Writing – Page 8 – LARSEN

2015 in reading and writing

So many books, so little time. But over the course of the last reading year, I averaged 1.5 books a week – finishing 79 in total, plus every edition (bar the most recent of each) of Kill Your Darlings, Overland, Meanjin and Poetry magazine. Phew.

One step forward

When I moved back to Melbourne in 2011, I traded my London-based arts and disability job for an almost identical one running Arts Access Australia (AAA).

Publishers, you need to pay the writers

As an organisation that supports, advocates for and employs writers of all shapes and sizes, Writers Victoria [where I am CEO] has been paying close attention to recent discussions about writers being asked to work for free.

A nice hot cup of mediocriTEA

I support the National Disability Insurance Scheme. So I guess that means that I support the Every Australia Counts campaign, because they support the NDIS too.

In fact, so far, they’re the number one advocate for a NDIS. In spite of the organisation that runs it and the campaign itself not being disability-led. In spite of the fact that they seem to focus more on carers than on people with disability themselves. In spite of the fact they’re lobbying for the exact recommendations of the Productivity Commission Report and not what needs to come after that. In spite of the fact that they’re talking about wrapping up the campaign before the NDIS is even a reality. And in spite of their most significant piece of campaign activity being a pleasant sit-down over a nice cup of tea!

Where oh where is the disability rights movement in Australia when you need it? And why aren’t we – as individual disability advocates and allies – demanding more?

Don’t play us, pay us

It’s not been a bad few years for artists with disability in Australia.

Staff care: How well are your staff feeling?

A proactive wellness policy could affect your bottom line as well as staff morale.