“My hope for all young people is that they have an identity as a reader, no matter what that identity looks like.” – Megan Daley, Author and 2025 Storyfest Artistic Director
Storyfest is entering its biggest year yet, and onboard for the journey is newly announced Artistic Director, Megan Daley.
Megan has a long-time history with Storyfest, having first attended the festival 20 years ago.
“I became involved with Storyfest through admiring the work of Andrea, the CEO, and wanting to be involved in the children’s literature space from a different angle.
“Our big literature festivals around Australia will not have attendees in 20 years if we don’t have these wonderful, vibrant children’s literature festivals.”
Megan leans forward as she talks, her eyes bright and smile wide. It is easy to speak with her, and easier to see that her new role is more than just a job to her – it is her passion.
“All of the beautiful creativity around reading and writing flows from Prologue Party, right until the last minute of the festival.”
From Teacher-Librarian, to Blogger, to Published Writer, Megan has done it all
With her vast experience in the literary world, Megan stresses the key principles she aims to bring – or rather, has already brought – to her new artistic director role.
“You’ve got two sides of the equation: skills development in reading and writing, and heart and soul connection with reading and writing.
“A literature festival for school-aged young people is about education, but in a very different format to what they’re going to get in the classroom.”
And after experiencing the St George and Longreach regional festivals for herself, Megan is eager to support Storyfest’s mission to immerse everyone in the magic of storytelling.
“It was fantastic to work with the parents, educators and govvies out there, helping give them strategies around how to connect their young people with children’s literature.
“I think with [the role] I’ve taken on, I’m trying to get a balance between all sorts of genres of writers and illustrators, and just tap into the various kinds of readers that we might have at each of our festivals.”
On Promoting Storyfest’s Values of Accessibility and Inclusivity
Seeing how the children’s literary space has changed and flourished in recent years, Megan acknowledges Storyfest’s part in creating a welcoming environment for all readers.
“All children deserve and have a right to have an identity as a reader, no matter the way that reading looks for them.
“I really want to make sure we’ve got a beautiful mix of diverse authors and illustrators, and I want to make sure my programme is educationally relevant to the Australian curriculum but still absolutely a ton of fun.”
Closing our interview, Megan highlights the profound connection between stories and children’s experiences growing up.
“I think books are this really beautiful window into a world that might be just like yours and that’s okay. I want my children and all students at school to stay true to who they are.
“Being able to see yourself reflected in a book is so powerful.”
We are so excited to have Megan onboard as Artistic Director and cannot wait to see her impact on Storyfest this year.
