**We are delighted to announce a Mudgee Readers’ mini Festival, with a series of events held on Friday 26 and Saturday 27 August. In celebration of regional writing, we are presenting a program of sessions featuring writers writing in or about regional NSW, with a particular focus on the Central West.**

Friday 26 August, 6pm
Book Launch: A Daisy in a Jar
The Book Nest Mudgee, free to attend
Join Jorie Ryan for a celebration of her latest poetry collection. Described as ‘a hopeful book,’ A Daisy in a Jaris Jorie’s fourth volume of poetry.

Saturday 27 August, 10-11am
Homegrown Stories
Town Hall Theatre, included in ticket price
Writers from the Mudgee region share their work, talk about their creative practice and their writing, with host Kim Kelly.

12-1pm
Kate Kelly Meets The Rat Catcher
Town Hall Theatre, included in ticket price
Kim Kelly’s latest novel is the historical fable The Rat Catcher – the story of an Irish rat catcher in 1900s Sydney who falls in love with a girl, a rat, and all the books in the public library. Rebecca Wilson’s historical narrative Kate Kelly is the true story of Ned Kelly’s little sister. Kim and Rebecca talk research, writing, and basing their successful creative careers in the Central West. Hosted by Sharelle Fellows.

2-3pm
Book Launch: More Than Words
Town Hall Theatre, free to attend
Mudgee Valley Writers launch their new anthology More Than Words, with readings, and a display of submitted pieces of writing alongside accompanying photographs. Includes afternoon tea.

3-4pm
A Poetry Circle, hosted by Bob Campbell
Town Hall Theatre, free to attend
Writer and musician Bob Campbell presents an hour of poetry readings and recitals featuring five local poets.

5-6pm
Dirt Town: A Conversation with Hayley Scrivenor
Town Hall Theatre, included in ticket price
Join Hayley Scrivenor for a chat about her debut crime novel Dirt Town. Jane Harper calls Dirt Town ‘a heart-wrenching mystery’ and Anne Cleeves ‘a stunning debut.’ Fans of Jane Harper, Chris Hammer and Garry Disher will love this stunning rural mystery. Hear from a new star of Australian crime writing, in conversation with Portia Lindsay.
This session is sponsored by Robert Stein Winery and includes a glass of wine on arrival.

Sunday 28 August, 11am-12pm
Swimming Home
Mudgee Arts Precinct, included in ticket price
Judy Cotton is an internationally recognised artist who has had 37 solo shows and shown work in the United States, Australia, the U. K., Japan, South Korea and China. Her work is in many collections including Metropolitan Museum of Art, the National Gallery of Australia, and Bathurst Regional Gallery. Her memoir Swimming Home is a vivid chronicle of her time in the Central West, South Korea, Japan and New York. It is also a striking look at twentieth century life in regional NSW.

Unfortunately due to illness Judy Cotton is no longer able to attend, but please join Rebecca Wilson and guests for a chat about Swimming Home, and art and life in the Central West.

Admission for the full program is $20 and your ticket entitles you to attend as many or as few of the Saturday events as you like.
Jorie Ryan’s Book Launch on Friday 26 August is free to attend, courtesy of The Book Nest Mudgee, and the Mudgee Valley Writers sessions are also free to attend.

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The brilliant author of worldwide sensation The Dressmaker is coming to Mudgee for this year's cracking Readers' Festival. Rosalie's novels have sold over 150,000 copies in Australia and around the world, with The Dressmaker becoming an award-winning film starring Kate Winslet and Liam Hemsworth. Her latest book is The Year of the Farmer.

Rosalie is the headline speaker at our Long Lazy Lunch on Sunday 18 August, hosted by Alice Grundy at The Cellar By Gilbert - a sell-out event if ever we saw one! You can also catch her at the From Page to Screen and Stage panel on Saturday 17 August.

We caught up with Rosalie to ask her all the important questions (and a few fun ones) ahead of her debut at MRF.

MEET ROSALIE HAM

What book/author has had the biggest impact on your career?

Most of them, but in particular Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Austen’s humour, wit and observant eye was a revelation to me as a young teenager. Also, her luminous female characters, the suspense, intrigue, love, hurt and the triumphs of everyday drama in a small community spoke of the universal. That story helped me understand the way I saw things.

How did you get into the writing business?

I’ve always written, for as long as I can remember, but it was the writing course at RMIT that galvanised all my writings and guided me towards the publishing industry.

What’s your ideal reading setup?

Flat on my back in bed, two specific head pillows in perfect place and a book resting on the other specific reading pillow on my chest, reading lamp just so.

Coffee or tea?

Coffee, double shot.

Kindle or Paperback?

Paperback

Early riser or night owl?

A night reader, late riser.

Favourite book of all time?

I usually cite All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy but of late I’ve been captured by Amy Bloom’s White Houses. And recently when I was asked that question someone responded, ‘Wouldn’t it be the first novel you published since it started it all?’ It’s a good question.

And most importantly, what are you reading right now?

I’m at a critical stage in my writing so I’m reading stories that won’t ‘sway’ my ‘emotional arc.’ I’m enjoying This is Shakespeare by Emma Smith and Uncommon Arrangements, Seven Marriages in Literary London, 1910-1939 by Katie Roiphe.

To learn where to find all your favourite authors and cracking events, check out the MRF Program and follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Admission for the full program is $20 and your ticket entitles you to attend as many or as few of the Saturday events as you like. Jorie Ryan’s Book Launch on Friday 26 August is free to attend, courtesy of The Book Nest Mudgee, and the Mudgee Valley Writers sessions are also free to attend.