Posted July 2009 Words, music and images
		They are an important piece of Australia's literary culture and history, and next month they will be the centre of attention with the Online Literature Festival. Hosted by the Learning Place, the four-week festival running from 24 August to 18 September 2009, promises to have something for everyone. Prep to Year 12 students have the opportunity to interact with online guests. eLearning Branch director Laurie Campbell said this year's festival will consist of online interactions, workshops, as well as the highly-popular Online Reader's Cup and a series of book Raps.

'Participants will have the opportunity to communicate and interact with a large number of authors and illustrators through a variety of different web tools,' said Mr Campbell.

'We are excited to already have authors Jackie French, Andy Griffiths, Carole Wilkinson, Jack Heath and Pat Flynn on board.

'A number of guests from previous festivals will also be back this year having really valued prior experiences of interacting personally with students online.'

Supported by the Brisbane Writers' Festival and the State Library of Queensland, the free festival will feature plenty of text-based chats, quizzes and collaborative project spaces for children aged Prep – Year 12.

Students across Queensland will have the chance to log into online sessions and ask online guests questions about their work and their careers. They will also be able to participate in online writing workshops, book Raps and discover the 'story behind the pictures.'

The book Raps are based on the Children's Book Council Awards (CBCA) short listed titles.

'This festival is the largest online literature festival in Australia, proving that Queensland students and teachers use online environments as a powerful medium for learning.'

The Raps and CBCA short-listed titles for the Online Readers' Cup are now available, while a full list of authors and illustrators will be released in the coming weeks.

For more information or to register visit the Learning Place's Online Literature Festival webpage.