In the Night Garden

Things have been crazy busy lately.  I’ve had about 4 or 5 writing projects due within the space of about a week.  I even took the week off work as annual leave so that I could properly dedicate myself to my various projects.  I have noticed that this time of year is generally when a lot of writing competitions and awards are due for submission. One of my fears when my writing degree was coming to an end was that my writing would just taper off.  That’s one of the reasons I joined a writing group through the NSW Writers’ Centre, so at the very least I would be doing something writing-related once a fortnight.  Gladly there are no signs that anything is going to be tapering off in the near future.  The good news is, the busy period is already starting to pay off. 

A couple of the women I graduated with have launched their own website called Tabula Rasa which publishes a variety of prose and poetry.  It’s looking quite good and I’m very proud of them – it’s great to see peers having success they’ve worked hard for.  They recently curated an art installation as part of the Sydney Fringe Festival for the In the Night Garden event.  It essentially looked like a writer’s desk and on a blank, open book was projected a number of works.  It was great to see one of my flash fiction pieces projected, lighting up the pages.  The illumination gave the works an almost three-dimensional, powerful effect in the darkness, the light spilling onto the desk as well.

The In the Night Garden is a surreal-feeling event, with most of the artworks being somehow lit in creative ways.  I expected it to be in one building but was surprised to find it spilling into the backstreets.  It was very popular and having the event at night just adds an extra excitement to the air.  I really enjoyed going and will definitely go again next year.