MWF cancels live events, brings forward MWF Digital

The organisers of the Melbourne Writers Festival (MWF), which was scheduled to run from 3–12 September at various locations across the city, have cancelled the live components of its program. Over 250 Australian guests were scheduled to appear live as part of MWF 2021.

The MWF Digital program will be brought forward, running for the extended period of 3–12 September, enabling viewers to purchase tickets to online events under the Pay What You Can model. All tickets to in-person events will automatically be refunded in full.

Following the extension of Melbourne’s sixth lockdown until Thursday, 2 September, MWF artistic director Michaela McGuire said it was no longer possible to proceed with the in-person events.

‘We want to thank the hundreds of writers who were scheduled to be part of this year’s festival for joining us on this bold and optimistic venture. We’re devastated that we are unable to showcase the staggering talent of so many authors, who have already published books into the most unenviable of circumstances, in the way that we’d planned,’ McGuire said.

‘We’re extremely grateful for the support of our audiences, and look forward to sharing 10 extraordinary conversations from MWF Digital with readers and writers all around the world.’

The 10 MWF Digital events feature international writers including Rachel Cusk, Jhumpa Lahiri, Rumaan Alam, A C Grayling, Viet Thanh Nguyen and Sigrid Nunez in conversation with Australian interviewers and broadcasters. ‘Writers on Film’, a specially commissioned short documentary series mapping the creative lives of Melbourne authors Tony Birch, Sophie Cunningham and Jennifer Down, will premiere online on 3 September.

Category: Local news