Do you know anyone who likes to wax lyrical about the latest literary sensation and discuss the book that they’ve been writing (and has taken three years for the intro)?

If this sounds like someone you know, you might like to let them know about the Melbourne Writers Festival. It could be the kick-start they need to get those memoirs moving.

With more than 400 writers from around the world, this festival is a veritable feast with readings, performances, film screenings, debates and workshops covering topics like art, crime, fiction, poetry, film and television, history, magazines and music.

Highlights include “An Evening with Joss Whedon” (writer, director, producer of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel and Dollhouse), “The Creation of Widely Read Fiction” with Bryce Courtenay and a workshop discussing all you need to know about publishing titled “Publishing… the Whole Shebang”.

If social media, blogging and citizen journalism is more your thing, than you’ll want to hop along to one of the workshops on “Using Social Media to improve journalism with Bronwen Clune” or “Making an online journal with Peter Browen and Lisa Gye”.

So if you’ve always harbored dreams of penning your own book or you just want to make that friend stop talking and start doing, this festival’s worth writing on your to do list.

Melbourne Writers Festival
27 August – 5 September 2010