July 2023 in Review
July was big and full of so much fun! There were movies, there were workshops, there were people to take photos of and there were books to read!
Work
Lots has been happening on the work front. I’ve been working with so many wonderful people. First up there were plenty of mentoring sessions in July with three of my mentees requesting meetings to discuss their writing practice and work. I’m excited to see all of them progress in their writing ambitions and goals.
It was great to be back at the Centre for Stories in July, this time for my Submitting Successfully workshop.
As a group, we discussed the dos and don’ts of submitting to publishers, how to find the right publisher for your work, how to write a killer author bio, and how to write a cover letter that leaves the publisher wanting more!
It was also a big month for author headshots and even a writing event on the photography front. It was an absolute pleasure to capture Gemma Nisbet (whose collection of literary essays The Things We Live With is coming out with Upswell Publishing in October), Karen Herbert (whose latest crime fiction Vertigo comes out in October with Fremantle Press), Emily Paull (whose historical fiction manuscript The Dreamers was shortlisted for the Fogarty Award earlier this year and will be published in March 2025 by Fremantle Press), and all-round literary superstar Natalya Hawrylak! I was also honoured to take photos at the Westerly 68.1 launch at Bar Orient in Fremantle.
Reading
With all the work going on in July, reading was a bit on the slow side. I was too busy reading so many awesome new stories. However, I did make time for one quick graphic novel read…
I have absolutely adored the graphic novel Nimona by Noelle Stevenson for years, but with the release of Netflix’s movie adaptation I knew it was time for a reread.
While the book and the movie have some notable differences, I think the heart of the story was still there in the adaptation. I loved Nimona’s design, despite initial disappointment that they’d gone with a different animation style - I’ve come to love them both.
If you haven’t read the book or watched the movie yet, you really should!
Leisure
While this was technically an opportunity I got through my work at AWESOME Festival, going to see The Snow by Barking Gecko Theatre Company can hardly be counted as work!
This beautiful show at the State Theatre Centre was clever and entertaining. The last few stage shows I’ve seen have been big blockbusters like Frozen and Moulin Rouge, but seeing this show reminded me of just how powerful the magic of the theatre is, even with small sets and casts. This was a truly magical show.
I joined the throngs of people flocking to Kings Park for the Lightscape exhibition, and while the lights were certainly speccy and the experience was beautiful, after a year spent immersed in the arts world I must say I did wish for more storytelling in the art.
The QR codes led to some fabulous artist profiles, but unfortunately gave little to no information about the design of the light exhibits we passed and what had inspired them.
Once upon a time, I don’t think I would have considered such things, but I’ve come to really enjoy the wider meaning and understanding of the art I’ve engaged with lately and the light show, while beautiful, sadly lacked that greater meaning.
And of course, I joined the millions of people flocking to the box office for a Barbenheimer movie marathon.
Two vastly different films, and two totally different viewing experiences. I went to see Barbie first with my friend Emily Paull and we both laughed until we were in tears and walked away talking about how seen we felt for the first time in a long time. Barbie was an acknowledgment of all the things we’ve felt: all the anger, all the hurt, but also the joy. It was a nod to our dreams and in the end was largely hopeful as well as celebratory. I’m actually going back to see this one again with my Mum.
On the other hand, Oppenheimer was serious, dark, and made you squirm at times. There were moments that made me think of the scene in the HBO series Chernobyl when the plant is first on fire and the citizens stand on a nearby bridge, nuclear ash falling on their shoulders, totally oblivious to the sheer danger they are in. There is a sense, in Oppenheimer, that the people involved in the making of the nuclear bomb could not have truly understood the impact of their work. The movie has a haunting quality to it.
July was a busy month, as many months are, but it was full of fun things to see and do and people to meet and greet. I can say without a shadow of a doubt, that it was a good one!
