Melbourne Writers Festival (MWF) is an annual literary festival held in the Australian city of Melbourne, a UNESCO City of Literature. The Festival runs during early September each year. Melbourne Writers Festival is part of the Word Alliance, a partnership of eight international literary festivals which support and showcase the work of writers.
In 2020, MWF was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequently ran an entirely digital program, curated by Associate Director, Gene Smith. In September 2020, the Melbourne Writers Festival appointed Michaela McGuire to the role of Artistic Director, replacing Marieke Hardy who created the 2018 and 2019 festivals.