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I’ve been attending more literary events this year and getting involved with the Melbourne writing community. Since attending YA Day 2019, I’ve got to know lots of writers and they’re all incredibly nice. Finding a community with similar interests to me has been so heartening. Through researching literary events I came across Speculate, and last weekend I attended Speculate as a volunteer. Speculate is a literary festival for writers of fantasy and science fiction, whether it be screenwriting, novel writing or poetry. If you want to look into Speculate more, click here to visit their website.
What happens at Speculate?
Speculate 2019 took place over two days at Gasworks Arts Park (Friday 15 March and Saturday 16 March). The event website was clear about what was happening on both days so I’ve included it below:
“Friday will be focused on craft and the publishing journey. We’ll be hosting two full day workshops to help writers hone their work and identify pathways to publishing. It’ll be a smaller day, with chances to mingle and network outside workshops as well.
Saturday will be our marquee day, with a similar format to Speculate 2018. We’ll be hosting large group sessions in Gasworks’ main theatre, and there’ll be plenty of chances to connect with other writers from around Victoria and Australia – plus this year we’ve added an extra session to get the most out of the day.”
I volunteered on the Saturday. I helped authors find the green room, monitored the theatre doors, and wrote name cards to help organise the signing process, but mainly I just needed to be helpful when it was needed and answer attendees’ questions.
What were the panel sessions?
There were fantastic panel sessions I got to sit in on. Again, I’ve included the website text below. I know the event has already passed but perhaps there will be similar sessions next year. Also, I just wanted the record.
“Session 1: A Coffee For Your Thoughts – Laying the Groundwork. In the vein of the ABC’s Book Club, each contributor picks a book, film, or anything in between, for the others to engage with. Focused around spec fic. Is it something classic that tells us where the genre got its roots, or is it something new, edgy and gnarly, showing us where the genre might be going? Either way, we’re deep-diving to set the scene for Speculate 2019. Featuring: Elizabeth Flux, Dan Golding, C. S. Pacat and Will Kostakis. Moderated by Ian Laking.
Session 2: Flesh & Bone – Creating New Worlds. From the spark to the setting, the skeleton to the fleshing out, this panel explores the task of creating a fresh new world and the process behind it. Featuring: Alan Baxter, Trudi Canavan, Amie Kaufman, and Jay Kristoff. Moderated by Deanne Sheldon-Collins.
Session 3: Spec Fic Sprouts. Drafting, editing, polishing, submitting, and all that’s in between. This session explores the task of getting published as a spec fic author, whether as a debut author, or transitioning as an established one. Featuring: Katya De Becerra, Will Kostakis, and Astrid Scholte. Moderated by Elizabeth Flux.
Session 4: Dungeons & Development II: Characters in Space. The hit live roleplaying panel returns – and this time, it’s in space! Four spec fic authors will take the lead roles in an epic space opera created before your eyes, then talk about what makes their characters tick, and how they shaped the fictional universe around them. Featuring: C. S. Pacat, Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff, and Andrew McDonald. Moderated by Ben McKenzie.
Session 5: Fantasy & Reality: Worlds Collide. Magical Realism and fantasy invading the ‘real world’. Why do we use spec fic as the conduit to explore moral problems, social issues, and more? Featuring: Alan Baxter, Claire G. Coleman, and Angela Meyer. Moderated by Rose Michael.
Session 6: Speculative Fiction’s Problem Children. Screenwriting, short stories, and poetry. Each has a wrinkle that makes its publishing or exposure an issue – but why? We discuss the issues at hand and delve into the ins and outs of each of these writing forms. Featuring: Earl Livings, Catherine McMullen, and Michael Pryor. Moderated by Joel Martin.”
The Dungeons & Development II was my favourite session. It was hilarious and great to see the audience get involved. I’ve never played DnD before, nor have I ever seen it played, so I’m not sure how it compares to the roleplaying panel I witnessed but I need to look into it. All the authors involved created their own characters and the story grew more and more outrageous.
Volunteering
Speculate was the first literary event I’ve volunteered at and it was a great place to start. Everyone was really friendly, and I got to see some behind-the-scenes workings of event management. It was also a great way to meet authors – and there were lots of authors! When I stepped into the lunch room, I almost froze wide-eyed because I was surrounded by authors. But I stayed calm! … On the outside, at least.
So much work goes into creating and managing literary events. Volunteers help the day run smoothly, taking some of the stress off event organisers. You usually get to attend the event for free and if you’re lucky, maybe there will be a constant coffee supply and free lunch. If anyone else is thinking of volunteering at a literary event, I encourage you to do so!