The Scone Literary Festival committee once again hosted an event to be proud of, with the audience members touched by stories about love and loss, facing adversity, finding yourself and much more.

“What a fabulous time we’ve had,” festival president Janie Jordan said as she closed the formal part of the program on Sunday afternoon.

The intimate festival brought hundreds through the doors of the Scone Arts & Crafts Hall over the weekend for what was a sell-out program boasting a fantastic line-up of authors and talent and a diverse range of panel discussions. 

Whether it was the witty and fiercely passionate Tracey Spicer, well-known investigative journalist Kate McClymont or respected social commentator, broadcaster and return local guest Phillip Adams – the panels either left you touched to tears, in stitches from laughing or inspired to create change.

The picturesque garden of the Arts & Crafts Centre was buzzing with locally written poetry and alive with the tempting smell of warm damper and billy tea on Sunday morning for the Bush Poet’s Breakfast. 

“We raised more than $1000 with every cent going to farmers locally,” Janie Jordan said.

As the only writer’s festival in the Upper Hunter, it continues to grow year after year.

The 2018 Scone Literary Festival line-up included: Sally Blackwood, Larry Boyd, Hanna Kay, Guy Guiana, Richard Anderson, Diana Thompson,    Barbara Sweeney, Tracey Spicer, Cheryl Orsini, Dr Patrice Newell, Ross McMullin, David Marr, Stephen Irwin, Meg Keneally, Nicholas Jordan, Barry Jones, Dorothy Johnston, Susanne Gervay, Michelle Douglas, Karen Crofts, Pamela Cook, Caroline Beecham, Simone Bailey, Shokoofeh Azar, Cathy Armstrong, Kate McClymont, Phillip Adams, Bill Howey.