The Brimbank Writers and Readers Festival, will be held from 14-23 March 2024, and offers something for all ages. Visit brimbanklibraries.vic.gov.au/writersfestival to explore the program and make a booking. There is no entry cost for all events.
Quotes to be attributed to Brimbank Mayor Cr Ranka Rasic:
“The Brimbank Writers and Readers Festival is always an exciting time of year, and 2024 is no different. Tickets will go fast, so please make your bookings as soon as you can.
“We’re pleased to have so many writers from the western suburbs featured this year. It was especially wonderful to see one of our panellists, Kon Karapanagiotidis OAM, recognised as Melburnian of the Year for his work with refugees, many of whom are welcomed into the west by Brimbank.
“As a migrant of Brimbank myself, I am excited to see migrant women featured in a special Harmony Day panel discussion involving four contributors to the book Undefeated: 90 stories of migrant women.”
The opening night panel explores the love of cooking and how cultures influence cuisines.
In discussion will be: Melburnian of the Year Kon Karapanagiotidis OAM, CEO of the Asylum Resource Centre and co-author of the sell-out cookbook, A Seat at My Table: Philoxenia; Jaclyn Crupi, author of Pasta Love; Hamed Allahyari, of Salamatea in Sunshine; and, originally from Mer in the Torres Strait, Nornie Bero, founder of Mabu Mabu, celebrating First Nations cooking and ingredients.
Festival highlights include an opportunity to:
- Hear authors in conversation including Amra Pajalic, whose novels are set in St Albans, Tony Birch and Dinuka McKenzie.
- Discover the history of LGBTQIA+ in the military with local historian Noah Riseman, and
- Hear four remarkable stories of migrant women, Laura Madrid, Lisha Murphy, Dr Belle Lim and Fabiola Campbell.
A must see is the inaugural festival theatre work by First Nations Ilbijerri Theatre, Goodbye Aunty Flow, which is a hilarious play created with mob for mob, exploring the ups and downs of the most natural stage in every woman’s life – menopause.
For young readers and writers, Hey Dee Ho are presenting The Fiction Factory, meet author Andrew McDonald and illustrator Ben Wood from Real Pigeons and young adult fiction author John Marsden or make your own zine with the help of 100 Story Building.
Workshops include Journaling with Ingrid Jones, Exploring Audio Book Production and Narration with Bolinda, Mastering your Manuscript with Lyn Yeowart, and Self-publishing with local author and publisher Amra Pajalic.
Special sessions include Read My Way: An Exploration of Accessible Formats presented by Vision Australia, and Solidarity: Social Justice in Action: The Bold Source Issue 4 Launch, created and published by the young people of Brimbank.
Writers over 18 years old who live, work, study or play in Brimbank can enter the annual Brimbank Writers & Readers Microfiction Competition. Entertain, thrill or inspire in under 200 words with this year’s theme, Full to the Brim.
For more information on the festival visit brimbanklibraries.vic.gov.au/writersfestival.
