Whitsundays Writers Festival Announces Keynote Speaker
Airlie Beach QLD, 5 May 2025 – Following an outstanding response to the 2024 Festival, the Whitsundays Writers Festival is proud to announce the first of our featured authors, for our 2025 immersive celebration for writers, readers, and lovers of story. The festival is overjoyed to announce our From the Heart Keynote presenter for 2025, Dr Anita Heiss. An internationally published, award-winning author of 25 books, she is a proud member of the Wiradyuri Nation of central NSW, an Ambassador for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation and Professor of Communications at the University of Queensland.
Anita’s adult fiction includes Manhattan Dreaming, Paris Dreaming and Tiddas which she adapted for the stage. Her novel Barbed Wire and Cherry Blossoms was shortlisted for the QLD Literary Awards and longlisted for the Dublin International Literary Prize. Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray won the 2022 NSW Premier’s Literary Prize for Indigenous Writing, was shortlisted for the 2021 HNSA ARA Historical Novel (Adult Category) and longlisted for the 2022 Stella Prize.
Karen Jacobsen, the Festival Chair, expressed her excitement, stating, “We are over the moon Dr Anita Heiss has agreed to join us for our 2025 festival. It’s rare for regional Queenslanders to have the opportunity to meet renowned national and international writers. This is an important event for the Whitsundays and a golden opportunity for readers and writers to visit the heart of the Great Barrier Reef at one of the most ideal times of year.”
The festival, spanning three days from Friday, September 12, to Sunday, September 14, 2025, will also feature the prestigious Whitsundays Literary Heart Awards. The Heart Awards provide well-deserved recognition and financial and prize awards to talented writers for best unpublished manuscript and short story. Submissions for the Heart Awards are now open until July 14, 2025.
“This event will bring together creative minds in the picturesque setting of the Whitsundays. What better place to immerse yourself in the brilliance of Australian literature?” remarked Karen. “I strongly advise securing your place at the festival and booking accommodation early to fully enjoy the wonders of the Whitsundays while indulging in the myriad of events the festival has to offer.”
Make sure to mark your calendars for this unforgettable literary experience and stay tuned for further exciting announcements and author profiles as the festival approaches. “The support of the Roderick Centre for Australian Literature and Creative Writing at James Cook University makes our Heart Award Best Unpublished Manuscript possible in 2025 with a $2500 First Prize and we thank them for their partnership. We are proud to continue our presence offering an Australian regional writers’ competition,” Karen affirmed.
“Our festival stands as an example forrecognising and rewarding creative talent and fostering a culture that champions the contribution of writers.”
Aspiring, emerging, and seasoned writers are encouraged to review submission guidelines available on the festival’s website, ensuring compliance to entry requirements. There are no geographic limitations other than being an Australian citizen or resident.
A well-regarded panel of judges comprising readers, writers, and thinkers will evaluate submissions to identify exceptional works worthy of recognition. Submissions are now open. Writers of all ages, and at all stages of their careers are invited to participate in the Heart Awards by submitting their work for consideration. Complete details, deadlines, and submission forms are accessible on the Whitsundays Writers Festival website.