Power and Magic of Literature in Scone

THE Scone Literary Festival has published their program for this year with a line-up of 24 writers including Meg Keneally who has stepped in for her father Thomas Keneally, eight journalists including Tracey Spicer, Phillip Adams, Kate McClymont and David Marr and diverse authors of culinary, historical, young adult satire, Islamic revolution and crime genres.

The them for this year’s festival is the Power and Magic of Literature and the diversity and popularity of such a young festival is certainly powerful and magical.

Jan Sinclair, president of the Festival believes the diversity of writers is the reason for the growing success of the Festival, now in its fifth year.

“The event has gone from strength to strength and what was the idea of a few like minded book worms, writers and bush poets who felt the need to host an annual literary event in Scone and we’ve been gathering speed and reputation ever since,” said Ms Sinclair.

“We’ve seen the audience number not just grow but diversify,” she said.

“We now have things like the high school writing competition, Shay Hancock is 24 and a book worm and having her on board she has her finger on the pulse of what younger people are reading as well,” she said.

“I think the committee are so open to new ideas, I’ve also introduced award winning journalists, not just writers of fiction, it is about story telling whether it is through photography or art or illustration, there are lots of different ways to tell a story,” she said.

“We are starting to see people come from places like Brisbane, Sydney, Newcastle, it is spreading and people do tend to go to a lot of these festivals because they are on the circuit, she said.

“In looking at other programs, I have to say I’m really proud of what we are offering here, we are attracting some pretty amazing writers, really well-known writers as well,” she said.

“A writers festival is a really good publicity tool for authors who are just starting out and that’s great we want to help them, but I think having a mix of new and well established authors is important,” Jan Sinclair said.

Dr John Paradice and his wife Bobby were at the launch representing their son David Paradice who is a major sponsor of the Festival.

Front: Bobby and Dr John Paradice, Jan Sinclair president of the Festival. Back: Authors Leonie Rogers, Paula Stevenson and Simone Bailey.

“It’s wonderful to see this Festival in Scone,” said Dr Paradice.

“I’ve been here for 60 odd years and the powers that be in Sydney and Newcastle were quite good in sending us pianist, singers and people from the arts council, but that seems to have evaporated and this is a substitute and a hopefully a new inspiration for the community,” he said.

“It’s amazing to see this grow out of nothing and attract so many people so quickly,” Dr John Paradice said.

Program is now available online: Scone Literary Festival.

• WHEN: November 9 – 11, 2018.
• WHERE: Scone Arts and Crafts Hall, Kingdon Street, Scone.