Runcie departs BWF, Ryan appointed artistic director
Brisbane Writers Festival has announced CEO Sarah Runcie will depart the organisation, while Jackie Ryan has been appointed artistic director.
Runcie joined the festival in mid-2020, helming the 2021 event as well as the 60th BWF in 2022.
BWF chair Thomas Bradley thanked Runcie for ‘ensuring the festival flourished in the face of unprecedented difficulties wrought by Covid lockdowns’.
‘One of Sarah’s greatest achievements was to deliver our unique Country of Focus stream, in which the festival highlights a selection of works from a specific international region or nation,’ said Bradley. ‘Last year, New Zealand/Aotearoa and Pasifika writers were the focus. This year, we are excited to showcase works from South Korea.’
Runcie said steering the festival to its 60th anniversary was ‘the honour of my career’. ‘I am very proud of the many “new traditions” we have started in reimagining the festival despite challenging times … But I am most proud of the small but mighty team that I have had the pleasure of working with over the last two and a half years. In particular, I would like to mention the indefatigable Melissa Bates, the wonderful Emily Bowman, Amy Zaghini, Ella Peile and our newly minted artistic director, Jackie Ryan. I know I leave the festival in very capable hands.’
Ryan has been BWF head of programming since 2022, and has arts administration experience drawn from stints with the State Library of Queensland, Queensland Writers Centre and Avid Reader Bookshop. Her most recent book, We’ll Show the World: Expo 88 (UQP), won two Queensland Literary Awards and was shortlisted for the Courier-Mail People’s Choice Queensland Book of the Year Award.
Festival operations and special events manager Melissa Bates will step up as acting CEO in the months leading to the 2023 festival, which will run from 10–14 May.
The 2023 Brisbane Writers Festival program will be launched at the State Library of Queensland on 29 March.
Pictured: Jackie Ryan.
Category: Local news
