Thank you again for having us at you amazing event! Thank you for having us again. Again, you put on an amazing event that, as an experienced vendor, I could not fault. Thanks again.

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I must say my first Whitsunday Voices experience was brilliant, with my oldest boy using most of his pocket money to buy books from authors he had met. On the way to school this past Friday, our 4-year-old said, “Mommy, I am looking forward to seeing more authors today”- special and funny from our little one.  Few 4-year-olds get to say that on their way to School, plus prior to this week, our little man did not know what the word “author” meant. Liz Russell and Team take a bow. 

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Thanks Liz. You and your team are amazing. It was such an awesome experience and I certainly felt the love from the local community. Thanks so much for believing in me and giving me this opportunity. Through all the pomp and ceremony of the Voices, your kindness and authenticity shone bright. You are a beautiful human and it's so refreshing to find real people with empathy, who get it. I am forever in debt to you and the Whitsunday Voices for giving me my first ride at the writers’ rodeo. God bless. Earl. 

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I had such an amazing time at the Whitsunday Voices Youth Literature Festival! The energy, passion, and professionalism of everyone involved both behind the scenes and stage were truly outstanding. The line-up of presenters was top-notch, inspiring, and incredibly engaging. It was a joy to be part of such an epic festival that celebrates storytelling, creativity, and literacy in such a powerful way. Massive thanks to Liz and Kristine and all the organisers and volunteers for making it a welcoming and enjoyable event. Hope to return again.

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Liz, Thanks again for having me along to such a fantastic event. I had a ridiculously good time! Please also pass my gratitude on to the staff, volunteers and chaperones. Everyone was absolutely wonderful and I felt extremely well looked after.

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It was an absolute BLAST!  What an awesome bunch of peeps to hang out with! Huge thanks to the wonderful organisers of Whitsunday Voices. It was such a fab festival. Presentations were an awesome experience! Huge marquees crammed full of super enthusiastic kids!

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All the authors loved it. It’s the best festival I’ve done. The kids were great. Hopefully, we’ve planted seeds of some ideas and possibilities and expanded their ideas about the possibilities for them in the world.

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Wahoo! The future is in good hands. Today, Arhamah and Maddie managed me through three shows, one book launch, four venue changes, one signing session and even a bite for lunch. They were articulate, independent, entirely capable problem-solvers who stayed cool under pressure, supported me through rocket repairs and a minor chapel flood (never speak of this again), managed volunteers, were shot at on stage, spoke so professionally in front of hundreds of peers and generally rocked. I am so grateful! Spectacular day. Huge thanks to the team of student and tech experts and volunteers who made everyone so welcome. The campus is buzzing with ideas and creativity and experiences and perspectives. My heart is pretty full right now. What a lot of work (thank you Liz and Kristine, and the entire fabulous Whitsunday Voices team). What an ocean of ripples we have set in motion. (Courage. Compassion. Creativity. Empathy. Laughter. Hope. A love of books and literacy and story...) What a huge privilege to do this exciting, fulfilling, fun and important work (inspiring our young people to be brave and kind and creative).

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Congratulations Liz! The Voices Festival was, by all accounts, a huge success and one that I’m so grateful to you for being part of.

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Thanks so much, again, for such an incredible festival! It really is the best kids’ festival in Australia - so vibrant, so diverse, so full of ideas and creativity and stories and fun. I am just in awe of all you and your team did to pull it all together. Thanks for letting me be a part of it all - I met so many incredible kids and inspiring teachers along the way. And I hope to get to be a part of the festival again sometime in the future.

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I have been involved in many wonderful festivals over the years, but this one was a super special experience. The Whitsunday Anglican School and yourselves have created something magical on the children’s & youth literature festival circuit. Liz’s vibrancy & thoughtful attention to all aspects of the program’s detail was outstanding.

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Now I'm finally back at my desk, I wanted to send you a huge thank you for such a wonderful festival - and I hope you can pass on my deep appreciation to the many, many people who made it happen. In a previous life I have experience pulling together festivals on this scale, and I know how many things are going on every minute of every day that the authors and students don't see -- both planned and unplanned! So thank you for the miracles I saw, and the ones I didn't see. Whitsunday Voices was a truly special event, and I had so many wonderful chats with beautiful students and your absolutely lovely teachers as well. It was so notable that even on shuttle trips (where I often sit in the front seat to avoid getting carsick) I'd end up talking books with the teachers driving me. The bookish culture runs through the whole school, which is rare and special. Thank you again for having me - I hope you're all having a really good rest before you even think about 2026!

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What an incredible festival. I hope to see you again. It was such an honour to be part of the 2025 Whitsunday Voices cohort - what an incredibly inspiring bunch of creatives I was able to present alongside. And the kids! They were the best. Thoughtful questions, keen learners, and I hope I’ve converted a few into lifelong mystery and crime lovers. Big thanks to Liz and her team and all those brilliant volunteers for running such a well-organised and important event each year.

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