At last some recognition. Both Cecil and Quentin have been invited to speak at this years Brisbane Writers festival. And it couldn’t have come at a better time for the pcbycp readership. WE are in a word, DELIGHTED! 

Germaine Greer. Under House arrest for “thinking beyond the square, circle and trapezoidal rhombus”

And glad that at long last the writers festival has taken the bold step of inviting fresh talent onto the stage. 

Bob Carr, colluding with Hillary, ex KGB China Spy,on what to fill the “basket of” with.

Hence our surprise, but secret shadenfrude at the recent un-inviting of Bob Carr and Germaine Greer. We would like to have it on the record that we wholeheartedly endorse the festival organisers for upholding diversity of opinion by shutting the door on these two writers. WE are sick to death of listening to Bob Carr questioning our tendency in Australia to “Sino- phobia”. And we’ve just about had enough of his questioning of the orthodoxy of his so called “ Israel lobby” endorsing the unquestioned acts of violence committed against Palestinans. And besides, no one wants to hear about human rights in a literary festival. Well at least not the viewpoints of perpetually downtrodden peoples who don’t express themselves eloquetly, with correct diction, have a decent degree, and engage within the decorum of polite conversation. Should we say, we like our writers to challenge the orthodoxy, but not too much. We like to keep it just a little to the right of a Joanna Murray-Smith play. Not offend anyone nice, but just stimulate them enough to say,” my word that was thoughtful I’ll have to mention it at  my next book reading group after tennis”. That is what we strive for in writers festivals. To be a CATALYST! A CHANGE AGENT!

The last thing you want in a writers festival is someone like Mark Latham, who offends the sensibilities of those worthy and intelligent and valuable people who attend writers festivals. No one likes being told they’re all a bunch of wankers! Particularly a polite group of retirees who do such a lot in their own way for philanthropic trusts, the publishers, and whatever adjunct fund raising appendage of one of our esteemed universities they’re beholden to. 

That’s why we’re shocked at what Germaine said, we reprint her rebuttal in full:

“The Brisbane writers’ festival is very hard work. So, to be uninvited to what is possibly the dreariest literary festival in the world, with zero hospitality and no fun at all, is a great relief.”

Mark Latham. Upsets genteel folk at Writers festivals.

And from the festival organisers:

“Brisbane writers’ festival does not shy away from controversy or challenging ideas, but as all festival organisers know, it’s invariably difficult to choose between the many authors currently promoting books and the need to provide engaging choices for our audience along a curatorial theme”

That’s right. Second Principle of Writers festivals.  “KEEP IT CURATORIAL”!

Pater Fitzsimmons. Writers festival GOLD! Tells us about how great we really are!

So what was Germaine thinking. She might potentially do a Mark Latham, and say that blokes with their old fella’s knocked off still don’t make the full bottle sheilah’, and that’d be the end of the sort of creative thought and challenging orthodoxy that festivals strive to achieve.

Hence our relief at being included. 

Cecil will be talking about his recent experience with Cajun Cooking. Whilst Quentin shares the stage with Mem Fox, Steve Biddolph and Peter Fitzsimmons where he’ll talk about Anzac, it’s tradition, the gift it bequethes to children,  and how Australian authors are now internationally famous in Australia. 

And you’ll all agree, that’s the sort of festival we want in BRIS-BANE.

Mem Fox! Deserves a gong for putting more children to sleep with her stories than any other author. And she didn’t even do the pictures.

Where there’s less an emphasis on UR-Bane, whilst more on BANE-al.