Reading and writing for life

Brimbank mayor Jasmine Nguyen is excited for the festival. (Damjan Janevski). 266477_03

Tara Murray

AFL premiership player Bachar Houli will help launch the Brimbank Writers and Readers Festival next month.

There will be 20 no-charge events held at the festival between March 17 and 26, with a number of different entertaining, insightful and inclusive events held across a number of locations.

Mr Houli will be the special guest at the launch event on March 17 at the Bowery Theatre in St Albans.

He will be speaking about his book, co-authored with acclaimed broadcaster and writer Waleed Aly, Bachar Houli: Faith, Football and Family.

Other highlights include a screening of Palazzo Di Cozzo, a new documentary about iconic western suburbs furniture king – Franco Cozzo.

The director of the documentary Madeleine Martiniello will join local storytellers and historians to discuss post-WWII migrants who made the west Intergenerational storytelling with a panel of authors who discuss the joy and complexity of multilingual and cultural stories, and why we need more diverse voices in Australian writing

There will be an evening with author and actor William McInnes as he shares stories and an author talk with Brimbank’s own Mia Gjoni, a 14-year-old writer who will celebrate the release of her second book.

Brimbank mayor Jasmine Nguyen said the festival which is in its 17th year and celebrates creativity and diversity and promotes life-long learning.

“This festival proudly shares the stories of individuals and groups that often have a harder time being heard. People with disability, the LGBTIQA+ community, youth, and those from CALD backgrounds … All have interesting and important stories to share.”

Tara Murray