From the Sydney Writers’ Festival to Melbourne Writers Festival and beyond, Australia is blessed with a wealth of literary events each year. These events showcase local and overseas talent, and give readers a chance to hear from their favourite writers.
Here we’ve rounded up the best events around Australia for 2025.
Sydney Writers’ Festival, NSW
The Sydney Writers’ Festival has been running since 1997 in NSW’s capital city. This year’s theme is In This Together. As Artistic Director Ann Mossop said, “Writing remains one of the most powerful tools to make sense of the world, to spark change and foster understanding.”
The festival is on May 19–27. Events are hosted around Sydney, including at Carriageworks in Eveleigh, Sydney Town Hall and as far as Riverside Theatres in Parramatta.
Its Live & Local program streams select events to libraries and community centres in regional Australia. There is also the Sydney Writers’ Festival podcast.
Which authors are appearing?
There are over 40 international guests and more than 100 Australian authors appearing this year, including:
- Samantha Harvey, winner of the 2024 Booker Prize for Orbital. She’ll be talking about writing Orbital, as well as appearing in a panel discussion hosted by ABC Radio National’s Kate Evans.
- Marian Keyes, bestselling author of Watermelon and Rachel’s Holiday, will be chatting about her latest release, My Favourite Mistake.
- Australia’s own Liane Moriarty (Big Little Lies; Nine Perfect Strangers) pairs up with English author David Nicholls (One Day) to discuss having their work adapted for TV and film.
- Helen Garner discusses The Season, her first full-length release for several years, inspired by her time following her grandson’s football team.
- Stella Prize 2025 shortlisted authors Jumaana Abdu (Translations), Melanie Cheng (The Burrow) and Samah Sabawi (Cactus Pear for My Beloved).
- Annabel Crabb hosts the festival’s annual debate. This year’s topic: true friends stab you in the front. Should be a fun one! With David Marr, Matilda Boseley, Rhys Nicholson, Justine Rogers and Jennifer Wong.
Other guests include: Charlotte Wood (Stone Yard Devotional), Shankari Chandran (Unfinished Business), Stan Grant (Talking to my Country), Gina Chick (We Are the Stars), Waleed Aly, Michael Robotham (Storm Child), Anna Funder (Wifedom), Yumi Stynes, Hannah Kent (Burial Rites), Nardi Simpson (Song of the Crocodile), Zoë Foster Blake (Things Will Calm Down Soon), Jane Caro (The Mother), Dylin Hardcastle (A Language of Limbs), Lynette Noni, Benjamin Law and others.
Melbourne Writers Festival, Vic.
The Melbourne Writers Festival has been running since 1986, driven by its values of excellence, curiosity, diversity and a future-focused mindset. This year’s theme is “Magical Thinking”, celebrating the “special kind of magic” found in books, says Festival Director Veronica Sullivan.
The festival, hosted in Melbourne, which is also a UNESCO City of Literature, runs from May 8-11 in venues around the city, including Capitol Theatre and The Wheeler Centre.
Select events will be available to listen to via The Melbourne Writers Festival podcast after the festival.
Which authors are appearing?
This year over 130 writers are appearing across 68 events, including:
- Kaliane Bradley, the Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling author of The Ministry of Time, will be interviewed by The Book Show host, Claire Nichols.
- Japanese author Asako Yuzuki, whose novel Butter went viral. She’ll be talking about themes from the twisty thriller – food, gender and the joy of eating.
- Jimmy Barnes, of Cold Chisel fame, talks about his latest book Jimmy Barnes: Highways and Byways, a collection of anecdotes from his colourful life.
- Jane Harper (The Dry; Force of Nature) will be interviewing Marian Keyes about her new book, My Favourite Mistake.
- Australian authors Anita Heiss (Dirrayawadha) and Kate Grenville (Unsettled) talk about bringing personal history to telling stories of frontier histories and unsettling colonial narratives.
- Stella Prize 2025 shortlisted authors Santilla Chingaipe (Black Convicts), Amy McQuire (Black Witness) and Samah Sabawi (Cactus Pear for My Beloved)..
Other guests include: Jamila Rizvi (The Motherhood), Sarah Wilson, Marcia Langton (Welcome to Country), Hannah Kent (Burial Rites), Colm Tóibín (Brooklyn), C.S. Pacat (Captive Prince), Bebe Oliver (if this is the end), Froomes (Lucinda Price) (All I Ever Wanted Was To Be Hot), Kate Mildenhall (The Hummingbird Effect), Steve Vizard and others.
Margaret River Readers & Writers Festival, WA
Founded in 2009, the Margaret River Readers & Writers Festival is now the largest regional writers event in Western Australia. It returns this year on May 2-4, at venues around Margaret River and Busselton.
There is also a Young Readers & Writers Program that runs for two weeks around the main festival.
Furthermore, its podcast, The Readers & Writers Podcast, is available to listen to year-round.
Which authors are appearing?
Guests range from novelists to journalists and academics from Australia and overseas, including:
- Charlotte Wood, whose novel Stone Yard Devotional was shortlisted for the Booker Prize 2024, will be talking about her career, writing process, and the inspirations for her work.
- Tasma Walton, actor and author, discusses her novel I Am Nannertgarrook, which is based on the true story of her ancestor.
- Crime fiction writer Chris Hammer talks through his body of work, from the acclaimed Scrublands to Silver and The Valley.
- Inga Simpson discusses her latest novel, The Thinning, which was longlisted for the 2025 Stella Prize.
- Markus Zusak reflects on 20 years since the publication of his bestseller The Book Thief.
Other guests include: Marian Keyes (My Favourite Mistake), Samantha Harvey (Orbital), Hannah Kent (Burial Rites), A. C. Grayling, Stan Grant (Talking to my Country), Corey Tutt (founder of DeadlyScience), Peter Godwin (Exit Wounds), Madeline Te Whiu (The Assassin Thief), Craig Semple (The Cop Who Fell to Earth) and others.
Writers festival programs yet to be announced
Byron Writers Festival, NSW
This year the Byron Writers Festival is taking place at the Bangalow Showground, 15 minutes from Byron Bay, over August 8-10. In true Byron Bay fashion, the event includes food stalls, artist markets, bars and also a sculpture walk.
Only a few guests have been announced so far: Esther Freud (My Sister and Other Lovers); Helen Garner (The Season); Hannah Kent (Always Home, Always Homesick); Nardi Simpson (The Belburd); Gina Chick (We Are the Stars); Markus Zusak (Three Wild Dogs and the Truth); Joe Aston (The Chairman’s Lounge); Michelle de Kretser (Theory & Practice – which has been shortlisted for the 2025 Stella Prize); Thomas Mayo (Always Was, Always Will Be).
Brisbane Writers Festival, Qld.
The Brisbane Writers Festival has had an upgrade for 2025. It is relocating to the Brisbane Powerhouse! The 2025 festival is on October 9–12. The program will be released in mid-2025.
Bendigo Writers Festival, Vic.
Since 2012, the Bendigo Writers Festival has prided itself on being a “vibrant gathering of readers, writers, and creative thinkers”. The festival runs during winter in Bendigo, Victoria. This year’s dates are August 15-17.
Canberra Writers Festival, ACT
Hosted in Australia’s capital city, the Canberra Writers Festival has been running since 2016. It has a perennial theme: Power, Politics, Passion. The 2025 festival is on October 22-26.
Berry Writers Festival, NSW
Hosted in the historic small town of Berry in NSW, the event happens every second year. The next festival will be held in October 2026.
Emerging Writers’ Festival, Vic.
This writers’ festival champions new and emerging authors from Australia. The 2025 event will be September 11-18 in Melbourne. As well as the usual talks and events, there are options for professional development and masterclasses for authors.
Did you miss these writers’ festivals?
Adelaide Writers’ Week, SA
This event occurs every year as part of the Adelaide Festival. It’s the largest free literary festival in Australia, with six days of free panel sessions. The talks are also made available via their podcast, Adelaide Writers’ Week. The 2026 event will happen during the Adelaide Festival, Feb 27 – Mar 15.
Newcastle Writers Festival, NSW
The Newcastle Writers Festival was in early April. The inaugural event was held in 2013 and it has since bloomed into one of the largest regional writers festivals in Australia.
Some of the 2025 guests were Markus Zusak (The Book Thief), Julie Goodwin, Peter Greste, Geraldine Brooks (Horse), Omar Sakr (Son of Sin) and Michelle de Kretser (Theory & Practice – which was shortlisted for the 2025 Stella Prize).
