As the Byron Bay Writers Festival 2010 takes its place in our memories, organisers extend a heartfelt thank you to sponsors, volunteers, audiences and, of course, the brilliant writers.

Byron Bay showed its most beautiful, sunniest face and the warm words and hot topics were matched with golden August sunshine and intensely blue skies. Audiences lingered to examine the sculpture garden curated by Dev Lengjel using the work of local artists and the decorated PEN Empty Chairs were a significant and poignant feature of the Marquee stages. The atmosphere was thick with the sound of laughter and the song of butcher birds and the air redolent with the aroma of fresh local coffee.

It was a boon to return to our familiar and traditional North Beach site, courtesy of its generous new owners. Festival goers availed themselves of the grassy expanses to enjoy picnics between sessions and knots of writers and publishers were witnessed deep in conversation on the verandah. The book launches were hugely successful in their new location and the Green Room saw many writers hauling their chairs outside to soak up the warmth. And how many Festivals can offer a visiting vet to treat a tick- affected dog?

Highlights? Well the biggest crowds were drawn by Friday’s Keynote Conversation with Kerry O’Brien asking the questions of war journalist and LA Times Bureau Chief Megan Stack, and Sunday’s Clever clever men panel with John Doyle, Tony Martin and Tim Pye. Hugely successful was the Requiem for a species panel with Clive Hamilton, Ian Lowe and Chris Masters while numbers for the Bret Easton Ellis conversation with Simon Marnie were astronomical. Sides were definitely splitting in Saturday’s On the road again, where Chair Irina Dunn steered the journeys of Sam Cutler, AJ Mackinnon, Brian Thacker and the eloquent Kim Traill, who captivated listeners wherever she appeared. For all who were fortunate enough to hear it, Rodney Hall’s Thea Astley lecture was a triumph of the Festival and his words still resonate deeply in hearts and minds.

The office that never sleeps is busily wrapping up the accounting and operations of the Byron Bay Writers Festival 2010. Rest assured the program for 2011 is never far from our minds and expect to find dates and venue on the Festival website as soon as they are confirmed.