Booklovers Festival celebrates the written word

Yarra Plenty Regional Library is thinking outside the box for its eleventh Booklovers Festival. And it has a special treat in store for readers who love chocolate.

Anne Das with some books and chocolate for the reading event at Ivanhoe Library. Picture: George Salpigtidis.

The Yarra Plenty Regional Library is kicking off its Booklovers Festival to celebrate local creativity, writers and books across Melbourne’s north.

There are lots of fun and quirky events to attend, with more than 50 on offer across nine libraries in Banyule, Nillumbik and Whittlesea.

The Thomastown library invites people to design a panel for the community quilt while sharing stories.

Ivanhoe library boasts a tasting afternoon of chocolate matched with recommended reads with the suburb’s longest running book club and local trader The Chocolate Emporium.

The Diamond Valley Library will host a silent garden reading party where attendees can relax with a cup of tea and read.

Anne Das and Noel Swails gear up for Yarra Plenty Libraries book festival. Picture: George Salpigtidis

The 11th annual festival also hosts author workshops and panel discussions with authors Patrick deWitt, Kate Mildenhall and Favel Parret.

The Booklovers Festival is directed by Melbourne author and Yarra Plenty Regional Library’s reading and literacy co-ordinator Sarah Schmidt.

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Ms Schmidt said the festival’s inventive programming was designed to spark creativity and connections among its diverse community and break down barriers between the audience and writers.

“There is so much creativity and undiscovered writing talent bubbling in the suburbs and we’re excited to spotlight local and emerging writers throughout the festival,” Ms Schmidt said.

The festival runs September 6 to 21.

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