The Sunshine Hinterland Writers’ Centre Inc. aims to promote Australian literature, enhance the skills of and provide resources, information and literary activities for writers and readers in the Sunshine Coast, Hervey Bay Region and beyond.
We are committed to:
- creating and supporting a vibrant literary culture on the Sunshine
Coast
Coast
- building community and fostering an appreciation of and supporting
regional writing
regional writing
- facilitating the Reality Bites festival, focussing on nonfiction and
introducing local audiences to Australia's best writers of nonfiction as
well as other writing professionals, creating opportunities for debate,
information exchange, critical review and discussion.
introducing local audiences to Australia's best writers of nonfiction as
well as other writing professionals, creating opportunities for debate,
information exchange, critical review and discussion.
Our History:
The Sunshine Hinterland Writers’ Centre Inc was set up in 2009 with the main aim of keeping alive the Reality Bites literary nonfiction festival,which aims to introduce Sunshine Coast readers and writers to Australia’s best minds and gifted storytellers.
The event began its life with funding from the Noosa Shire Council in 2008. Its inaugural program, was presented in the Pomona‘s Majestic Theatre with a book launch at Berkelouw Books in Eumundi.
The following year local author Annette Hughes accepted directorship of the program, expanded the festival and centred it in Cooroy at the Butter Factory Arts Centre, until the new library would eventually become its hub.
When council amalgamated and it became clear thatthere would be no budget for the 2010 festival, a group of keen readers and writers, who wanted the event to continue to develop a vibrant literary culture in the region, formed the Sunshine Hinterland Writers’ Centre.
Reality Bites is now ‘Australia’s premier nonfiction festival’ and our vision is for it to become a major attraction, drawing its audience countrywide.
We were able to secure funding from all levels of Government to cover festival expenses, but all the work to mount an event like this is done voluntarily.
2011 sees Reality taking another step. It will now become a biennial event, falling every even-numbered year. In between, in the odd years, we will hold Reality Writes, a weekend event focussing on the craft of writing nonfiction with author sessions for readers and workshops and masterclasses for writers of all skill levels.
Our events and social calendar:
Our main event is the Reality Bites/Reality Writes festival held in July each year. In preparation we hold a pre-festival training and information session for volunteers. After the
event is the post-festival party to wind down and chat about the highlights and gather feedback.
But, we don’t just do nonfiction!
SHWC is devoted to all literary forms. For example, in the pipeline for later this year is a major fundraising event for the 2012 festival - if you are a Jane Austen fan, you won’t want
to miss it.
Watch this space, or better still, join us or become a volunteer.
Watch this space, or better still, join us or become a volunteer.
During the year we meet over a glass or two of wine to not only plan the festival, but also to discuss a range of events that members would like to see happen in the future.We’d love you to come along to meetings and your suggestions and input are most welcome.
