Inga Simpson's Blog, page 3

Nest taking over Townsville

The good people of Townsville have chosen Nest as this year’s One Title One Townsville book. It’s a massive bookclub event run by the Townsville Library. The city’s bookish folk will all read Nest and discuss, tweet, Fbook etc about it. Then, at 6.30pm on Friday 22nd of May, I’ll be talking about the novel and answering questions afterwards at the Mercure Inn.

This year it’s all part of the Savannah Writers up North Literary Festival, which runs from 21-24 May. David Malouf, Samuel Wagan Watson, and Judy Nunn are among the writers appearing.

Nest by Inga Simpson @NestOfPages is our One Title One Townsville book in 2015. Grab one from the library today!! pic.twitter.com/o45Xr3iRvP

— Townsville Library (@TownsvilleLib) March 4, 2015

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Nest longlisted for the Stella Prize

Nest has been longlisted for the 2015 Stella Prize. It’s among fine company, including Helen Garner’s This House of Grief, Maxine Beneba Clark’s Foreign Soil and Ellen Van Neerven’s Heat and Light.

7 Feb – QWC Whispers Salon: A New Day

On Saturday, February 7, I’ll be taking part in the Queensland Writers Centre’s February Whispers event, ‘A New Day’.The salon will feature readings from Emerging creative non-fiction writer Warren Ward and poet and short fiction writer Carmen Leigh Keates, followed by a Q&A with me. I’ll also be reading from a work in progress  – my (as yet untitled) next novel.

The salon will conclude with a musical set by O’ Little Sister.

19-22 Feb – Perth Writers Festival

I’ll be taking part in the lovely Perth Writers Festival this year. It looks like a great line up, including Maxine Beneba Clarke, Brooke Davis, Kristina Olsson, and Ellen van Neerven. I’m looking forward to Bob Brown’s opening talk  and Elizabeth Gilbert’s hook up with Hillary Mantel.

I’ll be talking with Emily Bitto about small communities and secrets of the past, and Annamarie Weldon and Deb Fitzpatrick about nature as muse.

I’ll also be teaching a workshop on how to develop your first draft into a finished manuscript.

Details and bookings here. Hope to see some of you there.

20-22 Feb – Perth Writers Festival

I’ll be taking part in the lovely Perth Writers Festival this year. It looks like a great line up, including Maxine Beneba Clarke, Brooke Davis, Kristina Olsson, and Ellen van Neerven. I’m looking forward to Elizabeth Gilbert’s opening talk in particular!

I’ll be talking with Emily Bitto about small communities and secrets of the past, and AnnaMaria Weldon about the natural world as inspiration. I’ll also be teaching a workshop on how to develop your first draft into a finished manuscript. Details and bookings here. Hope to see some of you there.

Perth Writers Festival 2015

I’ll be taking part in the lovely Perth Writers Festival this year. It looks like a great line up, including Maxine Beneba Clarke, Brooke Davis, Kristina Olsson, and Ellen van Neerven. I’m looking forward to Elizabeth Gilbert’s opening talk in particular!

I’ll be talking with Emily Bitto about small communities and secrets of the past, and AnnaMaria Weldon about the natural world as inspiration. I’ll also be teaching a workshop on how to develop your first draft into a finished manuscript. Details and bookings here. Hope to see some of you there.

Nature Writing @ Reality Bites

Inga will be teaching a nature writing workshop as part of the Reality Bites Writers Festival at Cooroy Library on Friday morning, 24 October. Reality Bites is a wonderful non-fiction festival (though touches of fiction are creeping in, showing how blurry that line can be), which this year will be held in Eumundi as well as Cooroy.

The workshop is designed for fiction and nonfiction writers with a passion for the natural world, as well as professional writers in environmental fields. You’ll focus on techniques for bringing landscapes, flora and fauna to life for your audience, including: evocative description, effective use of emotion, and the importance of story.

The workshop combines instruction, writing examples from the world’s best nature writers, and a range of writing exercises to help you hone your craft and learn more about the inspiring genre of nature writing.

You can book your place in the workshop here.

Developing Your Novel masterclass @BWF14

Saving the manuscript, “Just in cases” (from Love Actually).

I’ll be teaching a masterclass about how to develop your novel from zero draft to masterpiece at this year’s Brisbane Writer’s Festival.

We’ll be looking at a mix of practical techniques for structuring and mapping your story as well as some more playful ideas for developing your themes and characters – finding the magic in your story.

You can find details about the workshop, and the other sessions I’m involved with at the festival here:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On Rooks

I’ve kept this picture of two Lewis chessmen on the wall by my writing desk for more than ten years. There’s something about the beserker, crazy-eyed and biting his shield.

Seventy-eight chessmen were found on the Isle of Lewis, in the outer Hebrides, in 1831. They date back to the twelfth century, and are thought to have come by sea from Trondheim, Norway. Perhaps that’s the appeal; I’m of Scots descent, with suspected Viking influences, and a medieval obsession.

Today, the chessmen and women (eight queens) are held between the British Museum and the National Museum of Scotland. This has been controversial, with Scotland believing the pieces should come ‘home’ – even more relevant given this year’s Scottish independence referendum.

I long to hold one piece, to smooth the walrus ivory, the carved detail, all that history. And … slip it into my pocket.

The picture inspired a gift from my former partner: a replica Lewis chess set. She was upset that the beserker’s teeth are not as prominent as the originals, but I handle them – the rooks – most days.

This month, my mother returns from a tour of the Scottish Isles, including the Isle of Lewis. I’m hoping a chessman makes one more journey.