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).

2023

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):

• Marion, ACT
• 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

   

January

NIL

 

February

Feb 10 –  Mar 5: Perth Festival, Perth, WA. Includes gen. lit.
Feb 11-12: Festival of the Photocopier and Zine Fair, Melbourne, VIC. Zines
Feb 17-26: Orange Banjo Paterson Festival, Orange, NSW. Bush poetry, Banjo.
Feb 18-19: GenreCon, Brisbane, QLD. Spec fic, romance, crime; industry.
Feb 23-24: Voices on the Coast, Sunshine Coast, QLD. Schools (YA, children’s) focus.
Feb 24-26 : Cairns Tropical Writers Festival, Cairns, QLD. Gen. lit. (Biennial)

 

March

Mar 4-9 : Adelaide Writers Week, Adelaide, SA. Gen. lit.
Mar 9: Australian Reading Hour, national. Reading promotion.
Mar 10-13: Port Fairy Folk Festival, Port Fairy, VIC. Musician cross-over, songwriters, poets.
Mar 16-25: Brimbank Writers and Readers Festival, various locations within Brimbank city, VIC. Gen. lit.
Mar 19: Read To Me Day, international. Share the love.
Mar 25: KidLitVic, Melbourne, VIC. Kids and YA, industry.
Mar 25-26 : Clunes Booktown Festival, Clunes, VIC. Gen. lit.
Mar 28-30: Somerset Storyfest, Gold Coast, QLD. Children’s, YA, gen lit.
Mar 30 – Apr 2: Oracles of the Bush, Tenterfield, NSW. Bush poetry.
Mar 31 – Apr 2: Newcastle Writers Festival, Newcastle, NSW. General lit.

Watch for:

Blak & Bright: The Victorian Indigenous Literary Festival, Melbourne, VIC. Indigenous.
Australian Playwrights’ Festival, Paddington, NSW. Plays.

April

Apr 1-2: Oz Comic-Con, Perth, WA. Pop culture.
Apr 13-16: Man from Snowy River Bush Festival, Corryong, VIC. Bush poetry.
Apr 15-16: Supanova, Gold Coast, QLD. Pop culture.
Apr 15-16: Swancon, Perth, WA. Spec fic.
Apr 22-23: Supanova, Melbourne, VIC. Pop culture
Apr 23 – 23 May: Stratford Shakespeare Festival, Stratford, VIC. Things Shakespeare.

 

Watch for:
Queensland Poetry Festival, Brisbane, QLD. Poetry, spoken word.
Giiyong Festival, Jigamy, NSW. Indigenous.
Bookfest: Goulburn Reader Writer Festival, Goulburn, NSW. Gen. lit.
Living Landscapes Writers Festival, Port Adelaide, SA. Nature writing.
Eyre Writers Week, Port Lincoln, SA. Gen. lit,

 

May

 

TBC May ONLINE: IPEd national editors conference. Editing, industry. (Biennial)
May 1 – Jun 5: Words on the Waves, Central Coast, NSW. General lit.
May 4-7: Bendigo Writers Festival, Bendigo, VIC. Gen. lit.
May 4-7: Melbourne Writers Festival, Melbourne, VIC. Gen. lit.
May 10-13: Penola Coonawarra Arts Festival, Penola and Coonawarra, SA. Gen. lit. stream.
May 10-14: Brisbane Writers Festival, Brisbane, QLD. Gen. lit.
May 12-14: Margaret River Readers & Writers Festival, WA. Gen. lit.
May 12-28 (weekends): Queenscliffe Literary Festival, Queenscliff, Point Londsdale, VIC.  Gen. lit.
May 18-28: Melbourne Art Book Fair, Melbourne et al, VIC. Art/illustrated books.
May 22-28: Sydney Writers Festival, Sydney, NSW. Gen. lit.
May 24: National Simultaneous Storytime, national. Encouraging reading.
May 25: Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIA), Sydney, NSW. Industry.
May 31 – Jun 5: Words on the Waves, Central Coast, NSW. General lit.

 

Watch for:

Love YA, Brisbane, QLD. YA. Part of Brisbane Writers Festival. YA
ALIA National Conference, Canberra, ACT. Libraries.
Maleny Celebration of Books, Maleny, QLD. Gen. lit.
SWF Live and Local, Mudgee, NSW. General lit.
Derwent Valley Writers Festival, New Norfolk, TAS. Gen. lit.
Melbourne Jewish Book Week, St Kilda, VIC. Jewish literature.

 

June

Jun 1-4: NT Writers Festival, Mparntwe (Alice Springs), NT. Gen lit.
Jun 2-4: Capricorn Coast Writers Festival, Yeppoon, QLD. Gen. lit.
Jun 2-4: Denmark Festival of Voice, Denmark, WA. Includes poetry, spoken word, readings, talks.
Jun 3-4: Oz Comic-Con, Adelaide, SA. Pop culture.
Jun 9-11: Bellingen Writers Festival, Bellingen, NSW. Australian general lit.
Jun 9-12: Woodend Winter Arts Festival, Woodend, VIC. General lit.
Jun 10-11: Oz Comic-Con, Melbourne, VIC. Pop culture.
Jun 14-24: Emerging Writers Festival, Melbourne, VIC. Gen. lit
Jun 16-18: StoryFest, Milton region, NSW. Gen. lit.
Jun 16-18: Williamstown Literary Festival (Willy Lit Fest), Williamstown, VIC. General lit.
Jun 17-18: Supanova, Sydney, NSW. Pop culture.
Jun 18-19: BookPeople Conference and Trade Exhibition (formerly Australian Booksellers Association (ABA) Conference and Trade Exhibition), Adelaide, SA. Industry.
Jun 20-22: Outback Writers Festival, Winton, QLD. Gen. lit.
Jun 21-25: Winterwords, Beechworth, Stanley, VIC. Gen. lit.
Jun 24: Speculative Fiction Festival, Sydney, NSW. Spec fic.
June 24-25: Australian Fairy Tale Society Annual Conference, Sydney, NSW. Fairy tales.
Jun 24-25: Supanova, Perth, WA. Pop culture.

Watch for:

Disrupted Festival of Ideas, Perth, WA. Presenters include journalists and writers.
Glen Eira Storytelling Festival, Glen Eira, VIC. Series of events. Gen. lit.
Sydney Jewish Writers Festival, Sydney, NSW. Jewish.
Kids & YA Festival, Sydney, NSW. Kids, YA.
Storytellers Festival, Fremantle, WA. Kids, YA focus but all ages.

 

July

July weekends (inc. online): Children’s and Young Adult Writers and Illustrators (CYA) Conference, Brisbane. Children’s and YA
Jul 4-7: Association for the Study of Australian Literature (ASAL) Conference, Melbourne, VIC. Oz lit, academic.
Jul 13-17: Mildura Writers Festival, Mildura, VIC. General lit.
Jul 27-29: Rare Book Fair, Melbourne, VIC. Collectables.
Jul 31 – Aug 6: Library and Information Week, national. Libraries.

 

Watch for:

Whitsunday Voices Youth Literature Festival, Mackay, QLD. Children, YA, schools.
Mildura Zine Fair, Mildura, VIC. Zines.

 

August

Aug 5-6: Oz Comic-Con, Canberra, ACT. Pop culture.
Aug 11-13: RWA Conference, Sydney, NSW. Romance
Aug 11-13: Byron Bay Writers Festival, Byron Bay, NSW. Gen. lit.
Aug 18-20: South Coast Writers Festival, Wollongong, NSW. Gen lit
Aug 19-25: Book Week, national school-based events hosted by Children’s Book Council of Australia.

 

Watch for:

Perth Comic Arts Festival, Perth, WA. Comics.
StoryArts Festival Ipswich, Ipswich, QLD. Children’s.
Poetry Month, national. Poetry.
Orange Readers and Writers Festival, Orange, NSW. Gen. lit.
Words in Winter Daylesford, Daylesford and surrounding towns, VIC. Series of general lit events.
Canberra Writers Festival, Canberra, ACT. General lit.
Mudgee Readers’ Festival, Mudgee, NSW. General lit.

 

September

Sep 2: CapriCon, Rockhampton, QLD. Steampunk, pop culture.
Sep 5-11: Scribblers, Claremont, WA. YA, children’s.
Sep 8-10: Port Fairy Literary Weekend, Port Fairy, VIC. Gen lit.
Sep 13-17: Write Around the Murray, Albury, NSW. Gen. lit.
Sep 23-24: Oz Comic-Con, Sydney, NSW. Pop culture.

Watch for:

Indigenous Literacy Day, nationwide. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander focus.
Logan Writers Festival, Loganlea, QLD. Gen. lit.
Kimberley Writers Festival, Kununurra, WA. General lit.
Dubbo Writers Festival, Dubbo, NSW. Gen. lit, genre.
Australasian Medical Writers Association Annual Conference, Sydney, NSW. Medical.
Poetry on the Move, Canberra, ACT. Poetry.
National Young Writers Festival, Newcastle, NSW. Focus on writers 18-35.
Big Sky Readers and Writers Festival, Geraldton, WA. General lit.
Tasmanian Poetry Festival, Launceston, TAS. Poetry.
Conflux, Canberra, ACT. Spec fic.
Perth Poetry Festival, Perth, WA. Poetry.

 

October

Oct 5-22: Melbourne Fringe, Melbourne, VIC. Lit performance element.
Oct 19 – Nov 5: Oz Asia Festival, Adelaide, SA. Lit component.
Oct 20-22: Blue Mountains Writers Festival, Katoomba, NSW. Gen. lit.
Oct 26-29: BAD: Sydney Crime Writers Online Festival, Sydney, NSW. Crime.
Oct 28-29: Celebrate Reading National Conference, Fremantle, WA. Kids.

Watch for:

Terror Australis Readers and Writers Festival, Huonville, TAS. Crime, mystery.
Omega Writers Conference, Kingscliff, NSW. Christian.
Story Week, Sydney, NSW. Poetry, gen. lit.
Ubud Writers and Readers Festival Perth, Perth, WA. Gen. lit.
Berry Writers Festival, Berry, NSW. Gen. lit.
Book Links StoryArts Brisbane, Brisbane, QLD. Children’s, industry.
Once Upon a Festival, Adelaide, SA. School based, children’s, YA.
HeadLand Writers Festival, Tathra, NSW. Gen. lit.
Writers Group Convention, Brisbane, QLD. Writing.
Stories of Influence, Lake Tyers, VIC. Gen. lit.

 

November

Nov 4-5: Supanova, Adelaide, SA. Pop culture.
Nov 9-12: Australian Short Story Festival, Adelaide, SA. Short stories.
Nov 11-12: Supanova, Brisbane, QLD. Pop culture.

Watch for:

Design Canberra – National Design Writing Conference, Canberra, ACT. Design + writing.
Mountain Writers Festival, Macedon, VIC. Gen. lit., nature and place focus.
Heroines Book Festival Day, Thirroul and district, NSW. Female focus. Spec fic, historical.
The Local Word: Regional Showcase for Writers and Readers (was Word for Word), Geelong, VIC. Regional writers, gen lit.
untitled Literary Festival, Stonnington, VIC. Gen. lit.
Independent Publishing Conference, Melbourne, VIC. Indie publishing, inc. academic and student streams.
Australasian Association of Writing Programs annual conference, Sippy Downs, QLD. Academic.

 

December

NIL

 

Watch for:

Abbotsleigh Literary Festival, Sydney, NSW. Student focus. (Biennial)
Coal Creek Literary Festival, Korumburra, VIC. Gen. lit.
Words in Winter Central Goldfields, Maryborough et al, VIC. Gen. lit.
Salisbury Writers’ Festival, Salisbury, SA. General lit.
Armadale Writers Festival, Armadale, WA. General lit.
Rockingham Writers Convention, Rockingham, WA. Industry.
Yarra Valley Writers Festival, Healesville, Vic. Gen. lit.
Telling Tales in Balingup, Balingup, WA. School kids 4-14.
Phillip Island Festival of Stories, Phillip Island, VIC. Gen. lit.
Creative Kids Tales Writers Festival, Gymea, NSW. Childrens.
Continuum, Melbourne, VIC. Spec fic, pop culture.
Readers and Writers Esperance Finale Weekend, Esperance, WA. Gen. lit.
Jane Austen Festival Australia, Canberra, ACT. All things Jane.
Ipswich Poetry Feast Poets Breakfast, Ipswich, QLD. School focus.
National Play Festival, Sydney, NSW. Theatre. (Biennial)
Reading Matters, Melbourne, VIC. YA. (Biennial)
Goulburn Comic Con, Goulburn, NSW. Comics. (Biennial)
Two Fires Festival, Braidwood, NSW. Inspired by Judith Wright; activism and arts/lit. (Biennial)
Boundless, Bankstown, NSW. Focus on Indigenous, culturally diverse. (Biennial)
Historical Novel Society Australasia (HNSA) Conference, Parramatta, NSW. Historical fiction. (Biennial)
Hobart Writers Festival, Hobart, TAS. Gen. lit. (Biennial)
Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators Conference, Sydney, NSW. Children’s. (Biennial)
Jugiong Writers Festival, Jugiong, NSW. Gen. lit. (Biennial)
Emergence creative festival, Margaret River, WA. Multi-media, cross-disciplinary. (Biennial)
Corrugated Lines, Broome, WA. Gen. lit.

 

2024

Writers Unleashed (Sutherland Shire Writers Festival), Gymea, NSW. Gen. lit. (Biennial)
Tamar Valley Writers Festival, Beaconsfield region, TAS. Gen. lit. (Biennial)
Red Dirt Poetry Festival, Alice Springs, NT. Poetry, spoken word. (Biennial)
Quantum Words Perth, Perth, WA. Science, creativity. (Biennial)

 

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