2022 Australian Literary Festival Calendar

An ongoing listing of literature-related events in Australia. Feel free to contact me with additions and corrections.

Watch for: previously held or pending, with dates or information to be confirmed for current year (TBC).

2022

Reach out (events lists):

BUSH POETRY: The Australian Bush Poets Association maintains a list of events for bush poets, at times run in conjunction with other festivals.
ROMANCE: Australian Romance Readers has a finger on the pulse of romance-related book events.
MELBOURNE: Melbourne, as a City of Literature, has a calendar of events including workshops, launches and presentations.
MELBOURNE: The Wheeler Centre in Melbourne has a busy program of author talks and panels year round.

Writers looking to hone their craft and connect with their peers, reach out to local groups. For example, some of my locals:

BENDIGO, Vic: Bendigo Writers Council has monthly author talks
GEELONG, Vic: Geelong Writers and Scribes Writers are active groups
BALLARAT, Vic: Ballarat Writers holds monthly meetings

Also, try your state or district writers centres for contacts and support, and sign up to their newsletters. Industry body the Australian Association of Authors also may offer professional advice and connections.

WRITERS CENTRES (your first port of call for inquiries literary):

ACT WC
NSW WC
Hunter WC, NSW
Outback WC, Orana, NSW
New England WC, Armidale, NSW
Varuna (Blue Mountains, NSW)
NT WC
QLD WC
SA WC
TAS WC
VIC Writers
WA WC
Katharine Susannah Prichard WC, Perth, WA
Rockingham WC, Rockingham, WA

BE AWARE THAT COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS MAY AFFECT EVENTS WITH LITTLE WARNING AND DETAILS MAY CHANGE SUDDENLY.

January

NIL

February

Feb 11 – 6 March: Perth Festival, Perth, WA. Includes gen. lit.
Feb 12-13: Festival of the Photocopier and Zine Fair, Melbourne, VIC. Zines
Feb 18-20 ONLINE: GenreCon, Brisbane, QLD. Spec fic, romance, crime; industry.
Feb 12-20: Orange Banjo Paterson Festival, Orange, NSW. Bush poetry, Banjo.
Feb 24-26 (ONLINE Feb 28 – Mar 4): Voices on the Coast, Sunshine Coast, QLD. Schools (YA, children’s) focus.

March

Mar 5-6: Supanova, Melbourne, VIC. Pop culture.
Mar 5-10: Adelaide Writers Week, Adelaide, SA. Gen. lit.
Mar 11-13: Scone Literary Festival, Scone, NSW. Gen. lit.
Mar 11-14: Port Fairy Folk Festival, Port Fairy, VIC. Musician cross-over, songwriters, poets.
Mar 12-19: Somerset Storyfest (was Somerset Celebration of Literature), Gold Coast, QLD. Children’s, YA, gen lit.
Mar 17-20: Blak & Bright: The Victorian Indigenous Literary Festival, Melbourne, VIC. Indigenous.
Mar 17-26: Brimbank Writers and Readers Festival, various locations within Brimbank city, VIC. Gen. lit.
Mar 18-20: Australian Playwrights’ Festival, Paddington, NSW. Plays.
Mar 19: Read To Me Day, international. Share the love.
Mar 19-20 (city), 17-27 (regional): Melbourne Art Book Fair, Melbourne et al, VIC. Art/illustrated books.
Mar 26-27: Oz Comic-Con Homegrown, Brisbane, QLD. Pop culture.
Mar 30 – Apr 3: Oracles of the Bush, Tenterfield, NSW. Bush poetry.

April

Apr 1-3: Newcastle Writers Festival, Newcastle, NSW. General lit.
Apr 7-10: Man from Snowy River Bush Festival, Corryong, VIC. Bush poetry.
Apr 7-10: Queensland Poetry Festival, Brisbane, QLD. Poetry, spoken word.
Apr 9: Giiyong Festival, Jigamy, NSW. Indigenous.
Apr 9-10: Supanova, Gold Coast, QLD. Pop culture.
Apr 9-10: Bookfest: Goulburn Reader Writer Festival, Goulburn, NSW. Gen. lit.
Apr 9-10: Living Landscapes Writers Festival, Port Adelaide, SA. Nature writing.
Apr 28 – May 14: Shakespeare on the River, Stratford, VIC. Things Shakespeare.
Apr 30: Swancon Not-a-con, Perth, WA. Spec fic.
Apr 30 – May 1: Boonah Writers Festival, Boonah, QLD. Gen. lit.
Apr 30 – May 1: Eyre Writers Week, Port Lincoln, SA. Gen. lit,
Apr 30 – May 1: Clunes Booktown Festival, Clunes, VIC. Gen. lit.
Apr 30 – 1 May: KidLitVic + Meet the Pulisher, Melbourne, VIC. Kids and YA, industry.

May

May 3-8: Brisbane Writers Festival, Brisbane, QLD. Gen. lit.
May 4-8: Scribblers, Claremont, WA. YA, children’s.
May 7: Love YA, Brisbane, QLD. YA. Part of Brisbane Writers Festival. YA
May 12-15: Bendigo Writers Festival, Bendigo, VIC. Gen. lit.
May 12-15: Penola Coonawarra Arts Festival, Penola and Coonawarra, SA. Gen. lit. stream.
May 13-15: Margaret River Readers & Writers Festival, WA. Gen. lit.
May 13-29 (weekends): Queenscliffe Literary Festival, Queenscliff, Point Londsdale, VIC. Gen. lit.
May 16-19: ALIA National Conference, Canberra, ACT. Libraries.
May 16-22: Sydney Writers Festival, Sydney, NSW. Gen. lit.
May 20-22: Maleny Celebration of Books, Maleny, QLD. Gen. lit.
May 20-22: SWF Live and Local, Mudgee, NSW. General lit.
May 21-22: Oz Comic-Con Homegrown, Adelaide, SA. Pop culture.
May 25: National Simultaneous Storytime, national. Encouraging reading.
May 27-29: Derwent Valley Writers Festival, New Norfolk, TAS. Gen. lit.
May 28-31: Melbourne Jewish Book Week, St Kilda, VIC. Jewish literature.

June

June, Thursdays: BAD: Sydney Crime Writers Online Festival, Sydney, NSW. Crime.
Jun 3-5: South Coast Writers Festival, Wollongong, NSW. Gen lit
Jun 3-5: Denmark Festival of Voice, Denmark, WA. Includes poetry, spoken word, readings, talks.
Jun 3-6: Words on the Waves, Central Coast, NSW. General lit.
Jun 9: Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIA), Sydney, NSW. Industry.
Jun 10-12: Bellingen Writers Festival, Bellingen, NSW. Australian general lit.
Jun 10-13, 24-26, Jul 8-10: Port Fairy Winter Weekends, Port Fairy, VIC. Inc. literary stream.
Jun 10-13: Woodend Winter Arts Festival, Woodend, VIC. General lit.
Jun 11-12: Oz Comic-Con, Melbourne, VIC. Pop culture.
Jun 12-13: Australian Booksellers Association (ABA) Conference and Trade Exhibition, Sydney, NSW. Industry.
Jun 15-19: Winterwords, Beechworth, VIC. Gen. lit.
Jun 15-25: Emerging Writers Festival, Melbourne, VIC. Gen. lit.
Jun 18-19: Supanova, Sydney, NSW. Pop culture.
Jun 18-19: Williamstown Literary Festival (Willy Lit Fest), Williamstown, VIC. General lit.
Jun 18-19: Disrupted Festival of Ideas, Perth, WA. Presenters include journalists and writers.
Jun 18 — Jul 12: Glen Eira Storytelling Festival, Glen Eira, VIC. Series of events. Gen. lit.
Jun 19-20: Sydney Jewish Writers Festiva l, Sydney, NSW. Jewish.
Jun 21-23: Outback Writers Festival, Winton, QLD. Gen. lit.
Jun 23-26: NT Writers Festival, Darwin, NT. Gen lit.
Jun 25: Kids & YA Festival, Sydney, NSW. Kids, YA.
Jun 25-26: Supanova, Perth, WA. Pop culture.
Jun 26: Storytellers Festival, Fremantle, WA. Kids, YA focus but all ages.

July

ONLINE, weekends: Children’s and Young Adult Writers and Illustrators (CYA) Conference, Brisbane. Children’s and YA.
Jul 4-8: Association for the Study of Australian Literature (ASAL) Conference, Hobart, TAS. Oz lit, academic.
Jul 7-9: Rare Book Fair, Melbourne, VIC. Collectables.
Jul 13-15: Whitsunday Voices Youth Literature Festival, Mackay, QLD. Children, YA, schools.
Jul 14-17: Mildura Writers Festival, Mildura, VIC. General lit.
Jul 25-31: Library and Information Week, national. Libraries.
Jul 29-30: Mildura Zine Fair, Mildura, VIC. Zines.

August

Aug 1: Perth Comic Arts Festival, Perth, WA. Comics.
Aug 1-7: StoryArts Festival Ipswich, Ipswich, QLD. Children’s.
Aug 1-31: Poetry Month, national. Poetry.
Aug 4-7: Red Dirt Poetry Festival, Alice Springs, NT. Poetry, spoken word. (Biennial)
Aug 6: Orange Readers and Writers Festival, Orange, NSW. Gen. lit.
Aug 6-28: Words in Winter Daylesford, Daylesford and surrounding towns, VIC. Series of general lit events.
Aug 10-14: Canberra Writers Festival, Canberra, ACT. General lit.
Aug 12-14: RWA Conference, Fremantle, WA. Romance
Aug 20-26: Book Week, national school-based events hosted by Children’s Book Council of Australia.
Aug 26-28: Byron Bay Writers Festival, Byron Bay, NSW. Gen. lit.
Aug 26-28: Mudgee Readers’ Festival, Mudgee, NSW. General lit.
Aug 27: CapriCon, Rockhampton, QLD. Steampunk, pop culture.

September

Sep 2-4: Port Fairy Literary Weekend, Port Fairy, VIC. Gen. lit.
Sep 2-11: Melbourne Writers Festival, Melbourne, VIC. General lit.
Sep 3: Writers Unleashed (Sutherland Shire Writers Festival), Gymea, NSW. Gen. lit.
Sep 7: Indigenous Literacy Day, nationwide. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander focus.
Sep 8-10: BAD: Sydney Crime Writers Festival, Sydney, NSW. Crime.
Sep 9-10: Logan Writers Festival, Loganlea, QLD. Gen. lit.
Sep 9-11: Kimberley Writers Festival, Kununurra, WA. General lit.
Sep 10-11: Dubbo Writers Festival, Dubbo, NSW. Gen. lit, genre.
Sep 14-18: Write Around the Murray, Albury, NSW. Gen. lit.
Sep 16-17: Rose Scott Women Writers’ Festival, Sydney, NSW. Gen. lit, by women.
Sep 16-18: Quantum Words Perth, Perth, WA. Science, creativity. (Biennial)
Sep 22-24: Australasian Medical Writers Association Annual Conference, Sydney, NSW. Medical.
Sep 22-26: Poetry on the Move, Canberra, ACT. Poetry.
Sep 24-25: Oz Comic-Con, Sydney, NSW. Pop culture.
Sep 20 – 2 Oct: National Young Writers Festival, Newcastle, NSW. Focus on writers 18-35.
Sep 29 – 2 Oct: Big Sky Readers and Writers Festival, Geraldton, WA. General lit.
Sep 30 – Oct 2: Tasmanian Poetry Festival, Launceston, TAS. Poetry.
Sep 30 – Oct 3: Conflux, Canberra, ACT. Spec fic.
Sep 30 – Oct 8: Perth Poetry Festival, Perth, WA. Poetry.

October

Oct 1-2: Australian Fairy Tale Society Annual Conference, Brisbane, QLD. Fairy tales.
Oct 2-30: Terror Australis Readers and Writers Festival, Huonville, TAS. Crime, mystery.
Oct 6-23: Melbourne Fringe, Melbourne, VIC. Lit performance element.
Oct 7-9: Omega Writers Conference, Kingscliff, NSW. Christian.
Oct 8: Love Your Bookshop Day, national. Events around the country to encourage book buying.
Oct 13-17: Tamar Valley Writers Festival, Beaconsfield region, TAS. Gen. lit. (Biennial)
Oct 17-23: Story Week, Sydney, NSW. Poetry, gen. lit.
Oct 21-23: Ubud Writers and Readers Festival Perth, Perth, WA. Gen. lit.
Oct 21-23: Berry Writers Festival, Berry, NSW. Gen. lit.
Oct 21-23: Blue Mountains Writers Festival, Katoomba, NSW. Gen. lit.
Oct 21-23: Berry Writers Festival, Berry, NSW. Gen lit.
Oct 22-23: Book Links StoryArts Brisbane, Brisbane, QLD. Children’s, industry.
Oct 27-28: Once Upon a Festival, Adelaide, SA. School based, children’s, YA.
Oct 28-29: Celebrate Reading National Conference, Fremantle, WA. Kids.
Oct 28-30: HeadLand Writers Festival, Tathra, NSW. Gen. lit.
Oct 28-30: Australian Short Story Festival, Perth, WA. Short stories.
Oct 30: Writers Group Convention, Brisbane, QLD. Writing.

Watch for:

Write On Festival (formerly Flash Fiction Fun Weekend), Canberra, ACT. Industry.
Stories of Influence, Lake Tyers, VIC. Gen. lit.

November

Nov 2-20: Design Canberra – National Design Writing Conference, Canberra, ACT. Design + writing.
Nov 4-6: Mountain Writers Festival, Macedon, VIC. Gen. lit., nature and place focus.
Nov 4-6: In Other Words, Adelaide, SA. Gen. lit. Aus-Asia focus.
Nov 5-6: Supanova, Brisbane, QLD. Pop culture.
Nov 6: Heroines Book Festival Day, Thirroul and district, NSW. Female focus. Spec fic, historical.
Nov 12-13: Supanova, Adelaide, SA. Pop culture.
Nov 18-19 (new dates): The Local Word: Regional Showcase for Writers and Readers (was Word for Word), Geelong, VIC. Regional writers, gen lit.
Nov 18-20: untitled Literary Festival, Stonnington, VIC. Gen. lit.
Nov 24-26: Independent Publishing Conference, Melbourne, VIC. Indie publishing, inc. academic and student streams.
Nov 28-30: Australasian Association of Writing Programs annual conference, Sippy Downs, QLD. Academic.