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Welcome to Perth Storyfest 2025!

We are thrilled to welcome you to a full house celebration of stories, voices, and creative expression. Taking place on Whadjuk Noongar Boodja at the University of Western Australia, Perth Storyfest brings together writers, thinkers, and readers from across the state and beyond for a powerful day of panels, workshops, and connection.

Tickets to the event are now sold out. If you've secured your place, we can't wait to see you there. Please see below for important accessibility information, venue map, and the full program schedule.

Perth Storyfest 2025 – Accessibility Information

The Writers’ Collective and Perth Storyfest is committed to ensuring all patrons feel comfortable, safe, and respected during their experience of the festival. We are committed to ensuring access needs are accommodated for as much as possible. As a small, volunteer-run organisation, some provisions are outside of our capacity to provide for, and for this we apologise and strive to achieve in future events with better funding.

If any of your accommodation needs are not accounted for below, please email us at thewriterscollective6@gmail.com.

All information is correct as of 24/03/2025.

Venues (See Map below):
Perth Storyfest is held at the University of Western Australia.
We recognise that this event takes place on Whadjuk Noongar Boodja.

Alexander Lecture Theatre (G57) and Arts Lecture Room 4 (G60) are both in the Arts Building (106) on the ground floor. The Arts Building is accessible via a continuous pathway from the carpark but does require using a wheelchair accessible ramp or using stairs.

Alexander LT is opposite Patricia Crawford Court, indicated by the pink X on the venue map.
The Arts LT4 entrance is on the south side of the building, indicated by the purple X, facing carpark P3.
Signage will be provided to guide patrons to the venue.

The Green Room for presenters and panellists is located in Arts Seminar Room G27. It is marked with a red X on the map.

All rooms are wheelchair accessible. The door width in both venues is more than 850mm.
Arts LT4 has automated door access, is directly adjacent to 2 ACROD parking spaces (access to building via ramp also on that same side) and door width over 1000mm with plenty of space/clearance once inside.
Alexander LT door width measures just short of 900mm.
If you need assistance, a volunteer will be stationed at every session to help.

UWA is a smoke and vape free campus.

UWA Campus Accessibility Map:
https://www.uwa.edu.au/students/Docs/UWA-accessibility-map.pdf

Parking:
P3 is the closest lot to the venue and is accessible via Hackett Drive, indicated by the light blue X on the venue map.
Parking is free on Sundays. There are multiple ACROD parking bays within this carpark and EV charging stations.

Public Transport:
Buses 23, 950, and 995 stop outside UWA on Mounts Bay Road (indicated by the dark green X on the venue map).
More info is available at Transperth’s Journey Planner.
From the bus stop, follow Saw Promenade south to reach the Arts building (follow the UWA signposts and Storyfest signage).

Staff:
Perth Storyfest staff/volunteers will be recognisable by their white lanyards with the Perth Storyfest branded tag attached.

Toilets:
Accessible toilets are located on the ground floor of the Arts building and within Reid Library, both equipped with sanitary bins.
Male facilities are on the Arts Building’s ground floor near Alexander LT;
Female facilities are on the first floor above (with stair and lift access).
Gender-neutral toilets are on the first floor of Reid Library.
We encourage all patrons to use the facilities that best suit their needs.

Food:
A light lunch will be provided during the Rituals anthology launch in Alexander LT (12:20 – 1:45pm), catering to most dietary requirements.
Reid Library café is located adjacent to the Arts Building, indicated by the orange X on the venue map. They are open from 10am to 4pm.
Free water fountains are located throughout the campus.

There is a vending machine on the ground floor of the Arts Building (outside Alexander LT) with beverages and snacks.
Patrons are welcome to eat and drink within the lecture rooms, though please be mindful of your fellow patrons and limit food to small snacks that can be quietly eaten, without overpowering smells.
Please eat nuts outside of lecture rooms.

AUSLAN Interpreters:
Unfortunately, due to budgeting, we do not have an AUSLAN interpreter available for Perth Storyfest 2025.
We aim to have this rectified for future events. All panellists will use a microphone.

Visual Projection:
All panels in Alexander LT will be live streamed onto the large screen behind the panellists, alongside closed captioning.

Service Animals:
Service animals are welcome in all venues and across campus.
Non-service dogs are welcome on campus on-lead, but not within lecture/workshop spaces.
Please note: There are resident peacocks around the Arts Building that should not be touched or fed.

Companion Cards:
Companion cards are accepted. Please bring a support person or carer if needed and show your card to our volunteers.

Sunflower Lanyard:
We recognise the sunflower lanyard as a signifier of invisible disabilities and our volunteers will assist any patrons wearing this—or any patrons asking for assistance.

Door Policy:
Patrons may leave and re-enter as needed to suit their access needs.
Doors can be loud—volunteers can assist.
Quiet spaces are located in the courtyards surrounding the Arts Building.

Workshop Access:
Workshops are limited to 30 participants and cannot be pre-booked.
If your access needs affect your ability to get to a session, please let a volunteer know.
Patrons with mobility or sensory needs will be given priority entry.

COVID-19:
We encourage patrons to wear N-95 masks indoors and ask that anyone unwell stays home.

Zero Tolerance Policy:
We take a zero-tolerance approach to discrimination or harassment. If you feel unsafe, please speak to a volunteer.
We do not involve police except in extreme situations but may involve UWA campus security if necessary.

Schedule

**Event Schedule**
Time	Event
9:00 AM – 9:30 AM	Acknowledgement of Country & Director’s Welcome from Prema Arasu
9:30 AM – 9:50 AM	Keynote: by Sara M Saleh
9:50 AM – 10:20 AM	Panel One: Memory, Resilience and Language Sara M Saleh, Samiha Olwan and Rafief Ismail in conversation with Rashida Murphy
10:30 AM – 11:20 AM	Panel Two: Literary Awards Yirga Gelaw Woldeyes, Josephine Wilson and Kaya Ortiz in conversation with Seth Malacari
11:30 AM – 12:20 PM	Panel Three: Alternate Worlds Prema Arasu, Liana Christensen and Kathryn Gledhill Tucker in conversation with Luisa Mitchell
12:20 PM – 1:45 PM	Rituals Anthology Launch Sara M Saleh and others Lunch provided
2:00 PM – 2:45 PM	Panel Four: Home and the Critical Imagination Mohammed Morsi, Cindy Solonec, and Samiha Olwan in conversation with Marziya Mohammedali
3:00 PM – 3:45 PM	Panel Five: Poetry and Vulnerability Joel Evans, Baran Rostamian and Asha Rajan in conversation with Jo-ann Lim
5:00 PM – 6:30 PM	Book Launch: Past & Parallel Lives by Kaya Ortiz Sponsored by UWA Publishing

Workshops & Readings

**Workshops & Readings**
Time	Workshop / Reading
10:30 AM – 11:30 AM	Slam Poetry Workshop with Manveen Kohli
11:30 AM – 12:30 PM	Essay Writing Workshop with Daniel Juckes
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM	Worldbuilding Workshop with Judith Huang
3:00 PM – 3:45 PM	It’s OK to be a CryBaby Mabel Gibson in conversation with Linda Martin
4:00 PM – 4:45 PM	Poetry Readings Andrew Sutherland and Ana Brawls facilitated by Lakshmi Kanchi

Contact the host of Perth Storyfest 2025