writer & thinker
I’m running another drop-in advice sesh for emerging writers in February!
Thanks to sponsor The Suburban Review, I have 10 free spots, with priority going to First Nations, POC, trans and disabled writers.
The Drop-In with Jinghua Qian
Sunday 12 February 2023
1 pm to 2 pm AEDT
online via Zoom
free of charge – limited places, register here
more info on The Drop-In
First event of the year and it’s at my local! I’m talking to Maxine about her book How Decent Folk Behave and there’ll also be snacks and craft activities for littlies.
In conversation with Maxine Beneba Clarke
Saturday 21 January 2023
2 pm to 3 pm
Footscray Library
56 Paisley St, Footscray VIC 3011
Free – register here
I’m headed to Adelaide this weekend to do a couple of panels as part of OzAsia Festival’s literary program, In Other Words.
I’ll be speaking about reporting on China and Chinese Australians with ABC journalist Bang Xiao and moderator Benjamin Law, and then discussing writing and intersectional identities with Sarah Malik and E Flynn, moderated by Jason Om. Both sessions are free entry with no need to book, so just turn up!
I’m really looking forward to catching up with Asian Australian writers and artists from around the country, too – see some theatre, gobble some yum cha, groan about politics, perfect. You can peruse the whole program here.
Reporting on China, Reporting on Chinese Australians
Saturday 5 November 2022
11:30 pm to 12:30 pm
The Star: Kitchen and Bar
Adelaide Festival Centre (map and directions)
Free entry
Writing at the Intersection
Saturday 5 November 2022
2:45 pm to 3:45 pm
The Star: Kitchen and Bar
Adelaide Festival Centre (map and directions)
Free entry
I’m speaking at this conference next week hosted by ANU, and I’m really impressed with the program and how accessible it is: registration is free and every session is livestreamed.
Organised by Evelyn Araluen, Julieanne Lamond and Monique Rooney, the program features Melissa Lucashenko, Jackie Huggins, Jeanine Leane, Elizabeth Flynn, Natalie Harkin, and many more. Full program and registration here.
Australian Literature in the Shadow of the Colonial Patriarchy
Monday 24 October & Tuesday 25 October
ANU Canberra and online via Zoom
Free registration
Yes it’s another panel! This time with Anna Spargo-Ryan and Marisa Wikramanayake on freelancing.
Usually, being a fulltime writer isn’t just about writing. It’s also about pitching, managing your time, developing relationships and chasing up invoices. Freelance life is often simultaneously stressful and liberating. Whether you’re considering freelance life, taking on a little freelance work alongside a full- or part-time job or looking for tips to improve your current practices, three experienced freelance writers are here to answer your questions.
Ask about… navigating freelance life
Tuesday 19 July
6:30 pm to 8:00 pm
Online
Book here | $18-$40 or free via the WV Fund
Another event I’m part of at EWF this year is a lunchtime panel demystifying the writing and publishing industry, particularly for writers from working-class and low-income backgrounds. It’s with Julia Rose Bąk and Dan Hogan, and it’s online via YouTube so you can join from anywhere.
Lunchtime Literature: Accessing the industry
Friday 24 June 2022
12:30 pm to 1:30 pm
Online (via YouTube)
Free | Join/watch here
Check out the rest of the program here, there’s a lot on and most of it’s free!
I’m part of two events at Emerging Writers Festival this year and luckily I don’t have to leave Footscray for either of them! The first one is at the local library and it features me, Khalid Warsame and Harry Reid talking about place, poetry, and the western suburbs.
Writing the west
Tuesday 21 June 2022
6 pm to 7 pm
Footscray Library
56 Paisley St, Footscray VIC 3011
Free | book here
I have a little piece titled ‘In praise of laziness (portrait of my grandma in the frozen section)’ in a new limited edition publication called Feast of Resistance. Curated by Priya Pavri, with contributions from artists Moorina Bonini, Aida Azin, Lara Chamas, Sancintya Mohini Simpson, Shamen Suku and Nikki Lam, it’s launching this Saturday at Seventh Gallery.
Emerging writers, Maddee and I are doing a session at the 2022 National Editors and Writers Conference (NEWS Conference) later this month. There’s also a keynote from writer and editor Adalya Nash Hussein, and workshops on interviewing skills, podcasting, criticism, and much more.
And if you’re trans/nonbinary/gender-diverse, you can also catch me and Maddee dishing our career advice in The Drop-In this month.
We’re just getting started
Thursday 19 May 2022
6:40 pm to 7:40 pm AEST
Streaming online via YouTube and Express Media
Tickets $25 (3-day conference + Express Media membership) | Register here
See the full program
Are you just starting out in writing and editing? We’ve all been there! Join Jinghua Qian and Maddee Clark as they discuss their experiences of starting out in the industry and give tips on things they wish they’d known.
Solicited advice for trans & gender diverse folks starting out in the creative industries.
All through May 2022, I’m running five online workshops for trans/nonbinary/gender diverse folks on starting out in the creative industries, featuring an all-star line up:
They’re all free, you can join from anywhere in the world, and you can come to as few or as many as you like. More info at the booking links above. Can’t wait!
Jinghua Qian 