Dervla McTiernan and Chris Hammer talk crime!

Last Monday night, we kicked off the festival season with a sold out event at the Royals Yacht Club, where we were joined by crime fiction powerhouses Dervla McTiernan and Chris Hammer. It was a pleasure and privilege to be in the company of Dervla and Chris, prior to their appearances at the Sorrento Writer’s Festival this weekend. Monday also saw the launch of our brand new Weekend Pass, an exciting new way to enjoy all the program has to offer. To find out more about this brand new all-access festival ticket, click here.

It would be remiss to let the week pass without extending our sincere gratitude to a number of people who were instrumental in making this event a success. First, to Dervla and Chris – thanks to them both once again for their generosity of time and talent. As our Program Director Emily said on Monday night:

Thanks must also go to Melissa and the team at Captain’s Retreat for hosting Dervla and Chris in the ‘most beautiful apartment in Williamstown’, and for their continued support of the festival (more on them later!). Thanks also to Simone and the Royals Yacht Club for their second to none hospitality and for allowing us to make use of their beautiful space. Thanks to Book and Paper, the official Willy Lit Fest bookseller, for, well, selling books! They are the heart of the Willy reading community, and we are lucky to have them. Visit their website and do some literary window shopping here.

And finally, thanks must go to you, dear reader, whether you were in attendance on Monday or not. It takes a village to raise a festival, and we’re exceptionally lucky to have you all here with us as we bring another year of Willy Lit Fest to life. The 2024 program launch is imminent, so keep your ear to the ground. It is not one to be missed!