Welcome to the Rose Scott Women Writers Festival 2025 - a dynamic forum where women's voices drive powerful conversations and challenge established thinking.
Our exceptional speakers collectively highlight themes that define our purpose: resilience, perseverance, and fearlessness - our club's motto that embodies hope as an active force rather than passive sentiment. This year holds special significance as we mark the centenary of our namesake's death. Rose Scott, the formidable social reformer, suffragist, and intellectual force who passed away on April 20, 1925, left an indelible legacy that continues to inspire our work. Her unwavering advocacy for women's rights, her razor-sharp intellect, and her courage to challenge the status quo embody the very spirit this festival seeks to honor and advance.
We also celebrate another momentous literary anniversary, the 250th commemoration of Jane Austen's death. Austen's pioneering work continues to resonate through generations, her astute social commentary and complex female characters challenging the constraints of her time while speaking powerfully to ours. Her enduring influence on literature and feminist thought forms a fitting complement to Rose Scott's legacy of advocacy and reform.
You will find writing that is both bold and nuanced; work that confronts uncomfortable truths while revealing authentic vulnerability, that provokes and examines in equal measure. We are a writers festival for women, however we are also proud to position ourselves as an ideas festival, one that focuses on women's narratives and extends into broader intellectual territory. While celebrating literary achievements, we simultaneously tackle substantial issues: deconstructing gender frameworks, sexuality, history, exposing social dynamics and political realities, and addressing rapidly evolving risks to creativity, climate and humanity.
This festival stands as a testament to the dedication of our committee, whose vision and commitment deserve our sincere gratitude. Special thanks to our Rose Scott patron, Rowena Danziger AM, for her steadfast support of women's voices, and to Community Bank Darling Square Bendigo Bank, whose partnership makes this intellectual venture possible. I extend heartfelt appreciation to all our donors whose generosity has been transformative. Your support has enabled us to elevate this festival to a national platform, expanding our reach and impact. With great pride, we also unveil our new logo, a visual representation of our evolution and ambitious vision for the future.
Above all, my deepest gratitude goes to our writers, whose courage, insight, and artistry form the heart of this festival, and to our loyal audience members and readers who return year after year, engaging thoughtfully with challenging ideas and complex narratives. Your continued presence and participation transform this event from a program into a living, evolving community of thought. This festival exists because of your commitment to women's voices and stories.
I invite you to engage deeply with the ideas presented here; to question, to learn, and to carry these conversations forward as catalysts for change.
Danielle Asciak, Chief Executive Officer
The Women's Club
