Melbourne Writers Festival - History

History

The festival was founded in 1986 as a joint initiative between the Melbourne International Festival of the Arts and the City of Melbourne. It was organised as a sister festival to the Spoleto Festival, and was known in the first year as Spoleto Melbourne Festival of Three Worlds. It was held at the Athenaeum Theatre. The Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards were presented as part of the festival for the first time.

In 1990, the festival was no longer known under the Spoleto name, and became a part of the Melbourne International Arts Festival. It also moved venues form the Athenaeum and Kino Cinemas to the Malthouse Theatre. By 1992 the festival had over 10,000 attendees, and expanded its program to include events in Ballarat. Simon Clews was appointed the new festival director, a post he held until 2005. The inaugural Keynote Address was given by Clive James in 1996 to coincide with the festival’s 10th anniversary celebrations.

In 1998 the festival was held autonomously from the Melbourne International Arts Festival, taking place in August rather than October. The Age newspaper became the festival’s principal sponsor, the festival taking the name 'The Age Melbourne Writers Festival'. The awarding of The Age Book of the Year replaced the Premier’s Literary Awards which stayed with the International Arts festival.

By 2001 the festival had instituted Internet broadcasts and transcripts of some sessions, Auslan at others, and was attracting an estimated 25,000 in attendances. over the 10 days of the festival. In 2002, ‘The Last Word’ was introduced as a counterpoint to the Keynote address that opens the festival. That year, a parody of the festival program also appeared, attacking the supposed elitism of the festival. In 2004 the Festival venues expanded to include the Heide Museum of Modern Art and the State Library of Victoria. 2005 saw the 20th anniversary celebrations of the festival, and a collaboration with the Australian Centre for the Moving Image that continues today.

Rosemary Cameron replaced Simon Clews as festival director in late 2005. There was a 60% growth in the number of events held, which expanded to include workshops and master classes. Events were held at Federation Square for the first time, and the festival commissioned the Playworks theatre company to produce four one-act plays to be performed during the festival. A ‘Missing Chair’ was instituted to represent those writers unable to attend due to persecution. It became a precursor to the political nature of the festival in 2006, with the Last Word debate over the Aboriginal Stolen Generation producing much controversy. In 2007, the festival became carbon neutral in 2007 and continued to show a growth in program and audiences, with the schools program reaching more than 7,000 students. This was also the last year for the festival at the CUB Malthouse Theatre.

In 2008, as the annual festival was moved to Federation Square. Using the BMW Edge and the two ACMI cinemas, the festival also set up its own box office, and increased audiences by 12.5% to 45,000, with income increasing by 40%. With a bigger program, 20% of the program was free. The partnership with The Age was reworked and the festival removed The Age from its designation. In 2009, visits increased to 50,000. Bernhard Schlink was the keynote speaker, and the Big Ideas at the RMIT Capitol Theatre hosted such guests as Christine Nixon, Tony Abbott, Paul Kelly, Bob Stein, Bill Kelty and Antony Beevor. The schools program grew from 10,700 to 12,000 students, and a songwriters stream took place at Toff in Town. In 2009 it was announced that Steve Grimwade would take over as the festival's director for the 2010 festival.