The 10th Newcastle Writers Festival came to an end on Sunday, with the promise of at least another 10 to come.
The festival, which began on Friday, featured 140 writers and poets - including headline speaker Grace Tame - and an audience of about 6500 people.
Festival director Rosemarie Milsom said "last year was tenuous and people were hesitant" due to the COVID factor.
"This year our audience has returned. It had that energy and people wanted to be out, attending events. It's such a relief," she said.
"Ten years is a big achievement. A lot of people have contributed to it - volunteers, writers, sponsors, staff and the festival board.
"It's been a huge community effort to get it this far."
Ms Milsom said she was a "relentlessly forward-looking person", so she hadn't reflected much on the 10-year milestone.
"I'm already making notes for next year, thinking about writers and things we could do better," she said.
However, the festival's longevity hit home when she found an old photo of her three children from the first festival.
"I thought 'Wow, 10 years is a long time'. They embodied that decade for me because of how they've grown.
"I am very proud that for one weekend a year in April, we elevate literature in this city. We shine the spotlight on writers and storytelling."
She said this was "quite a rare and radical thing and I don't want to ever lose sight of that".
"There's a lot of focus on big major events - musicians, fast cars," she said.
"This is a quieter, reflective intellectual event.
"It has a different flavour. And that's what brings people back."
Asked if she thought the festival would be around for another 10 years, she said, "I think it will definitely get another 10".
"I'm not sure if I can do another 10 personally."
She said the festival had injected $5 million into Newcastle over its lifetime.
"We only use local businesses. We get volunteer T-shirts printed here. We pay local printers, sound guys and tech crew.
"All our staff are local. I think that can get lost. The artistic success is obviously to be celebrated, but what gets overlooked is the economic impact."
She estimated that this year's economic impact would exceed $1.4 million because "we've got a bigger audience".
"There's been quite a few sold-out sessions and the festival moved to NUspace - the University of Newcastle building."
She highlighted an "incredible event" at the university's Wollotuka Institute on Saturday night, with Aboriginal writers and dancers.
