publish series.
“Armidale has always been a hot-bed for literary minds with many aspiring authors and illustrators looking for viable ways to disseminate their ideas to an audience,” Mr Marshall said.
“Prepare to Self-Publish is a series of intensive workshops which will equip local writers with the tools they need to independently deliver their works, including printing, editing, cover design and marketing.
“Moving away from the traditional modes of publishing has become easier in the digital age and is a way to give writers greater creative control and a larger cut of royalties.
“The specific self-publishing workshop series will be run over the whole of August.
“The creative industries have done it incredibly tough during COVID-19 and I am glad once again we are seeing programs running which allow big ideas to bloom and which assists writers to potentially increase their income.”
New England Writers Centre Chair Dr Sophie Masson said she was very grateful to the government for its continued support.
“Our programs reach audiences right across our region and over the years many thousands of people have accessed them to fine tune their writing skills and unlock their creativity,” Dr Masson said.
“With a return to face-to-face classes 2021 promises to be an epic year, with our first workshops starting early February and stretching until November.
“Using a mix of local and visiting presenters we will deliver an array of extraordinary workshops and talks, including the first ever online Rural Crime Writing Festival, a life-writing workshop, workshops combining writing and illustration, short story critique opportunities, a creative business plan workshop, and lots more.
“We’ll also be running, once again, our National awards: the New England Thunderbolt Prize for Crime Writing and the New England Illustration Prize, as well as our popular ‘Booked In’ children’s literature festival in May.
“We look forward in 2021 to continuing to help enrich the cultural possibilities and opportunities for writers, illustrators, readers and audiences of all backgrounds and across age ranges, in our region and beyond.”
To see the full 2021 NEWC Program visit www.newc.org.au/program.html