Writing WA and Perth Festival launch presale events for the highly anticipated 2024 Perth Festival Writers Weekend (23-25 February) at the State Library of Western Australia.
Finding a new home at the centrally-located State Library of WA, and with Perth Festival and Writing WA joining forces for the first time, PFWW promises to be a literary feast for readers and writers alike, bringing together a remarkable line-up of local and international talent to celebrate the written word.
Join us for two binge-worthy days of inspiring sessions across every form and genre – from popular fiction and children’s literature to essays and hard-nosed journalism – with guests including Laura Jean McKay, Brenda Matthews, Jack Collard, Isobel Bevis, Christos Tsiolkas, Deborah Conway, Jane Smiley, Mok Zining, Natasha Lester, Rachael Johns, Holden Sheppard, Madison Godfrey, A.J. Betts and more.
If friendly, relaxed panel discussions are your thing, you’ll love Saturday’s cosy Convergence program, where we bring together authors with something in common to riff on a theme. If you’re looking for something with a bit more bite and frisson, Sunday’s Divergence program is for you, as writers and poets from opposing camps engage in lively discussion and debate around identity, genre, politics and more. Each day of the weekend features six panel sessions alongside a series of workshops. In addition, you can drop into SLWA’s theatre for documentary screenings and extra sessions, let the kids explore the safe, staffed Story Time space, enjoy a snack or drink or buy a book from Boffins’ pop-up bookstore.
The full Writers Weekend program will be announced in the first week of December.
PFWW 2024’s highlights include:
- Friday 23 February 6 pm: Writers Weekend Opening Night with Deborah Conway
- Sunday 25 February 5.30 pm: Writers Weekend Closing Event with Jane Smiley
- Saturday 24 Feb 10 am: Telling Tales with James Foley, Kylie Howarth and Rebecca M Newman
- Saturday 24 Feb 11 am: Leading Ladies with Natasha Lester, Rachael Johns and Sasha Wasley
- Saturday 24 Feb 3pm: First Voices with Isobel Bevis, Brenda Mathews and Jack Collard
- Sunday 25 Feb 10 am: Open Books, Open Minds with Deborah Conway, Alisha Aitken-Radburn and Peter Dowding
- Sunday 25 Feb 12 pm: On Beauty with Christos Tsiolkas, Holden Sheppard, A.J. Betts and Madison Godfrey
- Saturday 24 February 10 am: Writing Shorts: Character and Dialogue in Short Story with Laura Jean McKay
- Saturday 24 Feb 2 pm: The Preoccupation: Totems, Motifs and Metaphors in Narrative Non-Fiction with Mok Zining
Perth Festival Writers Weekend runs from Friday 23 February to Sunday 25 February 2024.
Festival Club members priority access booking period is open from Wednesday 25 to Sunday 29 October 2023.
General Public ticket sales open at 12pm WST on Monday 30 October.
The full Writers Weekend Program will be announced on 6 December 2023.
Ticket Prices: Pay what you can (from $0); Workshops $40; Opening and Closing Events $25
For more information and to purchase presale tickets, visit the Perth Festival official website at perthfestival.com.au
Media Contact:
Dixie Battersby, DB Publicity
[email protected]
+61 413 382 201
Writing WA
Writing WA is working between the lines and behind the scenes to build a state of opportunity in Western Australia for writers, publishers and other practitioners in the writing sector – not just for the benefit of practitioners themselves, but for the immense social value that great writing brings to individuals and communities.
Perth Festival
Founded in 1953 by The University of Western Australia, Perth Festival is the longest running international arts festival in Australia and Western Australia’s premier cultural event. The Festival has developed a worldwide reputation for excellence in its international program, the presentation of new works and the highest quality artistic experiences for its audience. For 70 years, the Festival has welcomed to Perth some of the world’s greatest living artists and now connects with hundreds of thousands of people each year. Iain Grandage is the Artistic Director 2020 – 24.
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