Some of the biggest names in Australian writing will make their way to the Daylesford region this August for the 15th annual Words in Winter Festival.
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Centring around the theme of origins, the festival will welcome the likes of author and speechwriter Don Watson, author Cate Kennedy and renowned ABC journalist turned author Louise Milligan, who recently released Cardinal: the rise and fall of George Pell.
The festival, which features a number of conversations and debates with well known intellectuals, will also boast the likes of human rights advocates Julian Burnside QC and Arnold Zable.
Now in her second year at the helm of the festival, which takes place in Clunes, Daylesford, Creswick, Trentham and Maryborough, director Maia Irell said this year’s event aimed to plug into the unique characteristics of country Victoria and tell stories unique to the area.
“The thing about origins is it’s encompassing themes which are very pertinent to now, so we want to give them some attention about how we got here,” Ms Irell said.
“We’ve got a real richness in terms of content and intellectual minds in this region which we hope will really stimulate people in the middle of winter.”
In addition to the talks and presentations being made by some of the country’s biggest names in literature and academia, the festival will also look to tap into ageing stories from throughout the region.
Farmers will speak about their lineage to the region, while a special gay and lesbian poetry reading session run by ChillOut’s Gay Poets Society will look into the history of the LGBTI community within the Hepburn Shire.
Local writers will also be able to create short stories on typewriters located in cafes around the region.
“Of the submissions to the festival really 95 per cent have had a richness that is unique to this area with the emphasis on the arts and the authentic history,” Ms Irell said of the 2017 programming.
The festival will run from August 4-18.
