Queenscliffe Literary Festival (QLF) kicks off this weekend, celebrating its 10th birthday with a stellar lineup of presenters and a range of sessions, workshops and activities.
The nine-day festival features renowned writers and storytellers such as Tim Winton, Judith Lucy, Peter Goldsworthy and Candice Fox from a wide range of subject areas, including crime, journalism, Australian life and history, memoirs and children’s books.
Festival program director Elizabeth McCarthy said the committee and volunteers had been “working around the clock” to ensure the 10th anniversary event was the best yet.
“For our 10th birthday we wanted to make it a little bigger than usual, so we’re absolutely thrilled that all these authors have said a hearty yes to coming,” Ms McCarthy said.
“It’s really important to me to have that broad cross-section of authors coming. So everyone from crime writers to chefs, historians, comedians, athletes, memoirists and those big high-profile names like Tim Winton, Candice Fox and Pip Williams.
“So whether you’re someone who’s always reading, with the stack of books on your bedside table, or whether you just read a few books a year, I wanted it to be really special.”
The festival also features a range of more interactive activities, including writing workshops, a guided literary walk and a community-wide book swap.
“There’s a really beautiful kind of beautiful atmosphere at Queenscliff and I think it’s perfect for a writers festival,” Ms McCarthy said.
“It’s always been a grassroots festival and it still is. Volunteers have come together for 10 years to build this community because they’re passionate about it.
“The fact this festival started 10 years ago out of the bookshop…speaks to how when people come together, they can create a really great thing.”
