To stand on the shoulders of one’s ancestors is to carry both responsibility and legacy. For authors who reach into history, this ancestral knowing provides inspiration, connection and care. Join poet Anne-Marie Te Whiu, playwright S. Shakthidharan, and author-mathematician JM Field as they discuss their incredible new books, and the living relationship they feel with their past.
A unique exploration into Indigenous ways of knowing, being and relating, JM Field’s The Eagle and the Crow traverses Gamilaraay conceptions of time and place, languages, cultures and kinship systems. Anne-Marie Te Whiu’s collection Mettle draws on childhood stories about her whakapapa – her Māori ancestry – boldly exploring the complexities of family, identity and trauma. And, in Gather Up Your World in One Long Breath, a fearless, tender memoir from the prize-winning writer of Counting and Cracking, S. Shakthidharan takes us to the house his great-grandparents built in Sri Lanka before the civil war, a house that breathes the joy and grief that has passed through generations.
As the sun sets over Dharug and Gundungurra land, let these three writers lead you into their knowing with grace and curiosity, and with stories of love, family, connection and forgiveness.
Anne-Marie Te Whiu is an Australian-born-Māori whose whakapapa belongs to Te Rarawa iwi through her father’s line and English, Irish and Welsh through her mother’s ancestry. She is a poet, editor, cultural producer and weaver. She co-edited Solid Air: Australia and New Zealand Spoken Word, and edited Tony Birch’s Whisper Songs, Bebe Oliver’s More Than These Bones and most recently the acclaimed Woven anthology. Her debut poetry collection Mettle is published by UQP.
S. Shakthidharan is an Australian storyteller with Sri Lankan heritage and Tamil ancestry. His plays Counting and Cracking, The Jungle and the Seaand The Wrong Gods have won critical, commercial and community acclaim and toured extensively. Gather Up Your World In One Long Breath, with Powerhouse Publishing, is his debut book, and will be accompanied by a major companion artwork with the Powerhouse Museum. He’s the Director of Kurinji, was previously Director of Co-Curious, and was Founder and Artistic Director of CuriousWorks from 2003-2018.
JM Field is a Gamilaraay mari from Moree way, but grew up on Darug land in a small town along the Great Dividing Range. He is a research mathematician, with a focus on the mathematics and genetics of traditional kinship systems, explored in his latest book, The Eagle & the Crow. He is also the author of Etta and the Shadow Taboo, which was highly commended for the Victorian Premier’s Literary Prize for Indigenous Writing, as well as being shortlisted for the Prime Minister’s Literary Prize for Children's Literature.
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This Writers in the Sky event is held at Scenic World, Katoomba and includes a complimentary drink and light snacks. We invite you to arrive any time from 5:30pm onwards to enjoy drinks and live music in the lounge area. Live music will also continue following the performance, up until 7:15pm. Your Skyway session will commence promptly at 6:30 pm, and will last for approximately 30 minutes.
Please note: Standing room only. If you have trepidation about heights or suffer from vertigo then please consider whether this event is appropriate for you.
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There will be an optional shuttle bus between The Carrington Hotel and Scenic World for the Writers in the Sky events. The shuttle for this event leaves The Carrington bus stop on Katoomba St at 5:45 pm sharp and is included in the ticket price.
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Your choice (subject to availability) of one Scenic World Special Event is included in Platinum & Gold Weekend Passes.
Subject to availability, a limited number of single tickets may become available 19 August.
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There are no seats in the Skyway, but we can provide seats for those who are unable to stand for the duration of the event. This venue is wheelchair accessible.
If you have any further questions, please email hello@bluemountainswritersfestival.com.au.