A new Perth literary festival was announced, featuring the Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson, as one of the headliners. The festival, to be held in Joondalup on October 19, was the brainchild of author Tess Woods, who wanted to focus on commercial genre fiction rather than literary fiction typically seen at such events. The festival gained support from various organizations, including the City of Joondalup, the Peter Cowan Writers Centre, and Dymocks Australia, resulting in a lineup of bestselling authors including Dervla McTiernan, Natasha Lester, Melina Marchetta, Tony Birch, and others.
The Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson, will be promoting her new picture book at the festival, which will be released around Christmastime. Other notable authors scheduled to attend include Dervla McTiernan, known for her thrillers, and Natasha Lester, an author of historical fiction. The event was sparked by a conversation between a City of Joondalup events staffer and Tess Woods, who proposed a festival focusing on commercial genre fiction, a departure from the literary fiction usually showcased at literary festivals in Australia. The festival will feature a variety of genre-based panels with authors covering romance, crime, fantasy, thrillers, and more.
The festival has garnered support from various organizations, with the City of Joondalup providing sponsorship, the Peter Cowan Writers Centre offering to host, and the northern Edith Cowan University campus providing an auditorium. Major publishers have also contributed funding to fly authors to the event, resulting in a diverse lineup of authors spanning different genres. The festival aims to provide attendees with an opportunity to escape the stress of everyday life through engaging genre fiction. Reading popular fiction can offer a temporary escape and help alleviate loneliness and boredom, providing a much-needed balm for the soul.
Author Tess Woods found herself unexpectedly appointed as the director of the festival after proposing the idea to focus on commercial genre fiction. The festival will feature back-to-back panels with bestselling authors from various genres, offering attendees the chance to immerse themselves in character-rich, fast-paced stories. The lineup includes Perth-based writers such as Dervla McTiernan and Natasha Lester, as well as international authors like the Duchess of York herself. The festival is set to take place on October 19 in Joondalup and promises to be a unique literary event celebrating popular fiction and providing an opportunity for readers to connect with their favorite authors.
