Susanna Freymark
Literary Allsorts officially began tonight, Friday, June 13.
There were two panels before the festival’s creative director Paul Shields officially opened the writers minifest.
There was a session with Polly Jude, the festival’s Writer in Residence.
Polly has been writing for two weeks as part of the program and she read some of her manuscript Sherwood Road to the audience at the Roxy Gallery.
It is a Young Adult novel and Polly said she’s been writing since she was a kid.
“I’d disappear with my mum’s typewriter when I had to do jobs,” she said.
The residency was mind-blowing, Polly said.
As a single mother of three and working fulltime as a teacher, Polly said she wrote 7000 words in the past two weeks and spent time editing Sherwood Road.
She was mentored during the Writer in Residence program by YA author Hayley Lawrence.
Hayley joined Polly and Kyogle author Jarrah Dundler on the panel at the Roxy Gallery tonight.
Hayley was a full time lawyer and has had six YA books published.
Jarrah asked her how she manages to find time to write with five daughters.
“I steal sleep time,” Hayley said.
Hayley and Jarrah knew each other from when they were both finalists in the Vogel Literary Awards for writers under 35.
That was a few years ago. Jarrah said he managed to borrow four of Hayley’s books from Kyogle Library.
“A lot of writers get their ideas from lived experiences – as I do,” Hayley said.
“I worked as a lawyer and the people you meet had a lot of conflicts in their lives – and stories need conflict.”
Polly’s manuscript Sherwood Road has a lot of conflict in it.
“The original idea came from a dare. It’s about a character making a bad decision to steal money and living with the consequences,” she said.
“We all make choices. Some of them have big consequences.”
Kyogle Council funded the Writer in Residence program.
Saturday, June 14 is packed with sessions with writers at the KMI Hall. Check the program here.
In the evening, there is a fun trivia night at Kyogle Golf Club hosted by comedian Odette Nettleton. Entry is $5.