Monday, January 5, 2009

Clarion South 2009

The other exciting thing that's happening up here in sunny Brisbane is Clarion South!

This is a biannual event which ROR's very own, Margo Lanagan, has tutored on several occasions. When I first met Margo back in 1999, she had just heard that she'd been accepted to Clarion in the US. I was so excited for her, I hugged her. And she confessed that hardly anyone she'd told had known what Clarion was.

Clarion South is based on the US Clarions. Basically, the workshops are a 6 week boot-camp for writers of speculative short fiction. The attendees are selected on merit and live-in. Each week a different published author/editor tutors. This year the international tutors are Kelly Link and Gavin J Grant.

Personally, I can't think of anything better than spending 6 weeks, focused totally on writing. I know when I was tutoring at EnVision, which lasted one week and catered to book length authors, the writers came on leaps and bounds because of the intense atmosphere and one-on-one time with their tutors.

Wishing the 2009 Clarion South students and tutors all the best!

Cheers, Rowena.

2 comments:

Among Amid While said...

You didn't hug me, Rowena - you punched me on the arm. I remember distinctly! (Possibly it was the hug you give when you don't know someone well enough to hug them; we'd known each other for ooh, 45 seconds?)
Margo.

Rowena Cory Daniells said...

You're absolutely right.

It was the hug you give when you don't know someone well enough to hug them!