AustLit

'This year, if:book Australia issues the challenge to twelve Australian writers to step outside their comfort zone and try a new professional experience – something they’ve never done before – then tell us all about it.

'Carmel Bird is digitising a title from her backlist. Simon Groth is using a manual typewriter. Romy Ash is writing stories for Twitter. Benjamin Law is braving the squiggly world of shorthand. Sophie Masson is starting her own press. Jeff Sparrow is writing something that’s definitely not a book. And Sean Williams is depriving himself of sleep. In each case, we’re asking our contributors to deliberately become a N00b and tell us how the experience has affected their craft.

'Not everyone resides at the cutting edge of technology and publishing and yet the influence of technology filters slowly through the entire industry and affects everyone. The ability and willingness to adapt to change is fast becoming an essential part of both the writer’s and the reader’s toolkit.' (Publication summary)