An acclaimed group of Australian authors will travel to China next week for the tenth annual Australian Writers Week.
The event, supported by the Copyright Agency’s ‘Cultural Fund’ since 2014, is a significant opportunity for cultural exchange, with Australian authors getting the chance to travel across China sharing their stories, whilst also raising awareness of the quality and diversity of contemporary Australian writing.
This year’s event promises to be the biggest yet, with the continent boasting some real literary heavyweights. Those traveling to China this year include Pulitzer Prize winner Geraldine Brooks; Man Booker Prize winner Tom Keneally; Internationally best-selling author John Marsden and the acclaimed Indigenous children’s author and illustrator Bronwyn Bancroft. The four authors will visit bookshops, libraries, schools and universities across seven Chinese cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Xi’an.
The week’s events will also feature the launch of the first-ever Chinese edition of the award-winning picture book Big Rain Coming, illustrated by Bundjalung artist Bronwyn Bancroft.
Australia’s Ambassador to China, HE Ms Jan Adams AO PSM, said, “The Copyright Agency’s funding has enabled us to stage more events and send the visiting Australian authors further afield than would have been otherwise possible. Last year we were able to stage high-impact events such as the launch and exhibition of children’s author Graeme Base’s artwork in Wuhan, a presentation by Jane Godwin to 75 librarians from private libraries in Beijing; and a symposium with Robert Drewe and Clare Wright at Peking University for Australian Studies students… We reached a combined total audience of over 6500 people, plus tens of thousands more through dedicated social media posts, and achieved concrete outcomes for the authors in the form of book contracts, translation agreements, residency invitations and book sales.”
For more information on Australian Writers Week and a full list of the public programs on offer visit HERE
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