The annual Whitsunday Voices Youth Literature Festival will return in 2021 after a pandemic cancellation, and has almost sold out of its 5000 tickets
The hugely popular two-day event is back after COVID-19 cancellations stopped the festival.
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Thousands of tickets have already sold for this year's Whitsunday Voices Youth Literature Festival after the event was cancelled in 2020.
Hosted by the Whitsunday Anglican School, the two-day festival was launched in 2003 in an attempt to promote literacy skills in a fun and competitive environment.
Mackay Regional Council mayor Greg Williamson officially launched the festival on Friday, and said it was a "terrific event".
"It has been a festival of celebration in getting young people back to the pages," Cr Williamson said.
"For Whitsunday Anglican School to host this event for 17 years is a great achievement.
"More importantly it focuses on the youth of our community, to get them involved in reading, and to see it still going and thriving 17 years on is an amazing achievement."
Up to 65 schools will take part in the festival in July, from Kilcummin Creek to Bowen, with authors and artists travelling from across the country to lead workshops and perform for the students.
School principal Andrew Wheaton said it was an "impressive feat for the school to be able to contribute to the community".
"Community is what truly defines Mackay, it's what truly defines our region," he said.
"This event is by far my favourite event of the year, the campus really transforms into an immersive literary world.
"As a parent, I saw my children develop a real love of literature, and now I see books piled high beside their bed, heads buried in a novel each night, not wanting to go to sleep."
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Wheaton said the promotion of the festival helped in the development of students' desire to bypass mobile phones and televisions, and instead reach for a book.
"We live in an age of self-absorbed technology, but now we're seeing our students able to engage in age-old pursuit in reading, and who thought we'd say that," he said.
"They can physically feel the novel in their hands, and hear the swish of a page as they turn to another world."
The Whitsunday Voices event will be held on July 15-16, with tickets in high demand.
Interested attendees are urged to buy their tickets now to avoid disappointments. Click here to secure yours.
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Originally published as The annual Whitsunday Voices Youth Literature Festival will return in 2021 after a pandemic cancellation, and has almost sold out of its 5000 tickets
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