LitUp is a new live literature initiative from Australia Reads, providing opportunities for more Australian schools and communities to host events with authors and illustrators.
Launching this year with a pilot in New South Wales and Queensland, LitUp will support regional and outer-metropolitan communities to create and run sessions with authors and illustrators. The pilot will support 20 participating areas, with each author or illustrator selected for the program participating in multiple events during their visit.
Live literature events provide inspiring experiences, connecting readers directly with the creators of their favourite stories, and encouraging a lifelong love of books and reading.
Josephine Johnston, CEO of the Copyright Agency, says that the program will “inspire and benefit teachers, students, teacher librarians, and the broader community to engage with Australian writing and to read more books.”
Many Australian communities face significant barriers to holding live events – from geographic isolation and competing funding priorities to not knowing how to find, book and host authors.
Supporting local organisers to run successful author events will create stronger and more visible reading communities, which have enormous potential to:
- Support literacy and set children up for future success
- Increase empathy and help us understand the world
- Decrease loneliness and stress
Overcoming obstacles
Like the Australia Reads Author & Illustrator Directory, LitUp has been developed to tackle these structural barriers, with funding and support from the Copyright Agency and Creative Australia.
Leisa Bacon, Executive Director, Development and Partnerships, Creative Australia says:
“Reading connects us with ideas and stories, enhancing wellbeing and strengthening connections with local and global communities. This program will connect readers across Australia with Australian writers, fostering a love of reading that will set them up for future success.”
The pilot year will explore the mechanisms needed nationally to support communities across Australia, so that they can confidently host successful live literature events into the future.
LitUp will provide a national framework to support more communities to host live literature events, for a range of audiences, and highlight the existing resources and reading organisations in different parts of the country that schools and communities can tap into.
LitUp will provide a framework that can be used to encourage more communities to host live literature events, for a range of audiences, and highlight the existing resources and reading organisations in different parts of the country that schools and communities can tap into.
EOIs for the first round of the program are now closed. Successful recipients will be notified in the coming weeks. To stay up to date with LitUp and other Australia Reads news, please sign up for our newsletter.
LitUp events will take place from Term 1 2026 (February 2026).
Questions and media requests should go to: li***@au************.au.