August 17th, 2023Words to warm up this winter

In the 1990s, Em Ireland ran open mic events, combining poetry and music. Now, as director of the Words in Winter event, Em has loved calling in poets and friends “from back in the day” to be a part of the community festival, held on August 25, 26 and 27.
“Words in Winter is all about our community and its poets and authors, and people from further away, coming in to show how writing and poetry can be exciting.”
Em said she had worked on growing the festival and a gala launch would be held on the Saturday night with media legends Jon Faine and Marieke Hardy, at the Palais- Hepburn.
“I really do hope everyone comes to honour Jon Faine on Saturday, I am sure all of us would have had a chat to him on his radio show about bushfires or potholes over the past decade or so.
“It will be a gorgeous event and I really like the idea of the community coming together for these festivals. They can be honouring our potato farmers, our goats, our Swiss Italian heritage…our community is just so supportive.
“And it is really important that we get out from behind books, into a room and talking about them.”
Em said the festival started on Friday, August 25, the same day as Wear Purple Day, and that had been incorporated with author Erin Riley coming from Sydney to talk about gender diversity.
On the Saturday, there were many events from Women to the Front brunching, to workshops and poetry readings at venues including Paradise Books, Daylesford Hotel, Radius Art Gallery and Cliffy’s.
There are also events at Creswick, Trentham and Maryborough with free readings in the shire’s libraries and shadow puppetry performances.
Words in Winter was started by David Hall and his late wife Lorelle in 2001. Link: www.wordsinwinter.com