storyfestoutwest.com.au
somersetstoryfest
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OUR BOARD
To the wonderful community in Longreach, here we are again for our third instalment of Storyfest Out West! We’re extremely grateful that your community has embraced the event and, our team.
From little things grow - an enthusiastic phone call with our Out West Ambassadors - Rachelle Moore and Peta Bates from the Longreach School of Distance Education some 4 years ago has turned into not only an opportunity for children from Longreach but a 3-week, 3-town, 3-festival regional tour.
This year we expand our festivals into the South West - St George and Central Queensland - Emerald, for which the success with Storyfest Out West is to thank!
The continuous support of Richard and Marise Kinnon along with the whole Outback Pioneers team cannot go without mention. We sincerely thank you for joining us on this journey to nurture and grow storytelling in the West.
This year’s programme yet again, has something for the whole family to enjoy. The highlight we’re sure will be the Prologue Party on our opening night which is a free community event.
We don’t take for granted the commitment our amazing line up of authors make to join us in Longreach. They have travelled from all over Australia to be here and go above and beyond to make it something special.
Thanks for helping us create such an amazing legacy, Longreach!
Ms Andrea Lewis CEO/ Festival Director
Chairperson Airlie Maclachlan
Directors Alex Woodthorpe, Michael Arnold, Craig Bassingthwaighte, Megan Daley, Caroline Graham, Terry Herbert and Sara Kirby
Chief Financial Officer Kylie Sherrington
Festival Patron Jacqueline Harvey
acknowledgement of country
OUR STAFF
CEO/ Festival Director Andrea Lewis
Marketing Co-ordinator Tayla Haynes
Event Co-ordinator Gabriella Lennon
Festival Administrator Emma Monaghan
Publicist Frankly House
Somerset Storyfest acknowledges the Iningai, Malintji and Kuunkari peoples as traditional owners of the land on which this Festival operates. We pay respect to elders past, present and future and value the traditions, cultures and aspirations of the First Australians of this land. We acknowledge and hold in great significance the valuable contribution that traditional owners have made and continue to make within the Longreach region communities.
meet the authors
isobelle carmody scot gardner
Session OW123 Thursday 5 at 10.45am
Workshop Thursday 5 at 12.45pm
Unveiling Worlds of Mystery Thursday 5 at 5.30pm
Workshop Friday 6 at 9.30am
Session OW231 Friday 6 at 12.30pm
Isobelle Carmody is a writer of science fiction, fantasy, children’s and juvenile literature. She divides her time between a home on the Great Ocean Road in Australia and her travels abroad. Isobelle began work on the highly acclaimed Obernewtyn Chronicles when she was just fourteen years old. The first two books in the Obernewtyn series were short listed for the CBC Children’s Book of the Year. In 2020 she completed her PhD at the University of Queensland and then did a doctoral fellowship with the Creativity and Human Flourishing Project at UQ. Her most recent published novel is the final book in the Kingdom of the Lost series, The Velvet City. She is currently working on a graphic journal playfully dealing with the journey of Art through the strange land of Academia and editing a new Young Adult book titled Comes the Night to be published in 2024.
www.isobellecarmody.net.au
Session OW111 Thursday 5 at 9.30am
Session OW142 Thursday 5 at 1.45pm
Young Writers Dinner Thursday 5 at 5.00pm
Session OW221 Friday 6 at 10.45am
Workshop Friday 6 at 12.45pm
Scot Gardner became a writer after a chance meeting with a magazine editor while hitchhiking in eastern Australia. Magazine articles led to op-ed newspaper pieces and eventually novels. Scot’s first fiction for young adults, One Dead Seagull, was published after he attended a writing conference with John Marsden.
More than a decade later, his many books have found local and international favour and garnered praise and awards for their honest take on adolescent life. They include books like White Ute Dreaming, Burning Eddy and most recently Changing Gear, shortlisted for the CBCA Book of the Year Awards; Happy as Larry, winner of a WA Premier’s Book Award for young adult fiction; and The Dead I Know, winner of the CBCA Book of the Year Award for Older Readers.
www.scotgardner.com
andy geppert
Session OW122 Thursday 5 at 10.45am
Workshop Thursday 5 at 12.45pm
Young Writers’ Dinner Thursday 5 at 5.00pm
Young Illustrators’ Breakfast Friday 6 at 7.30am
Session OW212 Friday 6 at 9.30am
Session OW223 Friday 6 at 10.45am
Andy Geppert is an award-winning children’s book author and illustrator whose heartfelt creations have garnered industry wide recognition. His witty take on the everyday, illustrated in his gorgeous, warm and inviting visual style, will draw you into worlds and stories you won’t want to leave. Andy’s accolades include the prestigious Crichton Award for Best New Australian Illustrator. His picture book, MEEP, has been recognised as a Notable Book by the CBCA. Australian Backyard Birdies received recognition from the Australian Book Design Awards and landed #26 on the top 50 Australian books list by Better Reading in 2023.
www.andygeppert.com
Session OW121 Thursday 5 at 10.45am
Session OW141 Thursday 5 at 1.45pm
Young Writers’ Dinner Thursday 5 at 5.00pm
Session OW211 Friday 6 at 9.30am
Session OW241 Friday 6 at 1.45pm
Richard Kinnon is a natural storyteller. Brought up in the outback where tales are told around the campfire, he has a wealth of yarns to share. There are stories of the early pioneers, cattle duffers and stagecoaches; stories of his own childhood growing up on a station and learning from the Indigenous ‘uncles’ who worked there; stories of building his Outback Pioneers tourism business in Longreach, which is now a multi award-winning enterprise drawing thousands of visitors each year. He is passionate about educating future generations to value and preserve the real Australian outback.
www.outbackpioneers.com.au
andrew mcdonald katrina nannestad richard kinnon
Workshop Thursday 5 at 9.45am
Session OW132 Thursday 5 at 12.30pm
Young Writers’ Dinner Thursday 5 at 5.00pm
Session OW222 Friday 6 at 10.45am
Session OW243 Friday 6 at 1.45pm
Andrew McDonald writes books for kids. He is the author of the bestselling Real Pigeons series and the Hello Twigs series – both illustrated by Ben Wood and published by Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing. Andrew lives in Naarm/Melbourne and aims to write stories that make kids laugh, gasp and wonder about the world. His books have been shortlisted for prizes such as the Australian Book Industry Awards, the Readings Children’s Book Prize, and the YABBA, KOALA and KROC children’s choice book awards.
Andrew is a graduate of RMIT’s Professional Writing and Editing diploma and has a Bachelor in Media Studies (Journalism). He likes writing fiction better than non-fiction these days. Andrew lives with his partner and their two children.
www.mrandrewmcdonald.com
Workshop Thursday 5 at 9.45am
Session OW131 Thursday 5 at 12.30pm
Young Writers’ Dinner Thursday 5 at 5.00pm
Session OW213 Friday 6 at 9.30am
Session OW232 Friday 6 at 12.30pm
Katrina Nannestad is an award-winning Australian author. Her books include the CBCA-shortlisted We Are Wolves, The Girl Who Brought Mischief, the Travelling Bookshop series, The Girl, the Dog and the Writer series, the Olive of Groves series, the Red Dirt Diaries series, the Lottie Perkins series, and the historical novels Rabbit, Soldier, Angel, Thief and Waiting for the Storks. Katrina grew up in country New South Wales in a neighbourhood stuffed full of happy children. Her adult years have been spent raising boys, teaching, daydreaming and pursuing her love of stories. Katrina celebrates family, friendship and belonging in her writing. She also loves creating stories that bring joy or hope to other people’s lives.
www.katrinanannestad.com
hayley scrivenor
Literary Lunch Wednesday 4 at 12noon
Workshop Thursday 5 at 9.45am
Unveiling Worlds of Mystery Thursday 5 at 5.30pm
In 2023 Hayley Scrivenor cemented her status as Australia’s best new writer, taking home the coveted ABIA General Fiction Book of the Year for Dirt Townno small feat for a debut author. Dirt Town was 2022’s highest selling Australian debut novel of the year. It was published by Macmillan US (under the title Dirt Creek) and UK, and was described by the NYT Book Review as “a novel of sharp-edged tempers, accidents waiting to happen and dark inheritances.”
www.hayleyscrivenor.com
r.a. spratt
Session OW112 Thursday 5 at 9.30am
Session OW133 Thursday 5 at 12.30pm
Young Writers Dinner Thursday 5 at 5.00pm
Workshop Friday 6 at 9.45am
Session OW233 Friday 6 at 12.30pm
R.A. Spratt was born in the UK and lived in Dursley, Gloucestershire – a town immortalised by Harry Potter’s deeply unpleasant relatives – until she was two years old. Then, like many ambitious English people cursed with regional accents so strong no other British person can take them seriously, her family moved to Australia. Now based in Bowral NSW, she’s the best selling writer of dozens of absurd and witty books including Friday Barnes, The Adventures of Nanny Piggins and The Peski Kids. Her podcast, Bedtime Stories with R.A. Spratt, has had over 2 million downloads and connects R.A. with storylovers across the globe.
www.raspratt.com
matt stanton
Session OW113 Thursday 5 at 9.30am
Session OW143 Thursday 5 at 1.45pm
Young Writers’ Dinner Thursday 5 at 5.00pm
Young Illustrators’ Breakfast Friday 6 at 7.30am
Workshop Friday 6 at 9.45am
Session OW242 Friday 6 at 1.45pm
Matt Stanton is a bestselling children’s author and illustrator who has sold more than one million books worldwide. His middle-grade series Funny Kid debuted as the #1 Australian kids’ book and has legions of fans across the globe. He has published such bestselling picture books as There Is a Monster Under My Bed Who Farts, This Is a Ball and Pea + Nut!, and produces a daily YouTube show for kids. He lives and works in Sydney, Australia, with his wife, bestselling author Beck Stanton, and their children.
www.mattstanton.net
festival map
THE WAVE SHED 2 3 4 1
WORKSHOP MARQUEE
WOOL PAVILION
OUTBACK PIONEERS ARENA
ARTS & CRAFTS PAVILION
BOOKSHOP
PARKING M
MEETING POINT
FIRST AID, INFORMATION, TICKETS
THE HARDBACK CAFÉ
wednesday 4
LONGREACH SHOWGROUNDS
Free Community Event for the whole family
See page 12 for full details
thursday 5
9.30am to 10.15am
prologue party 9.45am to 11.15am
Scot Gardner
R.A. Spratt
Matt Stanton
Richard Kinnon
Andy Geppert
Isobelle Carmody
10.45am to 11.30am 12.30pm to 1.15pm 1.45pm to 2.30pm
Katrina Nannestad
Andrew McDonald
R.A. Spratt
Richard Kinnon
Scot Gardner
Matt Stanton
student workshops
OWW11 - AT THE TOP OF YOUR VOICE with Hayley Scrivenor (for students aged 16+) $30
See page 14 for full details
OWW12 - HAVING FUN WITH WORDS with Katrina Nannestad (for students aged 9+) $30
See page 14 for full details
OWW13 - THE POWER OF WIERD with Andrew McDonald (for students aged 9+) $30
See page 14 for full details
OWW14 - WHERE IS THE FUTURE? with Isobelle Carmody (for students aged 12+) $30
See page 14 for full details
OWW15 - STORY SPARK with Andy Geppert (for students aged 7+) $30
See page 14 for full details
young writers’
5.00pm 4.30pm to 7.00pm 12.45pm to 2.15pm
dinner
Andy Geppert, Scot Gardner, Richard Kinnon, Andrew McDonald, Katrina Nannestad, R.A. Spratt and Matt Stanton (For students ages 10+) $50
See page 16 for full details
friday 6
9.30am to 10.15am
OW211 OW212 OW213
Richard Kinnon
Andy Geppert
Katrina Nannestad
10.45am to 11.30am
OW221 OW222 OW223
Scot Gardner
Andrew McDonald
Andy Geppert
12.30pm to 1.15pm
OW231 OW232 OW233
Isobelle Carmody
Katrina Nannestad
R.A. Spratt
1.45pm to 2.30pm
OW241 OW242 OW243
GRADES
Richard Kinnon
Matt Stanton
Andrew McDonald
breakfast workshops
Join us for a magical morning of creativity and breakfast. This special event features the talented children’s illustrators, Matt Stanton and Andy Geppert
See page 17 for full details
young illustrators’ adult 9.45am to 11.15am 9.30am to 11.30am 12.45pm to 2.15pm 7.30am
student workshops
OWW21 - STORY STRUCTURE with R.A. Spratt (for students aged 9+) $30
See page 14 for full details
OWW22 - WRITING FUNNY STORIES with Matt Stanton (for students aged 9+) $30
See page 15 for full details
OWW23 - WRITING LIKE A WILD THING with Scot Gardner (for students aged 12+) $30
See page 15 for full details
OWW20 - HELPING YOUR STUDENTS WRITE FROM THEIR OWN EXPERIENCES with Isobelle Carmody. (for adults) $50
See page 19 for full details
festival info
BOOKING INFORMATION
Tickets are $10.00 (GST inclusive) per person per session. For adult sessions, workshops and catered functions, please refer to individual event information. Bookings can only be processed on receipt of full payment. Bookings may be made online with credit card payment. There are no refunds or exchanges once bookings are processed. All tickets are issued as e-tickets and will be sent to your designated email address.
PURCHASING YOUR TICKETS
Tickets will be on sale from Wednesday 29 May 2024. You may book online anytime. Many sessions have limited numbers, so please book early to avoid disappointment.
SCHOOL BOOKINGS AND RESERVATION
POLICY
Tickets may be reserved for up to 14 days without payment. All payments must be finalised at least seven days prior to the Festival. If payment is not received for your reservation, this will result in automatic cancellation of your booking and tickets will be released.
PHOTOGRAPHY AND VIDEOGRAPHY PERMISSIONS
Somerset Storyfest will have a photographer and videographer on-site to record events throughout the Festival. These photos are for archival and marketing purposes and purchase of a ticket implies permission to use the photos taken for these purposes.
FESTIVAL BOOKSHOP
The Festival Bookshop stocks an extensive range of books by all the authors and illustrators attending Storyfest Out West and is open between 8.00am and 4.00pm. Books will be available at pop up activations during the festival. At the end of each of their sessions, authors are available for book signings!
FOOD AND DRINK
The Hardback Café operates throughout the Festival and will be open from 8.00am to 2.30pm.
SUPERVISION POLICY
Any child 14 years or younger must be accompanied by a supervising parent/ guardian or teacher while on campus at all times during Storyfest Out West.
FESTIVAL LOCATION
The Festival is located at the Longreach Showground, Kite Street, Longreach.
BAGS
There is no cloakroom facility at Storyfest Out West. We encourage students to bring a small carry bag, as some venues have limited access for school bags. We advise students to leave valuables at home. All lost property can be collected from Information Booth at the Festival.
HAVE QUESTIONS?
Phone: 07 5559 7377
Email: bookings@storyfest.com.au
by Cheryl
Photo
Rogers
party prologue
wednesday 4 september
4.30PM TO 7.00PM
Come along to the opening night of Storyfest Out West. A fun-filled evening for all the family to celebrate reading and writing! The Prologue Party is a great opportunity to meet some of Australia’s best authors and illustrators.
Enjoy all the fun of the fair with games and activities. The festival bookshop will be open during this event, it is a great opportunity for adults and children to browse the bookshelf and find that perfect book.
Stage activated from 4.30pm to 7.00pm - details to be announced.
Variety of dinner and beverage options available for purchase.
student workshops
thursday 5 september
9.45AM TO 11.15AM
at the top of your voice: fiction workshop for senior students
OWW11 What does it mean when someone says a work of fiction has a ‘compelling voice’? How does point of view interact with plot and how can it help you tell better stories? In this workshop for senior students, internationally best-selling author Hayley Scrivenor will guide you through voice and point of view with readings, practical exercises and space for reflection, all with the aim of helping you craft compelling fiction that stands out.
For students aged 16+ $30
having fun with words
OWW12 Join Katrina Nannestad in this fun-filled workshop filled with playful, fast-paced activities that will get the imagination soaring, ideas brewing and words flowing. All of the strategies shared in this workshop are ones Katrina uses in her own writing life – for fun and to generate great story ideas.
For students aged 9+ $30
the power of weird
OWW13 Join bestselling author Andrew McDonald as he shows everyone how to tap into the power of weird and tell hilarious, action-packed stories. Learn how to draw on real-life experiences AND your own imagination to create surprising characters, intriguing plots and stories infused with action, tension and humour – with a good dose of weird thrown in too!
For students aged 9+ $30
12.45PM TO 2.15PM
where is the future?
OWW14 Join us for an exciting workshop led by acclaimed author Isobelle Carmody ! This unique, placebased approach to storytelling focuses on writing speculative fiction stories about the future, grounded in the areas you know well. Learn to build rich, immersive worlds from your own knowledge and experiences, rather than relying on vague movie concepts. Discover how to treat place as a character in your narratives, enhancing your storytelling with authentic, vivid settings. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from one of the best in the field!
For students aged 12+ $30
story spark
OWW15 In this workshop, awarded picture book maker Andy Geppert shares his passion for creating picture books, providing expert tips and tricks to ignite the writers and artists inside us all. Sprinkled with fast-paced, wrong-is-right drawing activities, this class is bound to have you laughing, scribbling, and most importantly, filling your head and heart with some picture book ideas of your very own.
For students aged 7+ $30
friday 6
september
9.45AM TO 11.15AM
story structure
OWW21 R.A. Spratt demonstrates how to use the building blocks of story structure. It’s easier to write stories once you start thinking about them as a collection of parts that you build into narrative. R.A. will show you the method she uses and how it’s used by film and TV writers around the world.
For students aged 9+ $30
writing funny stories!
OWW22 Did you know you can write a story by drawing it first? Did you know that if you build a story first, writing it is much easier? Discover all the tips and tricks Matt Stanton uses to create his bestselling, hilarious stories in this fun and interactive workshop for kids.
For students aged 9+ $30
12.45PM TO 2.15PM
writing like a wild thing
OWW23 A writing workshop with Scot Gardner. Scot will discuss with the students the idea of using our own stories as a springboard into gripping fiction. Using the telling of real-life stories and brief timed-writing exercises, Scot will guide the students in the artful use of detail, hinting at emotion and subduing the influences of their own internal editor to create strong personal voices on the page.
For students aged 12+ $30
young writers’ dinner
5.00PM TO 9.30PM thursday 5 september
The Young Writers’ Dinner provides young people with a ‘once in a lifetime opportunity’ – to spend an exciting evening workshopping with some of Australia’s bestselling kids and YA fiction writers. The dinner is open to the wider community suitable for ages 10+. So don’t miss the amazing, fun-filled experience of spending an evening with one of this year’s featured authors - Andy Geppert, Scot Gardner, Richard Kinnon, Andrew McDonald, Katrina Nannestad, R.A. Spratt and Matt Stanton
For students aged 10+
Venue Nogo Station (meet at The Stables for transfer)
$50 per person includes dinner and drinks
Tickets are strictly limited!
young illustrators’ breakfast
friday 6 september
7.30AM TO 9.00AM
Gather ‘round, young artists! Join us for a magical morning of creativity and breakfast. This special event features the talented children’s illustrators, Matt Stanton and Andy Geppert.
Delight in a delicious breakfast spread and let your imagination soar as we share stories, swap tips, and sketch our way through a morning of fun. From quirky characters to vibrant landscapes, this illustrator breakfast is sure to inspire your next masterpiece! Don’t miss this unique opportunity to meet the artists behind your favourite books and discover the joy of illustration.
For students aged 6+
Venue Qantas Founders Museum
$35 per person includes breakfast and drinks.
Tickets are strictly limited!
adults
literary lunch with hayley scrivenor for the
wednesday 4 september
11.30AM ARRIVALS
Join us for an exclusive Literary Lunch with the brilliant Hayley Scrivenor , author of the critically acclaimed thriller Dirt Town.
Hayley will share insights into her creative process, the inspiration behind her gripping narratives, and the intricate character development that has captivated readers worldwide. Discover the secrets of her storytelling craft, from building suspense to weaving complex psychological portraits.
Time 11.30am arrivals with 12noon start
Venue The Drovers Place
$95 per person includes 2 course meal, cash bar available
Tickets are strictly limited!
adults
adult panel
Join us for a captivating evening with two of the most compelling voices in contemporary fiction, Isobelle Carmody and Hayley Scrivenor. This panel conversation will explore the intricate worlds of their storytelling, exploring the seamless blend of fantasy and reality, the creation of unforgettable characters, and the power of narrative to captivate and inspire.
Thursday 5 September
Time 5.30pm to 7.30pm
$50 per person includes dinner, cash bar available. Tickets are strictly limited!
Venue The Branch Cafe
adult workshop unveiling worlds of mystery
helping your students write from their own experiences
Isobelle Carmody will present a workshop designed to allow parents and educators to understand and resolve problems students face when asked to produce creative works. This is a very hands on workshop involving a method she has perfected over her forty year career, which allows participants to draw on their own experiences. It is derived from her own creative practise which began when she was 14, and writing her own book as a response to the death of her father in a car accident. It will also enable participants a fresh and deeper approach to the study of literature, which can be passed on to young writers. Because Isobelle is a very practical person, her method is practical and may well inspire participants to write their own stories.
Friday 6 September
Time 9.30am to 11.30am
$50 per person
Venue Longreach Showgrounds
Come and live the outback stories!
Meet storyteller Richard Kinnon. Hear incredible tales about the outback pioneering life. Come and experience it for yourself with a holiday in Longreach. You can gallop on a Cobb & Co stagecoach, see outback animals at working Nogo Station, cruise at sunset on a historic paddlewheeler, have a stockman’s dinner around the campfire – and much more.
Unique outback experiences Heritage-themed accommodation Traditional hospitality A warm welcome
sponsors & supporters
publishers government development fund
Somerset Storyfest is supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland and Proudly funded by the Gambling Community Benefit Fund
We would like to acknowledge the donors who have contributed to the Storyfest Development Fund in support of the development and delivery of literacy programmes for disadvantaged chidren.
