I’ve been coming to the Adelaide Writers Week for a few years and never had rain. But yesterday afternoon it started and in the evening there was rumbling thunder and lots of rain.

But I didn’t go to hear writers yesterday. We went to The Jade, a small venue in the city with a small stage & a bar !

We were at the Knitting Cabaret.

What is that I hear you asking. Performed by a young Canadian woman Melanie Gall, it is storytelling and song all at once. And knitting. We were encouraged to bring our knitting. Which our group did.

The performance told the story of the importance of knitting during the World Wars. There are hundreds of knitting songs. Who knew!

And along with old slides of photographs of the time we knitted and enjoyed the singing the storytelling and the glass of wine!

The show started with Melanie asking if anyone had anything to share. Normally people are a bit shy. Not these knitters. They were up in the small stage showcasing their wooly wraps and shrugs and socks.

Today, Monday is cloudy and trying not to rain. Steve and I got the bus to North Terrace and walked to the Pioneer Gardens. Behind Government house this year there are no gates. No covid restrictions means no checking in as you arrive.

Very free and easy.

The programme today is very full. Three stages going from 9.30 through to the last session at 6! Im not sure I’ll last that long.

First session has just finished and featured 4 writers who have written biographies of other writers.

Very interesting session and makes me want to embrace Biography a little more.

Have you read The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart by Holly Ringland. she turned out to be a very insightful speaker. She very sensitive and describes her own writing as sensory. She is very much influenced by nature.

She talked about her latest book character Aura and why she has her covered with many tattoos. She also has many tattoos and said ‘Choosing to alter her skin. She wanted something to come out not to put something on the skin. …..Not a marking a revealing.

Next up are the Irish writers. Headed by John Boyne – just about my favourite writer also Louise Kennedy & Esther Freud.

It was not the funny Irish session one might have expected! Rather serious about the extent of the cruelty of the nuns & priests. Finally John Boyne said ….. “we must remember that the Irish are wonderful people, I love being Irish and we are learning from the past. “ He provided a few humorous moments.

I bought both books.

There’s so much on today and tomorrow.

Follow along……..