Byron Bay Writers Festival
The tenth annual Byron Bay Writers Festival has been the only one - in my memory anyway - when it’s rained, but the unusual cold, wet and windy conditions could do nothing to quench the spirit of the audience or the speakers. Perhaps the rain-gods were saying something about the imminent departure of Jill Eddington, festival director for the past seven years.
Set in the grassy grounds of the Byron Bay Beach Resort, the festival occupies three days - plus extraneous workshops, sessions and events over the preceding week - and feasts not only the brains but the senses of humour of all who attend. It’s by far my favourite festival of the region, because these are events not repeated, conversations unscripted and panels uniquely-composed.
Yes, the participants are writers and they’re here in part to tell us about their published works, but the thoughts, recollections and philosophies they share with their interlocutors and us, the avid audience, are personal and largely ad lib. Ably lubricated by the talented David Leser, Mick O’Regan and Margaret Simons - to name just a few - the repartee is electric. Where else could you hear a federal politician (Carmen Lawrence)talk frankly of her career, or the risqué reminiscences of a film-maker (Margaret Fink), or even the pontifications of a bearded aristocrat (Mungo MacCallum)?
Some participants, such as the incomparable Irina Baronova, who danced with the Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo, stand alone. Listening to her extraordinary story, delivered with such beautiful grace, we were transported through the 20th century, meeting along the way some of its most talented people. Irina received a standing ovation.
Others come in teams. The Chaser guys were irreverent and satirical as always, complemented by none other than Max Gillies, who launched their new book, 50 Golden Years of the Chaser, with an attack on its pretensions. I was lucky enough to have a seat in the second row, earnestly making eye contact whenever possible, and envying Mick O’Regan, who asked us to feel for him being on stage between Max Gillies and The Chasers. Mick more than kept up with the bantering, and the audience, needless to say, fell about every few minutes. Much less satisfactory was the Stand Up! Stand Up! show at the Community Centre on Saturday night where the Chasers, worn out by their frequent eye contact with me earlier in the day, were too tired to do much other than show us video clips of their tv show.
The bent of the 2006 festival is Asia, with expatriates Christopher Kremmer (Inhaling the Mahatma) and Claire Scobie (Last Seen in Lhasa) jockeying with Asian writers and journalists Deepika Shetty, Nury Vittachi and Dewi Lestari Simangunsong (Supernova series). However it still amazes me how many participants live and work in and around Byron Bay: Sarah Armstrong, Mick O’Regan, Di Morrissey, David Leser, Alan Close, Irina Baronova, Robert Drewe, Candida Baker and Mandy Nolan are all well-loved locals.
For three days I made my way through glass-jawed journalists, public intellectuals and mickey-taking comedians, emerging with a new skin of appreciation for the creativity of others. As usual my main complaint was that I was unable to see and hear more than one session at a time. Sufficient to say that I am already looking forward to next year’s festival. Raining or not, I am sure it will be the usual stimulating and edifying event, even without Jill’s directorship.
KM
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Byron Bay News, Culture, Entertainment
Katharine :: Aug.08.2006 :: Byron Bay News, Culture, Entertainment :: No Comments »
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