An open letter concerning the Canberra Writers Festival

As the peak body for ACT writers and their work, and an active member of the network of Australian writers centres, the ACT Writers Centre stands shoulder to shoulder with those expressing dismay at the continued lack of diversity in the Canberra Writers Festival’s programming.

We love Canberra’s writing community and we want to promote all opportunities for writers in our region. However, we are more than just promoters – we are advocates. For all our community – including the culturally diverse writers in our region.

The Canberra Writers Festival (CWF) is a separate organisation to the ACT Writers Centre. They did not consult with us on programming, and we did not see the program before its public release.

We have repeatedly tried to engage with the CWF in past years, including the festival’s first in 2016. We have at times provided the Festival organising team with lists of wonderful and diverse writers in our region. Many other members of the community have also responded directly, in the media and online.

We acknowledge that COVID-19 continues to make the programming and delivery of events extremely challenging. However, the issue of true representation is the civic and professional responsibility of all arts organisations. We have a duty to create safe and inclusive spaces for our communities, our presenters and our audiences.

Australia is one of the most diverse countries in the world. Writers festivals – indeed the writing infrastructure as a whole – must recognise, reflect and support that diversity. The time for excuses has passed. For matters to improve, we must all do better. Canberra is a truly multicultural city. Our city’s writing festival should represent that fact.

Make no mistake; we would love to work with the CWF to resolve these issues. We would be delighted to share our networks and help the Festival find ways to support all writers, including those in marginalised communities.

As it currently stands, we cannot support or promote this year’s festival.

We would like to thank the members of Australia’s literary community, especially the writers of colour and allies, who have sought to highlight these issues and demand better from our industry. We have already pledged to do better and are making significant structural changes to ensure we truly serve all communities. We are open to criticism and we will do better.

We will be directing our channels to promote and uplift writers from all backgrounds, and hope that you, our community, join us in embracing the amazing work our culturally diverse writers have to offer.

We are so much better together than apart, and have reached out to the CWF directly to offer our assistance addressing these issues moving forward.