How it works…

From 12.00 noon on June 16, 2024, in the Supper Room of the Town Hall, Sixteen local writers from the western suburbs read a piece of poetry or prose (lasting no longer than four minutes) which they have written. At the end, the audience votes on whose work they enjoyed the most — which pieces were the most interesting/entertaining? There are prizes for the two top-rated entries in each section – poetry and prose. And of course, the award of the coveted titles of ‘The People’s Choice 2024’.

The first Willy Lit Fest started with it, and it has been a much-loved feature ever since.

You can opt for the prose or poetry sections, but you need to register in advance via our online form on the Litfest website, as no additional performers can be accepted on the day. Whether your reading style is dynamic or cool and reflective (or somewhere in between), and whether or not you’ve read in public before, our enthusiastic and supportive audience is waiting to hear from you. It’s a great way to try out spoken word performance.

We’ve showcased a wonderful line-up of writing talent over the years, including poet Bea Jones, and multi-talented authors Richard Dove, Jackie Kerin and Jonathan Griffiths. This could be your four minutes of fame! (Reminder: in fairness to other readers, please limit your reading to 4 minutes.)

Entries are now closed for 2024.

See the winners of the 2024 People’s Choice Awards here!