The Queenscliffe Literary Festival kicks off its ninth year from May 12 and it keeps getting bigger.
The entire borough has gotten behind the event with banners displaying the QLF colourful swan mascot lining the streets.
This year there are 33 events over three weekends, an increase of nine from 2022.
There will be 59 presenters from award-winning journalists Andrew Quilty to esteemed authors Alex Miller and Jock Serong as well as Nobel Prize winner Peter Doherty and Climate expert Ross Garnaut.
More than 4000 people are expected to attend, with this year’s theme – A Time to Think – the mantra.
“The range of the program covers everything from the political and environmental landscape to resilience from music to art and that diversity provides audiences with an opportunity to think and reflect on new concepts and ideas,” festival committee member Jacinta Farrugia said.
“Also what stands out about the Queenscliff Literary Festival is that our sessions are all stand alone so there is no clashing of events and this enables people time to think.”
Ms Farrugia said the festival provided an economic boost for the borough and that the ceramic swans around town were popular.
“Collette Stewart, committee member and ideas powerhouse, saw 80 porcelain swans for sale on Kerley’s Auction site and immediately instigated a fun art project tying in with our iconic swan logo,” she said.
“You can go for a wander around the town to see the QLF swan artworks. What local artists, community members and business owners have created with paint and hard work is nothing short of breathtaking. Enjoy and snap a selfie if that’s your thing.”
Ticket sales (queenscliffeliteraryfestival.com.au) are up on last year’s sales by more than 20 per cent with some events already sold out.
