Blue Mountains Writers' Festival x SRB

WHY WE NEED ART WE HATE:
Christos Tsiolkas, Vivian Blaxell and James Jiang in conversation with Beejay Silcox

Saturday 1 November 2025 | 10:00 am – 11:00 am

They say that the opposite of love isn’t hate, it’s indifference. We’ve all encountered books we cast aside a few pages in, then promptly forgot about. But what of the books we read cover to cover despite growing rage and judgement? What does it mean to ‘hate-read’ a book, and what impact can art we loathe have on us, politically, intellectually or creatively? Why do we need literary criticism and, in Australia’s small and connected industry, has our criticism gotten too soft?

Join authors Christos Tsiolkas and Vivian Blaxell, with the Sydney Review of Books editor James Jiang and literary critic Beejay Silcox for this feisty and furious dissection of art we hate – and why we need it for a robust artistic landscape to thrive.

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Pathways to Publication:

WITH ROBERT WATKINS, Alexandra Christie, JENNY MOSHER, ANNA THWAITES AND JAMES JIANG

Saturday 1 November 2025 | 2:00pm – 3:00pm

How do you find a publisher for your work? What does an agent actually do? Can self-publishing lead to success? And how do literary journals contribute to the industry, and provide pathways for emerging writers?

Demystify the industry and learn strategies for getting your work out into the world in this lively 90-minute roundtable.

Join five titans of literature and publishing:  

• Publishing Director of Ultimo Press and Chair of Sydney Writers’ Festival Robert Watkins 
• Leading agent Alexandra Christie
• Founder of IndieMosh self-publishing service Jenny Mosher  
• HEAT Magazine editor Anna Thwaites
• Expertly facilitated by Sydney Review of Books editor James Jiang, this session offers aspiring writers the chance to build industry knowledge, decode the jargon and ask burning questions from those in the know.  

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The Future of Translation:
Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar, Tiffany Tsao and Chris Andrews

Saturday 1 November 2025 | 3:30pm – 4:30pm

Globalisation, new technologies, artificial intelligence and publishing trends are reshaping the complex art of translation. In this future-facing discussion, three award-winning translators explore these challenges and opportunities.

Poet and adjunct associate professor at Western Sydney University Chris Andrews is joined by multilingual writer Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar, and author and Deputy Editor of Sydney Review of Books Tiffany Tsao, who between then speak and write in more than ten languages.

How does the relationship between author and translator function? How creative is the translator’s role? Can AI replace human translators? And how can the industry better support authors to get their work into global markets?

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How to Read a Poem:
Willo Drummond, David Stavanger and James Jiang

Saturday 2 November 2025 | 2:00pm – 3:00pm

What makes a poem a poem? Is it the use of rhyme, metaphor, line breaks, or something more? And what do poems require from us as readers, in terms of attention and knowledge?

Join Sydney Review of Books editor James Jiang, Artistic Director of Red Room Poetry David Stavanger and Blue Mountains poet Willo Drummond as they explore the answers to these questions. Whether you’re a seasoned poetry lover or someone who has always found this form a little intimidating, this event will offer new ways to listen, interpret and connect with the written word.

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