A new chapter has begun for the Tamar Valley Writers Festival as organisers get ready for a mini-event in September.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Word of Mouth will be a three-day festival providing a taste-plate of events covering topics such as stories, scripts, books, comedy, and songwriting.
President Mary Machen said much had been done in the past 18 months to keep the festival alive.
"We are particularly proud of creating and releasing a podcast series featuring notable Tasmanian literary minds and thinkers, but to be able to bring a mini-festival to life for Northern Tasmania, despite the COVID-19 challenges still facing us all, is exciting and my team is thrilled and proud to be able to do just that," she said.
The festival will open with a cocktail party and the world premiere of Marjorie Unravelled. Then, over the next few days, the festival will deliver a mix of workshops - both at schools and otherwise - as well as comedy sessions, play readings, guest speaker appearances, and book clubs.
Creative director Georgie Todman said the team was excited to present a homegrown festival that showcased the state's rich and diverse talent.
"We are really proud of going outside the box with who tells stories, not just traditional writers," she said.
Guest appearances include Tasmania's 2020 Vogel Award-winning author Kate Kruimink, Kyle Perry, Theresa Sainty, Iryna Dwyer, Kerri Gay, Rachel Berger, Vicki Madden, Alan Carter, Tansy Rayner-Roberts, and Stephen Dando Collins.
The festival has also secured the world premiere rights for a reading of Finegan Kruckemeyer's latest work House on the High Hill.
"It may be a pop-up festival, but our guest speaker line-up, play-readings, and workshops offer big ideas, ideas that challenge and hopefully inspire conversation, debate, and inspiration," Ms Machen said.
"Giving those who love reading books, are closet writers, or just love to hear a good story told well a chance to again meet with like minds is what Word of Mouth is all about."
The festival is usually held biennially, but with the cancelled festival last year and the next full festival to be held in 2022, organisers felt something else was needed to keep the momentum going.
"This is like a mini-festival, like a taste-plate ready for the big festival in 2022," Ms Todman said.
"If you haven't come along before, it's a fantastic chance to get involved."
Word of Mouth will run from September 9-11. For more information on events or to get tickets visit tamarvalleywritersfestival.com.au.