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.
BEDTIME STORIES with Noni Hazlehurst, Kate Fagan, Dominic Hoey and More
Get ready for bed (pyjamas optional) as a collection of festival talent entertain and delight in the cosy surrounds of The Carrington, cup of hot chocolate (or whisky) in hand.
WRITTEN IN THE STARS
Explore the dark skies of Dharug and Gundungurra land, in this award-winning stargazing tour, led by local astrophysicist Dr Dimitri Douchin.
BEDTIME STORIES with Yumi Stynes, Nardi Simpson, Ceridwen Dovey and Dobby
Get ready for bed (pyjamas optional) as a collection of festival talent entertain and delight in the cosy surrounds of The Carrington, cup of hot chocolate (or whisky) in hand.
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.
BEERS AND BOOKS Sex and Consent with Yumi Stynes and Dr Melissa Kang
Pairing bestselling books with an award-winning brew? It’s a no-brainer. Kick back for Sunday arvo beers, and chat knotty topics and big ideas with your favourite authors, at Mountain Culture Brewery.
BEERS AND BOOKS News and Politics with Rick Morton and Matilda Boseley
Pairing bestselling books with an award-winning brew? It’s a no-brainer. Kick back for Sunday arvo beers, and chat knotty topics and big ideas with your favourite authors, at Mountain Culture Brewery.
The Mick Dark Talk for the Future with Nardi Simpson
Welcome Nardi Simpson as this year’s keynote speaker for The Mick Dark Talk for the Future, an annual address on the environment that honours the legacy of Mick Dark, who in 1989 bequeathed Varuna the National Writers’ House to the writers of Australia.
A Line in the Sand: Red Room Poetry Showcase
A Line in the Sand brings together over 80 pieces from our leading poets and public figures in a retrospective that covers twenty years of contemporary Australian poetry.
Writers in the Sky
The Writers in the Sky event is held at Scenic World, Katoomba. Included as part of a gold pass, attendees choose from one of three separate 25-minute performance events in the cableway during this time: Outspoken with Madison Godfrey, Reconnecting with Stories or The Biggest Risk You Ever Took.
Queerstories – One True Story at a Time
In this national storytelling event led by Maeve Marsden, LGBTQI+ storytellers share a tale from their lives, shining small lights into the magnificence of the queer community.
Thank God It’s Friday with Richard Glover
In a special Festival broadcast live from The Carrington in Katoomba, join ABC Radio Sydney’s Richard Glover for all the fun and unpredictability of the infamous TGIF (Thank God It’s Friday!).
The Mick Dark Talk for the Future with Costa Georgiadis
You can’t miss this one! Join the energy of green-fingered Costa as he shines light on our planet’s future and what we can do to feed the Earth that has sustained us for so long.
Queerstories - One True Story at a Time
Join this national storytelling event led by Maeve Marsden, in which LGBTQI+ storytellers share a tale from their lives, shining small windows into the magnificence of the queer community.
Writers in the Sky with James Valentine and Chris Hammer
Ready to concoct a murder mystery while perched in a cable car? Enjoy the ride with ABC Radio Sydney host James Valentine and crime writer genius Chris Hammer.
Writers in the Sky with James Valentine and Nardi Simpson
Listen to storyteller and musician Nardi Simpson, along with ABC Radio Sydney host James Valentine, while suspended in a cable car over the Jamieson Valley.
The Full Catastrophe: Stories From When Life was so Bad it was Funny
In a live therapy session, guests tell host Rebecca Huntley and Sarah Macdonald about when life got so bad it got funny.
Thank God It’s Friday
In a special Festival broadcast live from The Carrington in Katoomba, join ABC Radio Sydney’s Richard Glover for all the fun and unpredictability of the infamous TGIF (Thank God It’s Friday!). Laugh alongside a star-studded line-up featuring Colin Buchanan, Tommy Dean, Angela Lavoipierre, singer songwriter Phil Davidson and all the hilarity of the infamous Wheel of Death. At 6pm, Richard interviews three of the festival’s beloved writers.