| DATE | FESTIVAL |
|---|---|
| January 2023 | |
| 15th | Queer Victorian Festival of Words 10am – 4pm at Sebastopol Library for free workshops and masterclasses 6pm – 10pm at Ballarat Piano Bar for a free artists’ showcase Guests include: Jasper Peach, RWR McDonald, Alison Evans, Hayley Elliot Ryan, Jessie Brautigan, Hayley Singer, Sarah Hart |
| 21st | Queer Victorian Festival of Words 10am – 3pm at Shepparton Library for free workshops and masterclasses 6pm – 10pm at The Church @ Maude for a free artists’ showcase Guests include: Michael Earp, Jack Kirne, Achala Green, Fleassy Malay, |
| February | |
| 17th-26th | Banjo Paterson Poetry Festival, Orange, NSW Bush Poetry |
| 18th-19th | Genre Con, Brisbane: In-person & virtual events GenreCon is the leading conference for genre writers |
| 23rd-25th | Voices on the Coast Literature Festival, Maroochydore: In-person events Guests include: Nat Amoore, Tristan Bancks, Charlotta Barkla, Reece Carter, Calyton Coomber, Gary Crew, Eomane Cristescu, Gregg Dreiser, Karen Foxlee, Serena Geddes, Ronojoy Ghosh, Nicole Gill, Amie Kaufman, Remy Lai, Miranda Luby, Dinesh Palipana, Dr Sarah Pye, Judith Rossell, Matt Stanton, Al Tait, Kate & Jol Temple, Allayne Webster, Dee White, Sue Whiting |
| 24th-26th | Cairns Tropical Writers Festival The Cairns Tropical Writers Festival was established in 2008 and is a biennial event. It brings together our regional community of writers and readers with Australian and internationally revered authors and celebrities, who inspire us and feed our literary minds. Presenters include Annabel Crabb, Leigh Sales, Aaron Fa’Aoso, Chris Hammer, Anita Jacoby, Alison Croggon, Nikki Gemmell, Tony Birch, and many more! |
| 25th-26th | Perth Festival, Writers Weekend (Steadfast as the Stars) Bringing conversations with amazing authors and big ideas! Bringing conversations with amazing authors and big ideas this summer! Guests include: Jess Ho, Don Watson, Alice Pung, Chloe Hooper, Larissa Behrendt, Winnie Dunn, Mohammed Massoud Morsi & Sisonke Msimang, Hayley Scrivenor, Jennifer Down, Sean Kelly, Amy Remekis, Julianne Schultz, Damon Galgut, Holden Sheppard, Dervla McTiernan, Lee Kofman David Whish-Wilson and more! |
| March | |
| 1st-29th | Words out West, Dalby, Qld For readers, writers and word-lovers alike, in Western Downs! Books & Bubbles; Festival Day (25.3.23) with William McInnes & Lisa Curry; School Days; Schooners & Stories; and Writers Retreat |
| 4th-9th | Adelaide Writers Week Adelaide Writers’ Week is Australia’s largest free literary festival, offering both writers and readers a unique opportunity to spend time sharing ideas and literary explorations in a garden setting in Adelaide’s city centre |
| 4th-5th | Mansfield Readers and Writers Vic A fabulous destination for a new festival! Guests include (with more to be announced) Andrea Rowe, Anson Cameron, Eliza Henry-Jones, Gabriel Bergmoser, Janine Mikosza, Jock Serong, Justine Sless, Lyn Yeowart, Margaret Hickey, Peter Coleman, Ryan Butta, Sue McDonald |
| 9th | Australian Reading Hour, Australia Reads |
| 10th-12th | Scone Literary Festival, Upper Hunter, NSW. The 2023 theme is Storylines and has the reputation of a festival that asks the big questions, creates a stimulating yet intimate atmosphere in a gorgeous, informal environment where readers and writers mingle together. |
| 16th-25th | Brimbank Readers and Writers Festival, Melbourne This annual event encourages a love of reading and literature, celebrates creativity and diversity, as well as promoting lifelong learning for the Brimbank community |
| 24th-April 9th | Castlemaine State Festival, Vic |
| 25th-26th | Clunes BookTown Festival Clunes Booktown Festival returns to the historic township in regional Victoria in 2023on the last weekend of March (Saturday 25 & Sunday 26 March). Authors and conversationalists featured in the program include Tony Birch, Aileen Morton Robinson, Jefa Greenaway, Jacinta Parsons, Ponch Hawkes, Sophie Cunningham, Miles Allinson, Emily Bitto, Emma Viskic, Vikki Petraitis, Jock Serong, Chris Flynn, Nova Wheetman, Nina Kenwood, Alice Boyle, Jan Henderson, Janice Simpson, Candice Fox, Michael Cathcart and Nathan Curnow with many more to be announced. |
| 28th-30th | Somerset Story Fest, Gold Coast Delivering a series of literary experiences along with workshops, masterclasses and featured authors throughout the year, Storyfest nurtures emerging writers and provides opportunities for readers and writers alike. |
| 30th-April 2nd | Oracles of the Bush, Tenterfield Australian bush poetry, literature and music |
| 31st-April 2nd | Newcastle Writers Festival Award-winning and much-loved Australian writers Craig Silvey and Pip Williams, as well as debut authors Mawunyo Gbogbo, Andrew Quilty, and Amy Thunig, are among 100 artists participating in the 10th Newcastle Writers Festival |
| April | |
| 13th-16th | Man from Snowy River Bush Festival, Corryong, Vic We are so excited to be bringing the 2023 Man from Snowy River Bush Festival together for your enjoyment ~ where we can celebrate the legend of Jack Riley and Australia’s iconic poem “The Man from Snowy River”. |
| 15th-16th | Swancon 47 Welcome to Perth’s premier Science Fiction and Fantasy convention! In 2023 we are going to The Rise in Maylands! |
| 23rd-13th May | Stratford Shakespear Festival – Shakes “Pair” Prepare to be entertained by our star-crossed lovers, mistaken twins or witty fools as 2023 is all about what happens when two characters collide, frolic or unite on stage. The Bards famous plays Twelfth Night, Love’s Labour’s Lost and Romeo and Juliet will come to life featuring some of the most renowned ‘ ‘Pairs’ ‘ in Shakespair. Coupled (pun intended) with our Medieval Faire, Banquet and some wonderfully devised works you will be entertained across three weekends with artful happenings on and off our stages. |
| 27th-30th | Sorrento Writers Festival A brand-new festival for our literary calendar in the delightful seaside town of Sorrento, Victoria! Four days of discussion, debate, community gatherings, talks, music, readings… |
| May | |
| 2nd-10th | IPED National Editors Conference |
| 4th-7th | Bendigo Writers Festival A big-hearted festival in the heart of Central Victoria. Books are our focus because books bring out the very best writing, making good thinking available to people across time and place. 2023 Guests to be announced end of January 2023 |
| 4th-7th | Melbourne Writers Festival |
| 8th-23rd | CYA Conference – Agents and Editors Assessments close The CYA Conference will be a hybrid event in 2023, open to writers and illustrators from anywhere in the world. |
| 10th-14th | Brisbane Writers Festival The State Library of Queensland will welcome thousands of readers, writers and thought-leaders to ignite imaginations, ask big questions, showcase literature, and celebrate stories in all forms. |
| 12th-14th | Margaret River Readers and Writers Festival This festival is the flagship annual literature event of Arts Margaret River. It is the biggest regional literary event in Western Australia and aims to foster a love of literature and the arts within the community. |
| 12th-14th 19th-21st 27th-28th | Queenscliffe Literary Festival The Queenscliffe Literary Festival brings the best of established and emerging Australian literary talent to the Borough of Queenscliffe and the greater Bellarine community. |
| 18th-28th | Melbourne Art Book Fair, NGV: Stall Holder Fair Melbourne Art Book Fair, NGV: Events |
| 19th-21st | Write Here, Lake Macquarie, NSW |
| 22nd-28th | Sydney Writers Festival Each year, more than 400 writers take part in over 300 conversations, debates, performances and panel discussions to audiences of more than 80,000 |
| 25th | ABIA Awards |
| 31st-June 5th | Words on the Waves, Central Coast, NSW Storytelling and conversations, book signings, workshops, a literary cruise and a bookish movie screening, a kids’ program and more! |
| TBA | Bathurst Writers and ReadersFestival |
| TBA | Latrobe Literary Festival |
| TBA | National Editors & Writers Conference |
| June | |
| 1st-4th | NT Writers Festival, Alice Springs The NT Writers Festival (NTWF) is a four-day festival that emphasises Australia’s cultural and linguistic diversity, bringing people together to share story, language and culture. Held annually, the festival’s location alternates between Darwin and Alice Springs. |
| 1st-6th | WordFest, Toowoomba, QLD |
| 2nd-4th | Capricorn Coast Writers Festival, Yeppoon, Qld |
| 3rd | Jugiong Writers Festival NSW |
| 9th-10th | Logan Writers Festival QLD |
| 9th-11th | Bellingen Writers Festival, NSW |
| 9th-12th | Woodend Winter Arts, Vic |
| 14th-24th | Emerging Writers Festival, Melbourne |
| 16th-July 9th | North Australian Festival of Stories, Townsville |
| 16th-18th | Willy Lit Fest, Williamstown, Melbourne |
| 16th-18th | StoryFest, Milton, NSW StoryFest is a celebration of storytelling in all its forms – oral, written, prose, poetry, song or film. Building on the success of previous StoryFest events, our festival will be on again in Milton, Mollymook and Ulladulla from 16-18 June 2023. |
| 17th | Kyogle Writers Festival NSW |
| 21st-25th | Winterwords, Beechworth, Victoria Winterwords is so much more than a writers’ festival; it is five days of talking, listening, watching, and doing which aims to foster the celebration of words! |
| 21st-22nd | Outback Writers Festival, Winton, QLD Some of the goals of this festival are to engage writers and readers who will continue to enjoy and advocate for more Australian stories, to tell the stories of the Outback as an iconic Australian cultural art form, to tell the history of the Australian Outback, the indigenous people and their culture and the generations of settlers that opened this frontier as well as those who live in it today. |
| TBA | Denmark Festival of Voice, WA Music, storytelling, spoken word, poetry |
| 22nd June – 13th July | Monash Word Fest |
| TBA | Sydney Jewish Writers Festival, NSW |
| TBA | Word Fest, Towoomba, QLD |
| July | |
| 1st-2nd | StoryFest, Yarram, Vic |
| 8th-23rd | CYA Conference The 2023 CYA conference will be a hybrid with in-person classes. Assessment sessions and workshops! |
| 13th-17th | Mildura Writers Festival Held in July, the Mildura Writers Festival presents four days of words, food and wine featuring Australian and international writers. |
| 29th-30th | Apollo Bay WordFest |
| TBA | Melbourne Jewish Book Week |
| 27th-29th | Melbourne Rare Book Fair |
| 1st-2nd | StoryFest, Yarram, Vic |
| August | |
| Red Room Poetry Month | |
| 11th-13th | Byron Writers Festival, NSW |
| 16th-20th | Canberra Writers Festival, ACT |
| 18th-20th | Southcoast Writers Festival, NSW |
| 25th-26th | Local Word, Geelong, Vic |
| 17th-18th | Dunkeld Writers Festival, Vic |
| 19th-20th | Mudgee Readers Festival, NSW |
| 6th | Romance Writers of Australia Conference, Sydney, NSW |
| 2024 | Story Arts Festival, Ipswich, QLD |
| 25th-27th | Words In Winter, Daylesford, Vic |
| September | |
| 5th-11th | Scribblers, Claremont, WA Scribblers Festival is an annual festival of literature and arts for young people. The Festival brings together authors, illustrators and other storytellers from Perth, across Australia, and around the world to empower and engage young readers through interactive sessions and workshops. |
| 6th-8th | Western Port Writes Literary Festival, Somers Vic |
| 8th-10th | Port Fairy Literary Weekend, Vic The Port Fairy Literary Weekend is a not-for-profit cultural organisation, set up to celebrate and promote Australian writing, to bring authors from across Australia to our corner of the world, and in so doing build networks and engagement between writers and readers. |
| 8th-10th | Hobart Women Writers Festival TAS |
| 13th-17th | Write Around the Murray Write Around the Murray is a celebration of reading, writing, illustration and storytelling. A festival where readers, writers, artists and storytellers come together in Albury Wodonga to share knowledge, skills and a love of story. |
| 18th-19th | Fish Creek Fishy Stories Vic Fishy Stories is where kids young and old… will be able to meet each other, guided and motivated by recognised wonderful authors, illustrators and performers, who will assist children to become authors, illustrators and story tellers. |
| 9th-10th | |
| 8th-10th | Dubbo Writers Festival NSW |
| 15th-17th | Rose Scott Women Writers’ Festival NSW The Rose Scott Women Writers’ Festival was established in 2013 and showcases the rich diversity of genres in which contemporary Australian women writers explore issues of personal, social and political concern. The Festival features Australian women writers of fiction and non-fiction, in print, performance, film and electronic media. |
| TBA | Poetry on the Move Canberra ACT Founded in 2015, the University of Canberra’s Poetry on the Move is a fully curated festival. The CCCR’s objectives through the festival are to promote poetry as a vibrant art form through the engagement with international, national and local poetry communities. |
| 28th-Oct 1st | National Young Writers Festival The National Young Writers’ Festival (NYWF) is an annual gathering of young writers. A place to show work, share ideas, and learn. Our programs are free, and made by and for young writers who create across stage, page, web and beyond. |
| 27th-20th 2024 | Northern Beaches Readers Festival, NSW |
| 28th-Oct 1st | Big Sky Readers and Writers Festival, Geraldton, WA |
| Shire Writers Festival, Sutherland Shire, NSW – biennial festival, next full festival is in 2024 | |
| October | |
| 18th-22nd | Ubud Writers Festival |
| 20th-22nd | Blue Mountains Writers Festival, Katoomba, NSW The Festival aims to elevate and inspire readers to new levels of curiosity and intrigue, whilst celebrating the unique qualities of Australia’s literary landscape. |
| TBA | Australian Muslim Writers Festival |
| Next festival 2024! 25-27 Oct, 2024 | Berry Writers Festival, NSW Three days of ideas and inspiration in the beautiful historic village of Berry. The Festival will feature emerging and distinguished authors from many writing genres as well as thinkers and creatives who will share their insights and experience. |
| 27th-29th | Headland Writers Festival, Tathra, NSW |
| TBA | High Country Writers Festival, Glen Innes, NSW |
| 9th-17th | Perth Poetry Festival WA The annual Poetry Festival is organised by WA Poets Inc and features invited international, national and local poets plus ample opportunities for public participation in a diverse program of free and low cost events. Professional development is also supported through workshops, seminars, panels and networking opportunities. |
| 8th Oct | Tasmanian Poetry Festival Tas The Tasmanian Poetry Festival commenced in 1985 and is held annually, normally over the first full weekend in October, but this may change. Local and guest poets are invited to Launceston to share their work at a range of events held over the Festival weekend. |
| 26th-29th | Terror Australis, TAS (TARWF) is Australia’s southern-most literary festival, a celebration of books, writing and community in the glorious Huon Valley, Tasmania. |
| November | |
| 5th-6th TBC | Mountain Writers Festival, Macedon Ranges, Victoria |
| 9th-12th | Australian Short Story Festival, SA The Australian Short Story Festival is an annual celebration of short form storytelling. The Festival brings together local, national and international short story authors and oral storytellers in a culturally diverse and vibrant celebration of storytelling in the shorter form. |
| 16th-19th | Bad Crime Sydney Writers Festival Sydney NSW The BAD Sydney Crime Writers Festival is an annual event that explores what crime can tell us about human beings today and in the past. Speakers include writers, reporters and film-makers, and professionals from the justice system such as detectives, judges and psychologists. |
| 18th-19th | Fish Creek Fishy Stories, Vic Fishy Stories is where kids young and old… will be able to meet each other, guided and motivated by recognised wonderful authors, illustrators and performers, who will assist children to become authors, illustrators and story tellers. |
| 16th-23rd | Context Writers Festival, Adelaide, SA Context Writers Festival is a free, three-day festival for writers to connect and share new conversations about story and film. |
| TBA | I’m Not Making This Up – A Festival of True Stories, Wollongong NSW |
| TBA | Maribyrnong Young Writers Festival Learn from famous authors about their writing careers, and listen as they help you formulate your ideas to get your story started for the annual competition! |
| 23rd-25th | Small Press Network, Independent Publishers Conference |
| TBA | Stonnington Lit Fest Vic |
| Festivals yet to confirm events | |
| Castlemaine State Festival – Dialogues | |
| Corrugated Lines Festival of Words, Broome, WA | |
| Fitzroy Writers Festival | |
| HNSA (Historical Novel Society of Australia) Melbourne | |
| Hobart Writers Festival | |
| Shoalhaven Readers and Writers Festival NSW | |
