"I like a good story well told. That is the reason I am sometimes forced to tell them myself".
----------------------- Mark Twain (1860 - 1937)

The Festival will be launched at assembly in the Senior School on Friday 27th July by the edgy, polished and inventive Charlie Pickering, who is an exciting new name in Australian comedy.

Once again a sensational program of authors, illustrators and musicians, script -writers, journalists and comedians will present to students from Prep to year 12. Over 100 students from a range of Victorian schools will also be attending as our guests.

To kick off our Festival program on Friday night 27th July, Richard Piper's players will perform Shakespeare by the River. In the Senior School, each day the Festival will commence with a stimulating keynote speaker. Authors Kirsty Murray, Simon Higgins, John Larkin and Glenn Manton will share their very different stories. Jason Clarke from Minds at work will challenge students in years 11 & 12 to overcome obstacles by thinking creatively, while Bryan Dawe, one of Australia's finest political satirists asks, Satire: are you serious?

Students will then move onto a range of interactive sessions with topics as diverse as The art of being serious with comedian, Damian Callinan and Free your mind with artist and musician Jeff Raglus. Barry Heard draws on his own experiences as a young conscript, to look back at life before, during and after the Vietnam War. Steve Gadlabardi Goldsmith is a proud Kaurna man whose energetic performance touches on many aspects of the oldest living culture in the world. Masterclass presenters including Dr Nigel Simpson, Chris Leptos, and Dr Kate Burridge will engage, provoke and stimulate Year 11 & 12 students with sessions about science, language, ethics and business.

Theatre performances, such as the confronting Love Drunk will follow each afternoon.

Books, Blokes and Brekky on Tuesday 31st July will once again be a highlight and an opportunity for dads, granddads, uncles and big brothers to get together over a delicious FREE breakfast and talk books.

Alongside the formal program, each lunchtime will come alive with entertainment and activities. There will be author signings, a caricaturist, a Dymocks bookshop, a staff vs. student debate, writing competitions, music and much MORE!

Junior School students from prep to year 6 will enjoy a feast of activities as Marc McBride, Sofie Laguna, Michael Wagner, Gabrielle Wang, Mark Cathew and READiscover ensure that there is something for everyone.

The Festival Dinner on Friday 3rd of August is a fitting finale to the week's events. This year the guest speaker will be Don Watson, one of Australia's most distinguished writers and public speakers whose topic The use and misuse of language will be sure to encourage some stories!

The organising committees and library staff have enjoyed putting together this exciting and rewarding program of non-stop events. Be prepared to be engaged, entertained and above all, inspired by "Story Matters"!

Suzette Boyd
Head of Library & Information Services &
Festival Co-ordinator