Literature Centre expands audience

A new collaboration between Perth Festival’s Writers Week and The Literature Centre is promising to expand the centre’s audience reach to an adult demographic.

Based in Fremantle's historic prison, TLC has fostered Australian children’s literature for nearly two decades.

As part of Writers Week, which begins on February 18 to 24, the centre will feature a program of author talks aimed at adult audiences.

The session with Sydney writer Markus Zusak, author of Bridge of Clay and The Book Thief, was sold out within two days.

“By curating a series of evening author talks for Perth Festival Writers Week's free ‘Out & About’ program, TLC director Lesley Reece now brings the centre’s unique venue and talents for hosting public events to a much wider, adult audience,” said Writers Week curator Will Yeoman.

TLC’s founder and director Lesley Reece said she hoped the partnership would give the centre more exposure within the Perth community.

“So many book lovers will be able for the first time to see for themselves the home of Australian children’s and young adult’s literature, right in their own backyard,” she said.

In 2018, the Festival reported that Writer’s Week pulled an attendance of 18,847 across free and ticketed events, with an estimated patron expenditure of around $837,000.