If there was one intention for the week of Critical Failure it was that it would create debate - either in the event itself or spilling out onto the web or newspaper pages in the following weeks.
By way of right of reply, the participants have already begun penning some further thoughts. Book critic Peter Craven called the event a “successful merging of critic with fan” and called criticism “the way we set about registering and memorialising those representations of human life that have supreme significance for us”.
Rebecca Starford blogged that she came away “frustrated and disappointed (in myself, it must be said)” from the same books panel. She believes “many readers are turning from the books pages because they aren’t reading about books they are interested in” and are increasingly looking online. In part it’s a response to the Australian’s Bugger the Bloggers article.
Theatre panellist Alison Croggon published a “quick hit” promising a longer response later and pointing to Curtain Call’s review.