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Books
A
those
♦ Penelope Layland
welcomes the
long-awaited .
ACT Writers Centre.
CANBERRA has perhaps more
writers per head of popula
tion than any other city in
Australia. So when the ACT
Writers Centre was launched last
Tuesday, it was the. natural culmina
tion of a long-held desire of many of
the city's scribes for a place which
could be a focus of all the individual,
sometimes lonely, activity which goes
on in the suburbs.
The centre aims to become a re
source centre for all kinds of writers,
running workshops on the craft of
writing and providing low-cost access
to computers, photocopiers and print
ers. It also will liaise with the 10 other
writers' centres already up and run
ning throughout the country, to find
new and better ways to support local
writers.
The driving force behind the ACT
Writers Centre is Maureen Burdett.
She became serious about the idea last
year and in October met a senior pro
jects officer from ACT Administration
and began canvassing support. She did
not have to look far. By November a
public meeting had been held, involv
ing writers from all genres, including
poets, fiction-writers, editors, publish
ers and script-writers.
A steering committee was formed by
seven Canberra writers — Burdett,
Anne Edgeworth, Ron Miller, Marian
Eldridge, Liz Posmyk, Phil Crotty and
Paul Hetherington, and one writer re
presenting the region, Vinie Holmgren,
from Bega. Less than a year later the
centre is up and running, with a
spring program of workshops and a
room, generously provided rent-free for
the next 12 months, by the Griffith Li
brary.
Maureen Burdett at Griffith Library: "The idea is to stand alone. We want to be self-supporting." Photo by Peter Weils Help
Maureen Burdett at Griffith Library: "The idea is to stand alone. We want to be self-supporting." Photo by Peter Weils
The room is actually the old dental
surgery from the Griffith Primary
School.
At least one local writer, Ric Thros
sell, has vivid memories of sitting in
the dentist's chair in the very spot
now occupied by the centre. .
The centre's first management com
mittee has been elected, ready to steer
it through its inaugural year. Commit
tee chairman is Phillip Mackenzie,
deputy chairwoman is Marian Eld
ridge, Maureen Burdett is treasurer
and Liz Posmyk is secretary. Commit
tee members are Paul Hetherington,
Anne-Marie Britton and Anne Edge
worth. Robert Verdon is the newsletter
otTicer.
Burdett says the centre has received
a grant from the ACT Cultural Council
for computer equipment and a series
of workshops, and a grant for a
part-time coordinator has been applied
for.
"The idea is to stand alone," she
says. "We want to be self-supporting.
That will happen as we broaden our
membership base and activities."
The first series of workshops are all
full-day events. The first, held yester
day, was run by Marian Eldridge, win
ner of the 1994 Year of the Family
State Literary Award. In September,
Kathy Kituai and Francesca Rendle
Short will run another fiction work
shop. In October, the winner of the
1994 ACT Book of the Year, John
Foulcher, will run a poetry workshop
and in November publicist and poet
Lizz Murphy will run a workshop on
marketing and-publicity.
Burdett says that as the centre de
velops, other kinds of activities will be
held, including seminars and special
talks on topics in which members have
expressed an interest.
At the moment the centre is staffed
part-time by volunteers, but it is hoped
that soon it will be open at regular
times and will eventually come to be a
drop-in centre, as well as a resource
centre, somewhere for writers to con
gregate and network.
Burdett says that wherever possible
the centre will draw on the talents of
local writers to lead its workshops and
other activities, rather than bringing
in writers from outside.
But these are early days, and what
the centre needs first and foremost are
members. Membership costs $30 ($15
concession or $60 for organisations
such as schools).
For more information about mem
bership or to find out about upcoming
workshops, call 239 5251, or write to
The ACT Writers Centre, PO Box 23,
Griffith, 2603.
$