THE 2015 Southern Highlands Writers' Festival boasts a long list of events for literature lovers this weekend. To begin, the festival will launch with an opening night screening of an interview with film director and writer Ariel Kleiman.
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The pre-recorded interview is an exclusive which will offer insights to Ariel's creative process for his new movie, Partisan - before attendees view the film at Empire Cinemas in Bowral.
This opening night special event will take place from 7pm on Friday, July 10.
The film received a standing ovation at its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival so festival organisers Michaela Bolzan and Kylie Matthews are confident festival-goers will love it.
"We are so happy to be bringing such strong writers to the Highlands and present a platform and environment that people can benefit from," Michaela said. "It's something we do out of passion but I get such a sense of pride from it and it certainly makes me a happy Highlander."
Another fellow Highlander, best-selling children's author R. A. Spratt, is excited to be involved in the 2015 festival.
The creative mother-of-two of Nanny Piggins and Friday Barnes fame has given school talks and toured throughout Australia and in America.
"I'm very excited to be involved in something locally," she said. "I will read from both series of books at my presentation - there's chocolates for the kids and I do voices and I have my Nanny Piggins puppet with me too."
R. A. Spratt said she was happy to have her puppet with her, but couldn't be held responsible for its actions.
"The puppet is very rude, so I have to try and keep her in control."
The high-energy presentation will offer fans the opportunity for questions and answers.
"If I have a lot of fans there I might even do a quiz," she said.
R. A. Spratt said one of the perks of being a children's author was the ability to get lost in research.
"I get to research some bizarre things - for example, I know that a Kodiack bear is slightly bigger than a polar bear and is found in Russia and Alaska."
R. A. Spratt is very fond of her characters, thinking of them as people she has a duty of care to, and is keen to encourage the importance of reading at the festival.
"I think people underestimate the emotional importance of reading, especially for kids.
"Basic stories, fairytales too, they're simple with a resolution and it's reassuring - it's a kind of therapy to them because it's reassuring and comforting for them to read."
R. A. Spratt's action-packed, dramatic reading and presentation at the writers' festival will take place on Friday, July 10 at 10am, followed by a whole weekend of fantastic events by writers including Robert Dessaix, Michael Parker, Don Watson, Malcolm Knox, David Marr, Edwina Wyatt and many others.
There are also a range of free events and book launches over the weekend.
Tickets are available from www.shwf.com.au or from The Bookshop Bowral on Bong Bong Street. See the Southern Highlands Writers' Festival website for a full program.
