Here I am,

trying to think of how to write about being in the Sydney Recital Hall, listening to writer-historian William Dalrymple talk about his most recent book ("The Last Mughal", reviewed here by Geoffrey Moorhouse at the Guardian) and for the life of me, I can hardly put a sentence together that doesn't ramble, because I'm still giddy and ( Read more... )

Program for the SYDNEY WRITERS' FESTIVAL 2007

WILLIAM DALRYMPLE IS COMING TO SYDNEY!

I had to skip on his events the last time that he was at the SWF so this time I am determined not to miss. Maybe I'll even be fangirlish and do the unheard of and take my books to the signing.

Other events I have in my sights:

May 31st
The Publishing Route to ( Read more... )

BigPond is offering highlights from the Sydney Writers' Festival 2006 which you can stream. So you can check out talks with Neil Gaiman (not the one I was at), The New Yorkers, Audrey Niffenegger, and others. I don't think this will work if you're not in Australia, but you can go give it a try.

Last night:

Jon Lee Anderson didn't make it to the panel, "What makes a civil society?"; it wasn't elaborated upon by Paul Sheehan (SMH columnist and the night's presentor), but apparently he wasn't able to get out of the United States for some reason or other...

But Martin Krygier, Peter Singer and Naomi Wolf were there. And what a fascinating ( Read more... )

Saw Neil Gaiman in conversation with Wil Anderson at the Sydney Town Hall tonight. Part of the annual Sydney Writers' Festival, which runs through all of this week.

Asked a question (the only female to do so, I think) about -- of all things -- his blog(If you're one of those people who are pretending to be Neil Gaiman on the net: he knows about ( Read more... )

Last year, I missed hearing William Dalrymple speak when he was here for the annual Writers' Festival because I was in a lecture. I'm still sore about it. It was only a philosophy lecture after all. *g ( Read more... )