Spinifex author Susan Hawthorne will take part in Readings’ May ‘Pages to Poetry’ event. Highlighting the recently released anthology Out of the Box: Contemporary Australian Gay and Lesbian Poets, contributor Peter Rose and co-editor Michael Farrell will also be reading.
This is a rare opportunity to hear Nobel Peace Prize Nominee Dr Zohl dé Ishtar speak about the Kapululangu Elders’ efforts to protect and keep alive their women’s knowledge and cultural practices, and to build cultural resilience among their families and community. Learn about how you can partner with these remarkable women to close the gap between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous relations.
Dr Zohl dé Ishtar is internationally renowned for her work with Indigenous Australian and Pacific women over the past 25 years. Since 1999 Zohl has lived and worked with the Aboriginal Women Elders in Balgo community, Western Australia. She assisted them to establish the Kapululangu Women’s Law and Culture Centre— one of Australia’s most remote women’s centres and a flourishing and vibrant provider of Aboriginal Women’s Law and Culture in the south-east Kimberley.
Friday 21 May, 5.30 for 6pm start Kurilpa Hall, 174 Boundary St, West End, Brisbane RSVP preferred: contact Chris on 0437 327 890 Light refreshments may be purchased. Donations gratefully received; all proceeds go to the Kapululangu Aboriginal Women’s Association.
The final say from Dr Fiona Mackay in a robust and feisty conversation on the state of contemporary feminism. 'Why Feminism Matters?' was a Sydney Ideas forum with leading international political scientists and Australian academics and researchers including Mary Fainsod Katzenstein, Fiona Mackay, Rebecca Huntley, Karen Beckwith and Sue Goodwin. Watch the session on Slow TV or listen to a podcast of highlights on Radio National's Life Matters.
Susan Hawthorne has just written a new blog post following up on Jo Case's guest post "On Women's Writing". Check it out, and join the discussion on your favourite women writers.
A number of Spinifex poets are taking part in this weekend's Salt on the Tongue poetry festival, organised by the Australian Poetry Centre. Being held in Goolwa, South Australia, the festival will feature more than 150 poets from all around the country, poets' breakfasts, a publisher’s market, slams, symposia, cafe poet lunches, launches, a teacher’s professional development day, festival club, Anzac readings, workshops, panels, performances, as well as a few surprises. The full program is available on the APC website.
Ex-Cleo editor and blogger Mia Freedman has given some positive airtime to our 2009 bestseller, Getting Real, but she seems to have gotten a bit gun shy after an article in the Australian portrayed her as the poster girl of the anti-porn movement. A bit of backpedalling in an attempt to distance herself from 'conservative or religious groups whose true intentions are to turn back the clock on all sorts of other things' has created an outcry on her blog.
Spinifex director Susan Hawthorne leads the charge with her response:
Dear Mia, As the publisher at Spinifex Press I want to thank you for mentioning Getting Real again on your blog (after your earlier positive comments on Getting Real). Getting Real is resonating with members of the community who come from a wide range of political views and life experiences. All want to bring about real change to girls’ – and women’s – lives – in exposing the pornified world we have to live in for its harmful ways. It has been incredibly gratifying to see a large and still growing number of international reviews from media outlets of all persuasions about Getting Real. Melinda Tankard Reist deserves full credit for putting together such an inspiring book. We are proud to be its publisher.
For a sampling of the many reviews Getting Real has received, visit the reviews page.
Vandana Shiva awarded 2010 Sydney Peace Prize 
