Bookshop, Library & Festival Events – May 2025
| Date | Host | Event Details | ||
| 1st | Kingston Libraries | Deborah Pike, The Players Time: 1.00pm Venue: Cheltenham Library | ||
| Whitehorse Manningham Libraries | Deborah Pike, The Players Time: 7.30pm Venue: Doncaster Library | |||
| Sun Bookshop | Jane Rawson in conversation Human/Nature Time: 6.30pm Venue: The Younger Sun, Yarraville | |||
| Melbourne Athenaeum Library | Katrina Kell will discuss the intriguing mystery surrounding the identity of the model in Jules Lefebvre’s painting, Chloe, which has graced the Young & Jackson hotel in Flinders Street since 1909. Time: 6.30pm Venue: Melbourne Athenaeum Library | |||
| Benn’s Books | Launch event: A Toom On The Moon Kim Robyn Smith with Rebecca Fraser Time: 6pm Venue: in store, Bentleigh | |||
| Readings Books | Giorgio Linguanti in conversation about his book Burrata (HG) Time: 6pm Venue: Chadstone | |||
| Readings Books | Kellie Finlayson in conversation about There Must Be More Time: 6pm Venue: Hawthorn | |||
| Readings Books | Launch: I Want Everything by Dominic Amerena (S&S) Time: 6pm Venue: Carlton | |||
| Readings Books | Book Launch: Behind the Mask by Josh Piterman (A&U) Time: 6pm Venue: St. Kilda | |||
| BMI Ballarat | Natasha Lester The Mademoiselle Alliance Time: 6pm Venue: BMI Library | |||
| Jeffreys Books and Stonnington Libraries | Anna Matilda Everyday Permaculture Time: 6.30pm Venue: Toorak/South Yarra LIbrary | |||
| Goulburn Valley Libraries | Rose Capp Demystifying Dementia Time: 6.30pm Venue: Shepparton Library | |||
| Harry Hartog | Book Launch: Barren Cape by Michelle Prak with Petronella McGovern Time: 6pm Venue: Mosman | |||
| 1st-4th | FESTIVAL | The Nillumbik Festival of Stories is a chance to participate in a multifaceted event with storytellers from across the Nillumbik Shire using poetry, memoir, fiction, song writing, storytelling as a vehicle to showcase their talent. Guests include: Sandy Jeffs, Sabi Buehler, Judith Bishop, Kelly Gardiner, Kate Mildenhall, Sharon Mullins and Penny Harrison | ||
| 2nd | Bookish Bendigo | Natasha Lester The Mademoiselle Alliance in convo With Cecile Shanahan Time: 6.30pm Venue: Bendigo Bank Theatre | ||
| Turn The Page Bookshop, Phillip Island | Autumn Author Series: Lunch Event with Lia Hills The Desert Knows Her Name Time: 11.30am Venue: Phillip Island Winery | |||
| Readings Books | Raeden Richardson in conversation about The Degenerates (Text) Time: 6pm Venue: Chadstone | |||
| 2nd-4th | FESTIVAL | Margaret River Readers and Writers Festival WA This festival is the flagship annual literature event of Arts Margaret River. It is a 3-day storytelling spectacular featuring top Australian writers, journalists, innovators and big thinkers. | ||
| 3rd | The Kids Bookshop | Jacqueline Harvey The Girl and the Ghost Time: 1.00pm Venue: in store, Mitcham | ||
| Readings Books | Launch: The World We Can Build by Eliza Hull and Sally Rippin (Hardie Grant Kids) Time: 2pm Venue: Readings Kids | |||
| 3rd | FESTIVAL | Shakespeare Literature Festival – Literary Afternoon Tea Two Panels: 1: Kerryn Mayne, Kylie Ladd, Lisa Ireland 2: Anne Freeman, Casey Nott, Edita Mujkic Time: 3pm – 5pm Venue: Badger and Hare, Stratford | ||
| to May 17 | FESTIVAL | Shakespeare Literature Festival | ||
| 3rd-5th | FESTIVAL | Sunshine Coast Hinterland Writers Festival QLD Guests include: Rachel Johns, Dominic Amerena, Fleur McDonald, Amanda Willimott, Ashley Hay, Laura Elvery, Lili Wilkinson, Mary-Lou Sephens, Maryrose Cuskelly, Melanie Saward, Michael Burge, Nicole Alexander, Nadia Mahjouri, Saman Shad, Sarah Williams, Sean Wilson, Steve Minon, and many more! | ||
| 4th | Readings Hawthorn | Book Launch: The Girl Who Cried Bird by Katherine Collette with Jack Druce Time: 3pm Venue: Hawthorn | ||
| Readings Kids | Join Johanna Bell for a special storytime and drawing workshop What is a Dot (T&H) Time: 2.00pm Venue: Readings Kids | |||
| Affirm Press | Book Launch: The Butterfly Woman Madeleine Cleary Time: 2pm Venue: Little Lon Distillery, Melbourne | |||
| 5th | Merribek Libraries | Luke Horton Time Together & The Fogging Time: 6.45pm Venue: Coburg Library | ||
| Melb Writers Club | May meet-up with guest Christine Newell Time: 6pm Venue: Arbory Bar and Eatery | |||
| Readings Books | Jordan Ablett in conversation about One Day at a Time (Harper Collins) Time: 6pm Venue: Chadstone | |||
| 6th | Dymocks Tooronga | First Tuesday Book Club: May guests – Hilde Hinton, Christine Keighery, Clem Bastow & Alison Sampson, Andrea Goldsmith, Madeleine Cleary, Victoria Brownlee Time: 6.15pm Venue: Rivoli Cinemas Camberwell | ||
| Deep See Survey | Poetry Circle Time: 6.45pm Venue: Deep See Survey Space, Shoreham | |||
| The Bookshop at Queenscliff | Megan Clement Desire Paths Time: 6pm Venue: in store, Queenscliff | |||
| Readings Books | Join Walker Books at Readings Hawthorn for an evening of drinks and dumplings, book signing and freebies with an incredible lineup of young adult authors! The lineup: Ange Crawford (How to be Normal) Neal Shusterman (All Better Now) Shivaun Plozza (The Worst Perfect Moment) Time: 6pm Venue: Hawthorn | |||
| Readings Books | Launch: I Ate the Whole World to Find You by Rachel Ang (Scribe) Time: 6pm Venue: Carlton | |||
| 7th | Northern Books | Broken Brains with Jamila Rizvi and Rosie Waterland in conversation with Clare Bowditch Time: 600pm Venue: Phee Broadway Theatre, Castlemaine | ||
| Your Library Ltd | Diane Deeming in conversation All Her Own Time: 11am Venue: Croydon Library | |||
| BMI Ballarat | Mimi Kwa House of Kwa Time: 6pm Venue: BMI Libary | |||
| Dymocks Knox City | Books in Bars: Madeleine Cleary The Butterfly Woman Time: 6.30pm Venue: Urban Alley, Knox City | |||
| Merribek Libraries | Daizy Mann Growing Up Indian in Australia Time: 6.30pm Venue: Glenroy Library | |||
| Yarra Libraries | Cher Tan — Peripathetic Time: 6.30pm Venue: North Fitzroy Library | |||
| Readings Books | Launch: Anti-Fascists by Michael Samaras Time: 6pm Venue: Carlton | |||
| Bayside Libraries | Fearless Beatrice Faust with Professor Judith Brett Time: 2pm Venue: Brighton Library | |||
| Poetica Bondi | Padraig O’Tuama & Huck Hastings Pádraig Ó Tuama is returning to our fair shores with his recently published books: Kitchen Hymns, a volume of original poems. Time: 6pm Venue: Surry Hills – see booking details | |||
| ABIA | Book Awards Night | |||
| 8th | The Chestnut Tree Bookshop | Teachers Night: Creating Schools with Michael Lawrence & Fabio D’Agostin Time: 6.30pm Venue: in store, West Footscray | ||
| Your Library Ltd | Chris Ryan Feeding the Spark Time: 6.30pm Venue: Realm Library, Ringwood | |||
| Readings Books | Launch: Chinese Parents Don’t Say I Love You by Candice Chung (A&U) Time: 6pm Venue: Carlton | |||
| Ulysses Bookstore | Alison Goodman The Ladies Road Guide to Utter Ruin with Kelly Gardiner Time: 7pm Venue: in store, Hampton | |||
| Torquay Books | Jordan Ablett One Day at a Time with Sarah Bieske time: 6.00pm Venue: in store, Torquay | |||
| 8-10 | Mentone Public Library | Centenary Literary Festival To celebrate 100 years of the library, we are throwing a party, a three-day literary festival including writer workshops, author talks, a mini-concert and an open mic. Guests include: Kylie Ladd, Vikki Petraitis, Kerryn Mayne, Emily Webb, Kylie Orr and more! | ||
| 8-11 | FESTIVAL | Melbourne Writers Festival Under the direction of Ronnie Scott, this year’s theme is Magical Thinking and welcomes over 140 writers to Melbourne to take part in 69 events for one extraordinary week. | ||
| 9th | Great Ocean Reads, Apollo Bay | Ladies Lunch with Jade Miles Huddle Time: 12pm – 3pm Venue: Apollo Bay Golf Club | ||
| Readings Books | Lynette Noni will be in conversation about Wandering Wild (Penguin) Time: 6pm Venue: Emporium | |||
| 10th | Dinner Party Press | Mikaella Clements & Onjuli Datta Feast While You Can Time: 7pm Venue: Willows and Wine, West Melbourne | ||
| Blak and Bright | Yarn Bombs: Blak & Bright’s Yarn Bombers are bringing bold, fresh and unfiltered storytelling to Melbourne Writers Festival! Time: 12pm – 2pm Venue: The Moat | |||
| Yarra Plenty Library | Kate Solly The Paradise Heights Craft Store Stitch-Up Time: 2pm Venue: Thomastown Library | |||
| Bookish Bendigo | A Very Austen Afternoon: Kelly Gardiner & Alison Goodman in convo with katrina Nannestad Time: 2.30pm Venue: McKenzie Quarters, Bendigo | |||
| SCBWI Vic | Autumn Gathering Time: 2pm – 4.40pm Venue: Library at the Dock, Docklands | |||
| 12th | Goulburn Library | Amanda Hampson The Deadly Dispute Time: 1pm Venue: Goulburn Mulwaree Library | ||
| 13th | Northern Books & The Wheeler Centre | Mikaella Clements and Onjuli Datta (Feast While You Can) in conversation with Mel Fulton Time: 6.00pm Venue: The Taproom, Shedshaker Brewery, Castlemaine | ||
| Readings Books | Sarah Clutton will discuss The Remarkable Truths of Alfie Bains (A&U) Time: 6pm Venue: Carlton | |||
| Readings Books | Launch: We’re Not Us Without You by Christine Keighery (Ultimo) Time: 6pm Venue: Emporium | |||
| Sisters in Crime | Join Cassie Hamer (The Stranger at the Table) and Darcy Tindale (Burning Mountain) in conversation with fellow author, Tania Chandler about deadly family secrets and fatal friendships. Time: Venue: Europa on Alma, St. Kilda | |||
| Your Library Ltd | Author Talk: Madeleine Cleary The Butterfly Woman Time: 6.30pm Venue: Wheelers Hill | |||
| Bayside Libraries | I Am NOT an Owl launch with Rhonda Ooi and Mel Corrigan Time: 11am Venue: Sandringham Library | |||
| 14th | Moonee Valley Libraries | Sam Elkin Detachable Penis: a queer legal saga’ Time: 7.00pm Venue: Sam Merrifield Library | ||
| Yarra Libraries | Sean Wilson You Must Remember This Time: 6.30pm Venue: Carlton Library | |||
| Readings Books | Launch: Nightingale by Laura Elvery (UQP) Time: 6pm Venue: Carlton | |||
| Readings Books | Jacqueline Maley in conversation about Lonely Mouth (Harper Collins) Time: 6.30pm Venue: State Library | |||
| Dymocks Waurn Ponds | Books in bars: Cassie Hamer The Stranger at the Table Time: 6.30pm Venue: Waurn Ponds Hotel | |||
| Bayside Libraries | Alison Goodman The Ladies Road Guide To Utter Ruin in conversation with Kelly Gardiner Time: 6.30pm Venue: Beaumaris Library | |||
| BMI Library | Darcy Tindale in conversation Burning Mountain Time: 6pm Venue: BMI Library | |||
| 15th | Boroondara Libraries | In Conversation with Author Jason Om All Mixed Up Time: 7.00pm Venue: Hawthorn Library | ||
| Collins Booksellers Moonee Ponds | Jacqueline Maley in conversation Lonely Mouth Time: 6.30pm Venue: in store, Moonee Ponds | |||
| Readings Books | Kumi Taguchi in conversation about her beautifully told story: The Good Daughter (S&S) Time: 6pm Venue: Carlton | |||
| Your Library Ltd | Nicola Marsh Where the Heart Is TimeL 6.30pm Venue: Knox Library | |||
| GV Libraries | Siobhan O’Brien All The Golden Light Time: 11am Tatura Library, 2.30pm Euroa Library AND FRIDAY 16 May, 11am Numurkah Library, 2.30pm Yarrawonga Library | |||
| Heads and Tales | Kym Elphinstone Collecting & Kim Wilson Time: 6pm Venue: in store, Barwon Heads | |||
| Miles Franklin Literary Award | Long List announcement (June 25 shortlist, July 24 winner) | |||
| 16th | GV Libraries | Author Talk – Siobhan O’Brien All The Golden Light Time: 11am Venue: Numurkah Library | ||
| Mornington Peninsula Libraries | Author Talk: Gail Holmes In The Margins Time: 11am Venue: Mornington Library | |||
| 16th-18th | FESTIVAL | Melbourne Art Book Fair, NGV: Events VIC Melbourne Art Book Fair, NGV: Stall Holder Fair VIC | ||
| 16th-18th | FESTIVAL | Write Here, Lake Macquarie, NSW Write Here is a place for writers and readers to be inspired. Hear tips, tricks and tales from local and visiting authors across three days of workshops, discussions and presentations. | ||
| 17th | Bayside Libraries | Writing the Rainbow Writing Workshop with Michael Earp Time: 1pm – 3.30pm Venue: Sandringham Library | ||
| 18th | Readings Books | Launch: I am NOT an Owl by Rhonda Ooi and Mel Corrigan Time: 2pm Venue: St. Kilda | ||
| 19th-27th | FESTIVAL | Sydney Writers Festival NSW Each year, more than 400 writers take part in over 300 conversations, debates, performances and panel discussions to audiences of more than 80,000. “Australia’s most beloved celebration of literature, stories and ideas”. | ||
| 20th | Eltham Bookshop | An evening of poetry: Sue Lockwood The Flowering Dark & Joachim Matschoss The Town Squre Time: 6.30pm Venue: in store, Eltham | ||
| Mary Martin Bookstore | Author Mystery Night Time: 6.15pm Venue: meet at Queen Vic Market Store | |||
| Wheeler Centre | David Nicholls You Are Here in conversation with Bverley Wang Time: 6.30pm Venue: the Wheeler Centre | |||
| Readings Books | Launch of Beyond Green by Lesley Head (MUP) Time: 6pm Venue: Carlton | |||
| Readings Books | Launch: Flight by Anne Vines (Murdoch Books) Time: 6.30pm Venue: State Library | |||
| 21st | Darebin Libraries | Maryrose Cuskelly The Campers Time: 6.30pm Venue: Northcote Library | ||
| Readings Books | Connie Cao in convo Your Asian Veggie Patch Time: 6pm Venue: Hawthorn | |||
| Yarra Libraries | National Simultaneous Storytime 2025: The Truck Cat by Deborah Frenkel, Danny Snell Time: 12pm Venue: Fitzroy Library | |||
| 22nd | Brunswick Bound Bookstore | Launch of Light Film by Sholto Buck Time: 6.30pm Venue: Brunswick Artists’ Bar, 316 Sydney Road, Brunswick | ||
| Wheeler Centre | Ben Macintyre The Seige Time: 6.30pm Venue: The Wheeler Centre with Mary Martin Bookstore | |||
| Readings Books | Toby Schmitz in conversation to discuss The Empress Murders (A&U) Time: 6pm Venue: Carlton | |||
| Readings Books | Launch: A Shipwreck in Fiji by Nilima Rao (Echo Publishing) Time: 6.30pm Venue: State Library | |||
| 23rd | Bendigo Libraries &Sydney Writers Festival | Helen Garner: The Season Time: 12pm Streamed Live to Bendigo Library | ||
| Readings Books | Join us to hear Tegan Bennett Daylight in conversation about How to Survive 1985 – with Kate Mildenhall (S&S) Time: 6pm Venue: Emporium | |||
| ABDA | Awards Night Celebrate the best in book design at the 73rd Australian Book Design Awards 2025 and grab your discounted tickets before they sell out! Location: Mountain Goat Newtown, Sydney | |||
| 23rd-25th | FESTIVAL | York Regional Writers Weekend WA Head to York at the end of May for an inspiring celebration of storytelling in all its forms, with author talks, writing workshops, poetry, memoir, playwriting, and more spread across some of York’s most beautiful venues. | ||
| 24th | Mary Martin Bookstore | Breakfast Book Club: Strange Pictures by Uketsu Time: 8.30am Venue: Market Espresso, nr Queen Vic Market store | ||
| Blarney Books and Art | Book launch: Little World by Josephine Rowe Time: 5.30pm Venue: in store at Blarney | |||
| Wheeler Centre | Jeanette Winterson, Forty Years of Storytelling Time: 1pm Venue: The Capitol SOLD OUT | |||
| Nice Stack of Books, Meeniyan | Madeleine Cleary The Butterfly Womenm and Mark Mupotsa-Russell in convo debut novel Time: 6.30pm Venue: Meeniyan Town Hall | |||
| 27th | Readings Books | Nicole Alexander The Limestone Road in convo with Leah Kaminsky Time: 6pm Venue: Readings Hawthorn | ||
| Bayside Libraries | Gail Holmes, In the Margins Time: 6.00pm Venue: Sandringham | |||
| Readings Books | Launch: TISM’s Machiavelli and the Four Seasons by Tyler Jenke Time: 6pm Venue: Carlton | |||
| Merribek Libraries | Angela Costi The Heart of the Advocate Time: 6.30pm Venue: Coburg Library | |||
| 28th | BMI Ballarat | Nicole Alexander The Limestone Road Time: 6pm Venue: BMI Library | ||
| Bayside Libraries | Madeleine Cleary The Butterfly Women in conversation with Marion Taffe Time: 6pm Venue: Brighton Library | |||
| Readings Books | Launch: these memories require by Jacinta LePlastrier (Puncher & Wattmann) Time: 6pm Venue: Carlton | |||
| 28th May-June 1st | FESTIVAL | Words on the Waves NSW (Central Coast) Words on the Waves is the first writers festival to take place on the Central Coast, and each year in June it offers an array of author talks, workshops, cinema screenings, literary cruises, book launches and more. | ||
| 29th | Brunswick Bound Bookstore | Launch of The Male Complaint by Simon Copland Time: 6.15pm Venue: Brunswick Artists’ Bar, 316 Sydney Road, Brunswick | ||
| Readings | Launch: True South by Gisela Ervin-Ward, launched by Sally Rippin (Midnight Sun Publishing) Time: 6pm Venue: Readings Kids | |||
| 29th-June 1st | FESTIVAL | NT Writers Festival – Alice Springs The NT Writers Festival is a four-day festival that emphasises Australia’s cultural and linguistic diversity, bringing people together to share story, language and culture. The 2025 theme is ‘Healing in the winds of change’. | ||
| 30th | Readings Books | Join Tony Birch, Zarah Butcher-McGunngile and Caroline Williamson for an evening of poetry to warm your soul, hosted by Tim Loveday Time: 8pm Venue: Carlton | ||
| 30th-June 1st | FESTIVAL | Capricorn Coast Writers Festival NSW Stories by the Sea | ||
| 30th-June 1st | FESTIVAL | Denmark Festival of Voice WA Denmark Festival celebrates its 22nd year in 2025! | ||
| 31st | Wheeler Centre | Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Hot Mess Show with Jeff Kinney Time: 11am Venue: Melbourne Exhibition Centre | ||
| KidLitVic | KidLitVic Meet the Publishers Conference Melbourne Town Hall | |||
| 31st-June 1st | FESTIVAL | Words on the Waves NSW In 2025 we celebrate our fifth year with the theme burning bright. We acknowledge the swirling forces that darken our world. But we look forward with hope – with a deeply held conviction in the human capacity to share, create and blaze a path forward. Over each swell, a new horizon rises. See their website for their incredible program, packed with a star-studded author line up |