THERE’S a strong Canberra contingent among the writers heading to the inaugural Berry Writers Festival.

When I catch up with the founder and artistic director, Suzanne Burdon, I find that organising a writers’ festival is no picnic.

Burdon, herself the author of “Almost Invincible”, a biographical novel about Mary Shelley, lives in nearby Gerroa and her daughter lives in Berry.

“I thought it would be a nice, warm and cosy event for readers and authors in a lovely little village, I thought it would be very creative, but I had no idea about the scale of what was required… it’s a big deal putting on a writers’ festival, I was so naïve,” she says. 

Happily, Berry turns out to have a very creative community with many local authors she didn’t know about, and many hands to help, so after a false start in covid-fraught 2021, the event is now scheduled for late October. 

“Berry is such an appealing town and when I emailed potential authors, every single one said ‘we’d love to come to Berry for a festival’,” she says.

Making it work is another matter. She took advice from people in the town, from local-region bookshops and from experts such as publishing consultant and freelance editor Mary Cunnane, who lives in the area and came on to the committee.

There are pluses to having a festival in the Shoalhaven region from the accommodation point of view and all the authors, she says, are being accommodated by locals. 

But “billeting” is not quite the word, as some of the places where authors will be staying are gorgeous properties in rolling hills and countryside, while others will stay in motels where the local business people have given several rooms for the two nights.

Shoalhaven Council came good with a grant, but the rest came from private donations and sponsors, including the Neilson Foundation.

From the outset, Burdon was sceptical about the value of an overarching theme, believing they are usually created at the end as an afterthought.

“I don’t like themes,” she tells me. “Reading is a very individual pastime, so it’s wonderful when you can go somewhere and find something that speaks to you.”

Not unlike Canberra Writers’ Festival, there’s a strong political strain in the event, with public figures such as former Australian ambassador to Indonesia, Gary Quinlan; ANU emeritus historian Iain McCalman, and journalists Peter Hartcher, Rick Morton, Jacqueline Maley and Jane Caro talking about the issues of the day.

But some of the politically-minded festival participants have become authors, including Paul Daley, author of “Canberra”, “Beersheba” and “Collingwood: A Love Story”, and former Australian Greens and now author, Senator Scott Ludlam, who has written his first book, “Full Circle : A Search for the World That Comes Next”.

“You have to get the people with big names like who have political issues to discuss, but we also have people who write warm and interesting books, so there’s something for people who enjoy relaxing,” Burdon says.

On the big-name front, there’ll be ubiquitous environmentalist Tim Flannery giving the opening-night keynote address, authors Ceridwen Dovey and Anita Heiss, and Canberra social commentator Hugh Mackay.

On the “interesting” front, there’ll be Canberra writer David Dufty, author of “Nabbing Ned Kelly”; Nigel Featherstone, whose “My Heart is a Little Wild Thing” is set in the Monaro; Craig Silvey, author of “Jasper Jones” and “Honeybee” and star children’s author Allison (AL) Tait.

And in case it sounds altogether too high-minded, fear not. Mark Tredinnick, Julie Janson and Omar Sakr will be there to remind visitors that “poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world,” and in Berry Hotel, 6.30pm on Saturday, October 22, there’ll be “Hang Out at the Pub,” and a tribute to the late author, Frank Moorhouse. 

Berry Writers Festival, October 21-23, program details at berrywritersfestival.com.au