Writers. Brisbane Writers Festival. 2009.

Brisbane Writers Festival was again in 2009 a remarkable event, Surpassing even last years excellent programme. Held over a week in September at the State Library of Queensland. It was no doubt probably the highlight event for me this year. Not only did we get to meet many different writers in person: we got to hear how they developed their topics as well as the subjects in them. For instance(female writer) MJ Hyland discussed at an interesting forum with Richard Fydler how her book This Is How on serial killers was developed from real life stories. Hyland in her writing style is able to get right into the head of the main character and portray him from first person. The other famous writer on the same crime forum and the creator the stories for the mini series television Dexter was the author Jeff Lindsay. Lindsay's writing method is to create a like-able serial killer who only kills very bad people. This he claims is probably the main reason both the books and television mini series has been so popular. Chris Nyst a local well known Lawyer, Crime writer and Film producer talked about one of his books Getting Square . Based in part on real life characters in Australia. Nyst has a great ability to imitate many of the accents including a Jordy and London accent as well as a broad Australian one as he recited a chapter from his book.

There were many interesting sessions from various authors on a broad range of topics as well as question and answer sessions after each of the presentation. The question and answer sessions were very engaging I eagerly look forward to BWF 2010.

Another one of the great forum's at the 2009 writers festival was by social researchers Hugh Mackay and Rebecca Huntley. In this presentation Mackay discussed the phenomenon that we all all bombarded by surveys every day in the media, both television, on line, and in magazine and other publications. Yet the survey and results undertaken often mean nothing as either the premise of the question is wrongly worded or the sample size is way too small for a meaningful result. Yet column writers in magazines are all too eager to draw inferences in their public writings on the topic: No doubt deceiving some, fooling others some if not all of the time. Mackay explained that there is a very personalised fireside type discussion required in order to obtain accurate data for social research. Years of careful development of polling techniques has enabled Mackay and his associates to gain a reputation of accurate social forecasting.

Another great forum I attended was a group of writers talking about the economic collapse in Japan as well as the general economic collapse last year internationally.
This was sponsored by the Griffith Review and Australian publication of writings and ideas.

The forum panel consisted Mark Choi who discussed a peak hour suicide at one of Japan's busiest railway stations. Inquiries and research suggest that many of the suicide cases can be sheeted home to the pressure of the economic crisis that seems to have hit Japan the hardest over the last 15 years. Before this period Japan was considered the economic and social model for the world to aspire to.

As well on this forum was Erica Sontheimer who's discussed her role at Lehman Brothers in essay about called Windows onLehmann the firm where she was working for during the 9/11 attack in New York.

The forum I went to the panelist's were three eminent Australia Women. Gay Bilson a food writer and long time award winning restaurant owner.  Anne Summers a famous Australian Writer and women's advocate.  And Leigh Sales current Anchor/Presenter for ABC TV programme Lateline and former North American correspondent for the ABC and writer of the book - Detainee 002 The Case of David Hicks(ex Guantanamo Bay) A book covering David Hicks, Guantanamo Bay and the Military Commissions process at length.

However in this forum the three women authors discuss the role of food and its reflection on the current state of a particular culture. An entertaining but quite revealing look on how our table manners and choices reflect the culture we now live in. For the cultural and economic imperative phenomena in Australia where an increasing percentage of women working outside the traditional house-keeper role has changed the regular sit down meals in most households. As well the increase in the single household affects the patterns of eating inside and outside the home.

The Brisbane Writers' Festival as I believe are other writer's festivals great for meeting people interested in books and writing; As well as for getting ideas on writing stories or topics for blogs or other articles. I recommend Writers Festival's generally but Brisbane in particular.