Join Anna Spargo-Ryan (attending via Zoom), David Stavanger and Kris Kneen as they open up about their creative work and the lived experience of mental illness, challenging notions of illness, recovery and treatment. Hosted by Felicity Plunkett.
Anna Spargo-Ryan writes on Boon Wurrung country and is an author, scriptwriter, editor, and recipient of the Horne Prize for her literary essay, The Suicide Gene. Her latest book, A Kind of Magic, is a blended memoir about complex mental illness and was published last year.
David Stavanger is a poet, performer, cultural producer, editor and lapsed psychologist living on Dharawal land. His first full-length poetry collection, The Special, was awarded several prizes and his most recent, Case Notes, won the 2021 Victorian Premier’s Literary Award for Poetry.
Kris Kneen is the award-winning author of memoir and fiction, including the Thomas Shapcott Award-winning poetry collection Eating My Grandmother. Their latest memoir is Fat Girl Dancing.
Felicity Plunkett is a poet, editor, mentor and critic. She is the author of A Kinder Sea (UQP), Vanishing Point (UQP) and the chapbook Seastrands (Vagabond) and editor of Thirty Australian Poets (UQP).
Livestream Information
Can't attend this event in person, this event will be live streamed and tickets can be purchased here.
Accessibility
T-loop will be available for this session. If you require a reserved seat in the T-loop section please email hello@bluemountainswritersfestival.com.au.
Festival Ticket Information
To take full advantage of all the events on offer, we recommend purchasing a gold or silver weekend pass. Subject to availability, you can also purchase a single ticket (see below).