Past Programs
Digital and Multimedia - 2008
Novel simulations in Second Life
17/11/2008
There's the Charles Dickens theme park, book- inspired computer games and film adaptations of novels like Bladerunner, but to get an immersive experience of a book, some enthusiasts have recreated the settings of their favourite novels in Second Life, an online virtual world. A literary conference in Second Life called 'Stepping into Literature' featured these simulations and librarians, book lovers and academics attended.
Remix My Lit -- literary mash-ups
13/11/2008
Remixing is a word that is often more associated with music than the literary domain. But it's been said that there are really only seven storylines and that every story has already been told. So does that mean that all stories are cover versions?
In this litigious world, reworking and then publishing a piece inspired by your favourite writer is a legal problem.
Remix My Lit has gathered the work of some prominent Australian writers who have given their fans free range to remix their short stories in whatever way they like -- because they're licensed under Creative Commons.
Google deal sparks publishing revolution
06/11/2008
It's been described as the biggest book deal in US publishing history. After two years of intense negotiations, America's book industry and the giant internet search engine Google have settled their copyright stoush for 195 million Australian dollars.
Five major American publishers and the Authors Guild took legal action against Google for scanning copyrighted works without permission. They've now settled their differences in a New York court. So what does this historic settlement mean for the Australian book industry?
Neil Gaiman and the graphic novel Read Transcript
29/06/2008
Neil Gaiman is one of the creators of the graphic novel. The English writer has been crossing media forms for decades and has developed a reputation as a trailblazer. He's the first to acknowledge that this accolade is usually the result of successful collaborations with illustrators, film directors and other writers. Neil Gaiman has written fantasy, horror, and high-tech stories for adults, young adults and children. Sometimes it's hard to know which book is intended for which audience - and he likes it that way.
Writing for interactive games - Matt Costello
15/06/2008
From the humble beginnings of Space Invaders and Pacman, computer games have become an enormous industry, with some video games earning more money than the films they're based on. Because it's a growing industry and potentially lucrative business, gaming has been attracting the attention of writers who want to expand the storytelling side of the industry.
Matt Costello is a novelist who's authored TV scripts -- and he's a computer game writer. He's written for the games Just Cause (based on the US invasion of Panama), Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End -- linked into the Johnny Depp movie of the same name, and the popular shooter game Doom 3.
Set on Mars, Doom 3 is a science-fiction horror game. The player -- that's you -- is a marine with the Union Aerospace Corporation research centre, who fights an invasion of demons and a demented doctor who's turned to the dark side.
At the recent Sydney Writers' Festival, The Book Show's Sarah L'Estrange spoke to Matt Costello about writing for games.
Writing for interactive games - Matt Costello
12/06/2008
From the humble beginnings of Space Invaders and Pacman, computer games have become an enormous industry, with some video games earning more money than the films they're based on. Because it's a growing industry and potentially lucrative business, gaming has been attracting the attention of writers who want to expand the storytelling side of the industry.
Matt Costello is a novelist who's authored TV scripts -- and he's a computer game writer. He's written for the games Just Cause (based on the US invasion of Panama), Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End -- linked into the Johnny Depp movie of the same name, and the popular shooter game Doom 3.
Set on Mars, Doom 3 is a science-fiction horror game. The player -- that's you -- is a marine with the Union Aerospace Corporation research centre, who fights an invasion of demons and a demented doctor who's turned to the dark side.
At the recent Sydney Writers' Festival, The Book Show's Sarah L'Estrange spoke to Matt Costello about writing for games.
Neil Gaiman and the graphic novel Read Transcript
04/06/2008
Neil Gaiman has been described as 'the father of the graphic novel'. The English writer, who's been crossing media forms for decades, has certainly developed an enviable reputation as a trailblazer, but he's the first to acknowledge that this accolade is usually the product of wonderful collaborations -- with illustrators and film directors and even other writers, like Terry Pratchett.
Neil Gaiman has written fantasy, horror, and high-tech stories for adults, young adults and children -- and sometimes it's hard to know which book is intended for which audience -- he likes it that way. His literary life started as an enduring collaboration with artist Dave McKean, but Neil seems unable to stay still, jumping between different forms and different media because he never wants to repeat himself, or try to compete, in any conventional way, with 3,000 years of traditional storytelling.
Michael Shirrefs spoke to Neil Gaiman during his recent trip to Australia and asked him why he was always taking on new styles and new problems.
