2016 Program | A Rock & Roll Writers Festival

10.15 am - My Back Pages

In our opening session, we’ll examine how books bring to life stories, experiences and circumstances through music biographies, autobiographies and memoirs, and look at the process of writing them – what was included or left out, why, and how those decisions affected the creative process. How much honesty is enough, and what do readers really want to know?

Moderator: Sean Sennett
Panellists: Chris Salewicz, Ritchie Yorke, Don Walker

11.15 am - Thou Shalt Not Steal

An indigenous focus on cultural authority, and who has the authority to tell a story - black and white. Are we defined by the words in our anthems, songs, and narratives? What are they, and how do they inform traditional storytelling and contemporary indigenous music & literature?

Moderator: Tammy Lee Rock
Panellists: Clinton Walker, Samuel Wagan Watson, Kazman, Bob Weatherall

12.15 pm - The Call Up

Music can be a powerful force for raising awareness and promoting a cause. From Dylan in the 60s’ to Kendrick Lamar’s commentary on being black in the US today, popular music has long reflected the zeitgeist. A great song can draw you in with a catchy hook, a melody, a sing-along chorus, or a driving rhythm. But it’s the lyrics that can tell a story, start a conversation, and – perhaps – spread a message. Songs can be an agent for social change, or a vehicle for telling important stories – how do you do that effectively, and who’s been the best at it?

Moderator: Paul Barclay
Panellists: Don Walker, Don McGlashan, Andrew Stafford

2.15 pm - Every Breath You Take

What is it about your favourite song or written piece that hooks you in? Likely, it's some little thing - a plaintive melody, a lyric or line, or a perfectly evocative passage of time, place or sound. Here we talk to writers and songwriters about the dark art of detail, from lyric-writing, being observational and channelling introspection to tips on how to trust your instinct.

Moderator: Kate Hennessy
Panellists: Sally Breen, Deborah Conway, John Busby, Jess Rebeiro

3.15 pm - Freakin’ and Peakin’

Substances. Alcohol. Powders and pills. They’re part of the cliché of sex, drugs and rock & roll, but do they help or hinder the creative process? Our panel will look at the ways in which these things can used in creative endeavours, and why – for better or for worse. Are the outcomes the ones that the creators expect, and if not, why?

Moderator: Geoff Corbett
Panellists: Andrew McMillen, Jenny Valentish, Jake Stone, BC Michaels

4.15 pm - True Blue

Aussie slang is often funny, sometimes crude and occasionally incomprehensible. Still, local writers know how to use swearing, jokes and humour to communicate something about ourselves that can often be missed. Our panel looks at the lighter side of writing for locals, and how a message might be delivered via laughter.

Moderator: Bernard Zuel
Panellists: Thomas Violence, Mandy Nolan, Chris Endery, Keir Nuttall

10.00 am - Stranger Than Fiction

There are many novels that have music at the centre of the narrative, sending us coded signals about the characters and adding context to the story with a soundtrack in the mind. But how do you add a soundtrack that the reader can hear and why is it so important to the writer to get the sound and the words just right?

Moderator: Rhianna Patrick
Panellists: Noel Mengel, Nicole Hayes, Jenny Valentish, Daniel Herborn

11.00 am - Let’s Get It On

Love can determine the destiny of our lives, sex and lust is a double-edged sword of pleasure or pain. These experiences can be a sensory overload, so how can their full girth of passion, excitement and ultimately climax be captured through words in songs and fiction? Here, our panel discusses matters of the heart, the battle of the sexes, the craft of making love with a pen and maybe read fictional letters to a musician/writer they love or lust after.

Moderator: Bec Mac
Panellists: Jackie Marshall, Nicole Hayes, Thomas Violence, Nikki McWatters

12.00 pm - I Second That Emotion

Music can express feelings too powerful for words, while great writing can make our souls sing. Yet where’s the wellspring of all this emotion? The creator, the listener, somewhere in between, or somewhere else? Our panel will uncover intimate connections between people, music and emotion and how writers combine words and music to unlock and understand joy, sorrow, grief, anger and love.

Moderator: David Megarrity
Panellists: Samuel Watson, Peter Milton-Walsh, Jess Ribeiro

2.00 pm - History Never Repeats

Music has documented the major events of the last half of the 20^th century – from the Vietnam war, to the punk movement in the UK, to the social commentary offered by rap and hip hop. Our writers talk about the way in which those changes and upheavals are remembered by, and can be put into context through, the music that they inspired.

Moderator: Leanne Kelly
Panellists: Andrew Stafford, Clinton Walker, Chris Salewicz

3.00 pm - Dancing In The Dark

From novel-length saga to three-minute pop song, choosing the right words and correct structure is paramount in getting your message across. But how do you effectively combine the two? And how different is writing for a reader, as opposed to writing for a listener?

Moderator: Samuel J. Fell
Panellists: Deborah Conway, Don McGlashan, J.M.Donellan

4.00 pm - Bring The Noise

Let’s put the music critics under the spotlight. We’ll find out what motivates them, how they keep their writing fresh, the best and worst reactions to their work, and their thoughts on the state of music criticism. We live in an age dominated by direct access to artists, with less and less filtering via 'expert' channels. Are critics still relevant? Or are “expert” portals like Spotify programming and Pitchfork the new place for music writers to reach and influence an audience?

Moderator: Jake Stone
Panellists: Bernard Zuel, Noel Mengel, Kate Hennessy, Dave Faulkner

About Create

A Rock & Roll Writers Festival