The Yarra Valley is launching its own writers festival this year. Originally the festival was to take place in Healesville, but due to current shutdowns the inaugural autumn literary event will happen online. Which is actually great, because writing has long been a largely indoors occupation.
The first Yarra Valley Writers Festival is a one day event happening on Saturday, May 9, with a line-up featuring Australian writers Christos Tsiolkas, Charlotte Wood, David Williamson and Clare Bowditch.
The festival will be presented from a variety of locations (presumably from many of the writers' homes) and be hosted by festival ambassador Michael Veitch.
Highlights of the online festival include the Fire and Climate discussion featuring Tony Birch, Alice Bishop and Tom Griffiths; David Williamson's stories from his 50 years as a playwright; Charlotte Wood's discussion on her book The Weekend; and Clare Bowditch's talk (and short performance) featuring her memoir Your Own Kind of Girl.
The line-up also includes Meg Mundell (The Trespassers), Richard Glover (The Land Before Avocado), Alice Robinson (The Glad Shout), Rick Morton (One Hundred Years of Dirt), Alice Pung (Close to Home) and Angela Savage (Mother of Pearl) among others.
The festival will also host Sunday Writerly Sessions (3pm every Sunday during May) and monthly book clubs featuring top Australian authors (last Wednesday of the month during May, June and July).
For the full Yarra Valley Writers Festival program, visit the website.
