This year, MelbWritersFest will stage its first in-person events since 2019. “It’s been a while,' artistic director michaelamcguire says. | jasonfsteger mwf
McGuire said the festival was facing an entirely new set of problems compared with the past couple of years: “We’re no longer worried about state border closures or lockdowns, but we anticipate that ultimately some guests at last-minute notice won’t be able to get on our stages.”
The festival’s new four-day format, which replaces the 10-day iteration of recent years, would have a few more guests than were lined up for last year, and the same number of events. While McGuire didn’t rule out returning to the longer model, “everyone we’ve spoken to is delighted by the change”.“Like many arts organisations, we’ve sustained significant financial losses.
RISE funding and JobKeeper had been essential in 2020, and she said the festival had just signed a major partnership with the University of Melbourne, and a new principal sponsor, ARA Group, joined a year ago.McGuire said First Nations curators Chelsea Watego and Jazz Money had informed and enlivened the program, particularly with the Big Debate on the topic “Nihilism makes life worth living”.
“Chelsea Watego has deliberately put people on the side that they might be more inclined to speak against. She’s playing with what they would naturally feel comfortable to speak about. “Another new format is a series we’re calling The Feeling is Mutual which looks at pairs of writers who have had a very strong through-line between their careers. So, Helen Garner is appearing alongside Chloe Hooper, Ali Cobby Eckermann alongside Evelyn Araluen, and Fran Kelly and Patricia Karvelas are going to talk about their overlapping careers.”Opening night on September 8 will be the first live event since 2019.
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