Between the Covers

Get the inside scoop on what a career in writing and publishing looks like today. Hear from industry experts, authors, publishers and editors to gain invaluable insight to help you with your next career steps.

4–5pm: Emerging Editors
To get started as an emerging writer is, in some ways, easy. You just … start writing. But how do you get your start as an editor? Can you just start editing? This practical session will discuss commissioning, communication strategies, and the integral task of balancing the writer/editor relationship. Whether you’re an aspiring author or considering a career in editing, this session will give you an understanding of the ins and outs of the editorial process.

With: Michelle Hamadache (Chair), Winnie Dunn (Sweatshop Editor & Mascara CAL Cultural Fund: Editing for Equality Mentee), Catriona Menzies-Pike (Sydney Review of Books)

5–6pm: Freelancing for Life
The gig economy has us all in its grips. To survive and thrive, we’ll need to understand how to navigate the freelance landscape. Hear Willo Drummond, Liz Duck-Chong, Michael Sun and Adeline Teoh break down the ins and outs of sustaining a rewarding freelance career. We’ll cover the basics from pitching to publications, liaising with editors and clients, and striking the right balance of commercial and creative to keep your practice engaging.

With: Willo Drummond (Chair), Liz Duck-Chong, Michael Sun, Adeline Teoh

6–7pm: What Publishers Wish You Knew
So you’ve got a completed manuscript, what next? How do you approach a publisher? What’s the best way to a structure a pitch? This session will give you an incredible opportunity to hear how these editors and publishers best like work pitched to them. You’ll get an insight into what they’re looking for, hear their perspectives on new work and how to best present your manuscript.

With: Hsu-Ming Teo (Chair), Robert Watkins (Hachette), Lex Hirst (Pantera), Nick Tapper (Giramondo)

7pm–7.30pm: Networking
A chance to grab a drink and some nibbles, and chat with your fellow writers, editors and publishers.

7:30–7.45pm: Keynote – Language, Literature and Lifeblood
What is the value and place of a literary life in our current context?

As emerging writers, we know what it is to feel utterly moved by and propelled towards literature. Yet amidst the chaos and complexity of our world, we also know what it is to question the value and validity of creative vocation. Roanna delves into our pressing concerns: why does language matter, how do we use our words to contribute to our broader communities, what does a purposeful literary life look like?

With: Roanna Gonsalves

7.45–9pm: A Postmodern Utopia
“Inside the word “emergency” is “emerge”; from an emergency new things come forth. The old certainties are crumbling fast, but danger and possibility are sisters.” – Rebecca Solnit, Hope in the Dark

 Joy can be an act of rebellion; hope a call to action. Thinking about the future can be, quite frankly, terrifying, but the stories we tell ourselves are what make the present inhabitable. Hear from some of tomorrow’s most exciting and important voices as they explore the utility of envisioning utopia, embracing the fact that we cannot know the future, and that we therefore have the power to change it.

Featuring Mahsa Foroughi, Pooja Mittal Biswas, Aileen Westbrook, Stephen Pham, Intan Paramaditha, Jessica Kejun Xu and Diana Papas.
Hosted by Izzy Roberts-Orr

Presented by Emerging Writers’ Festival and Macquarie University

Ticketing Guide:

To purchase a ticket to all sessions in the Between the Covers program, select a ‘Between the Covers’ ticket below. This ticket includes entry to every session between 4pm and 9pm including the performance event.

To purchase a ticket to the evening performance session only, select a ‘Postmodern Utopia (Performance Only)’ ticket below.

Concession ticket holders: Please bring proof of concession with you to the event.