Inaugural Stella Day Out announced

Stella has announced the inaugural Stella Day Out, a free one-day literary festival that ‘celebrates and promotes the outstanding contributions of women and non-binary writers to Australian literature’.

The event includes four panels: The Language of Poetry, on the poetry landscape in Australia, with Thuy On and Lucy Van; Talking Graphic Novels, on the qualities of great graphic novels, with Eloise Grills, Mandy Ord and moderator Astrid Edwards; The Stella Story, on the history of the prize, with Monica Dux, Jo Case, Christine Gordon and executive director and CEO Fiona Sweet; and After the Jaguar, where 2023 Stella Prize winner Sarah Holland-Batt will talk about her writing journey.

Stella said it hopes to break down barriers to paid literary events, such as costs, time of day, transportation challenges and caregiving duties, which were all factors considered in planning the event, and that its commitment is to ‘fostering a literary culture that is inclusive, diverse, and open to all’. Said the organisation: ‘The event is tailored to cater to everyone, including retirees, parents with young children and university students.’ Audience members who cannot attend in person will have the option of remote viewing.

Said Stella executive director Fiona Sweet: ‘I am so excited to present Stella Day Out, an opportunity for everyone in the reading community to engage with some of their favourite authors in an inclusive and relaxed setting where everyone is welcomed.’

Stella Day Out will take place on 9 November at Treasury Theatre, Melbourne. More information is available on the Stella website.

Category: Local news