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EVENTS
Past Events
2023 Writing Competition Awards Event
The awards event for the 2023 Writing Competition was held at MIRA on the afternoon of November 11, as part of the TAG ArtFest.
Jackie opened with an acknowledgement of country and thanks to the entrants and referenced in particular the empty chair symbolising imprisoned writers (see PEN Melbourne).
The competition attracted 39 entries from across the shire: Koriella, Yea, Highlands, Thornton, Taggerty, Buxton Marysville and Kinglake.
Katherine reflected on the process of judging the entries from the primary school and Jill reflected on judging the stories from the young writers.
Again, the judge for the poems and open stories was Jo Scicluna.
Click here for her reflections.
In each section the first and second place getters were invited to read their entry (or extract from the open stories).
The event concluded with thanks to all those who had made it possible, with refreshments following.
Click here for list of winners and links to winning entries.
2022 Writing Competition Awards Night
Writers of all ages from across Murrindindi Shire celebrated and listened to each other’s stories and poems at MiRA, on Saturday, January 28, 2023, the occasion of the Marysville BookNest fifth birthday
– celebrating by hosting the awards for our first Writing Competition.
Award winners included writers from Yea, Kinglake, Koriella, Marysville, Alexandra and Buxton.
More than 60 people, writers, their families and supporters, and people interested in local writing and reading attended and enjoyed the gathering.
Ms Josephine Scicluna, a published writer and poet, shared her reflections on judging the Open Age Short Story and Poetry categories. She affirmed the excellent writing skills and talent of the writers who submitted, as well as the extraordinary breadth of stories that thewriters were exploring. She encouraged people to keep writing to strengthen their voice as writers, and to keep writing the stories that matter to them.
One of the writers from the Open Age Short story category, sent us the following message, ‘It was a great night. Thanks to all the BookNesters for putting it on. I loved hearing the little kids read their stories.’
BookNesters would like to thank all the writers, aged from 7 to 80, who courageously entered their stories. We gratefully recognise the people of the Marysville and Buxton primary schools, Alexandra High School, Murrindindi Library, The Triangle News, the Alexandra Standard and MiRA, who all informed and encouraged local writers.
A list of all prizes and special mentions, with links to the prize-winning entries is here.
A longer account of the event is on our blog here.
April 10, 2021
Anne Richey talked about her
historical novel: The other side of the World, in the first of the 2021 Autumn Local Writers events.
30 April at MIRA
A Different Kind of Seeing. by Marie Younan with Jill Sanguinetti.
Jill Sanguinetti is a local writer. Jill and Marie shared their stories of writing this extraordinary memoir.
It chronicles one woman's struggle to live a fulfilling life, despite her blindness and lack of education.
Over 2019, BookNest ran five writing workshops led by Arnold Zable, Cate Kennedy, Emilie Zoey Baker, Lee Kofman, and Elizabeth Fensham. Details on the News page.