Margaret River Readers & Writers Festival
The Margaret River Readers & Writers Festival is the flagship annual literature event of Arts Margaret River. It is the biggest regional literary event in Western Australia and aims to foster a love of literature and the arts within the community.
Each year, the festival brings an array of thought-provoking writers to the region including novelists, journalists, academics and established and emerging storytellers from WA, interstate and overseas.
The Margaret River Readers & Writers Festival celebrated its tenth anniversary in 2018. What began as a modest local project in 2009 has grown to be Western Australia’s largest regional literary festival with a significant youth component that tours schools in the Shire of Augusta-Margaret River and the City of Busselton.
Young Readers & Writers Program
Our Young Readers & Writers Program tours primary and secondary schools bringing our children’s authors into schools to spark creativity, celebrate storytelling and foster a love of reading and writing.
The program runs for two weeks around the main festival in the Shire of Augusta-Margaret River, City of Busselton, Bunbury, Augusta and surrounding areas. The program is proudly supported by Lotterywest, the Rotary Club of Margaret River, Doral Mineral Sands, Margaret River & Cowaramup & Lions Clubs, Shire of Augusta-Margaret River and City of Busselton
Emma Gibbons, Festival Director
Emma Gibbons is the newly appointed Festival Director for the Margaret River Readers and Writers Festival. She brings over a decade of experience delivering the full spectrum of events, from large-scale international events to grassroots community initiatives across Europe and Australia. Her background spans event production, operations, talent management, program development and brand communications, underpinned by a Master’s degree in Engineering Mathematics.
An avid reader, passionate artist and lover of storytelling in all its forms, Emma is delighted to bring her skillset to such a respected and much-loved event.
Originally from the UK, Emma has called Australia home since 2014. She and her Australian partner have lived along the NSW coast and travelled extensively around the country, before being drawn to Margaret River in 2021 for its wave-rich coastline. They stayed for the region’s diverse natural beauty, creative culture and strong sense of community.
Outside of work, Emma is most at home in the ocean, surfing her favourite waves, practising yoga, or exploring the South West bushland on horseback. On slower days, she’s often tucked away in a favourite beach nook with a good book.
Arts Margaret River Incorporated
Arts Margaret River is a not for profit community arts organisation and the creator and presenter of the Margaret River Readers & Writer Festival.
In addition to the Arts Margaret River team, we have an incredible and dedicated number of part time staff and community volunteers also assist with many tasks.
We could not deliver the festival without them.
Freedom of Expression
Nestled in the heart of Western Australia’s stunning South West region, the Margaret River Readers & Writers Festival brings together people who love stories and ideas. It’s a place for Bold Conversations, Big Ideas, Brilliant Stories, shared in a spirit of curiosity, generosity and connection.
We believe in the power of words to help us better understand the world and each other. Through a broad and thoughtfully curated program, the Festival showcases writers from a wide range of backgrounds, offering audiences the chance to encounter new perspectives and fresh ways of thinking.
Writing thrives when ideas can be explored openly. We support authors in speaking about their work and viewpoints within the framework of Australian law and we value respectful discussion as a cornerstone of a healthy literary culture.
At the Festival, writers are invited to share their stories — about the books they’ve written, the lives they’ve lived and the places and experiences that shape them. Readers are invited to listen, engage and reflect, encountering stories that inspire, challenge and delight.
We are grateful to the writers, readers, audiences, supporters, publishers, volunteers and staff who help create a Festival grounded in openness, empathy and a shared love of storytelling.
