Wednesday, 2 April 2025

 Katie HALL (Footscray) (09:43): I am delighted to thank the organisers of the inaugural Footscray West Writers Fest, who this past weekend put on a brilliant event in our community celebrating the stories of our history and our sense of place in the inner west. What a thrill it was to be among hundreds of inner westies listening to two authors I admire greatly, Helen Garner and Bob Murphy, talk about footy and the fabric of our community at the hallowed grounds of Whitten Oval. Congratulations to Reem from the Chestnut Tree Bookshop on Barkly Street, West Footscray Arts, Jess Lilley, all of the writers, the publishers and all of the storytellers who so eloquently shared their experiences of writing and of Melbourne’s inner west.