If you're interested in reading more about the woes of Adelaide Writers' Week, Stephen Orr has written a wonderful piece for ABC news. Wander by and leave a comment. It will be read.

Also, I'll be on ABC radio this afternoon saying much the same thing.

As Stephen says: "Frankly, I'd rather be writing my fiction than opinion pieces, but some things can't go unsaid, that's the whole point of being a writer."

ETA: Here's the version of the piece on Articulate, where comments can be left.

(This post was supposed to air before Sunday, but I was distracted by deadlines, cold viruses, etc.)

For those who don't already know, I've decided not to attend Adelaide Writers' Week this year. Some of the reasons behind this decision are professional (writers should be paid at or near ASA rates, for instance, especially by publicly funded organisations) and some are personal. These problems have been weighing heavily on me in recent years, and it's with a mixture of frustration and irritation that I've finally come to accept that there's probably nothing I can do about them, except be elsewhere.

Note that I'm not asking anyone to join me in my sad, one-person boycott. Note also that I'm not speaking with my SA Writers' Centre hat on (or any of the other hats I occasionally wear). I'm just a writer who's become so disillusioned and disheartened by my behind-the-scenes experiences with AWW that I no long enjoy the event itself. I'll be happier at home, getting some work done. Not even the chance of bumping into William McInnes can make me change my mind.

So if anyone's in town March 2-7 and would like to catch up, we'll have to find somewhere else to do it. Luckily, there are plenty of choices! I highly recommend Thea Tea Shop, which makes the best Taiwanese vegetarian food I've ever tasted. Yum.