Dunkeld Writers Festival – why would you want to be anywhere else?

Dunkeld Writers Festival is gearing up for its third incarnation this weekend. Passion and hometown pride are the buzzwords for this small community nestled at the southern end of the Grampians in south-west Victoria. As a former regular Melbourne Writers Festival goer who attended the last festival, this writer was not prepared for the seamless presentation of events packed with popular and a few “dark horse” panellists, wonderful morning and afternoon teas, and the prospect of a gala dinner at the local Royal Mail Hotel, where book lovers mingle with writers and the odd Very Important Person.