SPN Canberra launches monthly events; Cooney hired as SPN program manager
The recently established Canberra branch of the Small Press Network (SPN) has launched a series of informal monthly events.
Organised by Editia founder and publisher Charlotte Harper, the first event will be held tonight at the Gorman House Arts Centre in Braddon, ACT, and will feature literary agent Mary Cunnane discussing industry developments and her experiences in Australia and the US.
Harper told Books+Publishing that a number of publishers have already signed up or registered interest in the events, include Odyssey Books, Halstead Press, Drabbl.es, Blemish Books, Chifley Press and the publishing divisions of national cultural institutions. Publishers who are interested in attending the events can contact Harper at charper@editia.com.
‘We’re super excited about what Charlotte is doing as it’s not a top-down approach; it is being developed out of the need and interest of the Canberra publishers,’ SPN general manager Mary Masters told Books+Publishing.
Masters said SPN is ‘still working out exactly what each state wants and needs, and how best we can foster the development of the networks’. ‘We’re going to be developing regular (at least annual) forums in each capital city to give us an opportunity to bring our members together and ensure that their voices are heard and that they’re given opportunities for more of these organic publishing communities to grow,’ said Masters, who added that ‘it certainly won’t be one size fits all as the make-up of publishers in each state is very different’.
In Adelaide there is already a digital publishing group run by SPN member Scott Zarcinas from Doctor Zed.
In related news, Sam Cooney joined SPN in March as part-time program manager, and is working on the organisation’s roadshow program and other events.
‘He’s juggling this role with his work [as editor of] The Lifted Brow, which is great as he really brings his member perspective to his programming,’ said Masters. ‘Also TLB is not known for running boring events, which we want to also be a signature of SPN events in order to appeal to our members and to attract a wide audience and raise awareness of our members’ work.’
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