▁want ▁to ▁make ▁sure ▁our ▁festival ▁program ▁reaches ▁a ▁wide ▁variety ▁of ▁people . ▁Even ▁people ▁who ▁don ’ t ▁necessarily ▁consider ▁themselves ▁to ▁be ▁book ish .’ ’ ▁D emp ster ▁said ▁to ▁the ▁Sydney ▁Mor ning ▁Her ald . The ▁Festival ▁began ▁a ▁new ▁initi ative ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 5 , ▁' A udi ence ▁Adv oc ates ' ▁which ▁saw ▁twelve ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁public ▁selected ▁from ▁an ▁open ▁call - out ▁to ▁help ▁shape ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 5 ▁program . ▁ 2 0 1 5 ▁saw ▁the ▁ 3 0 th ▁anni versary ▁of ▁the ▁Festival ▁with ▁a ▁massive ▁program ▁of ▁over ▁ 5 8 0 ▁events ▁across ▁more ▁than ▁ 7 0 ▁ven ues , ▁attract ing ▁an ▁audience ▁of ▁more ▁that ▁ 6 0 , 0 0 0 . ▁The ▁Festival ▁also ▁ran ▁a ▁special ▁ 3 0 ▁Under ▁ 3 0 ▁program ▁to ▁celebr ate ▁young ▁writers . ▁ ▁The ▁ 2 0 1 6 ▁Festival ▁expl ored ▁the ▁theme ▁of ▁identity , ▁with ▁a ▁particular ▁focus ▁on ▁Australian ▁identity ▁and ▁writing . ▁Local ▁writer ▁Max ine ▁Ben eb a ▁Clar ke ▁opened ▁the ▁Festival ▁to ▁a ▁standing ▁ov ation , ▁and ▁was ▁followed ▁by ▁the ▁presentation ▁of ▁the ▁Mil es ▁Franklin ▁Liter ary ▁Award . ▁The ▁Festival ▁also ▁expanded ▁outside ▁the ▁city ▁centre , ▁with ▁special ▁events ▁held ▁in ▁Foot sc ray ▁and ▁D anden ong , ▁and ▁through ▁a ▁Local ▁L ibr aries ▁program ▁reaching ▁across ▁ 1 6 ▁sub