Following the 2025 Bendigo Writers Festival, the City of Greater Bendigo held a review.

The 2025 Festival was not the Festival we wanted to hold.

The review was a chance to pause and reflect on what’s worked well in the past, what could be improved, and what the event might look like in the future.

Feedback was sought from past ticketholders, past participants including authors, hosts and speakers, staff and volunteers, local businesses and community members.

All views on the value of the Festival are important and feedback informed the outcome of the review.

The City of Greater Bendigo has completed the Bendigo Writers Festival review. This included:

• Online survey on the City's Let's Talk website
• Roundtable discussion
• Direct engagement with publishers and other literary stakeholders

You can read the full update by clicking the button below.

Council has provided support to prepare for the return of Bendigo Writers Festival in 2027.

In 2026, the City of Greater Bendigo will partner with Goldfields Library to deliver a range of literary events.

Operational planning for a full Festival return will also take place next year, including the development of new guidelines for sponsorship and participation, as well as confirming a new plan for running the Festival sustainably.

At the December 2025 Council Meeting, Council adopted the following recommendation relating to the Bendigo Writers Festival, which will guide the work of the City of Greater Bendigo:

1. Recognise the 14-year history of the Bendigo Writers Festival and the positive impact it has had on our community.
2. Note a review has been undertaken, which established the value of the Festival to the community and acknowledge the feedback received.
3. Recognise the unintended negative consequences of the 2025 Code of Conduct - its content and timing - particularly for Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah and other affected authors, local businesses, participants, and the community, and expresses sincere regret for the impact this had on them, acknowledging that Council’s and the Festival’s processes were inadequate.
4. Provide funding in the 2026/2027 Budget for the Bendigo Writers Festival to strengthen governance and develop clear operating principles that all partners, sponsors, and speakers agree to when committing to participate - ensuring the Festival sets the terms, not individual partners - and to confirm a sustainable delivery model for future festivals.
5. Ensure that any future operating principles and codes of conduct are rights-based, explicitly referencing freedom of expression and non-discrimination; co-designed with affected communities and diverse voices; and subject to public consultation.
6. Partner with Goldfields Library Corporation to support the delivery of a literary program in 2026, including children’s literature activities, while planning for the return of a full Festival in 2027, subject to the implementation of Items 4 and 5 to the satisfaction of Council.