Write Around the Murray (WAM) 2025 has officially opened with the launch of the festival’s first-ever published comic book, created by young people from Lavington’s The Hive.
Albury Deputy Youth Mayor, Ammar Syed unveiled the comic Into the Hive-Verse and declared the five-day festival open last week at Albury’s Retro Lane.
The comic is the work of the Yes Unlimited Change Makers, a group of 13–18-year-olds who have spent the past year working with Border artists Kieran Jack and Angie Spice to bring their stories to life. As part of the project, participants will also attend a workshop with DC Comics writer, Shane McCarthy.
Festival coordinator, Aimee Chan said it was fitting the WAM 2025 launch was being led by young people.
“This comic is an extraordinary achievement, not only because it showcases the creativity and ideas of our young people, but because it places youth voices at the heart of the festival’s opening,” she said.
Visitors to the launch can explore a new exhibition at Retro Lane documenting the comic’s creation process.
The project and exhibition have been supported by the Australian Government’s Festivals Australia program and Create NSW.
The launch event will also feature best-selling crime novelist Margaret Hickey, who announced the winner of the 2025 WAM Short Story Competition.
Write Around the Murray 2025 runs from 10–14 September, with more than 70 events, featuring leading Australian authors and illustrators.
This year’s program includes:
- Jane Caro (Lyrebird) – Book of the Festival
- Melanie Cheng (The Burrow) – longlisted for the Miles Franklin Award
- Kate Emery (My Family and Other Suspects) – longlisted for the 25th Davitt Awards, shortlisted for the Indie Book Awards 2025 and noted in the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) list for older readers
- Deborah Frenkel (The Truck Cat) – shortlisted for the CBCA and ABIA Picture Book of the Year
- Isobelle Carmody (Comes the Night) – shortlisted for the Indie Book Awards
- Charmaine Ledden-Lewis – Bundjalung illustrator of the Ask Aunty series, one of which was shortlisted for the Karajia Award for Children’s Literature
- Nat Amoore (We Run Tomorrow) – shortlisted for the REAL Awards
Families can enjoy free events across the program, including all WAM4Kids sessions. The festival will also host the launch of author/illustrator Matt Cosgrove’s latest Macca the Alpaca book, Alpacas in Space.
Write Around the Murray is an AlburyCity signature event. For the full program and tickets, visit Write Around the Murray.
