Byron Bay Writers Festival

Article by: Janette Dalgliesh

The folks at Byron Bay really know how to throw a writers’ festival—relaxed, sunny, laid-back and all about connecting. This was my first time, and I think I’ll become a regular.

The Festival comprises a core three-day weekend, preceded by more extras than you could poke a stick at: a week full of amazing workshops, a day-long program for local high schools, a film premiere with Q & A, literary food events and a youth day. There is even a sculpture competition, with some fabulous pieces—my favourite was this gorgeous frock made entirely of book pages. Crinkly to wear, but you’d never be bored!

You can see the program for yourself, and you’d have to agree it’s pretty darned impressive for a town with a population of only 9,000. Attendees drive down from Brisbane and up from Sydney; and those of us from further afield fly in from all over the country and all over the world.

My Festival experience lasted a week, and I loved every minute!

I manage three fabulous workshops in the week before the Festival: Kim Falconer’s Bad Boys: Writing Dark Heroes to Die For; Jane Meredith’s The Last Taboo: Writing from the Sacred Realms; and the extraordinary Fiction Masterclass with MJ Hyland.

And then the fun really began on Friday.

The core Festival takes place in a huge area of open ground next door to the Arts and Industrial estate. Marquees of various size are dotted between the usual supply of food tents and discreetly placed portaloo bays. In addition to the various venues, there is a tiny artists’ market with about eight superb stalls, and I believe this may expand in future years.

Attendees can buy one-day passes or cough up for the whole three days—and that gives you access to absolutely everything on site. There are panel discussions, “in conversation” sessions, debates and interviews; and after each session the writers involved make themselves available at the special book-signing tent.

Some attendees plan their day to the second, poring over their program with highlighter at the ready, making a beeline to each session with furrowed brow and determined stride. I belong more to the “I wonder what’s on now?” camp, meandering all over the paddock looking for the next juicy titbits to gobble up.

With so much on offer, it’s inevitable that I missed far more than I experienced. Happily, the wonderful team at the Festival blog provided reports on many of the sessions I missed, including some wonderful encounters with crime writers Liz Porter and Michael Robotham.  And ABC North Coast radio was on-site, recording many sessions which can be heard on their website.

My favourite highlights gave me a grab-bag of fabulous memories:

• Producer Nelson Woss and Koko the kelpie, star of the movie Red Dog, invited to join author Louis de Bernières mid-interview—and even Koko has his say
• Listening to Kim Falconer and Traci Harding talking fantasy, astrology, quantum physics and ancient British history—while Fiona McIntosh lightened the mood with her winter boots and word counts

• Learning about the skill of pitching, by watching six authors practice their powers of persuasion in front of a panel of publishers—local writer and broadcaster Annette Malfording’s technique was masterful!
• Falling in love with Stephanie Dowrick’s eloquence on the subject of creativity, her own writing journey and the Divine feminine
• Watching Melbourne activist writer Benjamin Solah give it his all, with a fiery recitation of his spoken word piece Rhyme for Refugees at a poetry tent open reading

But in amongst this cornucopia of word-related abundance, what I’ll remember best is the sense of connection. This Festival is more than simply a collection of brilliant panels and sessions and workshops; it’s a community. A fairground full of people who love words—whether those words are used in ferocious political debate, to make us laugh, to explore strange universes, to sing, or to inspire our love of sensuous food—we came together to celebrate in a giant outdoor weeklong party.

I met up with writer, editor and publisher friends whom I know mainly online—that was to be expected, and was an unregretted reason for missing some fabulous sessions.

But here’s why I really love Festivals like Byron. I don’t suppose for a moment that the big urban Festivals like Melbourne and Sydney—great as they are—would afford me the opportunity to chat animation with Tim Ferguson, the benefits of shea butter with Traci Harding or a cure for jetlag with MJ Hyland.

In the end, it’s all about the people. That’s why it’s MY kind of Festival.

Bookmark It

Keeping it Real: it’s in his stars

Have you heard of Bruce Reynolds? No? What about the Great Train Robbery? How about Ronnie Biggs? Now, that name strikes a chord!

What made him so famous? More interestingly, what made him happy to seek out fame, even notoriety, in a situation where most of us would probably keep schtum?

The Great Train Robbery

The Great Train Robbery was the biggest haul of its kind for a century, netting the gang a whopping £2.6 million in 1963 (around £40 million in today’s money).

Ronnie’s role in the robbery was relatively minor. He was to provide and handle the gang’s own train driver, who would move the entire train to the siding where the haul would be unloaded. But it turned out that Ronnie’s hand-picked driver was a dud; he couldn’t drive that particular type of engine. By any standards, Ronnie’s train-robbing skills were dubious.

Why so famous?

Yet Ronnie is the one everybody remembers. Bruce Reynolds, who allegedly masterminded the entire plot, is relegated to relative obscurity, though he did eventually write his own version of events.

Ronnie first hit the public eye when he escaped, first to Australia and then to Brazil, where complex extraditionlaws kept him safe from Scotland Yard. At this stage, you’d think a bloke still on the lam might duck for cover.

But not Ronnie. Not only did his house become a regular stop for tourists, where he’d regale them with (probably exaggerated) stories of the Robbery; he even recorded a hit single with members of the Sex Pistols.

He wrote a handful of books about his experiences, and has had copious numbers of books written about him; in fact, an Amazon search on “Ronnie Biggs” nets a list of books long enough to keep even me going for months.

And when he finally returned to Britain in 2001 to seek medical treatment, he continued to make public statements through his son, Michael.

He was clearly not a man to shy away from the public gaze.

But why was Ronnie so keen to keep coming back to the glare of the spotlight? Could it simply be part of a self-created ongoing mini-industry, creating income around his bad behaviour of so many years ago? Or was there more to it?

What the stars reveal

Having recently taken up the study of astrology—especially in relation to an individual’s psychological makeup—I wondered if Ronnie’s natal chart (the position of the planets at his birth) would be revealing. Without knowing the exact time of his birth, there’s a limit to what we can ascertain; but even a basic chart is revealing.

Ronnie has not only his Sun, but also his Mercury, in Leo.

Our Sun sign is the one we all read in the Sunday papers, the one we mention when someone at a party says “what sign are you?”. It’s our centre of consciousness, a key to what will make us truly happy. And Mercury, messenger of the gods, influences our mental processes and the way we think about things.

What does this mean for Ronnie, to have these two major planets in Leo?

Leo LOVES the limelight. Leo is a fire sign, a sign of taking the initiative. Leo is all about self-expression and ego-fulfilment. Leo makes the statement “I WILL”.

Someone with this much Leo in their chart could never be truly happy living the quiet, hidden life. Of course, being a Leo didn’t have anything to do with Ronnie choosing a life of crime; but I think it made a big difference to HOW Ronnie lived that life.

Where is he now?

People in Britain still either love him or hate Ronnie. I think if he’d retired quietly into obscurity, nobody would have cared much either way. But Ronnie was drawn to fame like a moth to a flame, often thumbing his nose at the establishment.

How about you? Have you forgiven Ronnie Biggs for his bumbling role in that long-ago heist; or do you think he did the crime, so he should do the time regardless of how late in life? Or has Ronnie’s Leo energy finally run its course, leaving him at last to decline quietly into an obscure old age?

Bookmark It

Reality is a fluid concept.

Article by: Janette Dalgliesh

Time goes fast or slow, depending on whether you’re waiting for a hot date or the dentist. Football’s the best game in the world, if your team is winning; otherwise it sucks. One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter. And so on.

Add the word “TV” and you’re in a-whole-nother Bizarro World universe.

I’m not talking about peer groups sharing big houses, or competing cheflings who make us go “awwww”—strange as these shows may be.  I’m talking about the love-child of documentary and current affairs—the ride-along.

You know the genre: we tag along as the cops/border guards/customs officers/dog handlers do their thing. And we get to peek at what really goes on, out there in Law Enforcement Land.

A notable veteran of the genre is COPS, broadcast in Australia on Network Ten’s sports channel, ONE. According to ONE, it’s “a long-running, popular reality show documenting real cops as they do their jobs”.

So how “real” is real? COPS was the subject of a research study which asked that very question, by analysing 50 hours of programming to see how race and gender are depicted in the show.

We learn a lot about the USA from our screens. If I’d been relying on this show to learn about the USA, here are the top three “facts” I’d have gleaned:

1. USA is a very dangerous place

Crimes in the States come in two types: UCR Part I (murder, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny/theft [over $500], motor vehicle theft and arson) and UCR Part II (everything else). In the 50 hours of COPS analysed, a massive 54 percent of crimes shown were UCR Part I. That’s approximately double the actual national crime stats.

1. Boys rule…

… across the board, apparently. Most cops in the show are male—in 50 hours of programming there was one lone female police officer. And apparently women rarely perpetrate crime—four female offenders appeared in total: all white, and mostly involved in DUI, animal offence or alcohol related crime. There were no non-white women at all. Hm.

1. Black guys are the worst

OK, I totally cringed as I typed that and I’m sure you cringed reading it. Of course they’re not! But a whopping ninety-three percent of the African-American individuals in COPS appear in the “role” of offender.  It’s not much better for Hispanic individuals, with eight-three percent shown as offenders.  Yikes.

But we know it’s not real

Do we?

This is the question being asked by more and more researchers. It’s well-established that most people get their information and—more importantly—form their opinions about law and order from watching current affairs, news and reality TV shows.

The depiction of crime has a significant impact on public opinion; which in turn impacts on public policy.

Producers of these series claim that they simply choose the stories based on what will make “good TV”. But do producers have a responsibility to reflect accurately the reality of policing—for example, that women do have a significant role on both sides of law and order; and that there are plenty of white baddies and non-white good guys?

What do you think? Do you watch this genre? Do you question what you’re shown? Does it influence your opinions on law and order? Tell us what you think.

Disclaimer: I am a complete sucker for the dog handler shows. Just sayin’.

Bookmark It

Top TIps On How Not To Be A Fictional Victim

Article by: Janette Dalgliesh

You could be forgiven for thinking the world is a dangerous place. But I have some ideas that will help!

Get fussy

Feeling safe means that I’m more confident and assured when I’m out and about—and that in turn makes me less of a target.  On my first trip to Rome, I read that pickpockets only target tourists who stand around looking lost. I strode about the city as if I owned it, and never had a problem. That attitude has stood me in good stead ever since. But we all see the world through our own personal filter, and if that includes endless TV news stories of muggings and assaults, it can make us very nervous.

So my Number One strategy for feeling safe is to be picky about my exposure to TV news and current affairs. It’s normal for media to focus on bad news stories. But last year, local networks in my home town didn’t do a single story on the 98.77 percent of the population who weren’t victims of “crime against the person” (assault, murder, rape etc).

It’s easy to forget that not experiencing crime is the norm by a long shot. No wonder we get stressed!

But if giving up your nightly dose of TV news is too hard, how about following my easy tips to avoid becoming a crime statistic?

Location, location, location

Obviously you must never, ever move to Midsomer County in England, despite the bucolic beauty of the scenery. Its appallingly high body count is enough to warn you off.

Longstanding crim-catcher extraordinaire, Detective Chief Inspector Tom Barnaby (John Nettles), has passed the ball to the safe hands of his cousin, John Barnaby (Neil Dudgeon), also conveniently a DCI . If you DO get murdered, you can rest assured your killer is bound to be caught. But it’s not much consolation, is it?

Even Tom displayed wariness about moving to one of the local villages, recalling the grisly murders associated with every village that his wife Joyce suggested in a discussion about relocating.

Incidentally, Midscomer County is not to be confused with poor old Midsomer-Norton near Bath, which appears to have roughly the national UK average crime rates.

Tip: You might also want to exercise caution before moving to Cabot Cove, Smallville or Eureka. Thankfully Sunnydale was obliterated, so there is one less risky area to move to.

Witness

If you happen to see someone doing something naughty, don’t waste time. I’ve mentioned this before, but it’s worth saying again: never ring the detective (especially in front of the murderer) and organise to meet later in a dark, lonely spot. Madness!

Also, don’t tell everyone in the village pub or the local bar that you know who did the deed, and for heaven’s sake don’t try and blackmail anyone. It never works. Ever.

Tip: If it’s a copper who’s the baddie, you’ll need to move to an Amish village and hope that Harrison Ford gets there in time.

Friends

If you must befriend a homicide detective or amateur sleuth, please do your due diligence. If the name is Barnaby, obviously run like mad (see aforementioned advice regarding Midsomer County) and it’s probably best not to get to know members of the family. In any case, do check how frequently the friends, relations or acquaintances are murdered (or, in a popular twist, arrested for murder).

Sadly, the same goes if you wish to befriend crime writers. This is especially true if the name is Fletcher, but you still might want to exercise caution with other literary types.

Naturally if the writer’s name is Marianne this recommendation does not apply, and such excellent people may be welcomed into your circle of friends without hesitation.

(But of course, I would say that….)

In essence, my approach is to exercise sensible caution and avoid getting too caught up in so-called reality (or at least, the tabloid version of it). What’s your top tip for being safe?

Bookmark It

with Janette Dalgliesh

Top Crime Myths

I’m a placid soul, and I know crime on TV is supposed to be escapism. But that doesn’t stop me wanting to throw a brick at the screen when stories get the simple stuff wrong. Dear writer, is it too much to ask? Here are my top five crime myth peeves:

24 hour wait

Scene: Wife turns up dead after not going home the night before. Detective scowls: “Did you report her missing?” Distraught husband sobs: “I called but missing persons said I had to wait.”

The 24-hour waiting period isn’t universal, even in the USA. In many cases, circumstances would be assessed before dismissing a concerned relative. And in Australia, there is no waiting period for reporting a missing person. If you don’t know where someone is and you have concerns about their safety, you report them straight away. Scriptwriters who reinforce this myth need their wrists slapped.

Sex before science

Scene:  Luxe hotel room, blood everywhere and a corpse on the floor. The forensic expert arrives, long hair waving in slo-mo, and proceeds to collect samples protected only by a pair of latex gloves.

I love the forensics sub-genre, to the point where I can forgive its many myths. But this one really gets my goat. UK drama Silent Witness at least pays lip service to the notion of protecting the integrity of a crime scene, with the gorgeous Emilia Fox happily donning baggy disposable coveralls and bootees to do her job. But according to CSI – the biggest franchise in the pack – as long as scientists have their trusty gloves, they can shed hair, skin and clothing fibres to their heart’s content. Grrr.

Instant results

Scene: the forensic lab (yes, again – promise I’ll move on after this). Our sexy scientist prepares her samples in a montage of serious-forehead and shiny equipment. And look! Within minutes of putting the sample into the machine with the to-die-for graphic design – a match!

The science of DNA fingerprinting has been developing and improving for many years, since its first court appearance in a UK immigration case in 1985. While it’s true that the tests are much faster than they used to be, most times the lab work and subsequent analysis and reporting requires more than an ad-break to complete. And it’s rare that DNA evidence comes in the neat package most forensics shows would have us believe. And this could be having an effect on real court cases.

In 2004 a Peoria, Illinois jury let off an alleged rapist because the DNA evidence presented by the prosecution – his saliva on her breast – didn’t match their expectations of forensics.

Witnesses are dumb

Scene: detective gets a phone call from a witness, who whispers “I can’t tell you over the phone… meet me tonight…”. And you know they’ve signed their death warrant.

Really? Witnesses the world over are all calling the cops, and conveniently timing it so they’ll be killed before they can pass on their all-important information? This isn’t a myth about the legal system or the process of investigation, but it’s a myth about what’s likely. Midsomer Murders is a particular offender with this annoying narrative device, though it doesn’t stop me watching (albeit with iPhone game or laptop handily in reach).

Wire me up

Scene: a sympathetic suspect agrees to a lie detector test, and the results prove she didn’t do it. Woohoo!

We love the idea that the bad guys can be caught out, or the innocent exonerated, by a machine. But in the real world, lie detector tests only work on some of the people, some of the time. In the USA, each state has different approaches to the admissibility of these tests, while in Europe, they’re generally not accepted by the courts. Here in Australia, only NSW has made a specific ruling on the matter, also finding the tests not admissible.

Happily, lie detectors in crime fiction are increasingly depicted as having a purely investigatory role, which is closer to the real world. I’ve even seen scripts that discuss the unreliability of the tests.

Perhaps this is a sign that given enough time, writers of crime do eventually let go of their favourite myths. Perhaps all I need to do is wait.

What’s your favourite peeve? Feel free to share!

Bookmark It