Professional development for emerging writers does exist elsewhere within the industry, says writer and actor Michelle Law, but it doesn’t tend to have as wide a reach or impact as the National Young Writers’ Festival, which is dedicated solely to young artists.

“Festivals that may be government-funded on a federal level feel a lot more mainstream, and, for lack of a better word, more commercial,” Law says. “They’re geared towards the latest releases and drawing in huge numbers from the public, which the NYWF is as well, but it’s also equally a space for all writers.”

The hiatus has sparked concern among several writers, who argue a postponement could be indicative of more profound issues currently plaguing Australia’s literary industry. Neill says the sustainability of many arts festivals has become questionable, particularly in terms of funding. However, this is even more pronounced for events such as the National Young Writers’ Festival, which is free, more experimental, volunteer-based and youth-oriented.

“There’s such a lack of appetite for risk,” Neill says. “No one wants to invest in something that’s a bit weird, experimental and run by young people who are still finding their feet.

“There are two options: you can run something experimental and messy for no money and no one gets paid, or you can run something hyper-professional, safe, heavy with gatekeepers, and everyone’s on a professional salary. But even in those situations, the burnout is still huge.”

Law agrees, noting that the industry is still grappling with the aftershocks of COVID-19, which has resulted in some book tours for debut authors being cancelled as appetite for risk diminishes. Book sales have also suffered – there was a 2.1 per cent fall in the value of book sales in 2023 compared to 2022.

Without festivals like the National Young Writers’ Festival, Khalid Warsame, who co-ordinated the festival in 2016 and co-directed it in 2017, says the industry will become even harder to break into, with diversity in particular taking a serious hit.

“NYWF does great work in engaging culturally and linguistically diverse writers. There have been specific streams of the festival just for queer writers, for writers of varying backgrounds and writers with a disability,” Warsame says. “Those kinds of things don’t happen in the mainstream, and they don’t happen in the big festivals. They might happen to a certain extent, but not in a way that really centres young people.”

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And when young and diverse people are not provided the opportunity to develop their careers, Warsame says our cultural spaces and national conversations begin to lack nuance and substance.

Throughout this year, Alice says festival organisers will consult young local writers to reshape the event, and seek funding and philanthropy to ensure its sustainability.

“The festival’s major challenge has always been securing operational funding. We’re encouraged that the Revive cultural policy has new funding for literature from next year, and Creative Australia is reviewing funding for writers’ festivals,” Alice says.

“[But] what it takes to run arts festivals has become harder and more expensive — from production, insurance, staffing to venue hire. So, if we want to ensure a thriving cultural life, we need governments to invest in the arts as a public good.”