Forget dusty book launches and hushed libraries. Beautiful Words is a celebration of independent creativity – packed with clever people, fresh ideas and practical workshops designed to inspire anyone who loves making things happen. Nelson Magazine caught up with organiser George Penney to find out what it's all about.
Can you tell us what Beautiful Words is and how it came about?
Beautiful Words is an independent writing and publishing convention based at the Project 100 Makers Space here in Nelson, and online. It will be running from September 1 to October 10. It will include 30 talks and workshops aimed at shining a spotlight on the amazing writing talent we have here in this region, while also providing a space for writers and creators to share and gain new skills.
What is independent writing and publishing?
Independent writing and publishing is an umbrella term that covers any type of publishing that isn’t done by a multinational corporation. We’re talking a very broad church that includes everything from a privately owned publishing house like Nelson’s very own Potton & Burton to authors, poets, songwriters, playwrights, game writers, screenwriters or bloggers who publish their own work. The objective is getting unique and original writing into the world in a way that benefits the writer and their community rather than big business.
Is Beautiful Words only for writers?
Not at all! As someone who’s been in publishing for almost 20 years I can honestly say I’ve learned more career skills from creators in totally different disciplines. We really wanted to pay homage to that. Almost all of our skill-based workshops are designed for anyone. Nowadays we all have to navigate things like social media, public speaking and networking. The idea is to provide as much space from cross-discipline networking as possible. That’s where the magic happens in the indie world.
Most of your workshops are koha or affordable. Is there a reason you’ve decided on that model?
One of the things I love about the indie scene is the sense of community. By sharing skills and opportunities in a way that’s easily accessible, we hope we’re making room for talented writers to get a foothold in a notoriously gate-kept industry. In short, if one indie author or publisher wins and then holds out a hand for others to join them, we all win.
What talks or workshops are you most looking forward to?
So many! One of the wonderful things about organising something like this is being able to programme all the events I’d love to attend myself. And after attending many a festival in the past – my most recent favourite being the Nelson Fringe Festival – I’ve learned that the best events are the ones you least expect. So my advice to people is to attend as many things as possible! We have many talented and wonderful writers taking part, as well as room to participate yourself in our open mic evening if that’s your cup of tea. There should genuinely be something for everyone.
