I didn’t get to nearly as many sessions at the Perth Writers’ Festival as I’d wanted. There was so much to experience; it’s overwhelming trying to get to everything. And what talent we have! Pulitzer Prize-winning writers and intellectuals to children’s and youth writers, and

contemporary Indigenous chick-lit; it was a smorgasbord of ideas from young, old, new, established and emerging writers in the region. At twenty-three years, Jack Heath has just published his sixth book, is an award-winning writer, is Young Australian of the Year, and has his own Wikipedia entry; Dr Anita Heiss has just published her chick-lit novel Manhattan Dreaming and is about to release Paris Dreaming, both of which involved research in New York and Paris. She’s also huge fun! Society members Amanda Curtin and Georgia Richter chaired sessions and contributed

their own publishing experience.

Three writers who write about travel in various ways are so much more than travel writers. William Dalrymple, Nicolas Rothwell and our very own Stephen Scourfield discussed their disparate perspectives on India, the north of Western Australia and beyond. William is loud and confident, Nicolas a sensitive intellectual, and Stephen a keen

observer of human interaction with the land. Our perspectives and interactions with the landscape were a major theme throughout the festival. Mark Tredinnick and Barry Lopez are two of the world’s most prominent award-winning nature writers. Their inspiring philosophical words dealt with identity, the physical landscape and the human culture that are intricately balanced. I couldn’t begin to summarise their ideas here. Tom Keneally, Irvine Welsh, Hugh Mackay, Sara

Foster, Anita Heiss, Alex Miller, Monty Don, Don Watson, Morris Gleitzman, AC Grayling – an array of writers covering every genre. I wish I’d seen more. Some of the sessions are podcasts on the 720 ABC website so download them to your favourite media and have a listen. Rest assured, with the abundance of writing in this country there will never be a

shortage of work for editors.

Happy editing

Robin

Robin Bower — President