Wearing many hats: Literary creative practice in New England

Title
Wearing many hats: Literary creative practice in New England
Publication Date
2019-06
Author(s)
Masson, Sophie
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7720-4448
Email: smasson3@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:smasson3
Abstract
This publication appears in Special Issue 54: Writing and researching (in) the regions, eds Nike Sulway, Lynda Hawryluk and Moya Costello, April 2019.
Type of document
Journal Article
Language
en
Entity Type
Publication
Publisher
Australian Association of Writing Programs
Place of publication
Australia
UNE publication id
une:1959.11/27254
Abstract
It’s never been easy making a living as a writer or illustrator, of course, but in the last fifteen years or so, literary creators have experienced significant disruption and change, due to the transformation of the publishing industry and the challenges – and opportunities – of the internet and other technological developments. Wearing many hats, for most writers, is no longer an option; it is a necessity. For those living in regional areas, who face additional issues related to geographic distance from major publishing centres, it is even more important. This article explores the lived experiences both of individual creators based in the New England region of northern NSW, and that of the local Writers’ Centre, which for over twenty years has provided creative and professional development opportunities for writers and illustrators in the region. Against a background of the history of the New England Writers’ Centre and a description of the author’s own career, it profiles how several other New England creators, interviewed by the author, view the advantages and disadvantages of being based regionally, and the role of their local Writers’ Centre. This presents an intimate insight into what it’s like to work as a creator within the literary ecosystem of a distinctive regional area with a rich cultural fabric, but which also faces issues of geographic distance common to most non-metropolitan areas.
Link
Citation
Text (Special Issue 54), p. 1-13
ISSN
1327-9556
Start page
1
End page
13

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