Watterson partners with Football Writer’s Festival

Leading communications consultancy signs on as official partner to highlight importance of Australia’s exclusive sports literary festival

Sydney, Australia – April 18, 2023 – Australian communications consultancy, Watterson, today announced it has partnered with Australia’s only sports writers’ festival, The Football Writers Festival, and will provide communications and event-support during and in the lead up to the event.

Run by Australia’s leading publisher of football books, Fair Play Publishing, the Football Writers Festival is the only sports-specific literary festival in the southern hemisphere. It brings together the world’s leading football writers, including former players, journalists, and whistleblowers, alongside some of Australia’s leading football personalities. This year, the festival takes place ahead of the 2023 Women’s World Cup to be held in Australia and New Zealand.

Authors participating in the festival include Ciara McCormack, a former player and whistleblower on sexual misconduct by coaching staff; Marcela Mora y Araujo, a sports journalist with The Guardian focusing on South American football; and Thomas Hitzlsperger, a football director and former German international, and one of the first openly gay former players in the sport.

Watterson will work closely with author, whistleblower, publisher and owner of Fair Play Publishing, Bonita Mersiades, to drive a communications campaign amplifying the festival, its writers and personalities, and the importance of sport in Australia’s arts and culture.

“Sport is part of our culture, not just in terms of how important it is to so many Australians, but because it’s shaped who we are as a nation and continues to do so,” said Mersiades.

“We have a partner in Watterson that understands this and has the right experience in sports, innovation and literature to showcase the importance of the Football Writers Festival at an important time for the sport, and ahead of what promises to be the most significant women’s sporting event in history taking place on our shores.”

This year’s festival marks the introduction of the Emerging Women’s Writers’ initiative to encourage aspiring women football writers. The 17 winning entries will appear in the anthology, Hear Us Roar – An Anthology of Emerging Women Football Writers, which will be unveiled at the festival.

“Bonita is a legend in football and sports writing, and we’ve long admired what she’s done for the community,” said Nermin Bajric, Watterson’s Chief of Staff. “This partnership speaks to our focus as a consultancy to work on projects with meaning to our team and the communities around us, and the festival’s timing around the Women’s World Cup creates a major opportunity to highlight its important contribution to Australian sport and culture.”

The Football Writer’s Festival will take place from the 15th to 17th July at View by Sydney, Hickson Road, Tar-Ra/Walsh Bay. Tickets are available here.