Surf Coast literary festival to bubble with cultures

Alex de Vos
Japanese immigrant Marumi Smith will take centre stage when an annual Surf Coast literary festival adopts its first emphasis on multiculturalism next weekend.
The program for the 2009 Torquay Froth and Bubble Literary Festival will feature international languages alongside traditional staples such as poetry, arts and entertainment.
Ms Smith was looking forward to sharing her experiences at the festival.
“It’s very exciting because Torquay is such a multicultural community – there are more than 30 Japanese families living here,” Ms Smith said.
She planned to discuss Japanese culture and language at the festival.
“It’s about introducing languages to the public and celebrating multiculturalism,” Ms Smith said.
Event organiser John Adams said Surf Coast residents from Spain, Slovakia, Slovenia, Italy, Lithuania and China would also run presentations.
“The focal point of the event is getting people together and sharing their ideas,” Mr Adams said.
Program highlights included lively comedy musical Mind Your Manners, songwriter’s workshops and talks by professional surf writers.
“The school children are also having a poetry competition, so lots of people in the community will be involved,” Mr Adams said.
The Torquay Froth and Bubble Literary Festival begins at 10am on June 20.