Five awesome reasons to head along to Clunes Booktown Festival

This article is sponsored by Clunes Booktown Festival

The much-loved Clunes Booktown Festival returns May 5-6, celebrating books, great conversation and the big ideas that come from them. 

Festival-goers can discover the largest collection of rare, out-of-print and collectible books in Australia, go inside heritage buildings, listen to live music, watch street performers, visit exhibitions, and immerse themselves in this celebration of books and great conversations.

Listen to live author talks from the likes of Richard Flanagan, Eddie Ayres, Jaclyn Moriarty, enjoy food and wine and keep the kids busy at the kids festival precinct. Weekend passes just $10 for adults, $5 for students and kids are free. 

Here are five not-to-be-missed reasons to join the fun. 

From ‘Crime in the Country’ to ‘Writing and Rewriting the Refugee Experience’, this year’s festival sees a host of leading Australian authors unpack and debate topical and challenging issues that impact many of us.

With speakers including Jaclyn Moriarty (The Extremely Inconvenient Adventures of Bronte Mettlestone), Emma Viskic (Resurrection Bay) and Mark Brandi (Wimmera), these panels promise to deliver insights into the minds and lives of the people behind some of our favourite books.

Tickets for these panels are just $10 for adults and $5 for students and children.

Have you ever wanted to ask a question of the author of one of your favourite books? ‘What was their reason for that ending?’ or ‘how did they actually feel about that character?’. At the Clunes Booktown Festival, you get the chance.

Over the two days, you can book into featured author talks, where the likes of Richard Flanagan (The Narrow Road to the Deep North), David Ritter (Greenpeace CEO and author of The Coal Truth: The Fight to Stop Adani, Defeat the Big Polluters and Reclaim Our Democracy), Eddie Ayres (Danger Music) and Josephine Wilson (Extinctions) will be taking to the stage.

These talks also give you the chance to go inside two of Clunes’ distinct, historic Gold Rush era buildings: the grand Clunes Town Hall and the just-refurbished Free Lending Library.

Tickets for these talks are just $10 for adults and $5 for students and children.

And of course, there are a host of talks that are free with your festival pass: be sure to visit The Fed Uni stage, The International Stage and the local pub, The National Hotel.

From the poignant memorial scrapbooks of a father mourning a son killed in France, to rare war and conscription ephemera, State Library Victoria presents manuscript and printed collections that document and commemorate the later years of WWI. Learn the stories of Victorians in WWI, and make your own ANZAC flag or attestation paper to take home.

There’s The Victorian Bookbinders’ Guild, who will give you a glimpse into the art, craft and practice of bookbinding, both contemporary and historical. If you have a book that needs repairing, why not bring it along for an assessment?

Entry into the Bluestone is free.

There are two big days of entertainment for the little ones at this year’s festival.

Are you a young author in the making? Visit the travelling Creative Write-it studio and follow the prompts to write and publish your very own mini- book to take home and keep.

The award winning Clunes-based physical theatre company Asking for Trouble will present a short excerpt of their new show for families, plus see Stopwatch Magician Aiden McHarg, take a guess in the kids book trivia and listen to an author reading.

And don’t forget to come along dressed as your favourite character from a book. There will be spot prizes handed out by our roving judges. All ages welcome to participate!

With more than 65 book traders nestled into the historic streetscape, including a Readings’ marquee with author book signings, good food and live music - we can’t think of a much better way to spend our weekend. Bring those empty shopping bags or trolleys to take home plenty of book bargains.

For tickets and more information, go to clunesbooktown.com.au.

This article is sponsored by Clunes Booktown Festival