What’s on in April: Resident Organisation Round Up

As the centre for Books, Writing and Ideas, we are host to some fantastic arts and culture organisations.

Within the Wheeler Centre building lives Australian Poetry, Blak & Bright, Melbourne City of Literature Office, Emerging Writers’ Festival, Express Media, Freeplay Independent Games Festival, Melbourne Writers Festival, PEN Melbourne, the Small Press Network and Writers Victoria. Beneath the Wheeler Centre you can enjoy a European culinary escape at Italian inspired restaurant The Moat.

Discover what’s coming up in April 2024 for these organisations below. 

The Melbourne City of Literature Office

The City of Literature Office has revamped its event calendar! Subscribe to the event calendar so you can get two newsletters per week—one about new additions to the calendar and one about what’s happening over the weekend. If you have any literary events you want to shout far and wide about, you can also add them to the calendar. Find out more here. 

Emerging Writers Festival

The Emerging Writers’ Festival is teaming up with Hachette Australia on 17 April for a full day of digital panel discussions on the inner workings of a publishing house as well as the publication process, a masterclass on effective manuscript pitching and a session on what publishers are looking for. At the end of the digital program, participants can do a one-on-one 5-minute pitching session with Hachette Australia.

The event is currently sold out but join their waitlist in case new tickets are added. 

Express Media

Voiceworks Issue #131 Strike is hot off the press! This knockout issue features cover art by Ruby Dawson, photos by Clem McNabb and the punchiest writing and art from young people across the continent. Get a copy at your local bookstore and follow @VoiceworksMag on socials for launch details.

PEN Melbourne

Join PEN Melbourne at 6.30pm on Wednesday 17 April at the Forum Theatre for an urgent discussion on whistleblower prosecutions and journalism. Featuring Sami Shah, Kieran Pender, Rick Morton and Karen Percy, tickets are available now.  

Writers Victoria

Enjoy a new long course from Writers Victoria this April. Join poet and researcher Lucy Van to learn lessons of love poetry: from the Ancient Greek poet Sappho to the Roman poet Ovid to traditions of contemporary love poetry and more.

Learning from Love Poetry is a truly decadent exploration of classic and modern poetry that will help you develop your writing today.

Learn more on the Writers Victoria website.

The Wheeler Centre

In case you missed it, The Wheeler Centre now offers memberships. With a $40 standard membership, you will get priority access to ticket on sales, a 10% discount to select Wheeler Centre ticketed events, exclusive members-only email updates and so much more! ⁠ Plus, members get up to three invitations a year to bring a friend for free to selected events. ⁠ 

Discover more about our membership offers, including our free First Nations membership here.

The Moat

Avoid the mid-week slump by celebrating Gnocchi Night at The Moat on Wednesdays. Enjoy a plate of delectable handmade gnocchi dumplings paired with your choice of sauce, a side salad and a glass of wine, for $40 per person.