PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS
How it works…
From 2.00 to 4.00 p.m. on Sunday, June 22, 2025, in the Supper Room of the Town Hall, sixteen local writers from the western suburbs read a piece of poetry or prose (lasting no longer than four minutes) which they have written. At the end, the audience votes on whose work they enjoyed the most — which pieces were the most interesting/entertaining? There are exciting prizes for the two top-rated entries in each section – poetry and prose. And of course, the award of the coveted titles of ‘The People’s Choice 2025’.
The first Willy Lit Fest started with it, and it has been a much-loved feature ever since.
You can opt for the prose or poetry sections, but you need to register in advance via our online form below, as no additional performers can be accepted on the day. Whether your reading style is dynamic or cool and reflective (or somewhere in between), and whether or not you’ve read in public before, our enthusiastic and supportive audience is waiting to hear from you. It’s a great way to try out spoken word performance.
We’ve showcased a wonderful line-up of writing talent over the years, including poet Bea Jones, and multi-talented authors Richard Dove, Jackie Kerin and Jonathan Griffiths. This could be your four minutes of fame! (Reminder: in fairness to other readers, please limit your reading to 4 minutes.)
Entries have not opened for 2025.
Previous Winners
YEAR
CATEGORY
AWARDED
TITLE
WRITER
2024
Prose
Winner
Emma
Linelle Gibson
Runner-up
Caught Between Two Worlds
Julie Kernich
Poetry
Winner
At Home with Dad
Jonathan Griffiths
Runner-up
Where Do Stories Come From?
Jackie Kerin
2023
Prose
Winner
Classroom Chronicles
Shannon Catania-Mizzi
Runner-up
unnamed
Richenda Rudman
Poetry
Winner
why the band broke up
Anna Fern
Runner-up
Solitary Confinement
Laleh Alim