The Byron Bay Writers Festival has announced the complete program for 2010 and readers can now revel in the full list of writers attending. Said Festival Director Jeni Caffin “It’s a nerve wracking process, preparing for the great unveiling. Once the program is out there, it’s tantamount to revealing the entire contents of my head for the past six months and one has to trust that potential audiences will find the result as interesting as I have”. Ticket sales since the program was released would indicate that this is the case, with workshops, features and food events booking strongly. Jeni explains “This really is a program with broad appeal and whether your interests lie in sport, journalism, literary fiction, history or humour, there’s a swag of panels, conversations and readings to suit. One event that I yearn to attend is the traditional Saturday afternoon Thea Astley lecture in the SCU Marquee. This year it will be Rodney Hall deliberating on The Lost Art of Reading. Perhaps I might just turn off my phone and lurk among the listeners.”
The Festival is delighted to acknowledge the support of ABC3 as Marquee sponsors for the Festival for the very first time. “I am proud as punch to welcome this visionary new sponsor. The ABC3 Marquee will host the Saturday Kids Day on 7 August, and will also be the venue for many of the sessions featuring young writers or those writing for a youth market. The relationship seems a natural fit and we look forward to showcasing dynamic digital writers in future BBWF events. Some of the fab writers you’ll meet in the ABC3 Marquee this year are Singapore’s Shamini Flint, the wonderful Ursula Dubosarsky, riotous Terry Denton, and how about Matthew Reilly, Phillip Gwynne, Randa Abdel-Fattah and action man Jack Heath? It’s a fabulous line-up and a monster celebration of children and YA writing” said Jeni.
Adding to the growing list of Festival supporters are The Yalumba Wine Company and the progressive Avant Card organisation. “The more the merrier, when it comes to sponsors. We have an extraordinary diversity of supporters and the Festival is celebrating these new and precious relationships.”
Festival dates are 6-8 August and tickets for the Marquees and all features, workshops, breakfasts, lunches and dinners can be found at www.byronbaywritersfestival.com or by calling Jetset Byron Bay on 02 6685 6262.
You can now download the Byron Bay Writers Festival program.
