NEXT year's Bendigo Writers Festival will feature an opportunity for locals to be part of an anthology about their mothers, to coincide with Mother's Day.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
In 2020, the festival moves from August to May, with a smaller transition event planned. Sunday May 10 is Mother's Day, so this creates the chance to ask members of the community to write about their mothers.
Festival director Rosemary Sorensen said this project will be different from previous ones, and that it will gather all kinds of voices, a diverse range of people from many different backgrounds, at different stages in life.
"Since we began in 2012, the festival has helped create and publish nine books, including novels and story collections by local writers.
"We foster writing that is by, about and for our community, because sharing such writing is wonderfully rewarding and builds both strength and joy throughout our region."
Ms Sorensen said support will be offered to aspiring contributors who would like to be involved but don't quite know where to start.
"We will work closely with you, providing prompt questions for you to write answers to, then assisting to fashion those answers into an article."
Contributions can be very short, just a few hundred words, or essay-length, up to around 2500 words.
"Amy Doak, our publisher and colleague, will design the book, and we very much look forward to what we know will be another very fine publication from this Bendigo business," Ms Sorensen said.
Mother will be a small-format paperback.
Ms Sorensen said some of the writers will be people who are well-known in Bendigo, and the general invitation is now being issued for more contributors, to encourage community involvement.
Expressions of interest must be received by Wednesday, December 18.
Submissions for consideration close on Monday, January 13, 2020.
Mother- a Bendigo story collection will be launched on Mother's Day, Sunday 10 May, 2020, as a closing event at the Big Bendigo Bookmark.
For more details on how to become involved, and on the 2020 Bendigo Writers Festival, please visit www.bendigowritersfestival.com.au