This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Melbourne Writers Festival, and their 2026 line-up cements their standing as one of Australia’s key literary events.
The theme of the festival this year is “Visions & Revisions”. As Festival Director Veronica Sullivan says, the theme “celebrates the visionary capability of writers and honours the process of continual remaking that is integral to literature, humanity – and to festivals.”
Read on to learn all about the 2026 Melbourne Writers Festival, and how to get your tickets.
When is Melbourne Writers Festival 2026?
The festival runs from May 7-10, 2026, with over 150 speakers appearing at the event.
Additionally, the Schools Program runs May 4-8.
Where is the Melbourne Writers Festival?
The event takes place at various venues across Melbourne. These include Athenaeum Theatre, The Capitol, Cinema Nova, Fringe Common Rooms, Melbourne Town Hall, Queen Victoria Women’s Centre, State Library Victoria, The Moat, The Wheeler Centre and Vision Australia Library Kooyong.
Can’t make the festival in person? Most sessions are recorded for release later via their podcast.
Who is speaking at the Melbourne Writers Festival?
Australian authors and public figures speaking at the festival include:
- Dervla McTiernan
- Stephanie Alexander
- Tasma Walton
- Tony Birch
- Benjamin Stevenson
- Bri Lee
- Anita Heiss
- Toni Jordan
- Judi Morrison
- Bob Brown
- Shaun Micallef
International guests include:
- Jacinda Ardern
- Rebecca F. Kuang
- David Szalay
- Yann Martel
- Susan Choi
- Nikita Gill
For a full list of attendees, explore the official festival program.
How to get Melbourne Writers Festival tickets
Tickets are available through the Melbourne Writers Festival website.
Read their books before you see them
Here is a selection of books written by speakers attending the 2026 festival. Happy reading!
Rebecca F. Kuang
Yellowface
Fiction
Anita Heiss
The Paradise Pact
Fiction
Tasma Walton
I Am Nannertgarrook
Historical fiction
Stephanie Alexander
The Cook’s Companion
Cookbook
Dervla McTiernan
The Unqiet Grave
Thriller
Bri Lee
Seed
Suspense
Benjamin Stevenson
Everyone in my Family has Killed Someone
Murder mystery
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