ewf.jpgThe Emerging Writers’ Festival is on again this weekend, and it’s packed with interesting panels, readings, speeches and games of Scrabble. This will be Festival Director Stevie Grimwade’s second tilt at the gig, and it promises to be lively. I’ll be chairing a panel on Saturday at 12 noon, entitled Where’s the new avant garde? (Does anyone care?). Hmmm. I’m not sure where I stand on that second question but that’s what these kind of sessions are all about, isn’t it? Heres’s some more information for you:

What are the reasons for literary experimentation – is it for the sake of the writer, reader, or more simply, for art? What does it exactly do? Are literature and the avant-garde interchangeable terms, are they trying to achieve the same things? Does the populism of the market make it impossible for challenging literature to find an audience? Is there any Australian writing that’s truly experimental? What are the responses to it? With Michael Farrell, Antoni Jach, James Stuart and Klare Lanson.

The full program (PDF) is up on the EWF site. Most events take place at the Melbourne Town Hall, and tickets are bulk-ace cheap. I hope to see some of you avant carders around, maybe even at the opening night party at 7pm on Friday, Trades Hall.