My Somerset adventure…

I’ve been attending writers festivals as a reader (and unpublished writer) for years, but last week was the first time I stepped through the gates as an author on the program. Whole other ball-game…

I was suitably terrified and excited (the two adjectives I seem to use lot these days). And I had an absolute blast. I met switched-on students, met and heard awesome writers, had rewarding sessions, and came home with a swag of books (signed, of course!).

The festival in question was the Somerset Celebration of Literature on the Gold Coast, now 20 years strong, and openly touted as the biggest and best youth literary festival in Australia. Certainly, writers who have been doing the festival circuit a lot longer than me agreed it was among their favourites.

IMG_0450

The stage is ready for performances at the Prologue Party

IMG_0449

Wizards duel it out at the Prologue Party.

The first thing that struck me was how warm and friendly Australian YA writers are. They’re a friendly bunch, and there was a lovely vibe at the welcoming dinner and then in the green room at the festival itself.

I was somewhat spoilt in that my first session was a panel discussion with the wonderful Nick Earls, and Queensland Writers Centre Programs and Services Manager Aimee Lindorff, about online author platforms. It was an open session (the audience included adults as well as students), and the pressure was mostly off me because everyone came to hear Nick. Rightly so – nobody tells a story like Nick. We had good discussion about blogging, tweeting and interacting with readers online, and I possibly even offered one or two intelligent comments.

Next up was my first author session. That’s me and a mike and 45 minutes to fill. And a sea of Year 9 students. My new writer buddies Simmone Howell and Pip Harry also came along in support. No pressure. 🙂 So, I launch into my story about my journey to publication and my experiences as a published writer. At some point during my talk, my brain decides that I began 15 minutes earlier than I actually did. So I shorten some of my material and wrap up in time for questions – and then go to wrap up the session. My protocol student (the lovely Hepburn) politely comes over and quietly explains I still have 15 minutes left. Fortunately all swearing was confined to my head. The audience must have seen the fear in my eyes because as I’m fumbling about for a topic I could dive back into, the questions start coming thick and fast. And they were good questions. I’ve never been so grateful. I particularly have to thank the Somerset girl who asked a string of questions (you know who you are).

Lesson learned? Write the finishing time on the back of my hand so there can be no confusion. My next solo session (in a giant marquee with a crowd to match) went much more smoothly, as did my final session – a smaller group, who seemed to forgive me for not putting my shoes on (I took them off while getting settled. Force of habit.)

Belinda Murrell, Simmone Howell and Leah Giarratano at the Prologue Party

Belinda Murrell, Simmone Howell and Leah Giarratano

With Kaz Delaney.

With Kaz Delaney.

The events were the most fun: The Prologue Party in the quad had a European-style festival atmosphere and we got to witness the amazing Asphyxia bring her heart-breaking goth puppet to life, and Lucas Proudfoot and his didgeridoo had the kids dancing. The Literary Long Table dinner on the terrace on the final night was pure magic.

IMG_0479

I’m a sucker for flowers, candles, food and wine…

IMG_0478

Part of the Literary Long Table on the terrace overlooking the quad.

One of the best things about the festival was meeting other writers. I loved chatting to fellow YA authors Simmone Howell, Pip Harry, Christine Howe, Leah Giarratano and Kaz Delaney. There weren’t enough hours in the day to see everyone I wanted to see, but I hear Lisa Forrest, Kari Gislason and Tiffany Hall were big hits and I also would’ve loved to have seen children’s writers Belinda Murrell, Gus Gordon, Katrina Nannestad and the hugely popular (read: rock star) Andy Griffiths. (Okay, I wanted to see everyone and I can’t list them all here.)

IMG_0462I also have to give a shout-out to my two protocol students, Hepburn and Akhila, who made sure I got where I needed to be, and all the staff and volunteers at Somerset who made it so easy for us newbies.

I had so many special moments during the week but I think the most surreal came on the final night when I was walking under strings of fairy lights in the quad on our way up to the terrace for dinner. It struck me that I was a published author at a festival in a gorgeous setting, surrounded by writers I admire. Yet again I felt enormously grateful. Honestly, the long, hard journey to get there (and I don’t mean the drive down the M1) was so worth it.

My book haul from the festival

My book haul from the festival

0 Comments

  1. Nomes says:

    LOL @ your last paragraph (although I know it is emotional ~ just the bit about the M1 ;)) it must have felt so surreal and completely awesome at the same time.

    I’m so glad you had a great time there and I think it must have been amazing to meet all the other writers.

    Thanks for sharing it all x

    1. paulaweston says:

      Ah yes, the M1. 🙂
      Thanks Nomes. Looking forward to catching up in June.

  2. Dimity Powell says:

    You delievered much much more than just one or two intelligent comments Paula. Well done. Brilliant post and fabulous festival debute! Cheers Dimity x

    1. paulaweston says:

      Thank you Dimity. That’s very kind. 🙂

  3. sandy says:

    So glad you had a great week. When you come to dinner I will ensure there are candles and flowers, and of course, WINE! So happy that all went well. Take care x

    1. paulaweston says:

      Ha! Thanks Sandy. 🙂

  4. trinitydoyle says:

    It sounds so wonderful Paula. I must say you’ve made me a bit emotional now. That moment of realisation, how wonderful! xx

    1. paulaweston says:

      Thanks Trin. It was pretty special. Hope to share a moment like that with you one day. 🙂

  5. Kerri/Kaz says:

    Hey gorgeous girl! It was indeed a rocking event – and like you I also had a ball. Unlike you, I haven’t recovered enough yet to blog about it! 😉 Well done!

    But OMG – I feel like you’ve broken into my brain (sorry – a truly yuck image that really belongs in an Andy G book and not here, but…) and stolen my thoughts. The magic of the whole event, the professionalism, the excitement… I couldn’t agree more. Right down to the poignancy of the amazing Asphyxia and her precious puppet Martha.

    One of the highlights of the whole show, for me, was meeting new authors and making new friends – happy concurrent events!

    Here’s to friendships! (Raising my glass of iced DC here…) And thank you, especially, for yours. I truly had a ball.

    1. paulaweston says:

      I raise a glass back to you Kaz – and my prized lipstick pen!! 🙂

Leave a Reply to paulaweston Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Latest Posts

Latest Comments

Categories

Archives

About Me

I’m the author of the Rephaim series and The Undercurrent.

For my day job, I’m a writer-journalist-professional communicator, where my writing involves a lot less profanity.

I grew up in regional South Australia and now live in the Scenic Rim with my husband and a retired greyhound.

If you’re interested in how I came to land a publishing deal, you can read the short version in this post from August 2011. There’s a longer version (in a guest post) here.

Paula Weston

Latest from the Blog

  • My first ‘best of’ list on Shepherd
    Have you heard of Shepherd.com? It’s a platform where authors provide book recommendations for readers who like their work. It’s a bit of a ‘If […]
  • Stagnation – and an epiphany
    As mentioned in my last post, I’ve been working on a new fantasy series. What I didn’t mention was that, for the first time in […]
  • I’m still here…
    Although I’d understand if you lost interest in this blog long ago. It’s been five years since my last post. I’m keen to get blogging […]
  • The Undercurrent – interviews and reviews
    It’s been a busy six weeks since The Undercurrent was released here in Australia. I’ve had the chance to talk about the new novel  on air, […]
  • Yes, the Undercurrent is a standalone novel
    The Undercurrent – out now in Australia and New Zealand – is a speculative thriller set in near-future Australia and, yes, it’s a standalone novel. […]