Sydney is gaining on Melbourne’s long lead as a literary city, with a new partnership between Sydney Writers’ Festival and the State Library of New South Wales. This year-round program of literary events, programmed by the festival (with many hosted by the library) presents a serious injection into Sydney’s literary scene. The budget is A$1.5 million, creating over 300 paid opportunities for writers over 12 months.
The events program, which starts in September, will kick off with events featuring Hannah Kent, Bob Brown, romance writers Melanie Saward and Saman Shad, and Michelle de Kretser. There are plans for international guests in the rotation too.
The Sydney/Melbourne rivalry may be highly competitive for hospitality or international events – but Melbourne has long been the frontrunner for literature, especially after it became the second city in the world to be designated a UNESCO City of Literature in 2008. Its Wheeler Centre, a literary hub dedicated to books, writing and ideas, was established a year later, in 2009 – hosted by the State Library of Victoria, with significant support from the state government.
