Bookshop, Library & Festival Events – January & February 2026
| Date | Host | Event Details |
| 11 | FESTIVAL | The Indie Book Fair Time: 9am – 4pm Venue: Barwon Heads Community Hall |
| 23 | Geelong Libraries | Helen Garner How To End a Story Time: 6pm Venue: Geelong Library & Heritage Centre |
| 28 | Readings Books | Hear Ben Crowe and Ash Barty Where the Light Gets In. Hosted by Hamish McLachlan. Time: 6.15pm Venue: Melbourne Town Hall |
| BMI Ballarat | Geoff Parkes The First Law of the Bush with Susi Fox The Other Child Time: 6pm Venue: BMI Library, Ballarat | |
| Hares & Hyenas | Dennis Altman in conversation with Patrick Lenton Time: 7pm Venue: in store, St. Kilda | |
| 29 | Dymocks Waurn Ponds | Books in Bars: Susi Fox The Other Child in convo with Geoff Parkes First Law of the Bush Time: 6.30pm Venue: Waurn Ponds Hotel |
| Avenue Bookstore | BOOK LAUNCH: Watchmaker’s War by Danny Ben-Moshe Time 6pm Venue: Elsternwick store | |
| FEBRUARY | ||
| 1 | Escape Hatch Books | Storytime with Andrea Rowe Castle Crashing time: 10.30am Venue: in store, East Kew |
| 2 | Mornington Peninsula Libraries | Author Talk: Geoff Parkes The First Law of the Bush in convo with Susi Fox The Other Child Time: 11am Venue: Mornington Library |
| Flemington Library | Tracing your queer family history of Jonathon Butler The Boy in the Dress Time: 6pm Venue: Flemington Library | |
| 3 | Dymocks Tooronga | First Tuesday Book Club featuring Gabriel Bergmoser, Moreno Giovannoni, Geoff Parkes, Dale Baker, Matt Francis, Andrew Campbell, Jaynie Anderson, Susi Fox Time: 6pm Venue: Rivoli Theatre, Camberwell |
| Paperback Bookshop | Salon Series: Konrad Muller My Heart at Evening with Michael Winkler Time: 6pm Venue: Bars Apothecary | |
| 4 | Readings Books | Celebrate the launch of The Other Child by Susi Fox (Penguin) Time: 6.00pm Venue: Emporium |
| Readings Books | Celebrate the launch of Behind the Screens by Dr Niraj Lal (UQP) Time: 6.00pm Venue: Carlton | |
| 5 | Readings Carlton | BOOK LAUNCH: The Casino by Iain Ryan with Kate Mildenhall Time: 6pm Venue: Readings Carlton (Ultimo) |
| Readings Books | Celebrate the launch of Side Character Energy by Olivia Tolich (Text) Time: 6.00pm Venue: Hawthorn | |
| Dymocks Books | BOOK LAUNCH: Red Star Rebels Amie Kaufman Time: 7pm Venue: 234 Collins Street, Melbourne | |
| 7 | SCBWI | Summer Gathering! with Sarah McKenzie and Deb Frenkel, Angie Cui Time: 2pm – 5pm Venue: Library at the Dock BOOKED OUT |
| Brunswick Bound | Louise Allan Very Good Salads in convo with Jaclyn Crupi Time: 2pm Venue: Brunswick Kitchen, Brunswick | |
| Little Bookroom | BOOK LAUNCH: Going Home Simon Howe Time: 2pm Venue: in store | |
| Readings Kids | Celebrate the launch of Wanted: The Cutest Baby in the World by Davina Bell and Sarah Zweck (T&H) Time: 2.00pm Venue: Readings Kids | |
| 8 | CBCA | Stories that Shape Us – The Power of Contemporary Australian Children’s Literature: with Danielle Binks, Dr Alice Boer-Endacott, Jess McGeachin, Miriam Rosenbloom & Erin Wamala Time: 12pm Venue: Theatrette, State Library Vic |
| 7-8 | FESTIVAL | Festival of the Photocopier and Zine Fair Vic This is a festival exclusively for zine fans: creators, readers and collectors. Venue: 3 Blackwood Street, North Melbourne |
| 9 | FESTIVAL | Banjo Paterson Australian Poetry Festival, Orange NSW The Banjo Paterson Australian Poetry Festival returns to the Orange and Cabonne districts in mid-February 2026, marking the 162nd anniversary of Banjo’s birth on 17 February 1864. CANCELLED |
| 10 | Northern Books | Kate Mildenhall The Hiding Place in convo with Kristin Gill Time: 6pm Venue: The Taproom, Castlemaine |
| Stonnington Libraries | Sofie Laguna The Underworld in conversation with Corrie Perkin Time: 6pm Venue: Toorak/South Yarra Library | |
| Reading Party | The first 2026 Reading Party Melbourne Time: 6pm Venue: Aster Melbourne | |
| 11 | Readings Books | Celebrate the launch of Bird Deity by John Morrissey Time: 6pm Venue: Carlton (Text) |
| Readings Books | Celebrate the launch of Soft Serve by George Kemp, launched by Jordan Prosser (UQP) Time: 6.30pm Venue: Readings State Library | |
| Mornington Libraries | Author Talk: Léonie Kelsall The Ironbark Promise Time: 2.30pm Venue: Mornington Library | |
| 12 | Dymocks Waurn Ponds | Books in Bars: Leonie Kelsall The Ironbark Promise Time: 6.30pm Venue: Waurn Ponds Hotel |
| Readings Books | Dennis Altman will be in conversation with Marieke Hardy about Righting my World (Monash Uni Pub) Time: 6pm Venue: Carlton | |
| Melton Library | Romance Writing with Emma Mugglestone In The Long Run Time: 6.30pm Venue: Melton Library | |
| 13-14 | FESTIVAL | Blussh Romance Festival A Romance Festival for lovers of films and books Venue: Dendy Coorparoo, BRISBANE QLD AUSTRALIA |
| 14 | Great Escape Books | Chloe Adams The Occupation in convo with Magdalena McGuire All We Need Time: 6.30pm Venue: Great Escape Books |
| Little Bookroom | BOOK LAUNCH: Audrey Skips by Andrea Rowe & Lisa Coutts with Karen Comer time: 2pm Venue: in store | |
| Readings Hawthorn | Romance is Not Dead with Holly Brunnbauer, Holly Cardamone, Brooke Crawford, Susannah Hardy & Emma Mugglestone Time: 4pm Venue: Readings, Hawthorn | |
| Mornington Libraries | Author Talk: Rachel Jayne Cassidy Perfectly Matched Time: 11am Venue: Mornington Library | |
| Dinner Party Press | Valentine’s Day with Dinner Party Press Salon featuring Samantha Byre, Natasha Hertanto, Thomas Vowles, Madeleine Cleary Time: 7pm Venue: Willows & Wine, West Melbourne | |
| 15 | Readings Kids | BOOK LAUNCH: My Brother Otto by Ingrid Laguna with Fiona Hardy Time: 2pm Venue: Readings Kids (Text) |
| Readings Books | Celebrate the launch of A Brain That Breathes by Jodi Wilson Time: 6.00pm Venue: Emporium (Murdoch Books) | |
| 18 | Geelong Libraries | An evening with Kathy Lette The Sisterhood Rules Time: 6pm Venue: Geelong Library & Heritage Centre |
| Readings Carlton | Book launch: How To Dress for Old Age by David Carlin & Peta Murray with Sophie Cunningham & Robin Laurie (Upswell) Time: 6.00pm Venue: Readings Carlton | |
| 19 | Beaumaris Books | Author Event: Tim Ayliffe Dark Desert Road and Sarah Bailey Body of Lies in conversation Time: 6.30pm Venue: Ginger Fox, Beaumaris |
| Geelong Libraries | Author Talk: Kate Mildenhall The Hiding Place Time: 5.30pm Venue: Biyal-a Armstrong Creek Library | |
| Bayside Libraries | Geoff Parkes The First Law of the Bush in conversation with Kerryn Mayne Time: 6.00pm Venue: Brighton Library | |
| Readings Books | Celebrate the launch of Duty to Warn by Charlotte Grieve (Hachette) Time: 6.00pm Venue: Carlton | |
| Readings Books | Celebrate the launch of How Good Are Parklets? by Professor Quentin Stevens Time: 6.30pm Venue: State Library | |
| 20 | Readings Books | Celebrate the launch of Dark Desert Road by Tim Ayliffe (Bonnier) Time: 6.00pm Venue: Hawthorn |
| Sisters in Crime | Feuding & Fatal Families: with Tanya Scott, Fiona Lowe & Kristyn McDermott with Lyn Yeowart Time: 6.30pm Venue: Rising Sun Hotel, South Melbourne | |
| 21 | Bayside Libraries | Bayside Creatives: Writing workshop hacks that actually work with Jacquie Byron Time: 1.00pm Venue: Sandringham Library |
| Novel Nook | Geoff Parkes The First Law of the Bush Time: 2pm Venue: In store, Yarra Glen | |
| 20-22 | FESTIVAL | Genre Con QLD GenreCon is the leading conference for genre writers Venue: State Library, Brisbane |
| 21-22 | FESTIVAL | Book Fair Australia Featuring: Jenny Valentish, Ariane Beeston, CS Pacat, Astrid Sholte, Ellie Marnie, Maria Lewis, Isobelle Carmody, Vanessa Len, Caleb Finn, Jourdan Gould, Richard Pritchard Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre |
| 24 | Readings Books | Celebrate the launch of The Cursed Road by Laura McCluskey (HC) Time: 6.30pm Venue: Crystal Palace and Courtyard, Carlton North |
| 25 | Dymocks Waurn Ponds | Books in Bars: Fiona Lowe The Drowning Time: 6.30pm Venue: Waurn Ponds Hotel |
| Kingston Libraries | Author Talk: Toni Jordan Tenderfoot Time: 6.30pm Venue: Cheltenham Library | |
| BMI Ballarat | Paula McLean The One Remaining in conversation Time: 6.30pm Venue: BMI Library | |
| Readings Books | Natasha Brown Universality in conversation with Astrid Edwards Time: Venue: State Library Victoria | |
| Readings Books | Celebrate the launch of Back On My Feet by Olivia Ong Time: 6.00pm Venue: Carlton | |
| Darebin Libraries | Author Talk Edward Caruso What Distance Means Time: 7.30pm Venue: Northcote Library | |
| Yarra Libraries | Dispatches from The Paris End Join writers Cameron Hurst, Sally Olds and Oscar Schwartz for a sharp, funny dive into EXCLUSIVE!, an anthology from Melbourne’s cult longform newsletter, The Paris End. Time: 6.30pm Venue: Carlton Library | |
| 26 | Geelong Libraries | Fiona Lowe The Drowning Time: 11am Venue: Colac Library |
| Brimbank Libraries | Libraries After Dark: Author Talk with Sarah Bailey Body of Lies Time: 6.30pm Venue: Sydenham Library | |
| Darebin Libraries | Favel Parrett There Was Still Love with Fairfield Books Time: 6.30pm Venue: Preston Library | |
| Readings Books | Celebrate the launch of How to Date like a Dangerous Woman by Alita Brydon, creator of Bad Dates of Melbourne (HC) time: 6.00pm Venue: Emporium | |
| Readings Books | Celebrate the launch of The Red Winter by Cameron Sullivan Tiem: 6.00pm Venue: Chadstone | |
| Mildura Library | Geoff Parkes The First Law of the Bush Time: 11am Venue: Mildura Library | |
| 27 | Flinders Fringe | Liz Hicklin Kiss & Cry will perform at Flinders Fringe time: 6pm Venue: Flinders Bowls Club |
| Mornington Libraries | Author Talk: Madeleine Cleary The Butterfly Women Time: 11am Venue: Rosebud Library | |
| 28 | Readings Kids | Celebrate the launch of Bun by Hana Kinoshita Thomson Time: 2.00pm Venue: Readings Kids (A&U Kids) |
| 28 to March 5 | FESTIVAL | Constellations: Not Writers Week From 28 February to 5 March 2026, members of the South Australian literary community will be holding activities in place of the cancelled Adelaide Writers’ Week 2026. These Not Writers’ Week events provide an opportunity for bookshops, libraries and other communities of writers and readers across the state to show the importance of literary conversations in South Australia. |