Fringe Events: Beyond the Festival
Words Out West Fringe Events
Alongside our School Days, Festival Days, Books & Bubbles, Schooners & Stories events and Writers Retreat, Words Out West has a range of relaxed fringe events designed for curious minds and creative spirits.
Fringe Events bring an extra layer of creativity to Words Out West, offering accessible, low-key experiences that invite the community to engage with storytelling in unexpected ways. From interactive workshops to quirky pop-ups, we love exploring storytelling in all its forms, written, spoken, visual and beyond.
Interested in hosting or being part of a Fringe Event?
Expressions of Interest are now open. Share your idea with us and help shape the festival experience.
2026 Fringe Events
Organic Lines Bookmark Art Workshop with Kristen Flynn
Participants dropped in to design their own one‑of‑a‑kind bookmark in this relaxed, creative workshop exploring organic line, pattern and repetition.
They were guided to take inspiration from their favourite book, character or story, using simple materials and mark‑making techniques to create a functional piece of art to take home.
This was a flexible, come‑and‑go workshop that ran continuously over three hours. Each bookmark took approximately 15–25 minutes, making it perfect for a casual creative break.
Free Film Screening: The Correspondent
Based on the true story and book by award-winning journalist Peter Greste, who appeared at Words Out West 2026, The Correspondent followed Greste’s arrest and imprisonment while reporting overseas, and explored the risks journalists take in pursuit of truth.
This free screening invited audiences to engage with powerful themes of journalism, press freedom and real-world storytelling that sat at the heart of the festival.
Murder Mystery Nights
Participants stepped into the story at interactive Murder Mystery events hosted across Tara, Chinchilla and Wandoan.
They joined an Agatha Christie-style whodunit filled with family feuds, hidden motives and deadly secrets, working together to follow the clues and piece together what really happened. Suspicion lingered around every corner as alliances formed, secrets unravelled, and theories flew in a lively evening of intrigue, teamwork and storytelling fun.
A wealthy businessman. A sudden death. Everyone had something to hide and no one could be trusted.
