Aspiring authors can now enjoy free writing workshops alongside upcoming author talks at the Bundaberg Library.
Published writers Edward Carpenter and Edwina Shaw will each be visiting the region to discuss their books and run free writing workshops with limited spaces available.
While Edwina will use her experience as a writer, editor and mentor in her workshop Structuring for Success on 3 August, Edward will focus on memoir writing with his workshop Turning your Experience into Story on 9 June.
Edward told us more about his memoir Blue Helmet and what participants could expect from his writing workshop.
Can you give us a summary of your book?
Blue Helmet is an account of a year spent attempting to create conditions for a durable peace in South Sudan.
It’s a story of love lost and found, and of one career warrior’s struggle to reclaim a sense of purpose after political expediency is once again allowed to trump the UN’s mission to protect civilians from the threat of violence.
What can community members expect from your author talk?
My talk will introduce participants to the country of South Sudan and the institution of peacekeeping, highlighting the promise of both the country’s natural resources and diverse peoples, the ability of peacekeeping to bring soldiers from around the world together with a mandate not to attack, but to defend to help build roads and deliver assistance.
I’ll talk about what Australian peacekeepers are already doing to make a difference – and suggest what Australia could do to ensure that they can be more effective in their future missions than I – and my many colleagues from the ADF – were in South Sudan circa 2019-2020.
Your writing workshop will focus on memoir writing – what do you love about this kind of writing?
I find that memoirs can serve as a great medium for engaging with difficult and interesting lives; and I believe that such works represent both a ‘first draft of history’ and the truest picture of how ‘great events’ are shaped by (and impact) individual people.
Memoir also provides the true human perspective (and cost) of events… other books can give you statistics – memoir gives you emotions.
Memoir also gives a structure for a writer to work with – unlike fiction, where you might have to invent a whole world from scratch, the author knows the framework of the memoir.
What can participants expect from the workshop?
The workshop will cover the differences between memoir, biography and history books; explain where this unique genre fits in the publishing industry, and what makes memoir important; why it can be an easier entry into writing than pure fiction – and more readable than other types of nonfiction!
For those who’ve already started to write their memoirs (or even finished a draft) it’s an opportunity to share a sample of your writing and get feedback from a professional author – for those who are considering whether and how to share which of their own life stories, it’s will offer affirmation, encouragement, and tools to help get started!
What is your advice to aspiring local authors?
Believe in yourself, and that whatever story you have to tell, the world probably needs it.
Write the book that you’d want to read and consider what ‘success’ means to you.
Author Talk – Edward Carpenter
When: Monday 8 June, 5.30 – 7.30 pm
Where: Bundaberg Library
Cost: Free, bookings required here
Writing Workshop – Turning your Experience into Story with Edward Carpenter
When: Tuesday 9 June, 10 am – 12 pm
Where: Bundaberg Library
Cost: Free, bookings required here
Writing Workshop – Structuring for Success with Edwina Shaw
When: Monday 3 August 9.30 am – 12 pm
Where: Bundaberg Library
Cost: Free, bookings required here
For upcoming author talks and writing workshops, follow the Bundaberg Regional Libraries Facebook page.
Blue Helmet by Edward Carpenter is available to borrow from the Bundaberg Library or can be purchased locally from The Book Boutique in downtown Bundaberg.
