From 1 to 4 June the Northen Territory Writers Festival (NTWF) returns to Mparntwe/Alice Springs in beautiful Arrernte Country for four days of talks, readings and immersive events.
Taking place in the Olive Pink Botanic Garden, NTWF is as much a celebration of place as it is of the craft of writing. This year the program features over 80 artists and 40 events, with storytellers from Darwin to Papunya to Canada sharing their insights and knowledge.
In Arrernte, mwantye-le awaye means to listen deeply, to give things attention. Deep, careful listening entails an openness or receptivity – to other people and ways of being, to other species and the land around us. A number of events at the festival explore truth telling and the need to challenge dominant narratives of the past.
Rita Horanyi, Artistic Director of NTWF said, “One of the things that NT Writers Festival really focuses on is place-based curation and bringing the environment into the way we think about our program. It’s a bit different to the experience that you’d have at the big city writers’ festivals where there are predominantly panels and talks. We do have those events as well, but we try and do things that are more site-specific – and we also feature many local writers to showcase the rich and diverse storytelling culture of the NT.”
Highlights of 2023 Program
· Esteemed filmmaker Rachel Perkins appears in-conversation about her remarkable documentary series, The Australian Wars
· Wiradyuri author, Dr Anita Heiss AM, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Geraldine Brooks, and Alice Springs-based author, Christopher Raja, appear on a panel on the way historical fiction can unsettle accepted narratives of the past.
· International rising literary star Billy-Ray Belcourt – a poet, writer and academic from the Driftpile Cree Nation – joins via livestream from Vancouver and will appear on a panel and in-conversation about his debut novel, A Minor Chorus.
· Author and Uluru Statement from the Heart campaigner Thomas Mayo is joined by journalist Kerry O’Brien for a conversation about their book The Voice to Parliament Handbook.
· A bus tour of Mparntwe with Traditional Custodian Doris Stuart Kngwarreye
· A talk with senior Arrernte language teacher, botanist and ecologist Veronica Perrurle Dobson AM, and scientist and poet Meg Mooney, about the plants in Olive Pink Botanic Garden
Ticket Information
Dates: 1 to 4 June 2023
Tickets: Event prices start at $15 along with many FREE sessions
There is also a pass to all talks and panels for $180 /$145 Concession (early bird $150/$120)
Bookings: https://www.ntwriters.com.au/nt-writers-festival/tickets/
