I was volunteering at the Sydney Writers’ Festival, an international festival celebrating literature, last week and weekend. Like most big events, the festival had to cancel last year for the first time since it started in 1997, but luckily was able to run this year. Things in Australia are as close to getting back to normal as they’ll be for a long time, and the festival was able to be a live event with minimal changes from earlier years (the biggest change being that free events have tickets instead of being first come, first serve).

Though the festival could run, it did have to take a new approach regarding speakers and how to include international speakers. Because of the limits on travel in and out of Australia, the festival pivoted to showcase Australian literature and authors, embodying the theme ‘Within Reach’. There was also special attention to first-time Australian authors who published a book in 2020, including a Debutante Ball celebrating those who’d had their book launches and tours cancelled in 2020. There were also some international speakers who joined live through video streaming and were interviewed by an on-stage public figure (some of the international speakers this year included Judy Blume, Isabel Wilkerson and Bill Haynes).

I signed up to volunteer with the Sydney Writers’ Festival back in January and had my orientation in mid-April. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but after the orientation, I was really glad I’d signed up! Everyone was nice and keen to work together to make the festival the best it could be. Working with some of these people more closely over the days I volunteered was such a joy, and I even got to listen in on a few talks while doing my volunteering duties.

This is the first large-scale writers’ festival I’ve been to as a volunteer or an attendee, and I thoroughly enjoyed my experience. My fellow volunteers were lovely and made the work and time pass quickly, the atmosphere was energizing, and the talks were informative, funny, and as varied as the authors giving them. The attendees of the festival were of all ages, dress, demeanour and walks of life, and it reminded me that reading really is a great unifier. Even though it’s such a private experience, it’s something that can bring us together, whether it’s old favourites or new discoveries. Something that’s always stayed with me (but unfortunately can’t remember where I heard it) is that if you see someone reading a book you love, the book might be recommending a person to you.

I was also really liked that the weekly Saturday market that uses part of the space ran as usual. The festival and market organizers made it feel seamless, which added to the remarkable feeling of the festival. It also gave festival attendees more food options with a sense of novelty, and the market vendors a larger than usual customer base. All in all, something that could have been seen as added logistical difficulty for everyone was shaped into something great for all involved.

If you’d like to learn more about the festival, you can head to their website to read about the history of the event, highlights from this year’s festival and much more. If you’re interested in volunteering at future festivals, signup for their newsletter to make sure you keep up to date on next year’s festival information.

If you’re interested in hearing some of the authors from this year or previous years, the festival publishes a podcast and videos interviewing authors showcased at the festival. The podcasts can be accessed from the SWF website or your preferred podcast listening platform, and the videos of interviews can be accessed through the SWF YouTube channel.

Subscribe to never miss a story or post!