We are calling for papers and panel proposals for our upcoming conference, Climates of Change, which will be held at Flinders University in Adelaide from 29 November to 1 December, 2017.

The conference conveners are seeking papers dealing with the theme of change in all of its forms, though the call for papers has a list of potential subjects to help you brainstorm. Click here for more information.

Unlike in previous years, in which presenters could have their papers peer-reviewed and published on our website, we will be working with a journal to produce two special issues: one for general delegates, and one for postgraduate and early-career researchers. More details about this arrangement will be announced closer to the date.

Paper and panel proposals are due: August 4, 2017

24–26 November, 2017

University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia

The University of the Sunshine Coast’s School of Communication and Creative Industries invites conference paper submissions for its inaugural Children’s Media Symposium. This year’s theme is “From Print to Screen” and will feature keynote presentations from the ABC’s former Director of Television Kim Dalton OAM, celebrated children’s author Gary Crew, Oscar-winning illustrator Shaun Tan, and CEO of the Australian Children’s Television Foundation Jenny Buckland.

Convergence, transmedia storytelling, interactivity, fragmentation, the rise of social media and online streaming services have transformed the production and distribution of children’s media. The Children’s Media Symposium is a chance for the creative sector and the academic community to engage and collaborate in exploring the complex relations between this special audience and a fast-changing media landscape.

We invite submission of abstracts of 250 words for individual papers (20 minutes) or suggestions for three-paper panels. We welcome papers on screen adaptations of children’s literature; children’s screen content; the status of child consumers; writing for children and the image of the child in screen content and literature, in addition to other interpretations of this year’s theme.

Outstanding papers from this year’s symposium will be invited to appear in forthcoming issues of Australian Teachers of Media (ATOM) publications Metro and Screen Education.

Please send abstracts to ChildrensMedia@usc.edu.au by 30^th June, 2017. Click here for more information

The $4000 Guy Morrison Prize for Literary Journalism recognises excellence in Literary Journalism by an undergraduate and postgraduate Writing or Journalism student.

The prize honours Sydney journalist and playwright Guy Morrison, former Production Editor of The Australian and Features Editor of The Sydney Morning Herald, author of the memoir We Shared an Island, and plays Jara, Those Old Picasso Blues, Dancing the Tango in Sensible Shoes, Victor, and Eat Cake.

The Prize is for the best piece of Literary Journalism by an undergraduate or postgraduate student enrolled in a Writing or Journalism program in an Australian university. In the context of this Prize, Literary Journalism is defined as: “a factually accurate, well-researched story that demonstrates the use of fiction techniques in a work of non-fiction; a work that is written with style, flair, detailed description and narrative flow; a work that demonstrates a journalistic and critical understanding of some of the finest reportage in the English language”. The work submitted for the Prize must demonstrate these qualities.

For more details and how to submit, click here

The AAWP is updating our list of HDR thesis examiners in creative writing, humanities, and social sciences.

The AAWP is committed to helping HDR students and supervisors and we recognise that matching a thesis to the appropriate examiners is a critical step in the thesis-writing process. Because of this, we curate a list of thesis examiners which is only accessible to AAWP members.

If you would like work as a thesis examiner, we would love to hear from you. Please email jessica.seymour@hu.nl with a brief bio (50 words max), a list of research interests, your email address, and a website (optional).

From 25-29 October, the world’s leading authors, artists, thinkers and performers will converge on the 14^th Ubud Writers & Readers Festival to share ideas and stories under the banner of this year’s theme, ‘Origins’.

The theme – drawn from the Hindu philosophy ‘Sangkan Paraning Dumadi’ – speaks of our eternal connection to where we have come from, and to where we will ultimately return.

“Last year’s theme of ‘Tat Tvam Asi’, or ‘I am you, you are me’, was a powerful exploration of our connectedness, to each other, as individuals,” explains Founder & Director Janet DeNeefe.

“At a time of global unrest and political turmoil, ‘Origins’ invites us to consider the biggest picture – to contemplate not just our connections from person to person, but as a collective humanity extending across people, the planet and periods of time.”

Across the Festival’s five-day program, the theme will unfold the powerful movements which have influenced and continue to shape the world – from the political to the technological, environmental to spiritual – and their cyclical manifestations throughout our existence. It will challenge audiences to consider the origins of the elements that shape us, the things we carry with us through life, and the things that draw us back.

“By cultivating a universal perspective and shifting away from the cult of the individual, we instil in our Festival audiences the possibility of truly affirmative action,” continued DeNeefe. “If we are no longer constrained by our individual perspectives, what are our responsibilities, and what is within our power to achieve together?”

As ever, the Festival will celebrate the role literature and the arts play in understanding our place in the world. Platforms for reflection, connection and collective action, literary festivals occupy a unique space in contemporary discourse.

“The modern equivalent to the enlightenment-era coffeehouse, literary festivals are shaking off their reputations as sleepy marketplaces; transforming themselves into cross-cultural events where people who disagree can encounter one another and safely explore complex and controversial ideas – together,” reflected LA Review of Books correspondent Justin Lancy after attending last year’s event.

In bringing together 160+ speakers from 23 countries in 2016, the UWRF has well and truly evolved into a global hub of ideas, experiences and empowerment for both individuals and its diverse community of attendees. Through its strong focus on the Indonesian literary and artistic landscape, UWRF continues to be the most prominent platform for showcasing the nation’s emerging and established writers and artists.

“In Indonesia, the world’s greatest archipelagic nation, almost everyone is constantly asked, Dari mana? Where are you from?” concluded DeNeefe. “At a time when the severity of global events can make us feel disempowered, this year’s Festival drives us to return to our shared humanity and to ask ourselves, ‘what can we do to break the cycles of history?’”

You can submit through our submittable link here.

For more details and our terms and conditions, click here.

There seems to be some wonderful opportunities in Australian universities right now. UTS is currently advertising for a new Professor of Creative Writing and Head of the Creative Writing Program. This is an exciting opportunity for a scholar looking to further their career and develop their skills in academic leadership.

Click here for more information and details for how to apply