16  June 2008: Catharine Lumby's critique of Alvin Purple, the ninth title in the Australian Screen Classics series, will be launched in Canberra and Sydney:

Canberra: Thursday, 26 June, 6 for 6:30pm at the Arc Cinema at the National Film and Sound Archive. Followed by a screening of the film and a Q&A with Catharine Lumby and series editor Jane Mills. For more information on the event, visit the NFSA website: screensound.gov.au. A pdf with the event information is available here.

Sydney: Thursday, 3 July, 6 for 6:30pm at Chauvel Cinema, Paddington. Followed by a screening of the film and a Q&A with Catharine Lumby, Graeme Blundell and series editor Jane Mills. For more information and tickets, visit Chauvel cinema at www.palacecinemas.com.au. A pdf with the event information is available here.

2007 Patrick White Playwright’s Award
Angus Cerini and Timothy Daly were announced as joint winners of the 2007 Sydney Theatre Company and The Sydney Morning Herald Patrick White Playwrights’ Award for their plays Wretch and The Man in the Attic.
The two winning playwrights’ share the $20,000 prize, the richest Australian award for an un-produced script. Congratulations!

2008 AWGIE Awards nominations
The Australian Writers’ Guild has announced the nominees for the 2008 AWGIE Awards, to be presented in Melbourne on 15 August.
The nominations in the category Stage are: The Call by Patricia Cornelius, Beyond the Neck by Tom Holloway, The Seed by Kate Mulvany and 2,000 Feet Away by Anthony Weigh. Debra Oswald’s play Stories in the Dark is nominated in the category Theatre for Young Audiences and Noëlle Janaczewska’s This Territory is nominated in the category Community and Youth Theatre. Noëlle is also in the running for the award for best Radio Adaptation for Madagascar Lily, along with Katherine Thomson, who is nominated for her adaptation of Fragments of Hong Kong. Brendan Cowell is up for best Television Series for the episode The Cemetery Gates from the series Love My Way and Greg Haddrick is in the running for best Telemovie Original for The Informant.

20 May 2008: Debra Oswald's Stories in the Dark won the Play Award at the 2008 NSW Premier's Literary Awards, presented at the Art Gallery of NSW last night. Stories in the Dark explores the power of storytelling, mingling the magic and earthy wisdom of folk tales with the hard-edged story of violence, conflict and the struggle to survive. For more info, click here.
Further nominees for the Play Award were Alana Valentine for Parramatta Girls, Wesley Enoch for The Story of the Miracles at Cookie's Table and Nicki Bloom for Tender (to be published by Currency later this year). For the complete list of winners, visit www.smh.com.au
Congratulations!


9 May 2008: Gabrielle Wolf's interview with Jon Faine has been uploaded to on the ABC Melbourne website, click here to have a listen. Gabrielle is the author of Make it Australian: The Australian Performing Group, The Pram Factory and New Wave Theatre.

7 May 2008: Adelaide is host of ASSITEJ 2008, the 16th World Congress and Performing Arts Festival for Young People.
From 9-18 May, ASSITEJ celebrates theatre for children and young people made by artists from across the globe. Join hundreds of national and international guests from around the world, along with thousands of children and young South Australians. Aside from the Festival program, ASSITEJ registered delegates can participate in a diverse variety of professional forums, workshops and industry events.
For the full program, visit http://www.assitej2008.com.au.

A production of Angela Betzien’s Hoods is part of the program so if you haven’t seen it yet, make sure you don’t miss it. Sunday, 11 May at 1pm and 5pm and Monday, 12 May at 10:30am and 1:15pm.

There is also a production of Angela’s latest work, Girl Who Cried Wolf. Inspired by media reports involving the story of a girl who faked her own abduction, Girl Who Cried Wolf examines the cult of celebrity and the machinations of the school playground hierarchy. Sunday 11 May at 7.00pm; Monday 12 May and Tuesday 13 May at 10.15am and 1.00pm.

Playwright Slams at ASSITEJ. Based on an American model, the Playwright Slams feature live readings by playwrights in a relaxed, cabaret setting. Angela Betzien will be reading on Sunday 11 May at 8.30pm along with Vicky Ireland from the UK who has adapted three of Jacqueline Wilson’s books (the most borrowed author from UK libraries): Bad Girls, The Lottie Project and Midnight.

Debra Oswald will be reading on Tuesday 13 May at 8.30pm.

 
SYDNEY WRITERS’ FESTIVAL is opening its doors from 19-25 May. Below, we have picked a few performing arts related highlights from this year’s program.

Currency authors at SWF
Gail Jones, author of the Australian Screen Classics title The Piano, will appear three times at the festival:

Event 46: 21 May 6.30-7.30pm: Writers as Readers at Riverside Theatres, Lennox Theatre, Cnr Church and Market Streets, Parramatta

Event 64: 22 May 11.30am-12.30pm: Just Words: Australian Authors Writing for Justice at Sydney Dance Company, Studio 2/3, Pier 4/5, Hickson Road, Walsh Bay

Event 247: 24 May 3.30-4.30pm: Michelle de Kretser in conversation with Gail Jones at Pier 2/3 Downstairs, Hickson Road, Walsh Bay
Bookings 9250 1988 or www.sydneytheatre.org.au

 
Tommy Murphy has won multiple awards for his play Strangers in Between and for the stage adaptation of Timothy Conigrave’s memoir Holding the Man. He will hold a workshop in playwriting and will participate in a discussion on stage adaptations.

Event 6: Workshop: 18 May 9.30am-12.30pm: Dramatic Action – an introduction to writing for the stage with Tommy Murphy, $80/$70, bookings 9250 1988 or www.sydneytheatre.org.au. Sydney Mechanics’ School of Arts, Woolley Room, 280 Pitt Street, Sydney

Event 188: 23 May, 6.30-7.30pm: The Art of Adaptation. Luke Davies and Tommy Murphy discuss why they adapted their work, how they did it and whether they would do it again. $15, bookings 9555 9757, NSW Writers’ Centre, Callan Park, Balmain Road, Rozelle


Katherine Thomson will appear at Event 114: 22 May 6.30-8pm: Words and Vision: Foxtel Screenwriters’ Address. Katherine Thomson, multi-award winning writer for stage and screen, presents the inaugural Foxtel Screenwriters’ Address, created to recognise the role the writer plays in shaping our society and culture. $15/$10, bookings 9250 1988, www.sydneytheatre.org.au. Customs House, Barnet Long Room, 31 Alfred Street, Circular Quay


Other performing arts related events:
Event 323: 25 May 4-5pm: Where’s the Drama in Australian Screenwriting?
Jan Sardi, academy award nominated writer of Shine, thinks Billy Marshall Stoneking may know where it is. They discuss how Australian definitions of cinematic drama, versus the rest of the world’s, impact on audiences.
Sydney Philharmonia Choir Studio, Pier 4/5, Hickson Road, Walsh Bay

Event 18: 9 May 6.30-11pm: NSW Premier’s Awards Dinner. $130, bookings 9228 4351. Art Gallery of NSW, the Domain, Sydney. For more information, see our Awards section.

Event 194: 23 May, 7-9pm: Patrick White Playwrights’ Award 2007
$5, bookings 9250 1777, www.sydneytheatre.org.au
Sydney Theatre Company, Wharf 2, Pier 4/5, Hickson Road, Walsh Bay
For more information, check our Awards section.

For the complete program, visit the festival website: www.swf.org.au


7 May 2008: The 2007 Patrick White Playwright’s Award will be announced by Cate Blanchett and Andrew Upton on Friday, 23 May at 7pm at the Sydney Theatre Company, Wharf 2. Followed by a rehearsed reading of the play by STC artists. Nominated are: Wretch by Angus Cerini, The Man in the Attic by Timothy Daly, War Poems by Suzanne Hauser, The Ides of March by Duncan Ley, Bare Witness by Mari Lourey, Concussion by Ross Mueller, Precipice by Catherine Ryan and The Water Carriers by Ian Wilding.
Limited tickets for the event are available from the STC box office:
(02) 9250 1777 or sydneytheatre.com.au


The winners of the New South Wales Premier’s Literary Awards will be announced on Monday, 19 May at an Awards Dinner at the Art Gallery of NSW. The prizes will be presented by the Minister for the Arts and the Premier of NSW. The guest speaker is Peter Goldsworthy. The nominations for the Play Award are: Alana Valentine for Parramatta Girls, Wesley Enoch for The Story of the Miracles at Cookie’s Table, Debra Oswald for Stories in the Dark and Nicky Bloom for Tender (to be published November 2008).
There will also be a reading from the winning publications as part of the Sydney Writers’ Festival on Wednesday, 21 May from 6-7:30pm at The Mint, 10 Macquarie Street, Sydney.

 
The 2007 Green Room Awards have been announced.
In the category Music Theatre Priscilla, Queen of the Desert – The Musical won six prizes, including best Music Theatre Production and Best Costumes. If you’re a fan of the movie, have a look at Al Clark’s production diary The Lavender Bus or read Philip Brophy’s critical essay in our Australian Screen Classics series.
And congratulations to Raimondo Cortese for winning the award for Best Australian Writing for his play Holiday. To see the full list of winners, click here.

28 April 2008: The Australian published an extract of Henry Reynolds' critique of The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith on the weekend. To have a read, visit their website.
If you live in the ACT, you can also listen to an interview with Henry Reynolds on 2XX at 98.3FM this coming Sunday, 4 May at 2pm.

7 April 2008: The eighth title in Currency's Australian Screen Classics series, The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith by Henry Reynolds, will be launched at the Arc Cinema at the National Film and Sound Archive in Canberra on Thursday, 20 April at 6pm. Following the launch will be a screening of the film and a Q&A with Henry Reynolds and series editor Jane Mills. For more information on the event, visit the NFSA website: www.nfsa.afc.gov.au.

7 April 2008: The Sydney Eisteddfod Story: 1933-1941 by Jennie Rowley Lees will be launched at the Pollard People’s Choice Awards on 19 April 2008 in the Smith Auditorium, Shore School, William Street, North Sydney. The show starts at 7pm and there is limited parking available.
The book will be launched by author, poet and academic Peter Kirkpatrick with a showcase performance by outstanding winners from the 2007 McDonald’s Performing Arts Challenge. For tickets visit www.sydneyeisteddfod.com.au or call Sydney Eisteddfod on (02) 9261-8366.

17 March 2008: Artworks on Radio National broadcast a feature on New Wave theatre in yesterday's program. If you are interested, you can download the sound file or listen online at www.abc.net.au/rn/artworks/.

13 March 2008: Romulus, My Father won the 2008 Movie Extra Filmink Awards for Best Australian Film. The winners were announced yesterday - for the full list visit smh.com.au.
Romulus, My Father, based on Raimond Gaita's memoir, was adapted for the screen by British poet Nick Drake. For more information on the screenplay, click here.

11 March 2008: Photographer-storyteller William Yang is currently touring the US with a performance of Shadows. William documents the tour and his observations overseas in his blog mappinternational.wordpress.com. For tour dates and venues, visit performinglines.org.au. William's latest show China was performed at the Stables Theatre in January.

6 March 2008: The 2007 Greenroom Awards nominations have been announced.
Among the nominees are: Priscilla, Queen of the Desert – The Musical, nominated in eight categories, including best direction, best production and best costumes. Union House Theatre’s production of Jack Hibberd’s play White with Wire Wheels is nominated for best set and best direction (independent theatre).
In the category Theatre Companies, Ying Tong (STC presented by MTC) is in the running for five awards, including best production, best direction and best male actor (Jonathan Biggins). Bell Shakespeare’s production of The Government Inspector is listed for four awards, including best direction and best production, and Malthouse Theatre’s production of The Spook is in the running for three awards.
Playwright Ross Mueller is nominated for the Associations Awards for Best New Australian Writing for The Ghost Writer and Something to Die For (pilot version).
The winners will be announced on Sunday, 20 April at The Arts Centre, Victoria. For a complete list of nominations, visit www.greenroom.org.au.

The shortlist for the 2008-2009 Queensland Premier’s Drama Award has been announced. Queensland Theatre Company, which is administering the Queensland Premier’s Drama Award for the fourth time has announced the shortlist for the 2008–2009 Award. The three finalists, who will receive dramaturgical assistance over the coming months are: Richard Jordan for 25 Down, Katherine Lyall-Watson for Ned’s Story and Sven Swenson for Dangerfield Park. The winning play will be judged following public readings of all finalist plays in August 2008. For more information, visit www.qldtheatreco.com.au.
Currency congratulates all nominees!

29 February 2008: Two authors of Currency's Australian Screen Classics series will take part in events at Gleebooks in March: Henry Reynolds will talk about his book Drawing the Global Colour Line (published by MUP) with co-author Marylin Lake and Paul Kelly on Monday, 10 March at 6.30pm.
And Catherine Lumby will be in conversation with co-author Kath Albury and Linda Jaivin about her book The Porn Report on Tuesday, 11 March at 6.30pm. For bookings call Gleebooks at (02) 9660 2333.
Henry Reynolds is the author of The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith, the eighth title in the Australian Screen Classics series, which will be published in April. For a preview, click here.
Catherine Lumby is the author of Alvin Purple, the ninth title in the series, to be published in June this year.

16 February 2008: The Australian reports that Howard Panter, creative director of the British Ambassador Theatre Group, is in discussions with Sydney Theatre Company's Andrew Upton and Cate Blanchett about a London season of Upton's play, Riflemind. For the full article, click here.

11 February 2008: Make It Australian: The Australian Performing Group, the Pram Factory and New Wave Theatre will be launched on Saturday, 16 February at 6pm as part of Writers at the Convent in Melbourne, following a panel discussion on the legacy of the APG with Jon Hawkes and John Romeril, chaired by author Gabrielle Wolf. For more details on the session go to:
www.writersattheconvent.com
For more information on the book, click here.

22 January 2008: Sydney Theatre Awards
Toy Symphony swept yesterday's 2007 Sydney Theatre Awards: Michael Gow's new play won in seven categories, including Best New Australian Work, Best Mainstage Production, Best Direction and Best Actor. Currency will publish the play in May.
Best Independent Production was awarded to Kate Mulvany's The Seed which will move upstairs for a second season at Belvoir Theatre in February.
The award for Best Actress went to Toni Scanlan for her role in the Griffin production of Katherine Thomson's King Tide. And Currency founder Katharine Brisbane was awarded the 2007 Sydney Theatre Awards for Lifetime Achievement.
Currency congratulates all winners!

07 January 2008: Sydney Theatre Awards nominations
The nominations for the 2007 Sydney Theatre Awards in the category New Australian Work are Katherine Thomson’s King Tide, Ian Wilding’s October (both published by Currency Press), Michael Gow’s Toy Symphony and Kate Mulvany’s The Seed (both will be published by Currency Press in 2008). The winner will be announced on Monday, 21 January. Congratulations to all nominees!

19 December 2007: Next year's Rex Cramphorn Memorial Lecture will be held by Scott Rankin. The lecture with the title ' DIY Virtuosity vs Professional Mediocrity' will take place on Sunday, 13 January 2008 at The Mint in Macquarie Street from 1-3pm. Free event, for more information see sydneyfestival.org.au.

10 December 2007: The winners of the AFI Awards have been announced: Romulus, My Father won in the categories Best Film, Best Lead Actor, Best Young Actor and Best Supporting Actor. Sue Smith's Bastard Boys won in the categories Best Screenplay in Television and Outstanding Achievement in Television Screen Craft; and The Circuit won in the category Best Supporting Actor in Television Drama. To view the complete list of winners, go to afi.org.au.
Congratulations!

3 December 2007: A C Grayling's Against All Gods was chosen by Owen Sheers for The Observer's feature on the best books of 2007:
'AC Grayling's Against All Gods (Oberon Books) may not have received as much attention as other books challenging the role of religion in society, but it provides a crucial contribution to the debate. Philosophical where Dawkins is scientific and Hitchens is worldy, these essays are combative spurs to discussion, requiring believers to step up to the mark and engage in thorough self-enquiry. Above all, the book is a treatise of ethical humanism, offering an alternative moral code, where it is the 'real things… love, beauty, music, the company of friends that gives life the poetry of its significance.' Click here for the complete list of titles.
Against All Gods is supplied in Australia by Currency Press, for more information and to order your copy, click here.

14 November 2007: Richard Allen and Karen Pearlman have been awarded the 2007 Enhance TV Atom Awards in the category ‘Best Experimental’ for their dance film Thursday’s Fiction. Richard and Karen are the editors of Performing the Unnameable.

30 October 2007: After the huge success of the first six episodes of The Circuit – starring Aaron Pedersen as a city lawyer out of his depth in the bush – a second series has been commissioned by SBS. Currency Press has published the script of the first series, click here for more information.

29 October 2007: The nominations for the 2007 AFI Awards have been announced and if there was an award for the most nominations it would certainly go to the film adaptation of Raimond Gaita’s memoir Romulus, my Father. Adapted for the screen by British poet Nick Drake, Romulus, My Father has been nominated in thirteen categories, amongst them Best Film and Best Screenplay.

Further nominees are ABC mini series Bastard Boys, written by Sue Smith (Best Telefeature or Mini Series, Best Lead Actor and Best Supporting Actor in Television Drama) and SBS series The Circuit (Best Telefeature or Mini Series, Best Lead Actress and Best Supporting Actor in Television Drama). For the full list of nominations, go to http://www.afi.org.au/awards/nominees.asp
The winners will be announced in Melbourne on Wednesday 5 and Thursday 6 December and the award ceremony will be broadcast nationally on the Nine Network at 9.30pm on 6 December.