CECILE SHANAHAN - City of Greater Bendigo

Cecile Shanahan is Program Administrator of Bendigo Writers Festival and Education Engagement Officer at the City of Greater Bendigo. Cecile is also an editor who works with local, national and international authors. Cecile has interviewed many of Australia’s most celebrated authors and thinkers in her decade long involvement with Bendigo Writers Festival.

Cecile also enjoys being a literary award judge and book reviewer and volunteering for several organisations, such as the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) and the Institute of Professional Editors (IPEd).

Cecile is the curator of Schools Day and the Creative Kids program.

michelle symes - Bendigo UNESCO City of Gastronomy at City of Greater Bendigo

Michelle Symes is the Gastronomy Project Officer at City of Greater Bendigo. A marketing specialist by trade, Michelle has a background in Tourism and hospitality having worked for Lake House Daylesford, both on the pans and in the marketing team.

Prior to working for the city, Michelle worked with Australia’s largest food relief agency, Foodbank Victoria. Food in all its forms is her greatest passion. When not reading food publications and cookbooks, she’s baking up a storm.

Michelle is curating the festival’s Gastronomy themed sessions.

Learn more about Bendigo City and Region of Gastronomy.

Professor Clare Wright - La Trobe University

Professor Clare Wright is an award-winning historian, author, broadcaster, podcaster and public commentator who has worked in politics, academia and the media. Clare is currently Professor of History and Professor of Public Engagement at La Trobe University and Chair of the National Museum of Australia Council.

Her latest book Näku Dhäruk: The Bark Petitions (2024) is described as ‘‘An impossibly important book’, that traces the story of a founding document of Australian democracy and the trailblazers who made it. This is the final chapter in Clare’s best-selling Democracy Trilogy, and follows the land rights movement led by Australia’s first people.

Thanks to our partnership with La Trobe University, Clare is curating the festival’s La Trobe Presents sessions.

Melbourne UNESCO City of Literature Office

UNESCO's City of Literature programme is part of the wider Creative Cities Network which was launched in 2004 and is currently made up of 350 UNESCO Creative Cities globally. Members are drawn from more than 90 countries and cover eight creative fields: Architecture, Crafts & Folk Art, Design, Film, Gastronomy, Literature, Music, and Media Arts. The Network was born out of UNESCO's Global Alliance for Cultural Diversity initiative, which was created in 2002.

The Melbourne City of Literature Office is a joint initiative of Creative Victoria and City of Melbourne, hosted by the Wheeler Centre, to connect Victoria's writing world with the City of Literature network.

The Melbourne City of Literature Office curates the festival’s inaugural ‘Cities of Literature Book Club’ sessions.

Tammy Higgs – Goldfields Libraries  

Tammy Higgs is Coordinator of Programs and Events for Goldfields Libraries, which includes libraries in the City of Greater Bendigo, Mount Alexander Shire, Macedon Ranges Shire Council and the Shire of Loddon. She coordinates content for Goldfields Libraries seasonal What’s On programs, working with authors, publicists, facilitators, performers and local partners, as well as the Public Library Victoria Network.

While her current role covers programs for all age groups she has an extensive background as a Children’s and Youth Services Librarian and has worked as a Librarian for over 40 years.

Tammy curates the Goldfields Libraries sessions at Kangaroo Flat, Elmore and Heathcote.