An ongoing listing of literature-related events in Australia. Feel free to contact me with additions and corrections.
Watch for = dates or information TBC.
Also check out the events being run in conjunction with the National Year of Reading.
January
Outspoken at Maleny, Maleny, QLD, Jan 20. Guest: Judy Morris (Eye of the Storm). Gen lit author talks.
February 2012
Perth Writers Week, Perth, WA, Feb 23-26. General lit.
Riverbend Poetry Series, Brisbane, QLD, Feb 28. Poetry readings.
March 2012
Adelaide Writers Week, Adelaide, SA, Mar 2-18. General lit.
Somerset Celebration of Literature, Gold Coast, QLD, Mar 12-14. General lit and YA.
Storylines Literary Festival, Perth, WA, Mar 21-23. YA.
Bellingen Writers Festival, Bellingen, NSW, Mar 23-25. Australian general lit.
Norman Lindsay Festival of Children’s Literature, Faulconbridge, NSW, March 25.
Oracles of the Bush, Tenterfield, NSW, Mar 29-31. Bush poetry, lit and music.
Oz Comic-Con, Adelaide, SA, Mar 30-Apr 1. Pop culture.
April 2012
Snowy Mountains Readers and Writers Festival, Jindabyne, NSW, Apr 7-9. General lit.
Supanova, Melbourne, VIC, Apr 13-15. Pop culture..
Supanova, Gold Coast, QLD, Apr 20-22. Pop culture.
Swancon, Perth, WA, Apr 21-25. Spec fic.
Riverbend Poetry Series, Brisbane, QLD, Apr 24. Poetry readings.
Margaret River Readers and Writers Festival, Margaret River, WA, April 29-May 6. General lit.
May 2012
Williamstown Literary Festival, Williamstown, VIC, May 4-6. General lit.
Gloucester Writers Festival, Gloucester, NSW, May 4-6. General lit.
Wordstorm and National Poetry Festival, Darwin, NT, May 10-13. Combined festivals of poetry and general lit.
Aurealis Awards, Sydney, NSW, May 12. Spec fic awards night.
Sydney Writers Festival, Sydney, NSW, May 14-20. General lit.
Children’s Book Council of Australia Conference, Adelaide, SA, May 17-19. Children’s and YA.
Bundaberg Writefest, Bundaberg, QLD, May 19. General lit and workshops.
Emerging Writers Festival, Melbourne, VIC, May 24-June 3. General lit.
Literati, Gold Coast, QLD, May 25-26. General lit.
Monash Wordfest, Monash (Melbourne), VIC, May 26 – July 25. General lit, presentation series.
June 2012
The Light in Winter, Melbourne, VIC, Jun 1 – Jul 1. General lit/AV.
Voices on the Coast, Sunshine Coast, QLD, Jun 2-6. YA.
Queensland Week Townsville Literary Festival, Townsville, QLD, Jun 4-11. General fiction. (No website.)
Henry Lawson Festival, Grenfell, NSW, Jun 8-11. Bush poetry, lit, music.
Woodend Winter Arts Festival, Woodend, Vic, Jun 8-11. General lit.
Continuum, Melbourne, VIC, Jun 8-11. Spec fic.
Antipodes Writing Festival, Melbourne, VIC, Jun 15-17. General lit with a Greek focus.
Supanova, Sydney, NSW, Jun 15-17. Pop culture.
Noosa Long Weekend, Noosa, QLD, Jun 15-24. Gen lit stream.
Torquay Froth and Bubble, Torquay, VIC, Jun 16-17. General lit.
Outspoken at Maleny, Maleny, QLD, Jun 17. Guest: Kate Grenville. Gen lit author talks.
Riverbend Poetry Series, Brisbane, QLD, Jun 19. Poetry readings.
Supanova, Perth, WA, Jun 22-24. Pop culture.
Bayside Literary Festival, Bayside, VIC, Jun 21 – Jul 15 (various dates). General lit.
4th International Australian and New Zealand Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators Conference, Sydney, NSW, Jun 29-Jul 1. Children’s.
Oz Comic-Con, Melbourne, VIC, Jun 30-Jul 1. Pop culture.
July 2012
Children’s and Young Adult Writers and Illustrators (CYA) Conference, Brisbane, QLD, Jul 6-7. Children’s and YA.
Whitsunday Voices Youth Literature Festival, Mackay, QLD, Jul 11-14. YA.
Outspoken at Maleny, Brisbane, QLD, Jul 13. Guest: Richard Ford. Gen lit author talk in conjunction with Brisbane Writers Festival.
Mildura Writers Festival, Mildura, VIC, Jul 19-22. General lit.
Southern Highlands Writers’ Festival, Bowral, NSW, Jul 21-22. General lit.
Curtis Coast Literary Carnivale, Gladstone, QLD, Jul 22-25. General lit.
Reality Bites, Cooroy, QLD, Jul 26-29. Nonfiction.
Kimberley Writers Festival, Kununurra, WA, July 27-29. General lit.
Words Words in Winter, Daylesford and surrounding towns, VIC, July 29-Aug 31. General lit.
August 2012
Sci Fi and Fantasy Month, Logan North Library, QLD, Aug 1-31. Spec fic.
Corrugated Lines: A Festival of Words, Broome, WA, Aug 3-5. General lit.
Byron Bay Writers Festival, Byron Bay, NSW, Aug 3-5. General lit.
Bendigo Writers Festival, Bendigo, VIC, Aug 10-12. General lit.
Outspoken at Maleny, Maleny, QLD, Aug 15. Guest: Ramona Koval. Gen lit author talks.
Romance Writers of Australia conference, Gold Coast, QLD, Aug 17-19. Romance.
WA Poetry Festival, Perth, WA, Aug 17-20. Poetry.
Queensland Poetry Festival, Brisbane, QLD, Aug 24-26. Poetry.
Melbourne Writers Festival, Melbourne, VIC, Aug 24-Sep 2. General lit.
Salisbury Writers’ Festival, Salisbury, SA, Aug 24-Sep 2. General lit.
Reading Hour, National Year of Reading, nationwide, Aug 25. Devote an hour to a book.
Sydney Jewish Writers’ Festival, Sydney, NSW, Aug 25-28. General lit.
Queensland Business Writers’ Conference, Brisbane, QLD, Aug 29. Corporate.
September 2012
Ballarat Writers & Illustrators Festival, Ballarat, VIC, Sep 1-2. Children’s and YA.
Outspoken Maleny, Maleny, QLD, Sep 5. Guests: Patrick Gale, Christopher Currie.
Indigenous Literacy Day, national events, Sep 5. General lit, YA focus.
Brisbane Writers Festival, Brisbane, QLD, Sep 5-9. General lit.
Write Around the Murray, Albury, NSW, Sep 5-9. General lit.
KSP Minicon, Greenmount, WA, Sep 9. Spec fic.
Tropical Writers Festival, Cairns, QLD, Sep 14-16. Gen lit.
Big Sky Writers and Readers Festival, Geraldton, WA. Sep 14-16. General lit.
Avon Valley Writer’s Festival, Northam and Toodyay Libraries, WA, Sep 22-23. General lit.
Canberra Readers’ Festival, ACT, Sep 22. General lit.
Fringe Writers’ Festival, Sydney, NSW, Sep 23. Journalism, general lit.
National Young Writers Festival, Newcastle, NSW, Sep 27-30. General lit.
Conflux, Canberra, ACT, Sep 29-30. Spec fic.
CrimeScene 2012, Perth, WA, Sep 29-30. Crime fiction.
Watch for: Overload Poetry Festival, Melbourne, VIC. Poetry.
October 2012
Boundless: Festival of Australian Children’s Literature, Canberra, ACT, Oct 3 – Nov 17. Children’s and YA.
Tasmanian Poetry Festival, Launceston, TAS. Oct 5-7.
Queensland Writers Week, statewide, QLD, Oct 8-14. Gen lit, open source events.
The Word Writers Fair, Sunshine Coast, QLD, Oct 12-14. Christian.
Unley Libraries Festival, Adelaide, SA, Oct 13-14. General local lit.
Regional Arts Australia National Conference, Goolwa, SA, Oct 18-21.
Outspoken at Maleny, Maleny, QLD, Oct 26. Guests: Mark Tredennick and Cate Kennedy. Gen lit author talks.
Maleny Celebration of Books, Maleny, QLD, Oct 26-28. General lit, YA.
Gold Coast Writers Festival, Gold Coast, QLD, Oct 26-28. General lit expo, focus on indie/self-pub.
Freecon, Sydney (UTS), NSW, Oct 26-28. Speculative fiction.
Watch for: SheKilda, St Kilda, VIC. Crime.
Watch for: World Matters Literary Festival, Eltham, VIC. General lit, politics.
November 2012
Nanowrimo, international. Write a novel in a month.
GenreCon, Sydney, NSW, Nov 2-4. Genre fiction.
Independent Publishers Conference, Melbourne, Vic, Nov 8-9. Indie publishing.
Sutherland Shire Writers Festival, Gymea, NSW, Nov 11-12. General lit.
NonfictioNow, Melbourne, VIC, Nov 21-24. Nonfiction.
December 2012
Nil.
Return to top
2013
For events in 2013, see the 2013 calendar.
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May 6, 2012 at 1:30 pm
[...] Calendar of Australian literary festivals Share this:TwitterFacebookStumbleUponRedditDiggEmailLinkedInLike this:LikeBe the first to like this post. [...]
August 28, 2012 at 3:30 pm
Thanks for that list, Jason. Very comprehensive!
August 28, 2012 at 3:51 pm
Thanks, Kaaron; happy to add more than I’ve might’ve missed or are new.
September 24, 2012 at 11:31 pm
[...] great they are (or can be) to attend. And some bloggers provide lists of festivals, such as writer Jason Nahrung, whom I discovered through the Australian Women Writers Challenge [...]