Tim Baker will be conducting two surf writing workshops and appearing on a panel with fellow surf writers Nick Carroll and Sean Doherty, at the Sydney Writer's Festival in May. There are morning and afternoon workshops on Friday, May 22, and the panel is on the afternoon of Saturday, May 23. Visit: www.swf.org.au for more information and updates. Or watch this space. Here's a little run down of what to expect from the workshops:

Are even your close friends and family tiring of the tales from that trip to Nias in ‘83, or the great swell of ‘07? Then maybe it’s time to write it down. Learn to convey the power and majesty of the ocean and the beauty of wave-riding from one of the world’s leading surfing writers. Discover why surfing makes such great subject matter for story-telling, and how it fits the classic, three act narrative arc of the Hero’s Journey. Discover some of the great historical moments in surf writing, from ancient Polynesian chants, to the journals of early European explorers, from the first astounded accounts of Jack London and Mark Twain, through to modern surf magazines and literary fiction. Learn free writing exercises which help capture the effortless flow best-suited to recording personal, first-hand surfing experiences. And get some inside tips on getting published, in magazine and book form.