Michael Jackson at the WritersFestival

Fri 7th Aug, 2009 in Local News

Moonwalk into the Toff on August 27th as the Melbourne Writers Festival pays tribute to Michael Jackson’s Thriller.

Planned before certain recent events, the night offers Linda Jaivin, Nick Earls, Sean M Whelan, Emilie Zoey Baker, Alicia Sometimes, Josh Earl, Ben Pobjie, Yana Alana, Michael Nolan and a house band presenting songs, poetry, comedy and spoken word performances inspired by Thriller.

In other musical wordplay at the festival Stephen Cummings has adapted a chapter from his memoir Will It Be Funny Tomorrow, Billy? for one night only on Sunday August 30.

The narrative involves a trip across America when for a few weeks The Sports were – œhot shit’. The cast of characters includes Billy Joel, Michael Gudinski and men wrestling at Niagara Falls – though sadly it doesn’t look as though Joel and Gudinski were involved in the wrestling. Cummings also joins Don Walker in forum to discuss life on the musical road and rock memoirs on the 28th of August.

In the Festival Club at ACMI there are free shows from 8-8.40pm (except for Jen Cloher) with some of Melbourne’s leading songwriters discussing the inspirations behind their lyrics.

Saturday 22 August – Stephen Cummings
Sunday 23 August – Lilith Lane
Thursday 27 August – Jen Cloher (9-9.40pm)
Saturday 29 August – Tim Rogers
Sunday 30 August – Angie Hart

Paul Kelly’s also getting in on the action to talk about his lyric collection Don’t Start Me Talking: Lyrics 1984-2004 on the 24th of August. He also joins The Cat Empire, Archie Roach, Ruby Hunter and Katie Noonan for – œSongs for Stories: the Indigenous Literacy Project Benefit Concert’ on the 25th of August.

FOR MORE INFO HEAD TO THE MELBOURNE WRITERS FESTIVAL