news Archives - Margaret River Readers And Writers Festival

Margaret River Readers & Writers Festival (MRRWF) is pleased to announce the Governor of Western Australia, the Honourable Kim Beazley AC as the new patron of the annual literary festival which is set to take place again from 15-17 May next year.

The Honourable Kim Beazley AC succeeds long-time festival patron Barry House AM who was the President of the Legislative Council before retiring in 2017.

The Margaret River Readers & Writers Festival, which in 2020 will celebrate its twelfth year, is Arts Margaret River’s flagship annual literary event which aims to foster a love of literature, spark debate and ignite conversations amongst its audience of locals and guests from WA, interstate and overseas.

MRRWF Creative Director Tanya Perdue says it is an exciting time for the festival as the profile of the event continues to grow. “Barry House has made an outstanding contribution to the festival and has been with us the whole way, as we’ve changed the focus and direction of the event to appeal to a wider audience of arts and culture enthusiasts,” she said.

“The festival is delighted to officially welcome the Honourable Kim Beazley AC as Patron of the event going forward. We look forward to his contribution in this advocacy role, as he helps the festival to attract larger audiences from Perth and beyond, to experience Margaret River as a destination for literature and the arts.”

As an arts and culture advocate, the Governor said he was honoured to be selected as Patron for the festival, an important event that contributes significantly to the arts scene in regional WA.

“Advocating for the State as a rich and vibrant arts, cultural, educational and tourism destination is one of my priorities as Governor. I am delighted to support the Margaret River Readers & Writers Festival which makes an important contribution in enabling access to literature and the arts in South West WA,” he said.

“The festival has grown from a grass-roots initiative to one which plays an important role in the promotion of new ideas, debate and discussion and the sharing of Western Australian stories within that. The cultural, economic and social benefits that flow on from the Festival continue to increase”.

This week, the festival has also unveiled its theme for next year’s event which will be Future Tense, showcasing stories which look at both possible and highly imagined futures through a literary lens to explore and share visions for the future from some of Australia’s most renowned writers, speakers and thinkers. The Margaret River Readers & Writers Festival will be held from 15-17 May 2020 at the Margaret River HEART. To find out more visit www.mrrwfestival.com

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Margaret River Readers & Writers Festival (MRRWF) is excited to announce that ARIA Award-winning singer Clare Bowditch will appear in Margaret River on 9 November 2019 as part of a national tour for her new memoir Your Own Kind of Girl.

The event, which is being run as a fundraiser for the 2020 Margaret River Readers & Writers Festival will see Clare Bowditch discuss her new memoir with Margaret River based writer & blogger Constance Hall and perform her music live. The talk and performance will be held at the Margaret HEART, in the newly opened main auditorium.

Clare Bowditch has always had a knack for telling stories and through her music and performing, has touched hundreds of thousands of lives. Your Own Kind of Girl reveals a childhood punctuated by grief, anxiety and compulsion, and tells how these forces shaped Clare’s life for better and for worse. In her book, Clare lays bare her truth in the hope that doing so will inspire anyone who’s ever done battle with their inner critic.

Margaret River Readers & Writers Festival’s Creative Director, Tanya Perdue said the event is touring the country with the likes of Berry Liberman (Byron Bay), Myf Warhurst (Brisbane), Sarah Wilson (Sydney), Yumi Stynes (Sydney), and in Melbourne Dr Susan Carland and Jamila Rizvi.

“To have the supremely talented, funny and honest Clare Bowditch speaking with Constance Hall here in Margaret River is certainly something special,” she said. “With Clare set to perform some of her music as part of the gig, it’s guaranteed to make for a really memorable evening. We’re thrilled that Margaret River is part of the national tour and to have this as an out-of-season event for the festival.”

Ms Perdue said the special event would resonate with adults and older teens and proceeds would go towards the 2020 Margaret River Readers & Writers Festival, which is set to take place from 15-17 May 2020.

Tickets are $15 (adults) or $10 (concession) and are available now from www.mrrwfestival.com, by phone 08 9758 7316 or in person from Arts Margaret River at the Community Centre on Tunbridge Street. Doors open at 7.30pm for an 8pm start. The bar will be open with wine available for purchase and the Margaret River Bookshop will be there with opportunities to buy Your Own Kind of Girl and have it signed by the author herself.

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The 2019 Margaret River Readers & Writers Festival has wrapped up after an overwhelmingly popular response to its program of ‘wild, weird and wonderful’ stories.

The 11th annual festival started spectacularly as former broadcaster and radio personality Verity James MC’d the festival launch which was headlined by writer, contrarian, activist and feminist, Professor Germaine Greer. Wadandi Cultural Custodian Iszaac Webb had the audience enthralled – as well as many of the headline guests it seemed – as he welcomed festival guests to Wadandi Boodja.

The festival drew sell-out crowds to most events on Saturday and Sunday, including those of Professor Greer and Australian icon Michael Leunig, with people coming from Perth and other parts of WA to experience the event, as well as a strong cohort of locals.

Festival Creative Director Tanya Perdue said she and Event Manager Michelle Wright enjoyed staging the event and seeing it all come together. “There were fits of laughter from the crowd any time William McInnes took the stage and perhaps more laughter than may have been expected in some of Germaine Greer’s sessions – along with a dose of controversy of course,” Ms Perdue said. “There was admiration for Michael Leunig’s uncanny ability to change the emotion of a character with a single stroke of his pen and tears as local writer Tom de Souza and Dr Gregory Peel Smith from NSW, shared their deeply personal stories and their aspirations for the future.”

‘We have been fortunate to retain local support while also garnering a bigger and better reputation further afield, putting the event firmly on the literary festival circuit. There was a fabulous buzz – and there is already huge anticipation for next year’s festival,” she said.

The festival continues this week as the Young Readers & Writers Program tours authors to schools in the Shire of Augusta Margaret River and the City of Busselton to inspire a love of reading and writing in young people. Children’s authors Cristy Burne and Kylie Howarth will also appear for a free book signing event at the Margaret River Bookshop after school on Wednesday 15th May at 3.30pm – all are welcome.

Margaret River Readers and Writers Festival is proudly presented by Arts Margaret River Inc.

Image credit: Michelle Troop

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Geraldine Doogue AO will join MRRWF line-up of literary talent for the 3-day event, which runs from 03-05 May.

Born and raised in Perth, Geraldine Doogue is a renowned Australian journalist and broadcaster who has carved out an enviable reputation across print, television and radio, working on The Australian, ABC’s Nationwide, 2UE, Channel 10 news and hosting ABC TV’s Compass program.

In her ongoing role as presenter of the ABC Radio National program Saturday Extra and ABC TV’s Compass, Geraldine continues to tackle a wide range of subjects with rigour, optimism, humour and warmth.

On the Saturday of the festival, Geraldine will take the stage to interview festival headliner Professor Germaine Greer on her controversial new essay, On Rape, in which Professor Greer argues that centuries of different approaches to rape, as inflicted by men on women, have got us nowhere and there has to be a better way.

On Sunday, Geraldine will interview Professor Greer in a session titled Protecting Wild Places, which recounts Professor Greer’s experience of rehabilitating 60ha of forest in southeast Queensland.

Festival Creative Director Tanya Perdue is ecstatic that Geraldine has agreed to join the festival “Having an articulate, talented journalist like Geraldine Doogue interviewing Professor Greer adds yet another level to what’s already expected to be two outstanding events,” she said. “There is really something special about experiencing a talented interviewer draw out all sorts of interesting perspectives from an author, especially one as revered as Professor Greer. While tickets to Germaine Greer: On Rape have already sold out, a limited number of tickets to Protecting Wild Places remain,” she said.

On Sunday night, Geraldine Doogue will join local personality and former ABC journalist Ian Parmenter for an exclusive dinner at Cape Lodge, called Memories, Media, and Chateaubriand – a lively evening of conversation, music, and nosh-stalgia. Geraldine will be in conversation with Ian as they reflect on their early days in the Perth media landscape and what has happened since. The evening will feature a grand four-course dinner prepared by Chef Tony Howell showcasing dishes from the 1970s and 80s, paired with top wines. Plus, with live music and an exhibition of works by legendary cartoonist Paul Rigby, the premium event is the perfect chance to continue the celebrations once the main program concludes.

Memories, Media, and Chateaubriand tickets: $175 | Arts Hub Members: $165
Includes Pre dinner drinks, 4 Course Dinner with wines and plenty of entertainment!

Book your tickets online, call (08) 97587316 or visit Arts Margaret River Box Office at the Community Centre, Tunbridge St, Margaret River.

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The Margaret River Readers and Writers Festival (MRRWF) is geared up for another inspiring, intriguing and thought-provoking 3-day event, featuring writer, contrarian, activist and feminist, Professor Germaine Greer as its headliner. To be held from 03-05 May 2019 on the picturesque grounds of Voyager Estate, the festival will see Professor Greer speak about her life and career, as well as her latest book On Rape, and her environmental work.

Michael Leunig calendar portrait - MRRWF 2019 — Leunig – Calendar

The festival’s line up of literary talent also includes Australian cartoonist, writer, painter, philosopher and poet Michael Leunig, who will appear in events on the Saturday and Sunday of the festival, to share his love of cartooning and human observation.

South-East Asia Correspondent, James Massola, who was on the ground at the miraculous 2018 rescue of the Wild Boars soccer team from the Tham Luang cave in Thailand, will share his story as told in The Great Cave Rescue. He will be joined by journalist turned novelist, Chris Hammer, for what’s expected to be a sell-out breakfast event called Foreign Correspondent to be held in the Voyager Estate restaurant on Sunday morning. On Saturday night, festival guests have the chance to enjoy an evening with one of Australia’s most popular writers and actors, William McInnes.

Award-winning astrophysicist, presenter of ABC television’s ‘Stargazing Live’ and author of When Galaxies Collide, Professor Lisa Harvey-Smith will also join the line up for a session that will ensure you’ll never look up at the night sky in the same way again.

Dr Gregory Peel Smith will speak about his remarkable memoir Out of the Forest which follows his journey from living in near total-isolation in the forest, foraging for food and eating bats, to his life today where he has a PhD and teaches at university.

Featuring literary icons Kim Scott, Anna Funder, Liz Byrski and Amanda Curtin, as well as a range of other established and emerging writers, the festival is a must for anyone who loves reading, cultural events, current affairs and of course, Margaret River.

Festival Creative Director Tanya Perdue said the 2019 festival program explored wild, weird and wonderful stories in keeping with this year’s theme. “With writers from overseas and across Australia, including top WA and local talents, this year’s program is sure to spark curiosity and ignite debate,” she said. “With the festival at the gorgeous Voyager Estate, a top line up, and a range of ticket and accommodation packages ready to go, you can organise a memorable weekend away in no time.”

Tickets to the 2019 Margaret River Readers & Writers Festival will be available for purchase online from 10am on Monday 25 February by phone 08 9758 7316, or from the Arts Margaret River Box Office, Margaret River Community Centre, Tunbridge Street, Margaret River.

The State Government is proud to support the Margaret River Readers and Writers Festival as part of its Regional Events Program.