Program
Inspiring readers and writers alike, our packed three-day program celebrates the best of Australia’s literary landscape: joyful, thought-provoking and thrilling opportunities to connect with the written word, and each other. Weekend and day passes, workshops and special events are on sale now.
Program at a Glance:
Tickets:
THANK GOD IT’S FRIDAY with Richard Glover
In a special festival broadcast live from The Carrington, join ABC Radio Sydney’s Richard Glover for all the fun and unpredictability of the infamous TGIF (Thank God It’s Friday!).
WRITERS IN THE SKY Everyone in the Skyway Has Killed Someone
Join Benjamin Stevenson for a choose-your-own-adventure crime fiction comedy, suspended perilously across the Jamison Valley with sixty fellow suspects.
WRITERS IN THE SKY Take a Chance on Me
Witty, warm and reflective, listen to Emily Maguire, Tony Birch and Siang Lu explore opportunity and trust, sharing personal stories of risk and connection in the Scenic World Skyway, hosted by festival director Maeve Marsden.
WRITERS IN THE SKY Abundant Sunsets
Delve deeper into poetry, community and all the ways we rise to a moment, with Wiradjuri poet Jazz Money, in conversation with award-winning Bundjalung illustrator, Charmaine Ledden-Lewis.
NONI HAZLEHURST in conversation with Sarah Macdonald
Join Noni Hazlehurst, star of stage and screen, as she discusses her funny, clear-eyed and opinionated memoir, Dropping the Mask, with ABC Radio Sydney’s Sarah Macdonald.
VILLAINY AND VICE Jack Heath and Louise Milligan in conversation with James Valentine
Join bestselling author Jack Heath and award-winning journalist and author Louise Milligan as they discuss what makes crime so damn compelling with ABC Sydney’s James Valentine.
A FINAL RECKONING Jen Craig in conversation with Shaun Prescott
Blue Mountains locals Jen Craig and Shaun Prescott discuss Jen’s 2024 Miles Franklin shortlisted book, Wall, a brilliant novel full of pathos, humour and deep introspection.
JIM MOGINIE in conversation with Richard Glover
Jim Moginie discusses his memoir, The Silver River, with ABC Radio Sydney’s Richard Glover. It’s the Midnight Oil story you haven’t heard – a moving tale of music, family and belonging.
RAPTURE / POLITICA Emily Maguire and Yumna Kassab in conversation with Kate Evans
Tackling war, religion and revolution, two acclaimed authors at the top of their game discuss their epic new novels with ABC Radio National’s Kate Evans.
WHEN COPS ARE CRIMINALS Veronica Gorrie in conversation with Evelyn Araluen
Join multi-award-winning author Veronica Gorrie and editor of Overland, Evelyn Araluen, discussing a new essay collection about the widespread problem of police criminality and corruption.
IN TRANSLATION Yu Shi and Siang Lu in conversation
What is the future of translation in a world of new technologies and AI? Join Siang Lu, whose novel Ghost Cities centres a young translator, in conversation with professional translator, Yu Shi.
ASK A SILLY QUESTION, GET A CLEVER ANSWER Dr Karl, Professor David Lindenmayer and Bianca Nogrady
Don’t miss this incredible chance to ask burning questions about climate change and the environment, with three people who REALLY know what they’re talking about: Dr Karl, Professor David Lindenmayer and Bianca Nogrady, who between them have published 102 books about science!
REFUGE Shankari Chandran and Jordana Silverstein in conversation with Nadine J. Cohen
How do writers choose the creative tools best suited to effect change? Join Shankari Chandran and Jordana Silverstein in this conversation about the experience of refugees in Australia.
HOME TRUTHS Lech Blaine, Daniel Browning and Veronica Gorrie in conversation with Maeve Marsden
What does it take to excavate personal history and turn it into searing, emotive prose? Explore the artistry of writing memoir, and the challenges of working within flawed institutions, with these celebrated writers.
MURDER IN THE MOUNTAINS Hayley Scrivenor and Benjamin Stevenson in conversation
Hayley Scrivenor and Benjamin Stevenson talk clifftops, cablecars and wilderness as they discuss setting their latest crime fiction novels in the beautiful Blue Mountains.
TONY BIRCH in conversation with Kate Evans
A master of character and observation, Tony Birch discusses his latest book, Women & Children, with ABC Radio National’s Kate Evans.
PRAISEWORTHY Alexis Wright (via Zoom) in conversation with Ivor Indyk
Don’t miss this chance to hear from Alexis Wright, the author of the first book to have received both the Stella Prize and the Miles Franklin, described as ‘the most ambitious and accomplished Australian novel of this century’ by the New York Times Book Review.
THE YEAR I MET MY BRAIN Matilda Boseley in conversation with Yumi Stynes
In The Year I Met My Brain, Matilda Boseley digs beyond the diagnosis to explore the impact of ADHD on identity, relationships, careers and self-esteem.
MIGRATION AND MATRIARCHS Peter Polites and Winnie Dunn in conversation
Peter Polites and Winnie Dunn discuss class, migration, identity and familial bonds in their brilliant novels, God Forgets About the Poor and Dirt Poor Islanders.
MARKUS ZUSAK in conversation with Amy Sambrooke
Internationally bestselling author Markus Zusak discusses his new memoir, Three Wild Dogs and the Truth, a tender love letter to animals, and to our need for connection and chaos.
WOVEN: FIRST NATIONS POETIC CONVERSATIONS
Weaving connections across oceans, lands and cultures, some of the world’s leading First Nations poets share their collaboratively conceived work.
NATURE IS HEALING Nadine J. Cohen and Rebecca Huntley in conversation
The ocean, unlikely friendships and the powerful possibilities of MDMA. Two acclaimed authors talk getting back to nature in the face of grief and trauma in this soul-searching conversation.
CULTS, CLUBS AND PYRAMID SCHEMES Lech Blaine, Ernest Price and Karen Viggers in conversation with Hayley Scrivenor
What happens when the need to belong becomes an obsession? Consider family, religion, diet culture, sport and social media with these brilliant books by Lech Blaine, Ernest Price and Karen Viggers.
ADAPT OR PERISH Peter Goldsworthy and Pip Williams in conversation with Sarah Macdonald
Bestselling novelist Pip Williams and award-winning author, poet and playwright Peter Goldsworthy chat rights, process and form in this focused discussion on the art of adaptation, with ABC Radio Sydney’s Sarah MacDonald.
AMONG THE TREES at Scenic World
Take a heart-starting morning ride on the steepest railway in the world, before meandering through the ferns and eucalypts to the Scenic World Rainforest Room, where writers Viki Cramer, Dave Witty and David Lindemayer will share their knowledge of the trees that tower above.
THE STORY OF ROBODEBT Rick Morton in conversation with Amy Sambrooke
What is the place of morality in public policy? In his latest book, Mean Streak, journalist Rick Morton investigates the Robodebt debacle and what it tells us about our society.
WILD IMAGININGS Siang Lu and Kate Mildenhall in conversation
Turning seemingly improbable futures into plausible inevitabilities, bending the boundaries of genre and sparking the reader’s imagination in thrilling ways, Siang Lu and Kate Mildenhall talk adventures and dystopias in this in-depth discussion of their latest books.
MOTHER AND SON Tony Birch, Peter Polites and Ernest Price in conversation
Traversing class, culture, sexuality and history, this considered conversation about three brilliant books explores masculinity and maternal bonds with depth, love and humour.
PIP WILLIAMS in conversation with Kate Evans
Bestselling novelist Pip Williams joins ABC Radio National’s Kate Evans for a wide-ranging conversation about life, books, history and writing.
LAUGHTER IS THE BEST MEDICINE Michelle Brasier and Peter Goldsworthy in conversation with James Valentine
‘If you found out you had less time to live than the average bear, how might you spend it?’ Beloved comedian Michelle Brasier and acclaimed writer and doctor, Peter Goldsworthy discuss turning to humour and creativity in the face of their own mortality, with ABC Radio Sydney’s James Valentine.
TREES AND GALAXIES Ceridwen Dovey and Dave Witty in conversation with Renee Krosch
Blending scientific inquiry with remarkable creativity, from the great forests to the far reaches of outer space, Ceridwen Dovey and Dave Witty discuss their beautiful new books with ABC Radio Sydney’s Renee Krosch.
WORDS AS WEAPONS Evelyn Araluen, Sara M Saleh and Jordana Silverstein in conversation with Dr Souheir Edelbi
Explore the power of language, both as a tool for advocacy and activism, or as an intentional tool to do harm, in this vital conversation hosted by co-convenor of Western Sydney University’s Palestine Project Dr Souheir Edelbi.
NARDI SIMPSON in conversation with Cheryl Leavy
Festival favourite Nardi Simpson discusses her hotly anticipated new book, The Belburd, a masterfully woven novel about creation, belonging and the precious fragility of a life.
DR KARL A Periodic Tale
With 48 books under his belt, Dr Karl has finally written a memoir! Join him to discover how a shy Polish immigrant kid evolved into the fabulously eccentric Dr Karl.
MICHELLE DE KRETSER in conversation with Felicity Plunkett
Michelle de Kretser, winner of the Miles Franklin Literary Award (twice!), discusses her new book, Theory and Practice, a mesmerising account of desire and jealousy, truth and shame.
ALWAYS WAS, ALWAYS WILL BE Thomas Mayo in conversation with Charmaine Ledden-Lewis
In Always Was, Always Will Be, bestselling author Thomas Mayo investigates ‘what's next?’ for reconciliation and justice in Australia after the failed October 2023 Voice to Parliament referendum. He is joined in conversation by local illustrator and proud Bundjalung woman Charmaine Ledden-Lewis.
POETRY IS NOT A LUXURY Daniel Browning, Kate Fagan and Sara M Saleh in conversation with Jazz Money
Four writers deeply versed in the transformative power of poetry discuss class, community, collaboration and survival in their latest collections, each experimental in form and expansive in vision.
LIANE MORIARTY in conversation with Kate Mildenhall
With over 20 million copies sold worldwide, there’s no stopping Liane Moriarty. She discusses her latest novel, Here One Moment, with Kate Mildenhall.
FAME, MONEY AND MUSIC Dominic Hoey in conversation with Nick Solo
Join New Zealand poet, author and playwright Dominic Hoey as he discusses his impressive back-catalogue and bestsellers with artist, poet and frontman of Hip Hop outfit Horrorshow, Nick Solo.
QUEERSTORIES Michelle Brasier, Daniel Browning, Charlie Villas and Adrian Mouhajer, hosted by Maeve Marsden
Vulnerable and fierce, hilarious and heartbreaking, Queerstories celebrates the culture and creativity of the LGBTQI+ community one true story at a time. An institution around the country, Queerstories has played to crowds big and small, from Mudgee to Murwillumbah, Albury to Adelaide, Brisbane and beyond.
TRUMP’S AUSTRALIA Bruce Wolpe in conversation with John Barron
Join us for this timely conversation about US politics and its impact on Australia, with leading expert Bruce Wolpe, in conversation with host of ABC TV’s Planet America, John Barron.
VARUNA POETRY CIRCLE
Join Varuna’s poetry circle, an annual institution that’s been running for more than 30 years. Share your own poem or simply listen to others in this celebration of community and words.
WE ARE THE STARS The Mick Dark Talk for the Future with Gina Chick
We are thrilled to welcome the inaugural winner of Alone Australia, rewilding facilitator and writer, Gina Chick, to deliver The Mick Dark Talk for the Future, our annual keynote address on the environment.
CHRIS HAMMER in conversation with Renee Krosch
The master of thrills and twists, international bestseller Chris Hammer discusses his latest book, The Valley, with ABC Radio Sydney’s Renee Krosch.