2019
I wanted to take this opportunity to say a huge thank you to you and Tracy and ALL of the team of volunteers and sponsors for inviting me to be part of something that was SO special. The joy and enthusiasm on all of the students through out the week was infectious and uplifting! So grateful to be able to share in that with all of the other incredible authors. Thank you!
Thank you everyone for the absolutely fantastic festival! I’m so lucky to have been a part of it!
Thank you all for being such excellent company on our Whitsunday Author Camp. I feel #soblessed to have been included.
I had such an amazing time and it's all thanks to you. I'm so grateful for the opportunity to be part of such a fun and loving festival. I felt like everyone was just so welcoming and gracious and went the extra mile every time. Please also commend the WAS on the quality of their students and staff - it's very obvious that the young people the school is producing are confident and able contributers who will make a difference in the world. I loved spending time with them! And the literary dinner was A-MAZE-BALLS! So much glamour, so much fun, such a thought-provoking speaker, so many photo-booth moustaches :-) :-)
I just want to say THANK YOU to you and your amazing team of assistants and volunteers. Attending the Whitsunday Voices Festival was a highlight of my year. Not only did I get to meet loads of amazing people (yourself, Tracey, Anna, Andrew and others at the school and in the Mackay Community) but I also got to meet and connect with hundreds of students in your region … and beyond. What a remarkable job you do with the festival to draw in hundreds of students who have to drive hours and hours to attend. Oh, and hanging out with other book creatives and industry professionals was another bonus. You and your team made us all feel welcome, appreciated and valued. It was an incredible three days. Friday night dinner was a very special experience too, as was meeting Li. I loved Whitsunday Voices and you should all be commended on your awesome efforts. So, yep, thank you, thank you, thank you! Hopefully one day I get to come back again to enjoy your wonderful Whitsunday hospitality. Until then, take care and keep up the great work!
Many thanks to you and your amazing team for your efforts to ensure everything went as smoothly as possible with my sessions at the festival. It was a fabulous couple of days and by the reactions of the students and adults who attended my presentations, it was clear they enjoyed the sessions as well.
I just wanted to send through a very big THANK YOU for having us at Whitsunday Voices! We had such an amazing time and were incredibly impressed by the amount of enthusiasm, warmth and the hospitality that was shown to us by the school, students, staff and volunteers. Also a big thank you to our caterers as well, we were very well looked after and the food was delicious. There was just such a fantastic vibe at the festival and all of the students were so engaged and welcoming! You have both done a fantastic job organising such a large scale festival.
Thank you so very much for giving me the opportunity to present at your marvelous festival!! Not only was I thrilled to meet so many keen readers, I was also so inspired by my fellow authors, yourselves and your fabulous team of students, volunteers and helpers.I hope you enjoyed the festival as much as I did, it was truly a pleasure to be part of.
I had a simply wonderful time in Mackay. Everything was so well organised - the student assistants were proactive and attentive, and all the volunteers were helpful. Geez, even the bloke on the coffee cart made just the right coffee for me! I was mightily impressed with the size and enthusiasm of my audiences - as an author, I'll travel forever to appear in front of those students (even all the way from Greece☺). Finally, a huge thank-you to you and Tracey for your dedicated and professional approach to everything during the festival. I hope the festival continues its stellar success well into the future.
2018
T&T (sounds like a fun drink). Thank you, your kindness and tude’ are top notch! It’s been amazing and the passion here is incredible! Thanks to you both. Thanks for putting students at the “front” of a lit fest my joy!
THANK YOU so much for inviting me to be part of the festival. Whitsunday Voices Lit Fest is one of the best celebrations of books, reading and creativity I’ve ever attended. The atmosphere and energy from kids and grown-ups alike is sensational! Please have me back again!
The amount of love and care and thought that has gone into pulling this amazing festival together just blows me away. You’ve created such an incredible atmosphere, and given these kids an experience that they will never forget. I’m so delighted to have been part of it.
Thanks Tonia, Tracey and team! Thanks for bringing this sandgroper all the way over from WA. I’ve had a great time, it’s all been brilliant.
Thank you, thank you! What a complete blessing and be part of such a wonderful thing. So many generous and fun people – and so much hard work. Thank you for having me
What can I say? There are no words to convey what I feel. This has been such an incredible, joyous few days. The festival has been so well executed, the experience I’ve had as a result – extraordinary. You, and this festival have stolen my heart. I made the most of every minute and your hard work, lovely students and their teachers rewarded me tenfold. I will treasure this always and am so grateful you thought to include me. Thank you so much! Love your work.
Deepest thanks for a wonderful festival. It’s been such a pleasure to meet with you, your students and all the staff! I’m so grateful for your incredible hospitality, all the ways you have anticipated everything we might need. You are a wonderful, generous community and to wish you all the best in continuing your excellent work and fostering a love of reading! Huge thanks! I’ve loved every minute!
Thank you for another brilliant festival – with wonderful staff & students (& venues and food!)
It’s such a joy to be here at Whitsunday Voices – thank you so much for having me!! Everything has been so well organised, the food is delicious, and the students are fantastic. Loved every moment! Thank you!
2017
I’ve been lucky enough to have visited literary festivals all over the country, and seriously, non come close to generating the magic that your students, staff and volunteers generate at Whitsunday Voices. Not only was the temperature of Mackay a welcome winter change to this southern writer, the warmth with which you embraced us all was truly humbling. Highlights for me included the honesty of many of your stories, particularly Billy’s, who in his brave sharing brought everyone in the chapel a little closer together. I loved my time in the art room ands still chuckle at the thought of some of your very unique shark drawings. And, my tummy continues to rumble at the memory of the delicious treats and lunches that were laid before us each day. Very few writers are tycoons, but for three special days you all made me feel like one of the richest people in the world. Thank you!
The kids were so friendly and full of energy, the workshops were such quality, the food was next-level-fantastic, and all in all I've never been to such a fun and buzzing and brilliantly organised literature event! You rock. Tania and her food rocks. Your whole team and the minder students rock. The school and its community rocks, and us artists will be telling everyone about the whole thing! Well done, and thank you so much!
2021
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
You can view a complete list of previous presenters, and the year/s they presented HERE.