Perth left without a major writers’ festival — ABC News Australia
In Perth, Australia, a major writers’ festival has not resumed after 2024. Organizers had previously announced a pause for 2025 and planned to hold a revamped event in early 2026, but a program has still not been presented. According to ABC News Australia, Perth therefore remains the only Australian state capital without a major writers’ festival.
A representative of Perth Festival said that the intention to create a new literary festival remains. According to the representative, organizers seek to create conditions for the project’s sustainable development and determine the appropriate timing and scale for it, but no specific plans have yet been confirmed.
History of the literary program
Literature had been part of Perth Festival since the event was founded by the University of Western Australia in 1953. In the 1990s, the writers’ strand became a separate part of the program with its own manager, and by 2018 it had developed into Perth Writers Week.
After the COVID-19 pandemic, the event was reduced to one weekend. In 2024, it was jointly held by Writing WA and the State Library of Western Australia. The last Writers Weekend took place in February 2024 in a tense atmosphere.
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Before the festival, an open letter circulated calling for singer-songwriter Deborah Conway’s invitation to be withdrawn. This followed her statement in an interview about the consequences of Israel’s military actions in Gaza for civilians, including children. The letter collected about 500 signatures. Organizers did not cancel Conway’s participation; instead, they increased security, set up protest areas near the library, and added three writers of Palestinian origin to the program.
Smaller festivals are developing
Writing WA chair Per Henningsgaard suggested that disputes surrounding literary programs in Australia could complicate the return of a major festival. At the same time, he stressed that he had no specific information about Perth Festival’s motives. According to him, the absence of a major event is felt acutely, as many smaller festivals rely heavily on volunteers’ work.
At the same time, local events are developing in Western Australia, including the Festival of Fiction in Joondalup, Totally Lit in Fremantle, and festivals in Mandurah and Kalamunda. Among them, the Margaret River Writers and Readers Festival stands out: it runs for three days in May, involves international and Australian authors, and has operated since 2009. Since 2017, Tourism WA has provided ongoing funding to Arts Margaret River, which runs the festival.
