SJWF goes live with month of spoken word

The Sydney Jewish Writers Festival is taking its storytelling off the page this August, launching Festival of the Spoken Word, a new month-long program of Jewish stories told live.

Across 17 events, audiences will encounter established and emerging voices creating boldwork shaped by memory, identity, history and contemporary Jewish life, with stories presented through theatre, music, comedy, conversation and more.

Festival director Hannah Saunders said the expansion reflects a deliberate shift in how the festival wants audiences to experience stories.

“Stories remain at the heart of what we do. This year we wanted to create more ways to encounter them. Festival of the Spoken Word brings together theatre, music, conversation and performance to create experiences that begin with language and come to life in the room.”

Saunders also pointed to a broader context shaping the festival’s purpose.