How many people have a story to tell but not the means to tell it?
This is the question asked by Noosa-based writers and academics Shelley Davidow and Paul Williams and answered by the formation of the Sunshine Coast Creative Writing Institute, whose first workshop series, The Radical Memoir, will take place in May.
The tagline for the Institute, “Write On The Coast”, reflects both the Peregian hub of the institute and the recognition that so many locals are readers who want to write, and have the time to devote to it. Says Annie Grossman of Annie’s Books on Peregian: “Spend a day in my shop and you’ll find people just love to talk about books, and they walk away excited about what they’ve heard about books they may not have discovered. So for readers, I think this will be a bonanza, but there are also so many readers who want to be writers.”
Annie, book-lover and committed bookseller, and Noosa Deputy Mayor Frank Wilkie, a prizewinning playwright, both of them long-term Peregian residents, have joined forces with award-winning writers and University of Sunshine Coast creative writing gurus Shelley Davidow and Paul Williams, to launch the institute next month with the series of memoir workshops at Noosa Library, but that is just the beginning for an ambitious program of events putting readers and writers together, and maybe turning one into the other.
Says Shelley: “For me the concept is to provide a space where the local community can have their writing voices heard, and every storyteller can have a context in which their stories can flourish. It might be in print or online, but it’s a space where we can grow a literary love on the coast. I feel that now is the time. The community is growing and we have so much talent coming in. We’ve done workshops over the years, so it’s not like it’s a new idea, but we felt it would be wonderful to have it all under one umbrella and create opportunities to fund it through donations and grants and have scholarships for young people or retirees, or just anyone who has a story to tell.”
Shelley, who has a multitude of her own published works across several genres to her credit, emphasizes that the institute will focus on the craft of writing first and its commercial potential a distant second. “Down the track we hope to be able to offer a service where our writers can pitch their work to publishers. Beyond that, we believe in the power of the writing craft as a process of creating identity. The objective is writing for its own sake rather than profit, but if you want to take it down that path, great. We just want to support people in finding their voice.”
Paul Williams, also an internationally-published author, adds: “Writing is a solitary act and what we’ve discovered over the years is that people like to come together as a community and share their writing issues. Every time we do a workshop people always ask, can we do more? Can we connect with each other? At USC we do online courses but people always seem to want that human connection, and we hope to address that need.”
Both Paul and Shelley agree that most people seeking to improve their creative writing skills are not looking for a degree, they simply want to be able to tell stories. Says Shelley: “This is not something we want to impose on people, it’s the answer to a call.”
The founding board members are taking the process slowly but they want to create a literary agenda of events, workshops and weekend mini-festivals over the coming year that will stimulate the appetite for more. Says Frank Wilkie: “I’m on board to support the vision as a writer and playwright, but I also like the fact that it’s a grass roots beginning which over time will fulfill a real need in our community.”
The Radical Memoir, the first of a series of writers’ workshops presented by The Sunshine Coast Creative Writing Institute and Annie’s Books On Peregian, will be held at Noosa Library over four Saturdays in May, 7, 14, 21 and 28, from 9.30am to midday. $195 per person and very limited numbers. Bookings are essential, phone Annie’s Books on 5448 2053 or email info@anniesbooks.com.au
