Fiction in a Divided World: Perth’s Festival Offers a Rare Reprieve

As the literary festival circuit grapples with issues of free speech, politics, and funding, one event stands out for its refreshingly straightforward approach. The Perth Festival of Fiction, set to return on November 21-22 at Edith Cowan University’s Joondalup campus, has carved out a niche by prioritizing genre fiction writers often overlooked in mainstream literary festivals.

The festival’s focus on fiction is both a point of difference and a drawcard. According to Festival Director Tess Woods, the emphasis on popular genres like crime, romance, and fantasy was a deliberate choice. “We’re getting more divisive,” she notes. “Festivals are an opportunity for us to see each other face-to-face, to get away from our keyboards, and remember that authors are human beings with feelings, families, and lives.”

This approach highlights the festival’s appeal: its ability to bring readers and writers together in a shared love of storytelling. In an era where social media has amplified divisions and exacerbated polarities, festivals like Perth’s offer a rare respite from keyboard-wielding echo chambers.

The line-up for this year’s festival features a veritable who’s who of Australian literature. Beloved children’s author Mem Fox will lead workshops on finding the right words, while award-winning writers Christos Tsiolkas, Sally Hepworth, and Kate Morton share their insights with attendees. The inclusion of Miles Franklin award-winners Siang Lu and Sofie Laguna adds further credibility to the festival’s programming.

However, beneath the surface-level excitement lies a pressing issue: funding. Woods notes that while the City of Joondalup has generously sponsored the event, it is not enough to ensure the festival’s long-term viability. “We’ve run this festival three years now with 20 unpaid volunteers,” she says. “It’s been a labor of love.”

The threat of funding cuts looms large over the literary festival circuit, and Perth’s Festival of Fiction is no exception. As we head into the final stretch of the year, it remains to be seen whether other festivals will follow Perth’s lead in prioritizing popular genres.

But one thing is clear: events like this offer a beacon of hope – a reminder that despite our differences, we can come together through the shared love of storytelling. The Festival of Fiction may not have the same profile as its more established counterparts, but it has carved out a unique niche for itself. As the literary festival circuit navigates funding and free speech issues, Perth’s festival stands as a testament to the power of fiction to bring people together in a shared love of storytelling.