THE Canberra Writers Festival has scored a coup with the announcement that Mary L Trump, author of the book “Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man”, about Donald Trump, will be in live conversation with the ABC’s Fran Kelly at the National Press Club of Australia, 7.45am this Friday, August 14, book at canberrawritersfestival.com.au

THE 5th annual Canberra Writers Festival, coming up from August 12-16, will be offering 17 live and streamed and 10 streamed-only events following its theme, “Power Politics Passion”. Book at canberrawritersfestival.com.au

CANBERRA jazz group DM Ascension are following their debut single “Oceana” with their second recording, “Emanations”, to be released on August 12. Inspired by Miles Davis, Chick Corea and Herbie Hancock, “Emanations” features legendary trumpeter Miroslav Bukovsky and piano solos by 2019 “CityNews” Artist of the Year, Mike Dooley, and is produced by local composer Daniel White. “Emanations” is complimented by Miroslav’s soulful performance on the flugelhorn.

THE 2020 M16 Drawing Prize is now open for entries with a main prize of $5,000. The annual exhibition seeks to examine, challenge and open up a dialogue concerning definitions and perceptions of what drawing can be. The judges for this year’s prize are curator, Deborah Clark and former head of the ANU School of Art and Design, Gordon Bull. Entries close on October 22 11.59pm, with the winner announced on November 26.

“OUR Art Is Our Lifeline” is a new national campaign encouraging the purchase of artwork by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists. Launched this week by the Indigenous Art Code, the campaign underlines the vital urgency of supporting Australia’s talented First Nations artists, and as wider audiences embrace online sales, of buying art through ethical sources. The campaign is in partnership with the Macquarie Group and features nine artists, including Canberra’s Jenni Kemarre Martiniello.

THE ANU’s Centre for Classical Studies will have Dr James Tan from the University of Sydney will deliver the first seminar in the series on “Climate Change and Rome’s Changing Republic” by Zoom this Wednesday, August 12 at 1pm.

CANBERRA’S Association of Australian Decorative & Fine Arts Societies, ADFAS, has been beset by cancellations by UK lecturers, the closure of public venues and limitations on numbers allowed into galleries have led to the decision to cancel lectures for the rest of the year. Partial refunds of membership dues underway.