It’s wonderful to see a new addition to the calendar, the Manly Writers Festival, 14-16 March. This inaugural two-and-a-bit day festival for readers, writers, and thinkers will bring together ideas and writing, and explore issues at a time of significant change in the world, as well as simply enjoy great stories. This festival promises to feed your heart and mind, and aims to leave you energised, informed, and inspired. Guests include Thomas Keneally, Julia Baird, Catherine Fox, Michael West, Sarah McKay, Michaela Kalowski, Craig Foster AM, Antony Loewenstein, Sara M. Saleh, Lou Johnson, Tim Ayliffe, Tracy Hall, Summer Land, Jeanne Ryckmans, Mirandi Riwoe, James Vella-Bardon, Kirsty Jagger, and many more!

Blak and Bright returns in 2024 with a vibrant program, events such as Rainbow Words, Sistas Are Doin’ It, Love Letters to the Next Generation, and more, and of course the offical opening night event featuring Carly Sheppard, Kamarra Bell-Wykes, Kim Scot and Tony Birch. Check out the full program here.

The program for Adelaide Writers Week might be their best yet! With international authors Anne Enright, Elizabeth Strout, Jane Smiley and many more, alongside Australian literary legends, Alexis Wright, Melissa Lukashenko, Christos Tsiolkas, Charlotte Wood, Pip Williams and so many many more this festival is certainly worth the trip across the border (for those of us who don’t live in SA).

Cairns Tropical Writers Festival is a biennial event and is back in 2024. President Jules Steer has pulled out all the stops for the 2024 festival with an incredible lineup. See the full program for details.

The Brimbank Readers and Writers Festival is hosted by the Brimbank Library Service, serving the western suburbs of Melbourne. Their annual festival features a brilliant diverse and engaging program reflective of the communities the libraries represent.

Two festivals round out March, Clunes Booktown Festival which began life in 2007, is a real standout on the lit fest calendar of Victoria. An easy day trip from Melbourne or a good excuse for a weekend away! SomersetStoryFest is the premier writers’ festival for the Gold Coast, standing as a beacon of literary excellence, and its annual three-day event in March is the cornerstone of this spectacular organisation.

2nd – 21st	Words out West, Dalby, QLD For readers, writers and word-lovers alike, in Western Downs! Schooners and Stories (2.3.24): with William McInnes Books & Bubbles (8.3.24): with Wendy Harmer Festival Day (9.3.24): Guests include Michael Robotham, Kate Mildenhall, Benjamin Stevenson, Karly Lane, Brendan Watkins, Dinuka McKenzie, Michael Atkinson & Claudine Tinellis Writers Workshops 10.3.24): with Matt Davies and Mardie Sands Author Tour (21.3.24): Nikki Mottram
2nd-7th	Adelaide Writers Week SA 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.
8th-10th	Cairns Tropical Writers Festival QLD The Cairns Tropical Writers Festival was established in 2008 and is a biennial event. 2024 guests inlcude Alexis Wright, Julia Baird, Kate Mildenhall, Mirandi Riwoe, Kate Solly, Myfanwy Jones, Emma Grey, Lisa Wilkinson, Lisa Miller and more!
14th-16th	Manly Writers Festival NSW This inaugural two-and-a-bit day festival for readers, writers, and thinkers will bring together ideas and writing, and explore issues at a time of significant change in the world, as well as simply enjoy great stories. Over 50 leading writers from the Northern Beaches, elsewhere in Australia as well as international writers will gather to celebrate the power of story telling!
14th-17th	Blak and Bright VIC Blak & Bright First Nations Literary Festival is based in Naarm (Melbourne). Established in 2016, the four day showcase celebrates the diverse expressions of First Nations writers and covers all genres from oral stories to epic novels and plays to poetry. We believe that Blak stories are for everyone.
14th-23rd	Brimbank Readers and Writers Festival, Melbourne VIC This annual event encourages a love of reading and literature, celebrates creativity and diversity, as well as promoting lifelong learning for the Brimbank community
23rd-24th	Clunes Book Town Festival VIC Running from dawn to dusk in the historic township of Clunes in Regional Victoria. A two day festival full of author and artist talks, workshops and live entertainment for the whole family.  Discover the outdoor book bazaar with over a hundred stall holders and immerse yourself in Clunes from cover to cover. It’s worth the visit.
25th-27th	Somerset Story Fest, Gold Coast QLD 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. Program can be seen here.