The Chestnut Tree Bookshop

Join West Footscray Arts for an exciting event: ‘Fact or Fiction? Navigating the Publishing Industry for New Writers.’ Get ready for an insightful discussion with Affirm Press Publisher Kevin O’Brien, esteemed author Kate Mildenhall, and Affirm Press debut author Ernest Price at The Chestnut Tree Bookshop in West Footscray. Gain valuable knowledge about the complexities of the book publishing process, from pitching your manuscript to its eventual publication.

An evening of spoken word in support of Palestine Australia Relief and Action. Come along to our open mic event to share song, poetry, or spoken word and to raise funds to assist Palestinian refugees. Tea, coffee, and nibbles provided. Find out more about PARA: https://para.org.au/

If you’ve ever been curious to find out more about the nuts and bolts of screenwriting, this workshop with West Footscray’s own Stuart Page is for you. Stuart has worked on some of the country’s most loved TV series, including leading the script team on ABC's Total Control — earning him AACTA Awards nominations for Best Drama and Best Screenplay. Stuart has also picked up awards for his work on Wentworth and a nomination for The Doctor Blake Mysteries. And like all great Aussie screenwriters, he has done his time on Home and Away, Blue Heelers and Neighbours — among many more. Join Stuart for an insightful and fun workshop that digs into the craft of screenwriting and guides you through writing your very own scene on WeFo’s Barkly Street strip. Brought to you by Bad Writers Club, Chestnut Tree Bookshop and West Footscray Arts, with support from Maribyrnong City Council.

Reading, researching and writing Melbourne's west. Footscray is full of juicy secrets - and some stinky ones. In the 1880s, people even called it West Smellbourne. Thankfully, it's now known more for food, art and football than for rotting carcasses. Join independent historian Liz Crash and writer Jinghua Qian as they talk about why local history gets a bad rap, how anyone can research around these streets, and share some of their favourite stories from the archives. All this in the lovely, fragrant surrounds of West Footscray's Chestnut Tree Bookshop and Café. About your hosts: Jinghua Qian is a writer often found worrying about art, queerness, history, China, diaspora and desire. Eir work appears in prose, verse, television and audio. Liz Crash is an independent historian with a particular interest in bluestone (the best stone). Liz and Jinghua both live in Footscray and together created Underfoot, a series of virtual audio tours uncovering the secret histories of Footscray.