Anna Borzi, a former investment banker, founded the First Nations Writers Festival (FNWF) in 2022 after noticing a significant gap in the availability of books from Greater Pacific and First Nations writers. Driven by a desire to change this, Borzi launched the festival with a mission to publish the stories that had long been missing from mainstream literature. Ahead of the fourth FNWF in May 2025 in Townsville, Borzi shared her insights with B&T about the festival’s growth and the vital role brands play in supporting Indigenous voices from Australia and beyond.
Initially considering creating an awards body for Indigenous writers, Borzi soon realized that the lack of available books meant awards alone weren’t enough. She pivoted to create a model combining a festival with a publishing firm that also recognizes completed manuscripts, which are judged by Indigenous Elders. Many of the submissions are memoirs or fictional retellings of ancestral stories, such as the first manuscript Borzi received from the Solomon Islands, where no novel had been published in 40 years.
While the FNWF is growing, Borzi acknowledges that it still has room to expand within Australia’s cultural consciousness. She notes the success of Melbourne’s Blak and Bright festival but points out that her mission is to extend Indigenous voices beyond Australia, across the Pacific and globally. Borzi reveals that FNWF is already receiving manuscripts from places as diverse as Mexico and Africa, making it clear that the festival’s scope extends far beyond Indigenous Australians.
Preserving Oral Traditions
Indigenous storytelling traditions in Australia have historically been oral rather than written. Borzi emphasizes the importance of recognizing and celebrating these oral traditions, which continue today despite the dominance of written histories in the West. Growing up in Papua New Guinea, Borzi witnessed firsthand the richness of oral storytelling, which led her to understand the importance of preserving these stories in written form.
She encourages young writers to engage with their Elders to record these oral histories before they are lost. “We are now onto our fourth or fifth generation of people telling these ancient stories, and we haven’t written them down,” Borzi explains. “It’s critical that these stories are preserved, regardless of the medium.”
A Nimble Marketing Strategy
The FNWF has grown through what Borzi describes as a “nimble marketing strategy,” relying largely on grassroots efforts to reach its audience. The festival has garnered an impressive following, with over 500,000 people reached on Facebook and 100,000 on Instagram. Despite the lack of professional marketing, the FNWF has attracted attention from international audiences, particularly in the US and the UK, where the books published by Indigenous authors are reaching new readers.
Borzi sees immense potential for brands to engage with a large, diverse demographic at the festival. From advertising opportunities to funding publishing costs and writers’ workshops, the possibilities for collaboration are vast. FNWF’s partnership with Rydges Sydney Airport and Rydges Fortitude Valley in Brisbane to provide accommodation highlights the festival’s growing influence and the value of supporting Indigenous voices.
Looking Ahead
Looking to the future, Borzi hopes to take FNWF authors on roadshows in both Australia and internationally. She is actively seeking partnerships and sponsorships, particularly from independent bookstores, to help make this vision a reality. The upcoming festival, which will again be hosted by Disney choreographer Peter Rockford Espiritu, will feature award-winning authors from past years, continuing the FNWF’s commitment to celebrating Indigenous storytelling.
With growing recognition and an expanding global audience, the First Nations Writers Festival is paving the way for greater visibility and opportunities for Indigenous authors worldwide.
