Six University of Newcastle academics and students have been published in the respected annual anthology series Best Australian Stories 2010 and Best Australian Poems 2010, produced by Black Inc.

The Writing Cultures Research Group within the University’s School of Humanities and Social Sciences will host a book launch tonight to celebrate the writers’ success.

The Newcastle-based writers include Anthony Lawrence, Michael Sala, Karen Hitchcock, Keri Glastonbury, Ryan O’Neill and David Kelly.

“There is little to match the pleasurable, exhilarating rush when we know we are in the hands of a writer with authority. Their power is like a kind of charisma – we allow ourselves to be willingly, absolutely persuaded,” Best Australian Stories 2010 Editor Cate Kennedy said.

Best Australian Poems 2010 Editor Robert Adamson said this year’s anthology vibrates with correspondences.
“The images in some poems are reflected in others … until the individual poems begin to read like stanzas in some epic story of this country.”

The six local writers will perform readings at tonight’s launch. The anthologies will be available for purchase and signing at the event. More Information about the anthologies can be found at www.bestaustralianwriting.com.au.

The launch will be staged at The Lock Up, Hunter Writers’ Centre, Hunter St Newcastle, Friday 3 December, 6pm-8pm.

For interview: Poet Dr Keri Glastonbury, University of Newcastle Lecturer in Creative Writing, can be contacted on 0415388132 or via email Keri.Glastonbury@newcastle.edu.au. Short story writer Michael Sala, a Research Higher Degree student and casual academic at the University of Newcastle, can be contacted on 0403300339 or Michael.Sala@newcastle.edu.au.