WRITERS FESTIVAL QUICK Q&A WITH
Mirandi Riwoe Mirandi Riwoe is a Brisbane-based writer with connections to the Northern Rivers, and is proud to act as the 2022 Kyogle Writers Festival Ambassador. Her book Stone Sky Gold Mountain won the inaugural ARA Historical Novel Prize and the Queensland Literary Award, was shortlisted for the Stella Prize and longlisted for the Miles Franklin Award. Her novella The Fish Girl won Seizure’s Viva la Novella and was shortlisted for the Stella Prize. Kyogle Culture caught up with her briefly, ahead of this years Festival. You are this year’s Kyogle Writers Festival Ambassador — how did you come to be involved with the Festival? In 2021, I was invited to the Kyogle Writers Festival in its inaugural year. It was a lovely, intimate festival which meant there was room and time to really meet other authors and readers. I am so grateful to be invited back this year, especially as the festival ambassador. Last year they provided a really interesting, impressive line-up of authors and this year is no different. This year’s theme is ‘Close to Home?’... what comes to mind for you when you think about ‘home’? Home for me will always be about having a sense of belonging, be it within a family or friendship group, or a neighbourhood or even a country. I am often interested in writing about migrants and the difficulties associated with identifying ‘home’ or ‘belonging’ when in a new country. 36
Perhaps this is because my father came from Indonesia in the 1960s and I am Eurasian myself, but also, one day I’d like to write about my mother’s family and their strong sense of connection to Ireland despite living here in Australia for generations. What role do you think writers’ festivals take in inspiring readers and writers in a world of fast media? Writers’ festivals offer a fantastic opportunity to become immersed in books and are a great point of contact between readers and writers. Panels and conversations about books and authors can hopefully engage readers to pick up books that might appeal to them, in which they can become immersed. But, of course, there will still be time for social media in between – to tweet about how fabulous a panel is or to share a favourite read on Instagram.
