20th Write Around the Murray Festival to launch with free event
The 20th Write Around the Murray Festival will celebrate its official opening with a free event, bringing the community together to hear from disability advocate and social commentator Carly Findlay and explore the power of stories to connect, inspire and create change.
AlburyCity Councillor Kylie King will officially open the milestone festival at the Albury LibraryMuseum on Wednesday, 9 September at 11am. She will be joined by Carly Findlay, who will share insights from her work advocating for greater visibility and inclusion of people with disability.
Write Around the Murray Festival Coordinator Aimee Chan said the free launch event was a fitting way to begin the festival’s 20th celebration.
“Write Around the Murray is all about bringing people together through stories and ideas, and this year’s launch captures that beautifully,” she said.
“We’re delighted to welcome Carly Findlay to Albury to share her perspective and open conversations about the importance of representation and inclusion.
“We’re inviting everyone to join us at the LibraryMuseum to kick off five days of conversations, performances, workshops and events celebrating 20 years of Write Around the Murray.”
The launch is just the beginning of a packed five-day festival, running from Wednesday 9 to Sunday 13 September, with more than 65 events taking place across Albury.
Highlights include:
- An extra-long literary lunch with acclaimed authors Rhett Davis and Johanna Bell, moderated by Jason Steger.
- A special 20th Festival Celebration Showcase featuring performances from Mitch Tambo, Rachael Oak Butler, Claire Coleman and the Stereo Stories band.
- A thought-provoking panel discussion exploring censorship, creativity and its impact on society.
- A Book of the Festival event celebrating A Great Act of Love, the latest release from award-winning author Heather Rose.
Accessibility and inclusion will continue to be a focus throughout the program, including:
- Multiple appearances by well-known disability advocate and writer Carly Findlay.
- The launch of local picture book A Dash of Adventure by first-time border authors Julie Williams and Mitch Oates at the WAMbledon all-abilities tennis event, featuring come-and-try wheelchair and visually impaired tennis.
- An author panel talk on audio books.
Families can also enjoy story times, workshops and activities for children of all ages across the festival.
Many of the events are free, including all programming for kids. Tickets are available for individual author panel talks, or you can purchase a WAM Festival Pass for access to eight sessions.
Write Around the Murray is an AlburyCity signature event. To view the full program and book tickets, visit writearoundthemurray.org.
