The literary festival that could: QLF celebrates 10 years with star-studded line-up

THE local community gathered yesterday (Thursday, September 5) evening to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Queenscliffe Literary Festival (QLF) and the launch of this year’s festival program.

Fittingly, the beloved literary festival’s 10th birthday also coincides with its biggest and most impressive line-up to date, with more than 70 Australian authors set to participate in panel discussions on topics ranging from cancel culture and politics to sport and activism.

Festival program director Elizabeth McCarthy said across its 10 years, QLF had been a “trailblazing coastal-literary-festival-that-could”.

“The festival was founded on a deep passion for books, ideas and conversations, and today that passion burns brighter than ever.

“I hope that everyone finds plenty in this program of events to enjoy, chew over, be challenged and inspired by.”

A remarkable testament to QLF’s respected reputation in the literary world, this year’s headline act is four-time Miles Franklin winner and best-selling author Tim Winton, who will discuss his new novel Juice.

“The fact that he is going to come to Queenscliff to talk about his work is truly exciting, Ms McCarthy said.

“Tim Winton is named a national living treasure by the National Trust of Australia. I mean, it doesn’t get better than that, does it?”

Waanyi woman and acclaimed author Alexis Wright is also set to appear to discuss her recent work Praiseworthy, which this year won her both the Miles Franklin Award and the Stella Prize.

She is the first person to win both awards in the same year and the first writer to win the Stella Prize twice – her first being in 2018.

Other highlights include investigative journalist Louise Milligan who will talk about her first foray into fiction writing, historians Claire Wright and Mark Daphin who will share insights into their myth-busting new works, and fresh from their sell-out national tour, comedians Judith Lucy and Kaz Cooke will delight Queenscliff with their show about menopause.

Speaking mere days after the release of his new book Mean Streak, which details the damage wreaked by the Morrison government’s Robodebt scheme, journalist Rick Morton will make his first Victorian literary festival appearance at QLF, while food lovers will get the chance to have their cake and eat it too when chefs Tony Tan and Ben Shewry and baker Nat Paull hit town.

Ms McCarthy said she was particularly excited to welcome surfer Pauline Menczer and circumnavigator Bonnie Hancock to Queenscliff this year.

“They’re both written memoirs and they’re both going to be in conversation with the ABC’s Natasha Mitchell.

“I’m super excited about those two women coming. They’ve done incredible feats in the ocean [and] they’ve had lots of battles in their careers that they’ve had to fight to get respect.”

Ms McCarthy encouraged everyone to come along to the festival, engage in public conversation, ask the visiting authors questions and feel part of the community.

“As a life-long passionate reader, I’ve long cherished how literary festivals take the introverted experience of reading and make it a community experience.

“Individuals can meet together and explore, interrogate and celebrate stories and ideas.

“Our 10th birthday program is a rich feast that I hope will stimulate many ideas and conversations across our community, long after the festival winds down.”

The Queenscliffe Literary Festival will take place from October 18 to October 27.

For more information, to view the full program, or to purchase tickets, head to queenscliffeliteraryfestival.com.au