T
he Williamstown Literary Festival returns from 12 to 14 June with a new programming team, a broad theme centred around “Reflections”, and conversations expected around censorship, reading habits and creativity in the digital age.
This year’s festival is being led by Alice Reid and Rita Horanyi, both working on Willy Lit Fest for the first time. Reid is a librarian at Williamstown High School’s Bayview Campus, as well as a writer and founder of the online literary magazine Two Wolves Digest.
Speaking with Nikhil Suresh, Reid discussed this year’s programme, younger readers, AI and why literary festivals still matter in local communities.
Below are edited excerpts from the interview.
What’s the vision behind this year’s Williamstown Literary Festival, and how does it differ from previous years?
The theme for Willy Lit Fest in 2026 is Reflections, which we interpreted quite broadly whilst programming the festival. Reflections was a good fit because of Williamstown’s seaside aspect (ie, reflections on water). It also provides space for discussions about the state of the world, and how art and literature acts as a mirror.
This is the first year Rita Horanyi (program co-director) and I have worked for Willy Lit Fest, so I can’t say for certain how it will differ from previous years. But we were keen to program with a theme in mind, which the festival didn’t have last year.
We also wanted to bring our own individual skills and experience to the line-up. For Rita, that included current issues and programming specifically to a place/location. For me, it was programming for younger people (kids, teens and adults in the 18-35 bracket).
What kinds of conversations or themes do you think audiences are most interested in this year?
I think freedom of speech and censorship in the arts will be a big one. Especially considering what has happened at other writers’ festivals in the past year – particularly the boycotts at Bendigo Writers Festival and Adelaide Writers Week.
How important is the festival to the local Williamstown and Melbourne west community?
It’s important. Festivals like Willy Lit Fest draw in people from all over the city, so it’s a great opportunity to showcase Williamstown. The festival also gives local writers a platform alongside nationally-recognised names.
Writers’ festivals in general are important because reading and writing are often solitary pursuits. When we hold festivals celebrating literature, it’s suddenly a lively, social thing.
Have you noticed changes in reading habits or audience demographics over recent years, especially among younger people?
Yes and no (sorry this answer is going to be long because I have lots of thoughts about it!).
I think people get very alarmist about the “kids not reading”, and it’s true that there are more (digital) distractions in 2026… but people have been saying “kids don’t read anymore” since I was a kid in the mid-90s. There’s always something that pulls people away from sitting with a book.
In my experience as a school librarian, I see so many Year 7s who emerge from primary school as enthusiastic readers, only to abandon reading completely by Year 9. I’m not too worried about it – a lot of them will return to reading when they’re adults and they have the headspace for it.
Having said that, it’s vital during those years to keep books and reading visible, and to frame it as a good and enjoyable thing. And digital distractions and dwindling attention spans are something we’re all battling right now, not just young people.
There are also many, many older teens and people in their twenties who can now discover books via online avenues (e.g BookTok), which is great, but this isn’t quite reflected in the demographic attending writers’ festivals – it’s usually an older crowd. I imagine this is because older people have the money to spend at a writers’ festival, and also because writers’ festivals are often programmed with an older crowd in mind. It will be interesting to see if this changes over the next decade or so.
What do you hope people take away from the festival after attending the sessions and events?
I hope they are entertained and learn something new about their community, both local and global. I also hope they are inspired to read/buy/support the work of writers on the line-up.
Do you think advancing technologies like AI is changing the way people think about writing, storytelling and creativity? Has that come up in this year’s festival discussions at all?
Yes, generative AI is changing the way people think about writing, creativity and storytelling. It raises an interesting question for the writer/artist about what’s important here – the creative process or the end result? If you’re someone who loves the process of writing and creating, there’s no joy in producing an AI-written book. Why would you do it? There are smarter ways to make money. And as for the end result, AI can only take it so far. If we all produced AI-generated books, we’d just be regurgitating the same stories over and over again.
AI might be disrupting creative industries right now, but people will always write/create for the love of it, and to have their own voice/story be heard. AI can’t replace either of those things.
We don’t have any events at this year’s festival that are specifically about AI, but we do have an event called Eulogy to the Internet. This will be a reading performance from four writers on the state of the internet … what it used to be, what it has become, and whether we can fix it. There will likely be mentions of AI slop.
Support independent community journalism. Support The Indian Sun.
Follow The Indian Sun on X | Instagram | Facebook
Support Independent Community Journalism
Dear Reader,The Indian Sun exists for one reason: to tell stories that might otherwise go unheard.
We report on local councils, state politics, small businesses and cultural festivals. We focus on the Indian diaspora and the wider multicultural community with care, balance and accountability. We publish in print and online, send regular newsletters and produce video content. We also run media training programs to help community organisations share their own stories.
We operate independently.
Community journalism does not have the backing of large media corporations. Advertising revenue fluctuates. Platform algorithms change. Costs continue to rise. Yet the need for credible, grounded reporting in a multicultural Australia has never been greater.
When you support The Indian Sun, you support:
• Independent reporting on issues affecting migrant communities
• Coverage of local and state decisions that shape daily life
• A platform for small businesses and community groups
• Media training that builds skills within the community
• Journalism accountable to readers
We cannot cover everything, but we work to cover what matters.
If you value thoughtful reporting that reflects Australia’s diversity, we invite you to contribute. Every donation helps us maintain the quality and consistency of our work.
Please consider making a contribution today.
Thank you for your support.
The Indian Sun Team
