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The Byron Writers Festival (formerly known as Byron Bay Writers Festival) is a literary event taking place annually in Byron Bay, New South Wales. The festival commenced in 1997 and was founded by Peter Barclay and a group of volunteers who in part drew some of their inspiration from the Adelaide Writers Week. The festival was organised through the Northern Rivers Writers' Centre,[1] incorporated in 1995. In 2016, the Centre and the Festival were amalgamated under one banner and was renamed as Byron Writers Festival.[2]

It is held on the first weekend of August each year. As of 2010 it included presentations by over 100 participants,[3] which has continued in every year since. The festival has included interviews with a number of notable writers including Cheryl Strayed, Bret Easton Ellis, Matthew Reilly and Kathy Lette.[4]

In 2005 the festival had an audience of between 7,000 and 8,000, an increase of 25 per cent over the previous year. Notable participants included Midnight Oil drummer and songwriter Rob Hirst, writers Delia Falconer and Kate Grenville, and novelist Robert Drewe who lives in the area.[5]

The tenth festival was held in 2006, and attracted an audience of 9,000 across 90 sessions. Presenters included sports journalist Gideon Haigh, actor and writer William McInnes, and Robert Drewe.[6] In 2015, individual visitors to the three-day event reached 3000 a day and a total of 65,000 at sessions, compared with 109,000 at Sydney Writers' Festival.[7] 2019 was a record year, with the highest box office sales in its 23-year history and 140 local and international guests across 121 on-site events, 17 off-site events, 15 workshops, a schools program for primary- and secondary-school students, and a road trip to regional towns.[8]

Edwina Johnson was the festival's longest standing director from 2014-2022.[9] Edwina was praised in the Sydney Morning Herald for growing the festival into an international event, including guests such as Jeanette Winterson and Geoff Dyer.[10] The festival did not run in 2020 or 2021, due to the pandemic.[11][12] In 2022, it returned under new director Zoe Pollock.[13] In 2023, it will be held in the Bangalow Showgrounds for the first time.[14]

The festival has four flagship programs: the annual festival, a free creative writing program for children called StoryBoard, professional development services for members, and the annual residential mentorship opportunity.[15] The Residential Mentorship was established in 2001 for emerging writers in the region, and has led to significant amounts of publication. Notable alumni include Jesse Blackadder, Jarrah Dundler, Jessie Cole, Russell Eldridge, Mirandi Riwoe, Emma Ashmere, Helen Burns, Bronwyn Birdsall and Lisa Walker.[16] Local author Marele Day was the mentor from 2001-2021 and in 2022, former participant Sarah Armstrong became the new mentor.[17]

References

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  1. ^ "About Us | Byron Writers Festival". 7 April 2016. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
  2. ^ "northerly may-june 2016 by Byron Writers Festival - Issuu". issuu.com. 15 May 2016. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
  3. ^ "About The Byron Bay Writers Festival". ABC North Coast New South Wales. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 22 September 2010.
  4. ^ Sorensen, Rosemary (10 August 2010). "Byron's writers festival attracts the good, the bad and the ugly". The Australian. Retrieved 22 September 2010.
  5. ^ Sullivan, Jane (14 August 2005). "A festival by the sea". The Age. Retrieved 22 September 2010.
  6. ^ Munro, Jane (24 August 2006). "Byron Bay Writers Festival in review". ABC North Coast New South Wales. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 22 September 2010.
  7. ^ Wyndham, Susan (28 July 2016). "Visionary real estate agent Chris Hanley retires from Byron Writers Festival". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
  8. ^ Mem: 10099936. "Highest ever box office sales at 2019 Byron Writers Festival; Indigenous authors dominate bestsellers | Books+Publishing". Retrieved 30 July 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  9. ^ Watts, Richard (27 February 2022). "On the move: Latest sector appointments". ArtsHub Australia. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
  10. ^ Wyndham, Susan (8 August 2014). "Undercover book news". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
  11. ^ Echo, The (29 March 2020). "Byron Writers Festival 2020 cancelled". The Echo. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
  12. ^ Bibby, Paul (13 July 2021). "Byron Writers Festival cancelled due to COVID". The Echo. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
  13. ^ Mem: 10086936. "Pollock appointed Byron Writers Festival artistic director | Books+Publishing". Retrieved 30 July 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  14. ^ Mem: 10068104. "Byron Writers Festival full 2023 program announced | Books+Publishing". Retrieved 30 July 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  15. ^ "About Us | Byron Writers Festival". 7 April 2016. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
  16. ^ "Residencies | Byron Writers Festival". 17 October 2017. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
  17. ^ Echo, The (27 November 2022). "Fostering local writing talent". The Echo. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
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