“I’m choosing my words carefully. You know why. You understand what a blank sheet of A4 paper says. If you know, you know. And if you don’t, there’s a cost to explaining it to you.”
Little of my work would exist without Trove, the online archive that provides free access to a huge range of resources, but funding is set to expire in July 2023.
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
The Drop-In is an ongoing series of events offering solicited advice on the business, craft and agony of writing. Design: Kathy Qian.
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.
It’s the hour-long dysphoria soundtrack you didn’t know you needed! And me slyly moonlighting as a selector for Double J. Featuring June Jones, Jen Cloher, Janelle Monáe, Julia Jacklin and also some artists whose names don’t start with J. Read and listen here.
My audio piece for Powerhouse Museum’s Oscillations project is finally out! It’s a chewy little story about sino/trans inscrutability, visibility and representation. Massive thanks to sound and story wizard Jon Tjhia, and everyone whose voices and ideas are part of this work: Atong Atem, Oliver Reeson, Kate Bagnall and Tim Sherratt, and my glorious chorus. So proud of this. Listen here.
What does it cost to be visible? Chinese and trans people shift in and out of focus in Australia’s historical records – appearing and disappearing, code-switching, oscillating. Through the lens of turn-of-the-century portrait photography, Jinghua Qian looks at the privilege and burden of representation and the luminous power of inscrutability.
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.
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