Sydney Writers Festival: The space between words and beyond
Bella Straeuli checks out some of the panel discussions from this years Sydney Writers Festival
Sydney Writers Festival (SWF) was back in full swing after a COVID-induced hiatus. With events lasting for an hour including seminars, book signings, panel discussions, and conversations.
The Festival offered a lineup of some of the greatest writers and idea-makers in Australian and International literature with a variety of free-to-paid events. Of which, I was lucky enough to attend three incredible panels.
Journalism: A Voice for the Vulnerable
This panel included Lorena Allam (The Guardian’s Indigenous affairs editor), Jessica Hollaran (award-winning sportswriter), Jacqueline Maley (senior writer at The Sydney Morning Herald), and Kate McClymont (investigative journalist at Sydney Morning Herald), who discussed the representation of ‘vulnerable people’ in journalism. Along with being acclaimed writers, the speakers are also all powers of change in the media world.
Taking a deep dive into the biases of journalism and the role of objectivity in reporting, they discussed journalism as a platform to give voice to the voiceless. Drawing from examples of the Me Too movement, current political debates and feminism, the conclusion seemed to be that the duty of a journalist is to not only report but to actively attempt to give a voice to those who might need it, to be an advocate for change, and to broadcast stories for those who might not have a platform for themselves. This seminar highlighted what makes great journalism while exposing the fine line some journalists tread between supporting and defending those in need.
In Conversation: 2021 Stella Prize Winner, Evie Wyld
Hosted by journalist and activist Bri Lee, and author Evie Wyld, who joined from London via Zoom to talk about her prize-winning novel, The Bass Rock.
Although the conversation was about Evie Wylds’ incredible novel it also touched on important themes of feminism, masculinity, and inequality which are all themes interwoven within her writing and life. Her novel's focal point is of male violence and how a large proportion of women are affected, in one way or another, by gendered violence. This talk highlighted themes of consent, expectations of different genders, toxic masculinity, and the representation of men and women in media. This seminar was so eloquently put together and the conversation between Bri Lee and Evie Wyld flowed so smoothly that it just made the audience want to jump in and join the conversation.
Listening in on the almost intimate conversation between the two also allowed audiences to reflect on their own attitudes toward the representation of men and women in movies and literature and how that representation influences our ideas, actions, and experiences.
Land of The Plenty
Joined by Richard Beasley, Bruce Pascoe, Rebecca Giggs, and Victor Steffeson with ABC’s Radio’s Phillip Clark this panel event discussed the importance of respecting land and culture in everyday life. Rebecca Giggs kicked off with an introduction discussing our relationship to the animal kingdom, asking questions around which animals do we privilege the most? How as humans do we attempt to import human characteristics on animals? How do we, as humans, aim to respect animals’ own culture and kingdoms?
Rather than be left with answers to these questions, the audience was encouraged to reflect on their own viewpoint and contemplate their own relationship with the land and the animal kingdom. Bruce Pascoe and Victor Steffenson touched on Indigenous land practices and the ways in which we can act more responsibly toward our environment. They also highlighted the need for Australia as a country to act more sustainably towards land and our future practices.
--
The team at the Sydney Writers Festival put in a huge amount of dedication and effort in the events, which allowed people to attend and emerge in the themes of literature, public speaking, and relationships within our country. As this year's SWF comes to a close, it reminds us of the importance of literature, story-telling, and the power of sharing ideas.