Adelaide Writers' Week

Much to my surprise and delight, I have been teamed up with Pip Williams, author of The Dictionary of Lost Words, at the Adelaide Writers Festival this year.  It’s not long to go now – our session is on Sunday 28 February.  I am impressed with the depth of knowledge Pip has displayed in the novel about the working practices of the Oxford English Dictionary in particular and the intellectual problems that engage lexicographers generally.  What words go into the dictionary and what words are left out. What should be the policy on taboo words. Always remember that speech is primary and written words are secondary. If the words of a particular section of society are excluded from the dictionary, either deliberately or because of unconscious prejudice, does that mean that that community has no voice in society, that their views, their hopes, their needs are simply not heard?

 I will be interested to know what was the original idea that was the starting point for this novel, which, I gather, has struck a chord in the community.  For my own part, it will be good to run through the ideas raised in Rebel without a Clause about how we achieve and maintain a workable standard in writing without straying into the realm of pedantry. There is a considerable tug-of-war between individuals and groups in testing what should be regarded as acceptable in language, but the overriding concern should be that our ideas should flow freely through our writing unimpeded by textual glitches. On the other hand we should not waste time taking up positions on changes that really do not affect this process.

 So on the Adelaide Writers’ Week (adelaidefestival.com.au/writers-week) to discuss all this and more!