Planning for Whitsundays Writers Festival Underway

On Sunday 22 February, a group of writers, readers and thinkers gathered at the Whitsunday Sailing Club to explore how the Writers Festival could be improved for further iterations. Being held on 13 September, the festival has seen great success in the past, and with a passionate focus group committed to planning this year’s event, the community can expect great things, including a strong spotlight on the talent and creativity that makes up the region.

Although smaller compared to larger cities, the Whitsundays has always punched above its weight when it comes to celebrating culture and creativity, and the Writers Festival is a clear sign of that.

With various prompts put to the team, including a core discussion theme of What makes literary festivals important? ideas were enthusiastically thrown around. Its evident that a current priority is to consider how the festival can be geared towards children, as with the rise of technology, it is more vital than ever that children can maintain engagement with literature.

Further matters were deliberated on and discussed such as:

• Australian, Queensland or regional local authors that people would like to see present at the festival
• Ideas for types of sessions and how they could be carried out
• Ways the festival could best celebrate and involve the unique stories, history, and people of the Whitsundays and North Queensland
• Little touches, surprises, or special experiences that could be added to make the festival feel unique and memorable

In addition to the Writers Festival, the Whitsunday Literary Hearts Awards was also discussed. This festival contains a number of exciting categories – unpublished manuscript, short story (adult and under 18), book cover and curated publication – encouraging locals to put their work out there.

The festival is committed to being a leading regional literary event on the national calendar, celebrating Queensland and Australian stories whilst championing the authors who bring them to life.

This meeting represents a great start to the year, as the team will continue to discuss, plan and brainstorm ideas. These types of festivals are vital in stimulating cultural growth in the region. The region contains so many wonderful, artists, musicians, poets and general creatives and it is important to see their efforts recognised.

Writers, readers and thinkers gathered to discuss ideas ahead of this September's Writers Festival. Photo credit: Sebastian Conidi

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