OUT WEST Programme 2023

26 TO 28 JULY 2023 storyfest.com.au

I cannot express how thrilled I am to be writing this welcome for the second edition of Storyfest Out West. This amazing community rallied and have created an opportunity for children in the bush to rival any of their city counterparts. The Storyfest team and our volunteers who travelled to join us in 2022 were left overwhelmed by the welcome we received by the people of Longreach. To see the joy on the faces of the children left many of us with tears in our eyes and our hearts full. I did have a complaint - not enough books, rest assured we will bring more this year! To Richard, Marise and the Kinnon family from Outback Pioneers, our heartfelt thanks for your continued support. Richard is a crowd favourite on the Coast and I’m sure his immersive storytelling will encourage the local children to share their stories. This year, we bring a varied selection of wonderful Australian authors to showcase and inspire our regional friends. On the Wednesday evening, we will host the GeoGlide Australia Prologue Party which is a free community event for the whole family. Come along and join us, as we continue to write the story of Storyfest and share our journey.

3 Welcome

4 Meet the Authors

storyfestoutwest.com.au

7 Festival Map

welcome. Ms Andrea Lewis CEO/ Festival Director ceo

8 Programme - Authors’ Sessions Thursday 27 to Friday 28 July

somersetstoryfest

10 Festival Info

#storyfestoutwest #storyfestgc #ourgoldcoast #wearegoldcoast #artsqld #artsfunding

12 GeoGlide Australia Prologue Party

OUR BOARD Chairperson Airlie Maclachlan Members Craig Bassingthwaighte, Terry Herbert,

OUR STAFF CEO/ Festival Director Andrea Lewis Marketing Co-ordinator Tayla Haynes Event Co-ordinator Gabriella Lennon Publicist Frankly House

14 For the Students

Caroline Graham and Alex Woodthorpe Chief Financial Officer Kylie Sherrington

17 For the Adults

20 The Drovers Place Literary Lunch with Sally Warriner

22 Sponsors and Supporters

Somerset Storyfest acknowledges the Iningai, Malintji and Kuunkari peoples as traditional owners of the land on which this Festival operates. We pay respect to elders past, present and future and value the traditions, cultures and aspirations of the First Australians of this land. We acknowledge and hold in great significance the valuable contribution that traditional owners have made and continue to make within the Longreach region communities.

contents. Front Cover photo by Cheryl Rogers

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megan daley Adult Workshop Thursday 27 at 9.30am Teacher Teacher Thursday 27 at 5.30pm Adult Workshop Friday 28 at 9.30am

susanne gervay Workshop Thursday 27 at 9.30am Session 132 Thursday 27 at 12.30pm Young Writers’ Dinner Thursday 27 at 5.00pm

Session 213 Friday 28 at 9.15am Session 241 Friday 28 at 1.45pm

Megan Daley is passionate about children’s literature and is the author of the bestselling book ‘Raising Readers’, published by UQP and the upcoming title ‘The Beehive’, to be published by Walker Books. She is a Teacher Librarian in Brisbane and has been awarded the Queensland Teacher Librarian of the Year, as well as the national Dromkeen Librarian’s Award. A former national vice-president of the Children’s Book Council of Australia, Megan is also a sought after public speaker, literary judge, creator of the popular website Children’s Books Daily and co-host of the Your Kid’s Next Read podcast. She also has a few more books in the pipeline. She also thinks sleep is overrated.

Awarded the Lifetime Social Justice Literature Award by the International Literacy Association, Order of Australia, Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award nominee, you’ll find Susanne Gervay in Istanbul speaking to thousands of young people about NO bullying; or in remote Indigenous schools bringing literacy to communities. Her acclaimed books include the powerful young adult novel on the second rise of feminism Shadows of Olive Trees; unlocking the Holocaust empowering readers to be Heroes of the Secret Underground; the edgy young adult expose diving into consent, The Edge of Limits.

meet the authors

www.childrensbooksdaily.com

Photo by Cheryl Rogers

www.sgervay.com

caroline graham Workshop Thursday 27 at 9.30am Teacher Teacher Thursday 27 at 5.30pm Session 223 Friday 28 at 10.30am Workshop Friday 28 at 12.45pm

richard kinnon

charlotte barkla

nat amoore Session 112 Thursday 27 at 9.15am Workshop Thursday 27 at 12.45pm Young Writers’ Dinner Thursday 27 at 5.00pm

Session 121 Thursday 27 at 10.30am Session 141 Thursday 27 at 1.45pm Young Writers’ Dinner Thursday 27 at 5.00pm Session 221 Friday 28 at 10.30am

Workshop Thursday 27 at 9.30am Session 131 Thursday 27 at 12.30pm Session 143 Thursday 27 at 1.45pm Young Writers’ Dinner Thursday 27 at 5.00pm Session 233 Friday 28 at 12.30pm Charlotte Barkla is a Brisbane-based writer who worked as a civil engineer and physics teacher before rediscovering her love for children’s literature. She now writes picture books, middle-grade fiction and feature articles. Charlotte’s books include All Bodies are Good Bodies , the Edie’s Experiments series and From My Head to My Toes, I Say What Goes. Charlotte’s books have been translated in multiple languages and short-listed for awards.

Session 222 Friday 28 at 10.30am Session 242 Friday 28 at 1.45pm

Dr Caroline Graham is an award-winning investigative journalist who specialises in narrative non-fiction storytelling across both traditional and new media formats, including podcasting, data-driven reporting and longform creative non fiction. Caroline is the co-author of the Australian bestseller Larrimah (Allen & Unwin, 2021), which was shortlisted for an Indie Book Award, Ned Kelly Award and two Davitt Awards and has been optioned by NBC Universal and Matchbox Pictures for potential development into a scripted TV series. Caroline is also the co-author and co-producer of the investigative true crime podcast series Lost in Larrimah (The Australian, 2018), which won a Walkley Award, an NT Media Award and was a finalist in the Quills Awards and the Australian Podcasting Awards.

Richard Kinnon is a natural storyteller. Brought up in the outback where tales are told around the campfire, he has a wealth of yarns to share. There are stories of the early pioneers, cattle duffers and stagecoaches; stories of his own childhood growing up on a station and learning from the Indigenous ‘uncles’ who worked there; stories of building his Outback Pioneers tourism business in Longreach, which is now a multi award-winning enterprise drawing thousands of visitors each year. He is passionate about educating future generations to value and preserve the real Australian outback.

Nat Amoore is a Sydney-based children’s author and kidlit podcast host of One More Page. Her debut novel, Secrets of a Schoolyard Millionaire, came out in 2019 and had great success as both Dymocks and QBD’s ‘Kids Book Of The Month’, becoming Australia’s #1 bestselling debut Aussie children’s fiction in 2019. It has now sold into the UK, US, Italy, China, Estonia and Romania.

www.natamoore.com

www.charlottebarkla.com

www.outbackpioneers.com.au

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www.carograham.com

festival map

oliver phommavanh Session 113 Thursday 27 at 9.15am Session 142 Thursday 27 at 1.45pm Young Writers’ Dinner Thursday 27 at 5.00pm Oliver Phommavanh loves to make people laugh, whether it’s on the page writing humour for kids or on stage as a stand-up comedian. He also shares his passion for writing with kids, using his experience as a primary school teacher. Oliver has performed at various comedy and writers festivals around Australia and Asia. Oliver’s recent books include Brain Freeze, Don’t Follow Vee and Natural Born Loser, and he is best known for Thai-riffic!, Con nerd and The Other Christy. Session 212 Friday 28 at 9.15am Session 243 Friday 28 at 1.45pm

ian mcintosh

Session 122 Thursday 27 at 10.30am Workshop Thursday 27 at 12.45pm Young Writers’ Dinner Thursday 27 at 5.00pm

Session 211 Friday 28 at 9.15am Session 232 Friday 28 at 12.30pm

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WORKSHOP MARQUEE

BOOKSHOP

Ian is a former rodeo clown who grew up in Normanton in Queensland’s Gulf of Carpentaria. Ian has loved creative writing since he was a young boy. Ian became an author in 2014 and has since written and self-published several books. He also mentors and helps emerging authors to write and self-publish children’s picture books.

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WOOL PAVILION

MEETING POINT

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OUTBACK PIONEERS ARENA

FIRST AID, INFORMATION, TICKETS

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ARTS & CRAFTS PAVILION

THE HARDBACK CAFÉ

www.ianmcintosh.com.au

THE WAVE SHED

www.oliverwriter.com

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PARKING

gabrielle tozer Session 111 Thursday 27 at 9.15am Session 133 Thursday 27 at 12.30pm Teacher Teacher Thursday 27 at 5.30pm

sally warriner Literary Lunch Wednesday 26 at 11.30am Session 123 Thursday 27 at 10.30am

Workshop Friday 28 at 9.30am Session 231 Friday 28 at 12.30pm

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Gabrielle Tozer is an award-winning author and freelance writer based in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales. She has published six books, including the young adult novels Remind Me How This Ends, Can’t Say It Went To Plan and The Intern. Her first picture book, Peas and Quiet (illustrated by Sue deGennaro), was published in 2017, and her debut children’s novel, Melody Trumpet, hit shelves in 2019. She is currently working on four more books with HarperCollins. Gabrielle loves sharing her passion for storytelling and creativity with readers and aspiring writers around Australia.

Sally Warriner spent nearly 25 years living in the outback on cattle stations with her former husband. She is a trained nurse who was able to use her skills to help the isolated communities she lived in. Sally left cattle station life when her children were in boarding school. Her sons are spread across the country and most are involved in agribusiness. Her former husband still runs cattle stations.

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www.sallywarriner.com

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www.gabrielletozer.com

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thursday 27 july

friday 28 july

workshops for adults

workshops for adults

9.15am to 10.00am

9.15am to 10.00am

9.30am to 2.30pm

9.30am to 2.30pm

SESSION

EVENT

GRADES

VENUE

SESSION 211

EVENT

GRADES Prep to 2 5 to 8 7 to 12

VENUE

111

Gabrielle Tozer Nat Amoore Oliver Phommavanh

Pre Prep to 2 3 to 6 7 to 9

Wool Pavilion Arts & Crafts Pavilion Outback Pioneer Arena

Ian McIntosh Oliver Phommavanh Susanne Gervay

Wool Pavilion Arts & Crafts Pavilion Outback Pioneer Arena

112 113

212 213

W10 - Megan Daley - SKILLS SHARING BY THE LIBRARIAN (For adults) $100 Longreach School of Distance Education

W20 - Megan Daley - SKILLS SHARING BY THE LIBRARIAN (For adults) $100 Longreach School of Distance Education

10.30am to 11.15am

10.30am to 11.15am

workshops for students

workshops for students

SESSION

SESSION

EVENT

GRADES 5 to 8 2 to 4 9 to 12

VENUE

EVENT

GRADES 5 to 8 3 to 6 7 to 12

VENUE

121 122 123

221 222 223

Richard Kinnon Nat Amoore Caroline Graham

Outback Pioneer Arena Arts & Crafts Pavilion Wool Pavilion

Richard Kinnon Ian McIntosh Sally Warriner

Outback Pioneer Arena Arts & Crafts Pavilion Wool Pavilion

9.30am to 11.00am

9.30am to 11.00am

W21 - Gabrielle Tozer - YOUR CREATIVE TOOLKIT (For students aged 14+) $30 The Wave Shed

W11 - Charlottle Barkla - CRAFTING GREAT CHARACTERS (For students aged 9+) $30 Workshop Marquee W12 - Susanne Gervay - THE EDGE OF LIMITS AND CONSENT (For students aged 14+) $30 The Wave Shed W13 - Caroline Graham - POCKET-SIZED STORIES (For students aged 12+) $30 Near Harback Cafe

12.30pm to 1.15pm

12.30pm to 1.15pm

SESSION

SESSION

EVENT

GRADES

VENUE

EVENT

GRADES

VENUE

10.15am to 11.45am

131 132 133

231 232 233

Charlotte Barkla Susanne Gervay Gabrielle Tozer

Prep to 3 5 to 8 9 to 12

Outback Pioneer Arena Arts & Crafts Pavilion Wool Pavilion

Gabrielle Tozer Ian McIntosh Charlotte Barkla

7 to 12 2 to 4 3 to 6

Outback Pioneer Arena Arts & Crafts Pavilion Wool Pavilion

W22 - Jacqueline Harvey - HOW DO YOU MAKE A STORY (For students aged 6+) $30 Workshop Marquee

1.45pm to 2.30pm

1.45pm to 2.30pm

SESSION

SESSION

EVENT

GRADES 7 to 12 5 to 8 3 to 6

VENUE

EVENT

GRADES 8 to 12 3 to 6 4 to 7

VENUE

12.45pm to 2.15pm

141 142 143 day one

241 242 243 day two

12.45pm to 2.15pm

Richard Kinnon Oliver Phommavanh Charlotte Barkla

Outback Pioneer Arena Arts & Crafts Pavilion Wool Pavilion

Outback Pioneer Arena Arts & Crafts Pavilion Wool Pavilion

Susanne Gervay Nat Amoore Oliver Phommavanh

W14 - Nat Amoore - CHAOS KID (For students aged 9+) $30 Workshop Marquee W15 - Ian McIntosh - POETRY WRITING AND RECITING (For students aged 9+) $30 The Wave Shed W16 - Jacqueline Harvey - WRITE FUNNY (For students aged 9+) $30 Near Hardback Cafe

W23 - Caroline Graham - STORYTELLING WITH SOUND (For students aged 14+) $30 The Wave Shed

5.00pm

saturday 29 july

YOUNG WRITERS’ DINNER Nat Amoore, Charlotte Barkla, Richard Kinnon, Oliver Phommavanh, Ian McIntosh and Susanne Gervay

(For students ages 10+) $50 See page 16 for full details

9.30am bonus event

bonus event

STORYTIME Join author, educator and beekeeper Megan Daley for a nature based storytime with a particular focus on bees! Free with RSVP See page 17 for full details

5.30pm

TEACHER TEACHER Panel session with Caroline Graham, Gabrielle Tozer and Megan Daley $50 See page 18 for full details

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festival info

BOOKING INFORMATION Tickets are $10.00 (GST inclusive) per person per session. For adult sessions, workshops and catered functions, please refer to individual event information. Bookings can only be processed on receipt of full payment. Bookings may be made online with credit card payment. There are no refunds or exchanges once bookings are processed. All tickets are issued as e-tickets and will be sent to your designated email address. Any queries please contact events@ storyfest.com.au or phone – 07 5559 7377. PURCHASING YOUR TICKETS Tickets will be on sale from Wednesday 7 June 2023. You may book online anytime. Many sessions have limited numbers, so please book early to avoid disappointment. COVID-19 Attendees at Storyfest Out West must adhere to current Queensland Health regulations. Should an author withdraw due to COVID-19 disruptions, please note they will be substituted and no refund will be applicable. PHOTOGRAPHY AND VIDEOGRAPHY PERMISSIONS Somerset Storyfest will have a photographer and videographer on-site to record events throughout the Festival. These photos are for archival and marketing purposes and purchase of a ticket implies permission to use the photos taken for these purposes. FESTIVAL BOOKSHOP The Festival Bookshop stocks an extensive range of books by all the authors and illustrators attending Storyfest Out West and is open between 8.00am and 4.00pm. Books will be available at pop up activations

during the festival. At the end of each of their sessions, authors are available for book signings!

FOOD AND DRINK The Hardback Café operates throughout the Festival and will be open from 8.00am to 2.30pm. SUPERVISION POLICY Any child 14 years or younger must be accompanied by a supervising parent/ guardian or teacher while on campus at all times during Storyfest Out West. FESTIVAL LOCATION The Festival is located at the Longreach Showground, Kite Street, Longreach. SCHOOL BOOKINGS AND RESERVATION POLICY Tickets may be reserved for up to 14 days without payment. All payments must be finalised at least seven days prior to the Festival. If payment is not received for your reservation, this will result in automatic cancellation of your booking and tickets will be released. BAGS There is no cloakroom facility at Storyfest Out West. We encourage students to bring a small carry bag, as some venues have limited access for school bags. We advise students to leave valuables at home. All lost property can be collected from Information Booth at the Festival.

HAVE QUESTIONS? Phone: 07 5559 7377 Email: bookings@storyfest.com.au

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Photo by Cheryl Rogers

prologue party. GEOGLIDE AUSTRALIA wednesday 26 july

Come along to the opening night of Storyfest Out West. A fun-filled evening for all the family to celebrate reading and writing! The Prologue Party is a great opportunity to meet some of Australia’s best authors and illustrators. Enjoy all the fun of the fair with games and activities. The festival bookshop will be open during this event, it is a great opportunity for adults and children to browse the bookshelf and find that perfect book.

Stage activated from 4.30pm to 7.00pm - details announced soon

Variety of dinner and beverage options available for purchase. free event

4.30PM TO 7.00PM

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student workshops

12.45PM TO 2.15PM

chaos kid W14 Nat Amoore presents a roller-coaster ride through the wild tale that is her life, showing kids how they can steal from their very own experiences to create characters and stories. How does the cheeky kid who couldn’t sit still in class become an award-winning, internationally published author? You’ll find out as we delve into the chaos of Nat’s childhood and discover how your very own mistakes and mishaps can become hilarious tales of adventure and mayhem.

For students aged 9+ $30 Venue Workshop Marquee

poetry writing and reciting W15 Ian McIntosh a former rodeo clown who grew up in Normanton in Queensland’s Gulf of Carpentaria. Ian has loved creative writing since he was a young boy. Ian became an author in 2014 and has since written and self-published several books. He also mentors and helps emerging authors to write and self-publish children’s picture books. For students aged 9+ $30 Venue The Wave Shed

thursday 27 july

9.30AM TO 11.00AM

crafting great characters W11 Great characters are the backbone of great stories. Charlotte Barkla will guide students through a series of interactive exercises to develop their own believable, flawed, unique characters, that will propel their next story forward.

friday 28 july

For students aged 9+ $30 Venue Workshop Marquee

9.30AM TO 11.00AM

the edge of limits and consent W12 Join Susanne Gervay in this game-changer workshop as writing becomes a new territory. A survival camp is familiar territory. There’s the rough and tumble jostling, as the boys board the coaches. Sarah the ‘spunky’ guide and Mr Seaton the teacher tell them to settle down. The journey is eight rugged days on a school trek into the wilderness. There are no showers, sleeping on rocks, hard trekking, abseiling, rock climbing, wild rivers, wilderness and there are the flies, thousands of them, and the freezing nights and the sweaty days. There are scenes of exhaustion as the boys collapse after the rock ledge climb. Hilarious scenes at the leech invasion. Great mate ship. Great betrayals. It’s about girls too - getting them, discarding them, wanting them. Ultimately, the camp winds towards the final place of initiation deep in the mountains. It goes to the heart of consent today. For students aged 14+ $30 Venue The Wave Shed

your creative toolkit W21 Join award-winning author Gabrielle Tozer as she helps you to create a writing toolkit and shares tips and tricks from her 20-year publishing and media career. In this workshop, Gabrielle shares practical advice that will sharpen your creative practice as well as help you overcome self-doubt and procrastination. Get inspired and supercharge your creativity with these helpful hacks that Gabrielle wish she knew when she was younger. For students aged 14+ $30 Venue The Wave Shed

12.45PM TO 2.15PM

pocket-sized stories W13 Flash fiction has never been bigger; people all over the world are penning very short stories. Caroline Graham runs this session on writing tiny but mighty stories, with tips and tricks for getting the most from a tight word count.

storytelling with sound W22 Podcasting—it’s like Netflix for your ears! Podcasting is an exciting new way for storytellers to reach new audiences, and the process of making one can be surprisingly simple. In this hands-on workshop Caroline Graham covers the basics of recording, editing and publishing audio stories. For students aged 14+ $30 Venue The Wave Shed

For students aged 12+ $30 Venue near Hardback Cafe

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storytime saturday 29 july with megan daley

9.30AM TO 10.30AM

Join author, educator and beekeeper Megan Daley for a nature based storytime with a particular focus on bees! Megan will share bee themed books and share the story of her upcoming picture book, ‘The Beehive’. We will collect about bees as we go, create a bee artwork and find out what the buzz is about bees, and why we need to create bee friendly habitats for Australia’s favourite pollinators! Free with RSVP Venue Longreach Community Library

young writers dinner thursday 27 july

5.00PM TO 9.30PM

The Young Writers’ Dinner provides young people with a ‘once in a lifetime opportunity’ – to spend an exciting evening workshopping with some of Australia’s bestselling kids and YA fiction writers. The dinner is open to the wider community suitable for ages 10+. So don’t miss the amazing, fun-filled experience of spending an evening with one of this year’s featured authors - Nat Amoore , Charlotte Barkla, Richard Kinnon , Oliver Phommavanh , Ian McIntosh and Susanne Gervay . For students aged 10+ Venue Nogo Station (meet at The Stables for transfer) $50 per person includes dinner and drinks. Tickets are strictly limited!

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Photo by Megan Daley

thursday 27 july

9.30AM TO 2.30PM

skills sharing by ‘the librarian’ W10 A series of interactive workshops by the ASLA Teacher Librarian of the Year - Megan Daley (@childrensbookdaily) who over the course of two days, will delve into a variety of topics to enhance your classroom skills. • The Art and Science of Reading - current research around reading and how do we nurture a joy of reading in the young people we work with from primary to secondary years • Your Kid’s Next Read - how to connect with great resources to inspire confident readers • Book inspired resources - tips and tricks for getting more from the reading experience by creating journals, artworks and more For adults $100 per person Venue Longreach School of Distance Education

for the adults

thursday 27 july

friday 28 july

5.30PM TO 7.30PM

9.30AM TO 2.30PM

teacher teacher! We’ve all had teachers in our lives – join Caroline Graham , Gabrielle Tozer and Megan Daley for a lively and enlightening discussion about the highs and lows of the profession. The power of an exceptional teacher cannot be overestimated. Sometimes it is not about what they taught you, but that they saw you, before you recognised yourself, and nudged you in a direction that would change the course of your life. So why are teachers undervalued? How is the role of the teacher changing? This panel discussion is for parents, educators, school management teams and anyone who might be involved in supporting their children’s literacy development.

skills sharing by ‘the librarian’ W20 A series of interactive workshops by the ASLA Teacher Librarian of the Year - Megan Daley (@childrensbookdaily) who over the course of two days, will delve into a variety of topics to enhance your classroom skills. • The Power of Reading Together - creating book clubs for primary and secondary age students in your communities part one • The Power of Reading Together - creating book clubs in communities part two – putting it into action • Communities of readers – author visits for primary and secondary (online and live) and how to get the most from them For adults $100 per person Venue Longreach School of Distance Education

For adults $50 per person includes roast dinner, cash bar available. Tickets are strictly limited! Venue The Branch Cafe

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Come and live the outback stories! Meet storyteller Richard Kinnon. Hear incredible tales about the outback pioneering life. Come and experience it for yourself with a holiday in Longreach. You can gallop on a Cobb & Co stagecoach, see outback animals at working Nogo Station, cruise at sunset on a historic paddlewheeler, have a stockman’s dinner around the campfire – and much more.

with sally warriner literary lunch

wednesday 26 july

11.30AM ARRIVALS

Not Just the Wife of the General Manager is a story about adventure, resilience, the unexpected journeys we need to go to find ourselves, and have the courage to do something for yourself. In Sally’s words: ‘ Life’s like that, fellas. You may spend a lifetime trying to find yourself but, at the end of the day, you’ve been there all along .’ Join our guest author - Sally Warriner , in conversation with Storyfest’s CEO, Andrea Lewis, as she delves into conversations of one woman’s life on outback cattle stations, and an homage to the many unsung women like her. It is a celebration of life in this tough environment writ large.

Venue The Drovers Place $95 per person includes 2 course meal, cash bar available Tickets are strictly limited!

storyfest.com.au / 21 DISCOVER MORE AT OUTBACKPIONEERS.COM.AU OR PHONE 07 4658 1776 Unique outback experiences Heritage-themed accommodation Traditional hospitality A warm welcome

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sponsors & supporters

publishers

government

Somerset Storyfest is supported by the City of Gold Coast.

development fund

We would like to acknowledge the donors who have contributed to the Storyfest Development Fund in support of the development and delivery of literacy programmes for disadvantaged chidren.