Happy Mondays - Jane O'Hara
- 29 Jun 2015
This week in Happy Mondays, Jane O’Hara shares her passion for the Writers + Ideas program at the Brisbane Powerhouse.
What are you working on creatively at the moment?
I am producing the year round Writers + Ideas program for Brisbane Powerhouse. Rather than a pop-up four or five day festival, we have committed the resources to creating a ‘horizontal’ writers + ideas festival right across the year that showcases the best of writers and ideas makers from around the world. These curated and professionally produced events are one off and unique for audiences of all ages.
Where would we find you on a Monday?
At Brisbane Powerhouse trying to spend as much time as I can on the River deck enjoying the magnificent views as the River stretches north and south right in front of us.
Favourite book set in Queensland?
Queensland has some of the best writers in the world for both adults and children. I read a lot of novels set in Queensland when I was a young (er) adult including It’s Raining in Mango (Thea Astley); Zigzag Street (Nick Earls); A Night at the Pink Poodle (Matthew Condon); Smoke Encrypted Whispers (Samuel Wagan Watson); Johnno (David Malouf); Romeo of The Underworld (Venero Armanno) and Praise (Andrew McGahan) to name just a few.
More recently I’ve loved reading books by Queensland writers that may be set in Queensland but not necessarily including Benjamin Law, Bec Jessen, Ellen van Neerven, Trent Jamieson, Belinda Jeffrey, Kári Gíslason and Susan Johnson to name just a few. I must make special mention of Kristina Olsson’s Boy, Lost published in 2013 which was a standout for me. There are so many great Queensland writers living and publishing here at the moment!
A literary event not to be missed?
Two actually! Magda Szubanski will be at Brisbane Powerhouse on Friday 16 October talking with Paul Barclay about her memoir Reckoning and then Peter Garrett on Monday 26 October speaking about his (not yet published) autobiography Big Blue Sky. They will both be very special events!
Best aspect of your job?
I never tire of hearing writers share their passion for crafting stories. It’s always so personal, revealing and utterly unique. I am especially in awe of fiction writers who literally conjure whole worlds from nothing – just their imagination and personal experiences. Writing and telling a true or fictionalised story is truly one of the most amazing crafts a human being can practice.
Your prediction for writing and publishing in the next ten years – for authors and readers?
Only a very brave person would try to predict the next two years in writing and publishing let alone the next ten years! What I do know however is that humans will never tire of telling, hearing and reading stories. The challenge for readers will be in the sifting, sorting and sourcing of great content. Excitingly, the vast growth in self-publishing technology and the breakdown of the traditional business model of the large publishing houses has meant that more people are able to publicly publish their work. Traditionally a good editor and publisher has been crucial in the selection of great writers and assisting them to refine their talent. However, consumers will increasingly need to take responsibility for the quality of the content they consume. I hope that we are all able to ensure that our reading remains diverse and challenging.
Jane O’Hara is the Producer of the Writers + Ideas program at Brisbane Powerhouse. She is the former Festival Director/CEO of Brisbane Writers Festival (2009 – 2012). She also produced Word Play for Brisbane Writers Festival (2005 – 2008) along with the education program for the 2009 Ideas Festival. Jane is a 2012 Churchill Fellow and holds a Bachelor of Arts and Graduate Diploma Teaching (Primary).