This is a long post, as I have lots to share after the break*

You may know by now that I was one of the authors who withdrew from this year’s Adelaide Writers Week after the (then) Board tried to cancel the appearance of Palestinian-Australian author, Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah. I won’t repeat the whole story here, as it’s been covered in detail. I will say I’m very proud of the swift and powerful response by over 180 authors who took a stand and withdrew from the festival. I’m also grateful to the then Writers’ Week Director Louise Adler for her principled action in resigning alongside us.

In short, Adelaide Writers’ Week was cancelled, the Board resigned, and a new Board was appointed that apologised to Dr Abdel-Fattah and to Adler. In a statement, they declared with regret that this year’s Writers’ Week was “no longer viable.”

Not so fast! The local reading and writing community has come together to create something new in its place. Constellations/Not Writers’ Week is a one-off, community-led, decentralised festival with a range of events happening across the city. Somehow, with six weeks to get it done and no budget, a group of writers, booksellers, local publishers and community orgs including Writers SA have pulled a whole other festival together.

I was delegated media liaison on the project and have been speaking about it to various outlets, emphasising that it’s very much a collective effort. You might have seen me on the ABC, or with Willow (always ready to steal the limelight). Here are some of the many events I am looking forward to attending:

It’s obviously been a busy time for a lot of people, but I’m enjoying the collective work and energy, and so looking forward to the festival itself. Events are coming together quickly and it’s starting to feel like a big festival, in that I won’t have time to get to everything I want to see. Constellations is not just our response to censorship; it will also demonstrate the possibilities of collective, decentralised and artist-run festivals. We’re committed to paying writers properly, too – and if we can do it, anyone can.

I am in a few events that I’m excited to share. First up, I’ll be interviewing Laila Lalami for an in conversation, salon-style event hosted by Goodwood Books on 1 March. The Dream Hotel was one of my favourite books of last year and an eerily familiar dystopia – we will have plenty to discuss! Also, Goodwood Books is one of the best bookshops in the world, just quietly.

Next up, I’ll be reading my own work (and someone else’s) at an event featuring South Australian writers at The Exchange, 55 Exchange Place, on the afternoon of the 2 March — 2:45-3:45pm (it’s a short walk from the Town Hall, so you can drift between the two venues)

And finally, I’m chairing a panel at Vitalstatistix on 5 March:

This last event will be a special one, on the closing night of the festival. I wanted to create a space to reflect on Constellations and the power of community action across art forms. It will be a time to share some of what we have learned (and have still to learn!) about solidarity. I’m very grateful to the Vitalstatistix team for getting behind this idea so enthusiastically.

All Constellations events will be posted to bit.ly/constellationsfestival as they are released, so keep an eye out for more. And if you can’t make it but you want to support our work, please consider making a donation.

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As if that wasn’t enough, I still have work in the Adelaide Festival, in the form of Slingsby’s A Concise Compendium of Wonder.

Last week I dropped by the Pink Shorts Press office to collect my author copies of our radical collection of reimagined fairytales written by myself, Ceridwen Dovey and Ursula Dubosarsky. The launch of this volume will coincide with the world premiere of the triptych of the same name, which is being staged in the Adelaide Botanic Gardens. Each adaptation is an hour-long performance for all ages (recommended 8+ as they can be a little scary – especially mine).

There’s a deep wonder and power woven through these stories, threaded with the rich connections we each found between the natural world, the life of the imagination, and the spirit of defiance. And it’s an absolute privilege to see my work adapted for the stage by such an incredible team of creative geniuses.

A Concise Compendium of Wonder is going to be nothing short of magical. I’m going to all three shows! Secure your tickets to any or all in the triptych, or head straight to tickets for The Childhood of the World.

Oh, and I’m also in a fringe show:

Thursday 26 February, 6:30pm at Brightstar Brewing. It will be what it says on the carton.

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*it was less of a break and more of a sustained emergency… I’m grateful for a public health system that doesn’t bankrupt us when things go awry. Give nurses a pay rise!