Looking for Alibrandi author Melina Marchetta at Whitsunday Voices Youth Literature Festival

A beloved Aussie writer talks all-things books and writing at Mackay’s premier youth literary festival. Her advice to parents and aspiring young writers might surprise you. WATCH THE VIDEO

Looking for Alibrandi author Melina Marchetta credits her mother for imbuing her with a love of reading.

“It was my mother just constantly handing me books saying ‘I read this book when I was younger’ and we were surrounded by books,” she said.

The beloved writer is in Mackay for the 2022 Whitsunday Voices Youth Literature Festival, which looks set to break attendance records.

An estimated 15,000 tickets have been sold and 5000 students and attendees will pass through the gates.

The festival kicked off at the Whitsunday Anglican School on Wednesday and continues through to Friday.

The literary extravaganza features a wide range of writers specialising in children’s and young adult literature, including star writer John Marsden, author of the popular ‘Tomorrow’ series.

The festival also features a poetry slam and short story competition before ending with a special dinner on Friday evening with keynote speaker Dr Richard Harris, the famed diver who played a leading role in the Tham Luang rescue in Thailand and has since written a children’s book.

Whitsunday Anglican School captain Charlie Webb stood with fellow student Lezaan du Plessis at the launch on Wednesday afternoon and said he was excited to see the authors in Mackay.

“I’m looking forward to seeing all the authors that are coming,” he said.

“I’m particularly looking forward to watching Dr (Richard) Harris and his presentation which will be really exciting and insightful to see.”

Author Jack Heath said the written word was not doomed in an age increasingly dominated by visual culture.

“Books are competing with so much stuff that they actually have to focus on the things that books can do that other mediums cannot,” he said.

“So for example, sensations.

“A screen is not going to show you how something smells or how it feels.

“It can only really give you how it looks and how it sounds.

“Other things like similes.

“A film can only show you a guy falling down the stairs whereas a book can say the man fell down the stairs and hit the ground like a dead rhinoceros.

“There are all of these extra comparisons and metaphors.”