WPW 2024 Festival Program Coming Soon
The WPW 2024 Festival Program and ticket sales open on Monday 8 July 2024. There is something for everyone, no matter your age or reading tastes. There’s a wonderful lineup of writers, creatives and presenters, in conversations, panels, workshops and special events.
- The 2024 Festival Program and ticket bookings open on Monday 8 July 2024
- Day Passes will be available for Friday, Saturday and Sunday (limited numbers)
- Single tickets will be available for each event, until sold out
- There will be some Free events and Special events. Bookings essential.
Put Monday 8 July in your diary and check back here to download your copy of the Festival Program, explore festival events and start booking.
We can’t wait to welcome you in September!
Western Port Writes, Literary Festival
Frequently Asked Questions
THE FESTIVAL
Western Port Writes runs from Friday 6 September to Sunday 8 September 2024.
The festival is taking place on the Mornington Peninsula, in the Western Port Bay region. Festival sessions are in Bittern (Friday), Balnarring (Friday night), Somers (Saturday and Sunday). Review the Festival Program for maps and venue details.
The festival program will bee availalble, both to view and download, on the website on July 8
You can find free printed programs at Somers General Store, Tulum Store Balnarring, Petersens Bookstore, Farrells Bookshop, Flinders General Store, Community Bank Balnarring, Hastings Library, Somerville Library, Mornington Library, Rosebud Book Barn, Antipodes Bookshop Sorrento and selected other places.
WRITERS & PRESENTERS
We have invited emerging and established, fiction and nonfiction writers, creatives and presenters to join the festival. Our theme is Celebrating Stories, and in our inaugural year we are shining a spotlight on many of the talented local writers in our patch of the peninsula. Participating writers come from the Western Port region of the Mornington Peninsula and beyond.
There is a full list of participating writers and presenters, and individual bios, on our website.
Yes, books will be for sale at each festival venue and authors will be signing books. Our official festival bookseller is Petersen’s Bookstore, Hastings.
TICKETING
Tickets will go on sale to the public from Monday 8 July 2024. Subscribers will receive access to tickets from Monday 1 July 2024. You must subscribe by Sunday 30 June to receive early access.
You can purchase tickets via the festival website. Simply go to the Book Tickets tab. You will be taken to festival events to purchase individual tickets; day passes; and tickets to special events.
Yes, you can purchase tickets at the festival box office on each festival day, if events are not sold out. Payment by cash or card.
Yes, you will need to present a digital or paper ticket to enter each session. Concessional ticket holders will also need to present proof of eligibility.
We’d like as many people as possible to attend and enjoy the festival weekend. There are various ticket prices and levels for sessions and events. These include day passes, single tickets, children’s tickets, special event tickets, concessional tickets, and some free events.
Yes. Concessional tickets are available for fulltime students and concession card holders (Health Care Card or Pension Cards only). Proof of eligibility is required, and valid cards must be presented on entry. There are no seniors discounts.
There are no seniors discounts. Concessional tickets are available for holders of valid cards.
Yes. A limited number of day passes are available for Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The day passes include access to the main panels, workshops or sessions during each day. Day passes exclude access to Free Events and Special Events – tickets for these must be booked separately.
Yes, some events are free to attend, but ticketed. This means you must book a ticket and present your ticket on entry. No entry to free events without a ticket.
Here are the free events. Bookings are essential:
Children’s session 1, Saturday 7 September at Coolart (free for children under 12)
Children’s session 2, Saturday 7 September at Coolart (free for children under 12)
Simone Callahan Q&A, Saturday 7 September, Coolart Homestead
There are three special events over the weekend:
Friday Night Community Storytime. A night of music and words as local read Letters to Western Port and listen to music from Owen Thomas and the Big Hats. Food vans will be onsite allowing guests to purchase dinner and refreshments.
Balnarring Hall, Friday 6 September, 6.30pm to 9.30pm (various ticket prices)
Official Festival Dinner – Crime Night. Enjoy a three-course meal and listen to crime writers Christian White and Vikki Petraitis discuss their works with Jon Faine.
Somers Yacht Club, Saturday 7 September, 6.30pm to 10pm ($110 per ticket)
Wine & Words. The festival closes with a panel of local winemakers discussing sustainability and wine production in the region. Includes a wine tasting.
Somers Yacht Club, Sunday 8 September, 3.30pm to 4.30pm ($40 per ticket)
Please see our Terms and Conditions for ticketing information.
You can buy tickets to all sessions and events via the festival website until they are sold out. If your preferred event is sold out, you can join a Wait List.
- Click on the event you’d like to book
- Enter the number of tickets you need at each pricing level
- Click on Next and enter your details
- At the Checkout screen enter your Booking and Payment details
- If you would like to book more tickets for the same event, click Buy More Tickets
- If you would like to see other Festival events, click Find Other Events
- When you are ready to finalise your order, agree to Terms & Conditions, and click Purchase
- Your tickets will be sent to your nominated email address once the booking is completed. If you do not see an email, please check spam.
To request a copy of lost tickets, please email: hello@westerportwrites.com.au
A booking fee of $0.50c is added to each ticket. This is a Trybooking fee, it is not levied by or passed on to Western Port Writes.
VENUES
The festival is being held at different venues over three days from Friday 6 September to Sunday 8 September. Here are the venue details:
Friday Day Sessions: Bittern Hall, 2426 Frankston-Flinders Rd Bittern
Friday Night Special Event: Balnarring Hall, 3035 Frankston-Flinders Rd, Balnarring
Saturday Day Sessions: Coolart Wetland and Homestead, 40 Lord Somers Rd, Somers
Coolart Observatory (Panels and conversations)
Coolart Homestead (Children’s sessions and Lunchtime Book Chat)
Saturday Night Special Event: Somers Yacht Club, 99 Alexandra Ave, Somers
Sunday All Sessions: Somers Yacht Club, 99 Alexandra Ave, Somers
Venues are generally accessible, see details below. Please let us know if you need assistance on the day.
Bittern Hall. Accessible. Disabled parking spaces are available. Car park behind hall or at adjacent shopping centre. Read more.
Balnarring Hall. Accessible. Disabled parking spaces are available. Read more.
Coolart Wetlands and Homestead Estate. Accessible. Wheel-chair friendly toilet. Limited disabled parking spaces are available. Read more.
Coolart Observatory. Access via stairs or a firm, gently sloping gravel path.
Coolart Homestead. Access to Homestead via small step – ramps available.
Somers Yacht Club. Accessible. Disabled parking spaces are available. Entry to building is via gravel car park and paths. There is a lift inside the building.
There is free car parking on site at each venue. If this is full, street parking is available.
There are no food shops at or near festival venues, except for Bittern Hall. You can pre-order and pre-pay for Lunch Boxes each day ($20), when you book tickets. There will be a coffee van selling drinks onsite at Coolart Homestead on Saturday and Somers Yacht Club on Sunday.
Coolart has picnic facilities and barbecues to use, if you would like to bring your own food.
NEED MORE HELP?
Please contact us at: hello@westernportwrites.com.au
