**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.

Book now

What a year we are having. As if prolonged drought and horrendous bushfires weren’t enough, we are now enduring a pandemic. Over the month that would have seen our festival bring authors, audiences and stories to venues throughout Mudgee, we are hunkering down and doing our best to keep ourselves and each other safe.

We may not be able to deliver a festival to you this year, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t still share stories. 2020 Visions is a series of e-zines: four short works by regional writers living through these unsettling times, brought to life with illustrations by four talented artists.

So instead of sharing stories with us in person this year, we invite you to connect with some fresh writing that just might reflect an aspect of your 2020 vision.

We will be uploading new pieces over the next month, but first up is:

Rehearsal for Disaster
by Tracy Sorensen
illustrated by Travis De Vries

And coming soon:

Future Conversations
by Summer Land
illustrated by Sam Paine

You will never cry alone
by Kirli Saunders
illustrated by Toni Behrens

Signs
by Cadance Bell
illustrated by Milla Jones

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.

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.