Grit in the Oyster: 2018 Barry Andrews Address and Awards Night

In times of darkness we turn to art for beauty and consolation. But spending time in a gallery full of 'ugly' paintings recently led writer Charlotte Wood to think about why we need unease, confusion - sometimes even pain - in the books we read and write. In this address she explores what happens when a work of art makes us feel bad, the murky ethics of writing about darkness, and that dangerous watchword, 'relatable'.

Please join us for the opening reception of the Literary Interface Convention at ANU. This event will include the Barry Andrews Memorial Address, 'The Grit in the Oyster: Why Literature Needs Disturbance', by Charlotte Wood, and the presentation of the following prizes:

The ALS Gold Medal (shortlisted writers include Peter Carey, Shastra Deo, Eva Hornung, Sofie Laguna, Steven Lang and Gerald Murnane)

The Magarey Medal for Biography (shortlisted writers include Bernadette Brennan, Judith Brett, Suzanna Falkiner, Cathy McLennan and Alexis Wright)

The Mary Gilmore Award for poetry (shortlisted writers include Shastra Deo, Quinn Eades, Susan Fealy,Amanda Joy and Nguyễn Tiên Hoàng).

About Charlotte Wood

The Australian has described Charlotte Wood as "one of our most original and provocative writers." She's the author of five novels and two books of non-fiction. Her latest novel, The Natural Way of Things, won the 2016 Stella Prize, the 2016 Indie Book of the Year and Novel of the Year, was joint winner of the Prime Minister's Literary Award for Fiction, and has been published throughout Europe, the UK and North America. She is co-director of The Creativity Clinic, a boutique consultancy inviting Australia's best writers to share their knowledge through high-quality masterclasses and workshops. Her newest book is The Writer's Room, a collection of interviews with authors about the creative process. Her award-winning PhD thesis, 'Looking for Trouble', focused on the cognitive processes of literary creativity.

This event is free and open to the general public. Drinks and canapes will be served from 5pm, with the address and awards from 6pm.