Write Around the Murray Festival embraces the best of both worlds.
This year’s 2021 Write Around the Murray Festival offers audiences the best of both worlds, with an intimate program of live and online events, over five days 15 to 19 September.
In WAM’s fifteenth year, a jam-packed festival was planned, but in light of the current environment and growing pandemic, a reshaped format for our online and local WAM community was created.
With interstate guests and host authors unable to be physically present, turning around an alternative program provided the ability to still engage with headline authors, in a more intimate and online setting. A series of online panel discussions will be presented to a remote audience, with heart-felt performances still planned.
Although some of our most cherished events have been postponed this year, there is still an excellent lineup of presenters across both the live and livestream worlds. Local audiences are invited to gather in person or watch from home without missing out.
Local writers have been invited to respond to the festival theme ‘The Things We Love’ in any way they like. A series of online panel discussions, outdoor events, book launches, workshops and exhibition tours will still be on offer, with organisers promising a few more surprises to come. There’s also a fantastic short film series from Leigh Hobbs, available for schools to stream in lieu of the cancelled schools program.
‘The Things We Love’ pays tribute to the people, places and things we love, in all their complexity and diversity. Never has a festival theme felt so needed.
“This year, we’re inviting guests to take a step back from the fray and reflect on what is important. If there’s one overriding theme that has emerged through this pandemic, it’s the realisation of how connected, interdependent and valuable each and every one of us is. Wherever you are and whatever the state of play, we look forward to you joining us”, shared Festival Director, Ann-maree Ellis.
Festival program will be available from Thursday 12 August.
