Footscray West Writers Fest

Poster for Footscray West Writers Fest in purple and yellow.

Oh hey it’s a new festival on the block! I’m doing a couple of things at the inaugural Footscray West Writers Fest, one filthy and one frugal. But which is which?

First Floor Fantasy
Saturday 29 March 2025
7:30 pm to 9:30 pm
Harley & Rose Upstairs
572 Barkly St, Footscray VIC 3012
(Please note: Access is via stairs)
Tickets $15, book here

Indulge in an evening of quickfire erotic storytelling by local authors, including Jinghua Qian, Thuy On, Rochelle Siemienowicz, Aud Pitch.

Poster for First Floor Fantasy.

Closing Night Event: Stories from the Belly of the West
Sunday 30 March 2025
4 pm to 10 pm
Harley & Rose
572 Barkly St, Footscray VIC 3012
Tickets $30, book here

Join us for the festival’s unforgettable closing night event, Stories from the Belly of the West, where six talented authors share brand-new site-specific works after taking up the most ramshackle writers-in-residence program imaginable. Jinghua Qian takes us to Savers, Emilie Collyer to Rex Hairdressing, Sam Elkin to WeFo Dog Park, Tina Cartwright to The South Road Coin Laundry, Alice Pung to Cheaper By Miles, and Rijn Collins takes us under the Westgate Bridge, with each tale offering a fresh perspective on the vibrant heart of the community. Don’t miss this celebration of place, creativity, and storytelling to mark the festival’s finale. Enjoy music from The Orbweavers during the event.

Check out the whole festival program, it’s a banger with events featuring Maxine Beneba Clarke, André Dao, Ernest Price, Liz Crash, Najma Sambul, Benjamin Millar, the students of Footscray High School, and basically all your fave westies. Amazing work from Jess, Donita and Reem!

* I buy all my leather from Savers so …

History is how we got here | Maribyrnong Community Centre

Two friends, wearing face masks, in an industrial landscape with a river and bridge behind them.

Liz and I are running a short course at Maribyrnong Community Centre! Best of all, it’s free for participants.

Over four fortnightly workshops, develop research and storytelling skills with community historians Liz Crash and Jinghua Qian (co-creators of Underfoot, a multimedia project uncovering Footscray’s history). Participants will learn how to write, produce and share their own stories, and contribute to a visual presentation displayed at the centre. This hands-on workshop series is open to participants of all ages and skill levels. Please note: participants will need to attend all four sessions.

Thu 18 Mar, 1 Apr, 15 Apr, 29 Apr 2021
2 pm to 4 pm
Maribyrnong Community Centre
9 Randall St, Maribyrnong, Victoria 3032
free | booking required