Bestselling author and guest of honour for the 2023 Henry Lawson Festival, Hugh Mackay AO, has urged people to put their everyday life to the side for the June long weekend and take the opportunity to connect, celebrate creativity and enjoy the simple pleasure of coming together as a community.
Sage advice from the renowned social psychologist and bestselling author of 23 books, including his latest novel, The Therapist, and the much acclaimed non-fiction work, The Kindness Revolution (published in 2021).
Hugh has enjoyed a 60-year career in social research and was also a weekly newspaper columnist for more than 25 years. He has been deputy chairman of the Australia Council for the Arts and believes events such as the Henry Lawson Festival provide a vital stitch in the fabric of our community.
“It was a great honour to be invited to be the festival guest to open the Henry Lawson Festival,” Hugh outlined. “I’m looking forward to spending time in Grenfell and I’m also a huge fan of Henry Lawson who has played a vital role in Australian mythology and evoking the mystic of the bush.
“Lawson’s Australian classics like ‘The Loaded Dog’ and ‘The Drovers Wife’ provided an entire nation with an affinity for bush life. He has offered much needed entertainment for generations and was also incredibly funny at times.”
Described as “a wise elder with an innate sense of kindness”, Hugh’s life work has been to lead people to a greater awareness and understanding of both themselves and in turn others. Put simply by a very Aussie enthusiast – Hugh is… “the bloke who explains us to ourselves”. Hugh believes festivals provide a key antidote to many of the problems of modern life.
“One of the tragedies of contemporary Australia is the consequences of the changes in our way of life,” Hugh outlined. “We have become more socially fragmented and isolated. There is an epidemic of loneliness. People just don’t feel as connected to other people.
“Anything that can be done to foster a sense of community, like the Henry Lawson Festival, is really important. Having the festival come back bigger and better than ever is crucial for the development of Grenfell and vital for the surrounding community.
“We all need something to look forward to. Throughout history people have marked the change of season, religious dates, sporting and cultural events. We come together at these times to lift our spirits and feel that connection to community. Festivals really are a cultural necessity.”
More about the Henry Lawson Festival… a true celebration of local culture!
Set for the June long weekend (8th -12th) in Grenfell the artistic heart of the Central West, the Henry Lawson Festival is held annually over four days to celebrate regional arts.
The festival has been running for 65 years and is seen as one of the oldest rural festivals still operating in NSW. Lawson was born on the Grenfell Goldfields in 1867 and the festival was established to commemorate his extensive contribution to the arts during his time.
The Thursday of the event will include the official opening by Hugh Mackay AO and the art exhibition along with the announcement of the 2023 Festival King and Queen. The 2023 line-up will also include a Family Fun Night on Friday 9th featuring food and wine, family friendly rides and entertainment. On request, the popular street parade will return to the Saturday of the festival along with the addition of an authentic country street party.
Visitors will enjoy market stalls, rides, competition presentations, roving street entertainers, and themed stage entertainment throughout Grenfell’s iconic Main Street. Finish the weekend up by booking a visit to Iandra Castle, attending the Caragabal Camp Oven Cook-off or keep the pace up with the Greenethorpe to Iandra Castle bike ride.
More about Hugh Mackay… Festival Guest of Honour!
Hugh Mackay is currently an honorary professor in the Research School of Psychology at ANU, and a patron of the Asylum Seekers Centre. Among other honorary appointments, he is the inaugural chairman of the ACT government’s Community Inclusion Board and an honorary professor at Macquarie, Wollongong and Charles Sturt universities.
Hugh is a Fellow of the Australian Psychological Society and the Royal Society of NSW. In recognition of his pioneering work in social research, he has been awarded honorary doctorates by Charles Sturt, Macquarie, NSW, Western Sydney and Wollongong universities. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2015.
More information…
A full festival itinerary and more information will be available as the festival organisation finalises. Competition entry forms and market stallholder applications are also available on the website for those wanting to be part of the festival.
www.henrylawsonfestival.com.au
