Melbourne and Brisbane Festivals

Posted on by scott

First of all, thanks to everyone who came to the Mortal Instruments viewing last night here in Sydney. It was a gas, and the screams were many. So. Many. Screams. Also, I got to sign someone’s Chicken McNuggets box, because global capitalism is global.

I have some cool Leviathan VR pictures to show you, but first here’s a post about my next two weeks. I’ll be at the Melbourne and Brisbane Writers Festivals, and hope that some of you will be too.

MELBOURNE WRITERS FESTIVAL
Click here to buy tickets.

Tuesday, 27 August
12:30 PM – 1:15 PM
ACMI Cinema 2
Federation Square
Corner Flinders and Swanston Streets
Science/Fiction
Participants: Scott Westerfeld
Chairperson: Rob James
Scott Westerfeld grew up surrounded by science and technology. It’s no wonder that his books – including Uglies, Leviathan, Midnighters and Peeps – are shaped by science. Find out what makes his stories tick, and how science can be a novelist’s best friend.

Wednesday, 28 August 2013
10:00 AM – 10:45 AM
Deakin Edge, Fed Square Federation Square
Corner Flinders and Swanston Streets
The Steampunk World of Leviathan
Participants: Scott Westerfeld, Naomi O’Brien-D’Ambra
The Leviathan trilogy is set in a steampunk World War I. The books even look like they were published in 1914, when almost all books were illustrated, even books for adults. Tour this extraordinarily rich world with the perfect guide, author Scott Westerfeld.

Wednesday, 28 August 2013
12:30 PM – 1:15 PM
ACMI Cinema 2
Federation Square
Corner Flinders and Swanston Streets
Science Fiction, Science Fact
Participants: Scott Westerfeld, Michael Pryor
Chairperson: Andrew McDonald
Scott Westerfeld and Michael Pryor talk about the inventions and ideas first put forward in fiction, later proved to be fact – or wildly off the mark. Who is the better guide: scientist or novelist? Or does the future rely on both?

I’m also teaching a YA Writing masterclass, but that is sold out.

Again, click here to buy tickets.

BRISBANE WRITERS FESTIVAL
Click here for tickets.

Friday Sept 6th
8–11PM
Maiwar Green, State Library of Queensland
‘Juvenilia’
Featuring Kevin Kwan, Clementine Ford, Scott Westerfeld, Justine Larbalestier, Kimberley Freeman (Kim Wilkins), Stuart MacBride and Benjamin Law reading work they scribbled in their youth. A special ‘Juvenilia’ mixed tape set by Simon Reynolds will wrap up the night.
No ticket required.

Saturday Sept 7th
Sat 11:30AM–12:30PM
State Library of Queensland
‘Dystopias’
Scott Westerfeld and Max Barry talk with Marianne de Pierres about dystopias, being a teenager in a world that wants to kill you and our fascination with broken futures.
TICKETS $12-$16

Justine and I are teaching a YA class here too. Also sold out.

And I’m also doing two sessions in the kids section, but I think those are limited to schools. If I’m wrong about that, go here and check them out.

Also, you should check out Justine’s blog for her schedule for both festivals.

73 thoughts on “Melbourne and Brisbane Festivals”

  1. I’ve already read all Scott’s books that the library has apart from Peeps and Last Days (obviously!).

    Percy Jackson – meeeeh, the idea has never grabbed me and probably never will 😛 I’m not really into fantasy apart from anything Middle Earth. I guess that’s why I like Scott’s books so much because they’re backed by science not magic.

    Chronicle of Vladmir Tod… why does that sound so much like a vampire story? 😛 vampire books totally don’t interest me! Hence the hesitation to read Peeps and Last Days… but since they’re Scott’s I will read them, and because I read somewhere that Peeps isn’t fantasy? Isn’t it like an infection that turns you into a vampire?

  2. @54
    Peeps is good, backed by science, but I prefer The Last Days, because it’s about rock n roll saving the world.

    If you like science fiction instead of fantasy, I might suggest going into the Dystopian genre, like Uglies is. Have you heard of Divergent by Veronica Roth?

    also: do all of you know what the game is? I just lost, and I needed to tell someone.

  3. Mhmmm, read all the good dystopia’s including Divergent (which I loved). Are you looking forward to the movie, @nerezza-la? Ugghh, this is why I never ask for book suggestions because it seems I only get suggestions for books I’ve already read 😛 ah well, time to browse on goodreads

  4. @Zac-la: Chronicles of Vladmir Tod is about a half-human, half-vampire teenager. So, yeah, it’s a vampire book, but it’s a really good vampire book 🙂 Peeps is about a parasite that makes people vampire-esque, and is definitely not fantasy. Science fiction for sure.
    @nerezza-la: The game is: If you think about the game, you say “I lost the game!” and then you can’t lose again for another half hour. The game only ends if the president comes on national television and says he lost the game. That’s how I learned it, anyway. There’s probably other versions, too.

  5. hehe, the game. always fun 🙂 oh dammit now I’m thinking about the game since i read the comments so hey everyone I just lost the game!
    @Zac-la, Chronicles of Vladmir Tod is SO GOOD! listen to Panzercrappitastica, it is quite a good vampire book. i read it so many times. also, I’m reading a very interesting sci-fi book for school, it’s Venus by Ben Bova.

  6. @Zac-la – don’t know if I’ve said this before, but if you like science fiction and/or fantasy, I would say read the Chaos Walking trilogy, by Patrick Ness, honestly some of my favorite books ever!

  7. I just lost the game, you guys!
    I learned that you can only ever win the game on your 50th birthday if you shove your face in a cake with blue icing, or something of that sort (I think there was also a bit more to it)… Clearly, there are several differing versions of the game, but one main point remains true: you think about the game, you’ve lost.

    This “comments will be closed one year from today” thing is driving me crazy! What’s the deal, Scott?

  8. Sorry guys I’ve been busy playing at this music competition! I got a first today and the other people are a higher grade than me! 😀 😀

    Vladimir Todd sounds like the exact book I try to avoid :/ I guess 12 year old vampires worrying about bullies and mean teachers just doesn’t interest me… I saw a quote from the book on goodreads and it was something like “teachers are the worst people in the world”, what?! Sure, you do get some nasty teachers but I actually really like all of mine. They’re helpful and generally want me to do well. So yeah, I guess I just don’t relate to it much. However, I’m not going to judge this book because I haven’t read it!

    @Middy Me – I’ve read the whole Chaos Walking trilogy and loved it! It’s so well written and original. Definitely up there on the favourite book list 🙂

    Ok, what has happened to Scott-sensei? I thought he was going to be blogging more often now . . . Scott, think of your fans! Post anything and we’ll be interested. Literally anything. I’d even want to read a post about what you’d had for lunch 😛

  9. @Zac-la – hmm….okay….what else? Well if you like fantasy, Cornelia Funke’s Reckless is a really good book, and it is really filled with imagination and a cool story, and bits from fairytales.
    Also, I would recommend the Dragon Keeper trilogy, by Caroline Wilkinson. Those are also fantasy, and they are really awesome (besides, they have dragons, and I love dragons :P)

    And congratulations on your music competition! 🙂

  10. @Zac-la: Actually, he’s thirteen in the first book… And he’s worried that one of his teachers wants to kill him, not just that he’s mean, but it’s fine if you don’t want to read it :-\

    I KNOW! I wanna know what happened with the whole meet-up thing, too!

  11. Okay, I am now on chapter 15 of Goliath with the audiobooks, and my biggest comment probably has to be: OMG, I LOVE EDDIE MALONE’S VOICE IS AMAZING! MidK, you’re right, it doesn’t even sound like Alan! Also, I really excited for my favorite line ever! I hope he does it justice! (For those who don’t know, it’s a certain six-word paragraph near the end of chapter 40.)

    MidK, where are you anyway? You disappeared! 🙁

  12. I wanna hear Eddie’s voice! Everyone say’s it’s awesome!

    Is it: “‘Deryn,’ he sobbed. Anything but this.”?

  13. So, I listened to Eddie’s voice. And holy crud that’s amazing O-O It’s almost exactly how I imagined his voice sounding. I love how dramatic it is.

  20. Back to book suggestions, I dunno how old all of you are, but The Road (Cormac McCarthy) is an excellent, more mature version of a post-apocalyptic type thing. Plus there are cannibals, and you can rarely go wrong with that.

    I agree with all who came before me:
    Scott-la, kindly tell us which type of breakfast cereal is your favourite, if Australians even subscribe to the breakfast phenomenon.

    now I lost the game AGAIN (sorry y’all)

    Do you think it’s scott-la closing the comments, or it’s just an automatic thing on the website? That seems most likely to me….

  21. @nerezza-la, did Cormac McCarthy write any other books? i think one of my friends was all excited for it, but i might be confused with another author.
    maybe Scott is keeping secrets from us hopefully it’s just automatic, but that doesn’t make sense… WordPress is free

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