Eumundi Writers’ Festival Director, Suzanne Campin, has hailed the inaugural festival as a success with good attendance numbers and ticket sales, several high-profile writers and an intimate atmosphere encouraging free speech.
‘I’m euphoric. It was the most amazing festival,’ Ms Campin said.
‘Eumundi as a village defined this event. The small village environment allowed people to have a really welcoming and inclusive experience.’
Free speech
Free speech was encouraged, unlike the Bendigo Writers Festival where dozens of writers withdrew this month after organisers sent them a code of conduct requiring them to ‘avoid language or topics that could be considered inflammatory, divisive or disrespectful’.
Ms Campin said the Eumundi Writers Festival placed no restrictions on free speech.
‘We are a community that welcomes all questions and opinions. We didn’t over curate the festival to pre-empt discussion. Some questions were a bit gritty but they allowed a lot of scope. The presenters and interviewers opened up discussions with the audiences to take topics as far as they could.’
Surprise Kevin Rudd appearance
Australia’s Ambassador to the United States, Kevin Rudd, opened the festival at Berkelouw Books Eumundi with a recorded address where he told the audience ‘great ideas don’t just come from the big cities, they come from regional towns like Eumundi’.
Auistralia’s Ambassador to the United States Kevin Rudd IMAGE supplied
Mr Rudd, who grew up in Nambour, south of Eumundi, said in a distracted and divided world, storytelling was more important than ever because it encouraged empathy.
‘Creativity doesn’t stop at the city limits and regional communities often nurture the most grounded voices in national debates,’ he said.
The Eumundi Writers Festival hosted writers including Nikki Gemmell, Kris Olsson, Gillian Wills and Tony Wellington and ABC Radio Sunshine Coast presenters Sheridan Stewart and Annie Gaffney.
Author Nikki Gemmell. IMAGE: supplied
Topics ranged from the impact of AI on writers, memoir and ‘truth’, Kidlit and illustrating.
Author Kris Olsson discussed memoir. IMAGE: Charmaine Lyons
Brisbane-based publishing company Hawkeye Books owner Carolyn Martinez discussed a new model of publishing where the author and publisher share the cost.
Author of My Dilly Bag, Aunty Dale Chapman, discussed the perfect recipe for writing a cookbook. First Nations writer Kerry Neill discussed writing about culturally sensitive topics.
There was a poetry slam with Amy Ocean, a short story competition and meet the author sessions.
Poet Amy Ocean hosted the Poetry Slam. IMAGE: Charmaine Lyons
Ms Campin said several hundred people were involved with the festival including volunteers, presenters and guests at 33 events.
She hoped the Eumundi Writers Festival would have long lasting effects on participants and the local community.
‘The magic of this event was the engagement between the writers and the audiences. I hope people left the festival with new ideas and are starting conversations about things that really matter.’
The Eumundi Writers Festival was held from 22 to 24 August 2025.
IMAGE at top of story of festival organisers Suzanne and David Campin (right, in blue) with festival crowd by Charmaine Lyons
