Writing WA and Perth Festival launch presale events for the highly anticipated 2024 Perth Festival Writers Weekend (February 23-25) 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 the 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 February 23, 6 pm: Writers Weekend Opening Night with Deborah Conway
- Saturday February 24, 10 am: Writing Shorts: Character and Dialogue in Short Story with Laura Jean McKay
- Saturday February 24, 2 pm: The Preoccupation: Totems, Motifs and Metaphors in Narrative Non-Fiction with Mok Zining
- Saturday February 24, 10 am: Telling Tales with James Foley, Kylie Howarth and Rebecca M Newman
- Saturday February 24 11 am: Leading Ladies with Natasha Lester, Rachael Johns and Sasha Wasley
- Saturday February 24 3pm: First Voices with Isobel Bevis, Brenda Mathews and Jack Collard
- Sunday February 25 10 am: Open Books, Open Minds with Deborah Conway, Alisha Aitken-Radburnand Peter Dowding
- Sunday February 25, 12 pm: On Beauty with Christos Tsiolkas, Holden Sheppard, A.J. BePs and Madison Godfrey
- Sunday February 25, 5.30 pm: Writers Weekend Closing Event with Jane Smiley
Perth Festival Writers Weekend runs from Friday February 23 to Sunday February 25, 2024. Festival Club members priority access booking period is open from Wednesday 25 to Sunday October 29 2023.
General Public ticket sales open at 12pm WST on Monday October 30.
The full Writers Weekend Program will be announced on December 6, 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: http://www.perthfestival.com.au
