Council Helps Save Tonnes of Rubbish from Landfill at Byron Writers Festival

By Jeff Gibbs

The Byron Writers Festival made a significant environmental impact this year, thanks to Byron Shire Council’s ‘Move to Reuse’ initiative, which successfully prevented 26 wheelie bins worth of rubbish from ending up in landfill. Over the three-day festival, an impressive 18,000 items were washed and reused, underscoring the effectiveness of the initiative.

In partnership with Green My Plate, the Council replaced single-use packaging with reusable plates, cups, and bowls throughout the event. This move not only reduced waste but also garnered positive feedback from festival-goers, who appreciated the shift towards sustainability.

“We were excited to have the Byron Writers Festival work with us to make this happen, and we’ve received so much positive feedback about it,” said Sarah Child, Council’s Resource Recovery Strategy and Engagement Officer. “People don’t want to be given takeaway cups or plates anymore. They told us they felt relieved and happy to be offered reusable cups and plates at the festival, and it was easy to return them to have them washed.”

Ms. Child highlighted the environmental costs of single-use food packaging, noting that such items are used for only a short time but require significant resources to produce, only to end up in landfill.

This initiative aligns with the Council’s new Single-use Packaging and Materials Policy, which took effect in June 2024 for internal Council operations. Starting December 2024, all events held on Council-owned land will be required to comply with this policy, marking a significant step towards sustainability in the region.

“Through this Policy, Byron Shire Council will be leading the way in the transition to circular systems,” Ms. Child added. “Events like the Byron Writers Festival show what’s possible on a large scale, and when you can stop 18,000 throwaway items from being used and going to landfill, it’s pretty exciting.”

Looking ahead, the Council plans to collaborate with local Farmers Markets and the Sample Festival to implement similar reusable initiatives, encouraging the broader community to join the move towards reuse.

For more information on Byron Shire Council’s Single-use Packaging and Materials Policy, please visit the Council’s website.

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Byron Writers Festival 2024 Wraps Up with Resounding Success

The Byron Writers Festival 2024, held from August 9-11, concluded on a high note, celebrating a remarkable turnout and an impressive lineup of events. Hosted at the picturesque Bangalow Showground on Bundjalung Country, the festival welcomed eager crowds with a warm introduction from Arakwal woman Delta Kay. With the theme “From the Ground Up,” the festival featured over 160 writers and speakers across six stages, making it one of the largest programs in its history.

This year’s festival attracted nearly 10,000 attendees, marking an 18% increase in box office takings compared to the previous year. The event offered 130 sessions on the festival grounds, five workshops, eight feature and satellite events, and a two-day schools program catering to primary and secondary students.

The festival bookstore, The Book Room Collective, saw impressive sales, with the top ten bestsellers being:

1. The Alternatives by Caoilinn Hughes
2. Question 7 by Richard Flanagan
3. Balcony Over Jerusalem by John Lyons (reissue)
4. The Forever War: America’s Unending Conflict with Itself by Nick Bryant
5. Thera by Bob Brown
6. Stone Yard Devotional by Charlotte Wood (2024 Booker Prize longlisted)
7. The Forest Wars: The Ugly Truth About What’s Happening in Our Tall Forests by David Lindenmayer
8. Bright Shining: How Grace Changes Everything by Julia Baird
9. Prima Facie by Suzie Miller
10. Sassafras by Rebecca Huntley (launched at the festival)

Trent Dalton’s Lola in the Mirror and Chigozie Obioma’s The Road to the Country tied for 11th place.

Jessica Alice, the festival’s new Artistic Director, expressed her delight with the event’s success: “I’m thrilled with this year’s festival, my first as Artistic Director. It was a joy to bring some of the world’s best writers to the festival and see so many delighted readers in packed marquees, enjoying stimulating conversations and great vibes. I thank the writers, our fantastic volunteers and staff, and the wonderful Northern Rivers community for coming out in droves and making the weekend truly magical.”

The festival was filled with memorable moments, including a sold-out evening feature with Bob Brown and Jan Fran, and a standing ovation for the “For The Earth” panel featuring Richard Flanagan, David Lindenmayer, Ali Cobby Eckermann, and Sue Higginson. John Lyons also received high praise for his discussion of Balcony Over Jerusalem.

Food writing was a festival highlight, with Kon Karapanagiotidis’s Greek cookbook A Seat at My Table: Philoxenia and Bundjalung chef Mindy Woods’s Karkalla At Home resonating with audiences. Bruce Pascoe’s sessions on his new novel Imperial Harvest and his insights on literary cultural touchstones were also well received.

Trent Dalton captivated audiences with his discussion of Lola in the Mirror alongside Julia Baird, and Kate Ceberano’s spontaneous performance with Mandy Nolan added a musical touch to the festival.

Caoilinn Hughes’s The Alternatives topped the festival’s book sales, with Hughes engaging in a lively conversation with Bri Lee and later interviewing Nam Le about his poetry collection 36 Ways of Writing a Vietnamese Poem.

Other standout sessions included ABC Chair Kim Williams’s candid interview with Kerry O’Brien about the national broadcaster, and O’Brien’s conversation with Richard Flanagan on Question 7. International guests Leo Vardiashvili and Chigozie Obioma provided powerful insights into the civil wars in their homelands of Georgia and Nigeria, respectively.

Sports fans enjoyed a session with AFL legend Nicky Winmar and cultural leader Rhoda Roberts discussing “Aboriginal Sporting Heroes,” with Winmar also sharing stories from his memoir My Story.

The festival concluded on a high note with the “Kids Big Day Out,” keeping families entertained despite Sunday’s rain. The weekend ended with a harmonious singalong led by Midnight Oil’s Jim Moginie and the local Shire Choir, leaving patrons with unforgettable memories.

The Byron Writers Festival 2024 has once again proven itself to be a cornerstone event in Australia’s literary calendar, bringing together a vibrant community of writers, readers, and thinkers in a celebration of literature and culture.

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Byron Writers Festival 2024 Program Announced

Australia’s largest regional writers’ festival, the Byron Writers Festival, has announced its full program for 2024, scheduled for August 9-11. This year’s theme, ‘From the ground up,’ will be explored by 160 writers, including notable figures such as Trent Dalton, Richard Flanagan, Jane Harper, Melissa Lucashenko, Charlotte Wood, Bruce Pascoe, Bob Brown, Julia Baird, Nam Le, Ali Cobby Eckermann, Lynette Noni, Bryan Brown, Tony Birch, William McInnes, Chigozie Obioma, Caoilinn Hughes, Tayi Tibble, Meena Kandasamy, Louise Milligan, Kim Williams, Kerry O’Brien, and many others.

The festival, set in the picturesque Bundjalung Country in Bangalow, near Byron Bay, offers writing workshops, book launches, a children’s program, and events across the Northern Rivers region. Jessica Alice, the incoming Artistic Director, curated the 2024 program, emphasising the theme’s focus on community mobilisation and new beginnings.

International and Bestselling Authors

Among the international guests are Chigozie Obioma, a two-time Booker Prize finalist; Caoilinn Hughes, a significant Irish literary voice; Leo Vardiashvili, a UK-based novelist; Meena Kandasamy, an Indian activist; and award-winning Maori poet Tayi Tibble.

Featured Conversations and Panels

• Trent Dalton in conversation with Julia Baird
• Charlotte Wood and Ailsa Piper on grief and forgiveness
• Richard Flanagan on his memoir Question 7
• David Marr on colonial myths
• Steph Tisdell on writing with humor
• Crime Writers: Jane Harper, Candice Fox, Matthew Condon, Bryan Brown in conversation with Jennifer Byrne

Memoir and Music

• Kon Karapanagiotidis‘s Greek kitchen
• Priya Nadesalingam’s Home to Biloela
• Nicky Winmar‘s stand against racism
• Gideon Haigh on his brother’s loss
• Rebecca Huntley‘s memoir Sassafras
• Jim Moginie and Kate Ceberano on the music industry
• Suzie Miller on her play Prima Facie
• William McInnes‘s memories of Australia

L-R (Row 1) Tayi Tibble, Trent Dalton, Kate Ceberano, Bob Brown, Meena Kandasamy, Bruce Pascoe. (Row 2) James Bradley, Steph Tisdell, Richard Flanagan, Jennifer Byrne, Chigozie Obioma, Julia Baird.

Climate and Environment

Special events feature Bob Brown, Richard Flanagan, David Lindenmayer, Ali Cobby Eckermann, and Sue Higginson discussing environmental topics. Other speakers include James Bradley, Joelle Gergis, and Daniel Harrison.

Politics and Media

• Nick Bryant, John Lyons, and Meena Kandasamy on the ‘Mega Election Year’
• Kim Williams AM and Kerry O’Brien on the ABC’s future
• Amy McQuire, Louise Milligan, Nick Bryant, and Julianne Schultz on press freedom

Northern Rivers Writers

Over 40 local writers are featured, including Daniel Browning, Mykaela Saunders, Jodi Rodgers, Isabelle Reinecke, Mindy Woods, Annika Johansson, Mandy Nolan, and Rhoda Roberts AO.

Feature Events

Evening events include ‘Bob Brown in Conversation’ with Jan Fran and the festival keynote ‘Gala: From the ground up’. Other events feature William McInnes, Steph Tisdell, Ali Cobby Eckermann, Jim Moginie, and ‘Electric Poetics’ with Tayi Tibble, Meena Kandasamy, Nam Le, Jazz Money, Mitch King, and Nicole Smede.

Young Adult and Kids Programs

YA fiction fans can look forward to appearances by Lynette Noni, Lili Wilkinson, Steph Tisdell, and Graham Akhurst. The Kids Big Day Out program on Sunday morning features presentations by Bob Brown, Kate & Jol Temple, Peter Carnavas, and Matt Stanton, along with StorySpace workshops.

Festival Dates and Tickets

Byron Writers Festival 2024 will take place from August 9-11 at the Bangalow Showground and various venues.

Tickets are now on sale now.

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