THE power of words and big ideas will be celebrated in Williamstown next week as the third annual Literary Festival gets under way.

Hobsons Bay councillor Angela Altair was joined by local identities and scribes at the Brezioz Creperie to launch the festival last Thursday.

The festival has grown and blossomed since its inception and will span the entire weekend this year.

It will also feature a diverse selection of some of Melbourne’s best writing talent in a variety of fields, from leading sports journalist Gideon Haigh to popular children’s writer Andy Griffiths and ALP heavyweight Barry Jones.

The festival’s patron, former premier and living Williamstown treasure Joan Kirner, said she was delighted with the festival’s rapid growth and the community enthusiasm that surrounds it.

But she said this year, with the current political climate, the festival was also about the need for people to think deeply about the big issues of the day.

“It’s also about debate. Literary festivals need to be about debate and that’s why festivals like [Williamstown] need to be kept going – there is a lack of real debate in the community at the moment,” she said.

“It’s an opportunity for Williamstown people to both contribute to public debate and appreciate some of our great local writers,” she said.

But Mrs Kirner said that the event would also be filled with lighter moments, particularly as this year’s line-up features some less than serious types like comedians Denise Scott and Tracey Harvey.

As well as comedian, writer and actor are among many descriptions that could be reasonably applied to one of this year’s festival guests, Shaun Micallef.

A working writer with numerous stage, screen and radio credits under his belt, Micallef said he felt he could bring something different, something of himself to the festival.

“If it was a taxidermy festival, I’d probably have very little to offer. With writing, I don’t feel like so much of a fraud.”

Micallef will take to the stage with former D Generation member and comic writer Tony Martin for a two-way interview, an arrangement bound to run pleasantly off the rails.

“I hope it won’t be serious,” Micallef said. “I’ll get up and walk out if it gets too serious.”

Tickets for the 2006 Williamstown Literary Festival are available at libraries in Hobsons Bay.