Willy Lit Fest

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Williamstown Literary Festival
Boon Wurrung Country
June 12 – 14, 2026

Willy Lit Fest (est 2003) brings together readers and writers for an annual celebration of story-telling, author talks, panels and writing workshops at a historic seaside setting.

We are so excited about this year's festival line-up, we couldn't resist sharing the names of a few of the brilliant wri...
29/04/2026

We are so excited about this year's festival line-up, we couldn't resist sharing the names of a few of the brilliant writers joining us in June 🤭

Regarded as one of Australia’s great food educators, Stephanie Alexander has shaped a generation of home cooks with her iconic book, The Cook's Companion. The author of another 17 influential books, she joins us to celebrate the release of the beautiful 30th anniversary edition of The Cook's Companion.

A national treasure and a legend of the small screen, Shaun Micallef has been delighting viewers with his comedic antics for over 30 years. His forays into the written word have seen him publish 11 books, including his latest, De'Ath Takes a Holiday, a wildly inventive gothic satire for the modern age.

A Goorie and Koori poet, editor and researcher, Evelyn Araluen's debut poetry collection, Dropbear, won the 2022 Stella Prize. Her latest collection,The Rot, is a searing examination of the injustice and violence of settler colonialism that won the Victorian Prize for Literature and Award for Indigenous Writing at the 2026 Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards.

Tickets release May 14


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📚 W***y Lit Fest
12-14 June 2026
willylitfest.org.au
See you there!
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19/04/2026

REFLECTIONS

How do art and writing reflect our world? How do they bring us together during times of political, social, economic and environmental crises? And when we’re awash with content that both reveals and distorts - can storytelling help steer us through the hall of mirrors toward something that resembles the truth?

From the promises and pitfalls of the digital age to the problem of censorship and the pursuit of happiness, this year’s W***y Lit Fest offers a weekend of conversations, readings and reflections on a range of thought-provoking topics while celebrating the creativity of Melbourne’s inner west.

Tickets on sale May 14th

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📚 W***y Lit Fest
12-14 June 2026
willylitfest.org.au
See you there!

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*Rene Bhanot was included in the shortlist instead of Aashka Purolit. We have amended this error and would like to apolo...
18/04/2026

*Rene Bhanot was included in the shortlist instead of Aashka Purolit.

We have amended this error and would like to apologise for any confusion this has caused.*

Following a wealth of submissions and some hard-to-make decisions, we are proud to unveil our shortlisted authors for W***y Lit Fest’s 2026 writing prizes!

Stay tuned for our award ceremony for the 2026 writing prize winners at this year’s W***y Lit Fest ✨

Tickets release May 14

—-
📚 W***y Lit Fest
12-14 June 2026
willylitfest.org.au
See you there!

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Thank you to all the writers and poets who have submitted their work to our prizes!Our judges can't wait to delve into t...
15/03/2026

Thank you to all the writers and poets who have submitted their work to our prizes!

Our judges can't wait to delve into the worlds you have created and the experiences you have penned ✒

—-
📚 W***y Lit Fest
12-14 June 2026
willylitfest.org.au
See you there!

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Help us to inspire a new generation of readers and writers.*Donations made to this fundraiser before 30 April will be ma...
11/03/2026

Help us to inspire a new generation of readers and writers.

*Donations made to this fundraiser before 30 April will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to $5000. All donations over $2 are tax deductible.

Click on the link in our bio to donate now ✨

W***y List Fest is supported through the Australian Cultural Fund.

—-
📚 W***y Lit Fest
12-14 June 2026
willylitfest.org.au
See you there!

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We've extended the deadline to *most* of our writing prizes!Due to the overwhelming number of submissions from our wonde...
05/03/2026

We've extended the deadline to *most* of our writing prizes!

Due to the overwhelming number of submissions from our wonderful poets, the final submission date for The Ada Cambridge Poetry Prize will remain as Sunday March 8.

Thank you to all the amazing writers who have already submitted - our judges can't wait to read all the wondrous stories and poems you have to offer ✨

Apply via our website: www.willylitfest.org.au

Please read through our terms and conditions before applying.

*If you are having any difficulty submitting your work please email our Writing Prizes Coordinator Amanda via: [email protected]*

—-
📚 W***y Lit Fest
12-14 June 2026
willylitfest.org.au
See you there!

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⁠

Entries are still open for our 2026 Jennifer Burbidge Short Story Award.Open to writers across Australia, this prize cal...
20/02/2026

Entries are still open for our 2026 Jennifer Burbidge Short Story Award.

Open to writers across Australia, this prize calls for short stories of fiction or non-fiction (up to 3000 words) on the theme of disability.

The winner will receive $500 in cash and will be
published in our 2026 Anthology.

Please visit our website to view our terms & conditions
before submitting your short story.

Hurry, entries close March 8!

Entries are still open for our 2026 Ada Cambridge Writing Prizes:✒️ The Ada Cambridge Biographical Prose Prize✒️ The Ada...
20/02/2026

Entries are still open for our 2026 Ada Cambridge Writing Prizes:

✒️ The Ada Cambridge Biographical Prose Prize
✒️ The Ada Cambridge Poetry Prize
✒️ The Young Adas Short Story Prize

The winners will receive up to $500 in cash and will be published in The 2026 Adas Anthology.

Please visit our website to view our terms & conditions before submitting your stories or poems.

Hurry, entries close March 8!

APPLY NOW!Ada Cambridge Biographical Prose PrizeAda Cambridge Poetry PrizeYoung Adas Short Story PrizeJennifer Burbidge ...
25/01/2026

APPLY NOW!

Ada Cambridge Biographical Prose Prize
Ada Cambridge Poetry Prize
Young Adas Short Story Prize
Jennifer Burbidge Short Story Prize

The Williamstown Literary Festival is delighted to offer our writing prizes again in 2026! The winners will receive a cash prize and all shortlisted writers will be published in The 2026 Adas Anthology.

Please visit our website to submit your story or poem.
Entries close March 8.

Good luck!

Introducing our new Program Directors for W***y Lit Fest 2026!⭐️ Rita Horányi is a Magyar-Australian literary critic and...
08/12/2025

Introducing our new Program Directors for W***y Lit Fest 2026!

⭐️ Rita Horányi is a Magyar-Australian literary critic and creative programmer with a PhD in Comparative Literature. From 2022-2024, she was the Artistic Director of the Northern Territory Writers Festival, curating three successful festivals, two in Garramilla/Darwin and one in Mparntwe/Alice Springs. She has published essays and reviews in Sydney Review of Books, Splinter and Limelight, among other journals, as well as short fiction in the anthology, ‘If We’re Talking Budapest’.

She has spent her career working with books and ideas, and is passionate about supporting writers, particularly those whose voices are less often heard, and about creating memorable experiences that inspire and inform audiences.

⭐️ Alice Reid is a writer, publisher and librarian living in Melbourne’s inner west. Alice has managed Williamstown High School’s Bayview Campus Library since 2018, and in 2024, she received a Vocational Service Award from Altona City Rotary Club for services to the school community.
During her non-librarian hours, Alice studies Professional Writing and Editing at RMIT. In 2023 she founded online literary magazine Two Wolves Digest, and last year, she directed the post-pandemic revival of Odyssey Literary Festival, a student-led initiative hosted by RMIT’s Capitol Theatre.

Welcome .a.reid and Rita! We can’t wait to see what you have planned for WLF 2026…

Are you our new Program Director?⭐️ Expressions of interest are invited for the position of Program Director of the Will...
25/10/2025

Are you our new Program Director?

⭐️ Expressions of interest are invited for the position of Program Director of the Williamstown Literary Festival
(12-14 June 2026). The Program Director of this annual, volunteer-run event, (now in its 24th year!) is responsible for developing a program that will appeal to a broad audience and age range.

If you’re a lover of writing, books and ideas, committed to sharing the stories and voices that energize Australian literary culture, have experience of the book trade and /or event management, strong interpersonal skills and an affinity with the local community, we’d love to hear from you! The honorarium of $12,000 pa is small for the amount of work involved, but the rewards of designing this centrepiece of literary culture in Melbourne’s West are immeasurable!

Applications are due no later than Sunday 16th November 2025.

For further information on the position and how to apply, contact:

Lis Grove
President W***y Lit Fest Committee
[email protected]

Address

Williamstown Town Hall, Williamstown VIC
Msinga
3016

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