Footscray West Writers Fest is organised
by West Footscray Arts, a non-profit organisation dedicated to elevating and supporting art and artists in our local community.
Our first festival event was the 2025 Footscray West Writers Fest, a brand-new festival that transformed Barkly Street, West Footscray, into a vibrant hub of writers and readers celebrating culture and storytelling in the west.
We look forward to coming back in 2026.
Meet the Team
-
Donita is a professional writer and editor and Co-Founder of two communication businesses, Mighty Writing Co and Bad Writers Club. Bad Writers Club creates safe spaces to find a writing community and encourage writing with abandon. Donita oversees the workshop and making events on the Footscray West Writers Fest program, ensuring there is something to inspire everyone to get scribbling and get their story out.
-
Jess is a writer, creative director and broadcaster. She is the founder of creative company, The Open Arms, and a host of Spin Cycle on RRR-FM. Her professional career has focused on building ideas and storytelling that connects communities for good. Jess oversees the Footscray West Writers Fest program and artistic expression, filling nooks and crannies around West Footscray with memorable events.
-
Following a career as a social policy researcher, Reem founded West Footscray’s Chestnut Tree Bookshop in 2021 with the principle that a vibrant local community is vital for healthy living. The bookshop has since become an essential community space for many. Reem oversees all things bookselling at the Footscray West Writers Fest, plus there’s always something exciting happening in the Chestnut Tree Bookshop across the weekend.