Create. Connect. Whitsunday

Photo caption: Richard Evans  

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A Life Well Lived Is Worthy of Telling  
By Richard Evans, President, Whitsundays Writers Festival  

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Near the end of her life, activist and writer Gloria Steinem was asked to leave one final piece of advice.  

"Please tell your own story. This is how we know each other, and how we build a more respectful, compassionate world."  

From the dreaming stories of our First Nations people to the hard yards of early pioneers, the isolation felt by settlers, and the drive of newer arrivals chasing a fresh start, our region is woven from stories. The question is, are we listening? Are we reading?  

Screenwriting teacher Robert McKee puts it well … stories aren’t just entertainment, they’re how we make sense of our lives. We tell them through books, through memory, through the stories we simply speak aloud over a cuppa. But every story, however it’stold, needs one thing to survive: someone willing to listen.  

And listening starts with words. We learn them from our parents, build on them at school, and carry them into our working lives. Yet literacy is a subject we rarely talk about, perhaps because it’s uncomfortable.  

National surveys show 38 to 64 per cent of employed Australians struggle with basic reading, maths, problem-solving or understanding documents. More than a third of adults live with low literacy, often hiding it. They are parents unable to help with homework, workers who dread forms and neighbours struggling in silence.

Low literacy, particularly among young men and teenagers, can fuel isolation and disengagement and has been linked to self-harm. One in three Australian teenagers has experienced suicidal thoughts in the past year, while suicide remains the leading cause of death for Australians aged 15 to 24. The figures are damning.

Reading offers a simple solution. Just 15 minutes a day is enough to finish roughly 26 books a year from a habit shorter than a coffee break. Imagine what that could do for a community.

Encouragingly, Australians still love a good story. Two in three read for pleasure, while young Australians are embracing print, e-books and audiobooks. Print remains the favourite, but audiobooks are gaining ground.

It starts at home. Parents who read aloud, visit the library and let their children see them reading are passing down something priceless. Research shows children who read at four and five are far more likely to enjoy it by age ten or eleven.

Steinem also said, "If you want people to listen to you, you have to listen to them."

Storytelling and reading are two sides of the same act of listening. We need to listen to our children, our neighbours, and to those whose stories have too often gone unheard.  

Words matter. We at the Whitsundays Writers Festival are building access with a goal to provide the community with leading practitioners of the craft of reading and writing.  

So, let’s build a culture where reading is every day and easy. Let’s tell our stories and truly listen to each other’s. That is how we come to know one another.  

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Celebrating Local Creativity, Connection, And Community  

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Whitsundays Writers Festival  
Richard Evans  
Festival Director and President  
hello@whitsundayswriters.com  

Save the date for the 2027 Whitsundays Writers Festival, 10-12 September.  

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Creative Connections Whitsunday  
Glenda Brown  
President  
info@creativeconnectionwhitsunday.com  

Creative Connections Whitsundays supports and celebrates the region's arts community by creating opportunities for artists to connect, exhibit, learn, and thrive through partnerships, cultural events, and creative programs.  

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$100 Art Night Brings Local Artists And Community Together  

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What if you could take home an original artwork by a local artist for just $100?  

Art lovers will have the chance to discover original works by some of the Whitsundays’ emerging, professional and award-winning artists when Creative Connections Whitsunday (CCW) hosts a special $100 Art Night at its Community Gallery on Thursday 24th September.  

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From 6pm to 8pm, the Gallery will be transformed into a celebration of local art, featuring a collection of small original artworks created and donated by artists from across the region.  
Every artwork in the special collection will be priced at $100, giving visitors an accessible way to purchase an original work while directly supporting the Gallery and its ongoing work within the local arts community.  

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Gallery Coordinator and CCW Vice President Linda Forrester said the event was designed to bring people together around local art while showcasing the breadth of talent in the region.  

“There’s something special about discovering an artwork you connect with and knowing that the person who created it lives and works in our community,” Linda said.  

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The evening will feature an art auction, People’s Choice Award, raffle, light refreshments and a cash bar. Visitors can also browse original artworks, handmade pieces and gifts, with all $100 artwork proceeds supporting the Community Gallery and future creative programs.

Event organiser Gemma-Louise Pap said the evening was also about celebrating the strong creative community that has grown around the Gallery.  

“CCW is fortunate to have such a diverse creative community around us,” Gemma-Louise said.  

“We’re looking forward to bringing everyone together for a relaxed evening where the art really is the star.”  

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What? The $100 Art Night
When? Thursday 24^th September, 6pm-8pm
Where? Whitsunday Community Gallery, Proserpine

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Local Artists Put Creativity On Display At Writers Festival  

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Visitors to the Whitsundays Writers Festival’s free Stories by the Sea event on Sunday were treated to a unique display of creativity as local artists took part in the Creative Connections Whitsunday Plein Air Challenge.  

Working on location at the Whitsunday Marine Club, participating artists spent the day creating original works inspired by the coastal setting and atmosphere, giving visitors the opportunity to watch the artworks develop from blank canvas to finished pieces.  

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Festival visitors were then invited to vote for their favourite work in the People’s Choice Award, with Jahla Thompson taking out the inaugural award and receiving a $200 voucher from R&J Kenyon Framers.  

The completed artworks were also offered through a silent auction, with 100 per cent of the sale proceeds going directly to the participating artists.

The Plein Air Challenge was held as part of Stories by the Sea, the Festival’s free community finale, which brought together more than 20 regional authors, readers, families and creatives for an afternoon of books, readings, music, art, and activities.  

Jahla’s winning artwork and the other completed works were available for viewing and bidding during the afternoon.  

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