Western Port Writes ... a literary festival

Western Port Writes ...

Western Port Writes ...

Western Port Writes (WPW) is a biennial literary festival based in the Western Port region of the Mornington Peninsula, held in Somers and surrounds. Designed to celebrate creativity and the art of the story, it showcases established and emerging writers connected to our region and beyond. Our hugely enjoyable and successful inaugural festival was held in 2024.

2026 Festival Program
We are delighted to announce that our 2026 Festival Program will be launched on Monday 10 August and tickets will go on sale. The program is chock full of brilliant writers, commentators and presenters, with something for readers and writers.

The festival begins with a special Opening Night event on Friday 9 October and continues over the weekend of 10-11 October. We’d love to see you there.

Our subscribers will receive early bird access to the program and tickets. So if you’d like a first glimpse of what’s coming in October, subscribe now!

Watch the planning unfold

For glimpses of what’s coming, keep an eye on News and Events, follow our socials and subscribe to our Enews.

About Western Port Writes

Western Port Writes is a community-based literary festival in the Western Port region of the Mornington Peninsula. It is convened by a dedicated volunteer committee.

News & Events

Things are happening at Western Port Writes 2026. Keep an eye out here or on our socials.

Western Port Writes 2026

Western Port Writes Literary Festival returns in October 2026

Western Port Writes News 2026

Western Port Writes News 2026 is hot off the press

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Western Port Writes 2026 Festival Program and tickets are coming soon.Not long now!Don’t miss out on the news. Become a Subscriber and enjoy early bird access!Link in Bio🔗#WPW2026 #westernportwrites2026 #festivalprogramcomingsoon #festivalticketscomingsoon
SAVE THIS DATE!Put Sunday 30 August in your diary. We have something good coming! Something beautiful for the last Sunday in winter.Festival action is picking up.Festival Program releases on Monday 10 August. Tickets on sale then.Our subscribers get early access. What are you waiting for? You know where the link is! 🔗#WPW26 #westernportwrites2026 #readersandwriters #sharingstories
Author RevealsThese unique storytellers are joining us in October. We’re so excited to welcome them at WPW26.Josh Neille, Victoria Brownlee, Tyson Yunkaporta and Melissa Manning will be sharing their stories, their writing and what inspires their creativity. See them in conversation or an author panel.The Festival Program launches in August and tickets go on sale. Subscribe to our newsletter for early bird access. Link in bio.#WPW26 #westernportwrites2026 #readersandwriters #sharingstoriesAUTHOR SPOTLIGHTWildlife carer Josh Neille, based in Victoria, is dedicating his life to rescuing and rehabilitating native animals. Specialising in wombats, he also cares for kangaroos, turtles, possums, emus, birds of prey, and other native birds, while safely catching and managing snakes and reptiles. His work blends hands-on care with a strong focus on education, inspiring others to respect and protect Australia’s unique wildlife.With his family by his side, Josh believes the next generation is key, actively involving kids in the journey to foster compassion, awareness, and a lifelong connection to the natural world.We’re so looking forward to hearing about his life, and his book Growing Up Wombat.@joshneille11 #growingupwombat @affirmpressAUTHOR SPOTLIGHTVictoria Brownlee is an international food writer and editor, currently based in Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula. She started writing about food over a decade ago, first as a blogger and then as the Food & Drink Editor at Time Out Shanghai.Her novels include Fromage à Trois, Brioche in the Oven, Eat Your Heart Out and the latest, a thriller, The Writers Retreat.Food and crime - an intriguing combination! We can’t wait.@victoria_brownlee #thewritersretreat @affirmpressAUTHOR SPOTLIGHTTyson Yunkaporta belongs to the Apalech Clan in FNQ, is a researcher at Deakin University and author of the significant Sand Talk trilogy. He investigates complex issues of global catastrophic risk using Indigenous systems knowledge and methods of inquiry. He will be sharing this knowledge in conversation. We are delighted to welcome Tyson to WPW26.#tysonyunkaporta #sandtalktrilogy #sandtalk #snake
May we have your attention please?We’re excited to reveal some of the authors appearing in October at WPW2026.What a thrill it is to announce Chris Flynn, Claire Thomas, Caroline Parker and Michael Winkler. We will be sharing more author news in the coming weeks. This year’s festival lineup has something for everyone - readers and writers.The 2026 Festival Program launches in August with tickets on sale. Subscribe to our newsletter for early bird access. Link in bio.#westernportwrites2026 #WPW26 #readersandwriters #sharingstoriesAUTHOR SPOTLIGHTBorn in Belfast, Chris Flynn now lives in a small town in regional Victoria. He is the author of Orpheus Nine, Mammoth, The Glass Kingdom and A Tiger in Eden, the story collection Here Be Leviathans, and three books for children in association with Museums Victoria.Chris’s books have been shortlisted for and won prizes including the Indie Book Award, Commonwealth Book Prize, Russell Prize for Humour, Queensland Premier’s Literary Award and Aurealis Award. Most recently he won Best Horror Novel 2025 for Orpheus Nine.We can’t wait to chat with Chris about his latest book.@flythefalcon #mammoth #orpheusnine @hachetteausAUTHOR SPOTLIGHTClaire Thomas’s debut novel, Fugitive Blue, won the Dobbie Award for Women Writers and was longlisted for the Miles Franklin Literary Award. Her second novel, The Performance, was published internationally in 2021; it was also longlisted for the Miles Franklin and and shortlisted for the Christina Stead Prize for Fiction in the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards.Claire’s latest novel, the evocative On Not Climbing Mountains, published in 2026, was written with the support of a residency at the Fondation Jan Michalski in Montricher, Switzerland.Claire holds a PhD from the University of Melbourne and has worked as a mentor, lecturer, supervisor, and teacher for many years.We’re so looking forward to exploring books and writing with Claire.@drclaireet #theperformance #onnotclimbingmountains @hachetteausAUTHOR SPOTLIGHTCaroline Parker is a degree-qualified herbalist, author, award winning tea blender, and the voice behind The Cottage Herbalist.
📰 FESTIVAL NEWSSpecial delivery! Our latest Festival Magazine is hot off the press. There’s a LINK in bio.Inside, there’s some great reading along with festival updates and how to get involved.We share a sneak peek at some of the brilliant authors coming to the festival in October; there’s an interview with Peninsula-based writer Victoria Brownlee; and news of an exciting project that shines a light on our beautiful Western Port Bay. And there’s a profile of Tilly Fay, who has created the glorious illustration on the magazine cover.Our Festival Program will be launching in August, so if you’d like early bird access, subscribe to the Enews. Meanwhile, enjoy the magazine - happy reading.The festival is on the horizon now and we’re excited to be sharing more author announcements in coming weeks. And watch for some special lead-up events as we roll towards October!Thanks to our Festival Partners @ourpeninsula @mornpenartsandculture @communitybankbalnarring And our Community and Business supporters for their generous backing. We are on our way.Shout out to @just_press_print for their great work.#WPW2026 #westernportwritesliteraryfestival #readersandwriters @tillyalicefay
More memories of Dinner with Lisa Millar, a fabulous night of warm conversation, great food, delicious wine, in a perfect coastal setting.Thanks to Lisa and Belinda Hawkins for a night to remember.Photos by Grahame Tiplady. 🙏👏👏@lisamillartv @belinda5698 @somersyachtclub @moreishcatering @mantonscreekestate @petersens_bookstore @iliveinsomers @westernportwrites
Dinner with Lisa Millar was an outstanding night of brilliant, entertaining and empathetic conversation between two award-winning journalists and gifted women. Lisa Millar and Belinda Hawkins have both navigated reporting from overseas postings, covering major news stories - and the worst that life has to offer - yet emerged with spirits intact.From her early years Lisa was spellbound by the idea of a career in journalism, interviewing family and friends as a child in a small country town. Her fear of flying developed gradually, despite her father fulfilling his dream of flying and aviation being a large part of her childhood. She talked movingly about the pressures of reporting on stories where ‘you see the worst’ and filter it so viewers can see an acceptable version of the news. And the pressure cooker of breakfast television where the trolls are a daily reality. And the need she felt to fight back. Now, she has ‘one of the best roles in TV’, reminding us that life is beautiful in stories from Back Roads and Muster Dogs. Which is now in production in the US. A masterful interview by Belinda Hawkins and a delightfully warm and funny cameo appearance by Lisa’s fiancé Simon.Lisa’s favourite song Wake Me Up When It’s All Over, is her reflection on living her dreams. And coming through both bad and good times. What an impressive, insightful, warm, empathetic and humane woman she is. How lucky we were to spend an evening in such great company.A packed house at Somers Yacht Club, with delicious Moreish food, sparkling wine from Mantons Creek Estate, and a huge queue after to chat with Lisa and take home her books from Petersen’s pop up bookstore.Thanks to to Lisa for generously sharing stories; to Belinda Hawkins for stellar work; to our audience; to the amazing WPW committee, the Somers Craft group, and to so many volunteers who created a night to remember.And deep thanks to our festival partners, @mornpenartsandculture @communitybankbalnarring and event partners and supporters @petersens_bookstore @somersyachtclub @mantonscreekestate #vinesbyclark @thestudiosomers @mess_of_mind @moreishcatering @cosmic_sound_and_lighting
SOLD OUTTickets for Dinner with Lisa Millar have been sold. We can’t wait to welcome Lisa and hear her in conversation with Belinda Hawkins.If you missed out there’s more in store, so stay tuned for future Western Port Writes events, program reveals in coming weeks, and our program launch in August. And, drumroll, WPW26 in October.Western Port Writes Literary Festival 10-11 October 2026Exciting times ahead.#WPW26 @lisamillartv @belinda5698 #musterdogs #backroads #conversationswithwriters #readersandwriters
DINNER WITH LISA MILLARHave you booked your tickets? They’re nearly gone! Last chance. Don’t get left on the beach.Host of the ABC’s much-loved Muster Dogs and Back Roads, Lisa Millar, in conversation with journalist Belinda Hawkins. Join us for a night of sparkling storytelling and fabulous food.WHEN: Saturday 30 May 6.30pm WHERE: Somers Yacht Club 🔗 Booking link in BioBeautiful art by Tilly Fay @mess_of_mind@westernportwrites @lisamillartv @belinda5698