Brisbane Writers Festival

A literary festival celebrating writers and book readers

The Brisbane Writers Festival (BWF) is an event held annually allowing local, national and international writers to liaise and showcase their work to an appreciative and devoted Brisbane public.

Attendance to the festival is largely free for the general public, and has various programs including panel sessions, debates, forums, reading performances and book launches. As a result, it offers social commentary and celebrates local, national and international authors, acknowledging and rewarding talent in the form of literary prizes. The 2008 festival saw record crowds of approximately 32,000 over the five days, this figure represents an increase of 20 percent in audience attendance since 2007. 2009 dates are scheduled from the 9th to 13th of September.

For over 20 years, the festival was known as the Warana Writers Week. It was not until 1996 that it was established as the Brisbane Writers Festival, Queensland’s premier literary event. Throughout its lifespan, the BWF has attracted various literary and cultural figures including local and national writers such as Nick Earls, Andrew McGahan, Kaz Cooke and Tom Kenneally, as well as award winning international writers.

The BWF is unique in that it relies heavily on the support of sponsors and volunteer workers, and in 2006, received the Queensland Arts and Culture 2006 NAB Volunteer Award for 10 years of volunteer service.

Last updated by Alexandra Fox (2009-10-23)