One of Australia’s most popular writing festivals is being screened for free at the WA State Library next week, in an effort to make big arts events more accessible.
The Perth Festival made the decision to cut the long-running Writers Weekend from the 2025 schedule, though it did run at UWA as ‘Storyfest’ in April. However, there has been a gap for local bibliophiles.
Some smaller or boutique festivals are gaining popularity, and the annual Margaret River Readers and Writers Festival attracts major literary figures from around the world.
WA State Library manager of reading, writing and learning Rebecca Bell says the aim of the livestreamed event is to broaden access to the festival, and allow for more people to participate in literary celebration.
“The fact is that readers and writers cannot get enough of these events.” she says.
The three-day, free event will be held in the library theatre from May 22 to 25, and offers the opportunity for people to immerse themselves in the world of books and ideas.
The Sydney-based festival has invited a number of libraries across Australia, including the State Library of WA, to livestream the event in an effort to connect both national and international writing communities together.
Ms Bell says the Sydney Writers Festival attracts writers, thinkers, and audiences from around the world.
“What a writer’s festival like this does is provide a venue where like-minded people can come together and they can sit down and experience a talk from an author that perhaps we would not get here in Western Australia,” she says.
Will Yeoman, chief executive of Writing WA, says it’s about building the community of book lovers.
“These festivals are not just about books – they’re about ideas, conversation, and connection. By bringing together diverse voices, they spark new perspectives and help communities engage with important social and cultural issues. I’m especially keen on the idea of conversation, which encourages a more dynamic, participatory and critical approach to literature.”
Per Henningsgaard, senior lecturer in professional writing at Curtin University and publisher for Perth-based Elephant Page Publishing, says with the rise of AI, events such as these are more important than ever.
“I think that readers actually do want to know that there is a person behind the story that they’re writing, that it comes from a place of an individual’s creativity. And so writers’ festivals offer that opportunity,” he says.
“We are looking to build an environment, or a culture, where writing and reading are taken seriously and this is valued in a writing festival.”
