Byron Writers Festival, of which I am now the Chair, wrapped up in August (yes, this post is a little late). The Wednesday night (before opening on Friday) the equivalent of a cyclone hit Byron. We arrived early on the site on Thursday morning to find one marquee collapsed, another marquee ripped, lots of the signage blown away and a large proportion of the site flooded. Many people thought we wouldn't open the next day, but we were determined.
Our team worked around the clock (with pumps, gravel, hay and crusher dust) and we opened the gates as scheduled at 8am the next morning. We told everyone to bring their gumboots. And what a Festival...the whole event was magic.
I drove Annabel Crabb to the Literary Dinner and she is a delight. I sat next to Leigh Sales at dinner. She is easiest person to talk to in the world. Just like talking to a friend. I thought I’d be intimidated and searching for intelligent things to say to such an extraordinary media icon, but she is so down to earth and friendly. Meeting P.J. O’Rourke was also a bit of a highlight. And, there were so many more.
I chaired two sessions. Contemporary rural romance author Charlotte Nash was wonderful to interview. I so loved her book, The Horseman. And, Lucy Clark had almost the whole marquee in tears as we discussed the content of her book, Beautiful Failures. I was a little intimidated when Kerry O’Brien sat down to listen!
All in all, we pulled off a miracle.
Our team worked around the clock (with pumps, gravel, hay and crusher dust) and we opened the gates as scheduled at 8am the next morning. We told everyone to bring their gumboots. And what a Festival...the whole event was magic.
I drove Annabel Crabb to the Literary Dinner and she is a delight. I sat next to Leigh Sales at dinner. She is easiest person to talk to in the world. Just like talking to a friend. I thought I’d be intimidated and searching for intelligent things to say to such an extraordinary media icon, but she is so down to earth and friendly. Meeting P.J. O’Rourke was also a bit of a highlight. And, there were so many more.
I chaired two sessions. Contemporary rural romance author Charlotte Nash was wonderful to interview. I so loved her book, The Horseman. And, Lucy Clark had almost the whole marquee in tears as we discussed the content of her book, Beautiful Failures. I was a little intimidated when Kerry O’Brien sat down to listen!
All in all, we pulled off a miracle.
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