THIS year\u2019s Word for Word National Non-Fiction Festival \u2013 which will be hosted at the Geelong Library and Heritage Centre \u2013 features a number of big-name writers in Australian literature, including Helen Garner, Professor Marcia Langton, Kerry O\u2019Brien, Clementine Ford, Peter Cochrane and Peter Phelps, alongside 76 presenters across 45 events.<\/p>\n
Making its fifth appearance and heading to Geelong from Friday November 16 until Sunday November 18, the festival will focus on non-fiction writing in all its forms, whether it be in memoir, biography, journalism, history, travel, song-writing or poetry.<\/p>\n
Word for Word Festival advisory committee chair Cr Margot Smith said the line-up for this year\u2019s festival had attracted a rise in ticket sales in comparison to previous years.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s an exceptionally rich and diverse offering of literary talent, it\u2019s little wonder early bird tickets are selling faster this year than ever before,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
In what is an exclusive event given it is Australia\u2019s only non-fiction writing festival, entry to Geelong-born Helen Garner\u2019s opening night has reached capacity.<\/p>\n
With recent social movements including #METOO and #TIMESUP making headways in breaking down taboo barriers, this\u00a0 year\u2019s festival is encouraging audiences to participate in hard-hitting topics of discussion.<\/p>\n
History, racism, Indigenous issues, asylum seekers, social research, true crime, artificial intelligence, memoir and more thought-provoking ideas will be at the centre of various panel discussions scheduled over the course of the weekend.<\/p>\n
\u201cWord for Word is setting the stage for robust and challenging discussion here in Geelong,\u201d Cr Smith said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe festival has been building momentum since it began in 2014 and has really established Geelong as a significant place in the literary world.<\/p>\n
We expect to increase significantly on last year\u2019s numbers, which saw 8,000 people visiting the Geelong Library and Heritage Centre over the three days of the festival.\u201d<\/p>\n
The annual \u201cGreat Debate\u201d \u2013 which is locked in for the festival\u2019s Saturday evening \u2013 will revolve around whether novels are facing extinction in the digital age.<\/p>\n
In a festival first, the Bad Diaries Salon, sponsored by this paper, will conclude the weekend on Sunday afternoon, a program addition Cr Smith believes festival-goes will thoroughly enjoy.<\/p>\n
\u201cInvolving master storyteller William McInnes, YA author Sue Lawson, award winning broadcaster Joel Carnegie and writer and editor Jo Case, this special closing session promises to be a lot of fun, with presenters sharing some of the most hilarious excerpts from their teenage dairies,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
For a full program and to book tickets, visit wordforwordfestival.com.au.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
THIS year\u2019s Word for Word National Non-Fiction Festival \u2013 which will be hosted at the Geelong Library and Heritage Centre \u2013 features a number of big-name writers in Australian literature, including Helen Garner, Professor Marcia Langton, Kerry O\u2019Brien, Clementine Ford, Peter Cochrane and Peter Phelps, alongside 76 presenters across 45 events. Making its fifth appearance […]<\/p>\n