Newcastle Writers Festival
The Newcastle Writers Festival Schools Program is a wonderful opportunity for students to engage with their favourite authors and be inspired in a fun, educational and interactive way. In these popular sessions, writers perform from their work, talk about their craft, and take questions from students.
We are thrilled to once again be taking the program to Cessnock on 13 September (please visit newcastlewritersfestival.org.au for details).
An Evening with Kevin Rudd
Tuesday 22 November 2022
Join us for a wide-ranging discussion between the former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and the ABC’s Matt Bevan about geopolitics, media, and the health of democracy. As one of Australia’s leading authorities on the relationship between the United States and China, Mr Rudd will also discuss his most recent book, The Avoidable War, in which he explores the likely outcomes of a war between the two nations and proposes solutions based on his own diplomatic experience.
Thanks to MacLean’s Booksellers there will be a book signing following the event.
This event is proudly supported by City of Newcastle.
If you have accessibility needs please email admin@newcastlewritersfestival.org.au
NEX
An Evening with Jennifer Robinson and Keina Yoshida
Saturday 22 October 2022
Newcastle Writers Festival presents a special event with internationally respected human rights and media lawyer Jennifer Robinson. Journalist Maddison Connaughton will host this conversation, which will centre on Jennifer's new book How Many More Women? Exposing How the Law Silences Women, which was co-written with barrister Dr Keina Yoshida. We are thrilled Keina will also be participating.
Jennifer represented Amber Heard in relation to Johnny Depp’s 2020 defamation case in the UK and has defended Julian Assange and advised WikiLeaks since 2010.
How Many More Women? examines the laws around the world that silence women, and explores the changes we need to make to ensure that women's freedoms are no longer threatened by the legal system that is supposed to protect them.
This event is proudly supported by City of Newcastle.
Harold Lobb Concert Hall
Pulped Fiction Salon
Wednesday 7 April 2021
Join us for the online launch of the Pulped Fiction anthology with special guest Allyson Miller and meet the winners of the 2021 joanne burns Microlit Award. There will be live and pre-recorded readings, as well as a pop culture quiz. Dress up, whip up a cocktail, and settle in at home for a fun literary celebration.
* You need a Zoom account to attend. To sign up for your own free account, go to zoom.us/signup. Your link to the zoom event will be included in your booking confirmation email *
Independent Creative Alliance Newcastle Community Workshop
Friday 20 November 2020
The Independent Creative Alliance Newcastle (ICAN) is hosting this workshop from 9.30am to 12.30pm to explore the establishment of a peak body for the local arts sector. We are seeking your input so we can map a way forward in regard to strategic priorities, structure and membership. The workshop will include broad discussions as well as small group activities.
The free, COVID-safe workshop will be facilitated by Kate Robinson and Charlotte Thaarup. Morning tea will be provided.
Banquet Room, Lower Ground Floor, Newcastle City Hall
Richard Flanagan: The Living Sea of Waking Dreams
Tuesday 29 September 2020
in conversation with Jennifer Byrne
What Freedom Feels Like: Behrouz Boochani in Conversation
Sunday 5 April 2020
Behrouz Boochani speaks from New Zealand about life after Manus Island, the impact of his award-winning memoir NO FRIEND BUT THE MOUNTAINS, and the enduring power of literature to change the world.
Hosted by Michael Williams.
Tickets $30
Concert Hall
Blurred Lines
Sunday 5 April 2020
Sophie Hardcastle, Nicola Redhouse and Maria Tumarkin discuss how they have challenged literary boundaries to explore trauma, time and memory.
Hosted by Magdalena Ball.
Tickets $15
Cummings Room
Getting On
Sunday 5 April 2020
Explore new ways to think about ageing – in science, in stories and in our lives.
With Vicki Laveau-Harvie, David Sinclair and Charlotte Wood. Hosted by Ashley Hay.
Supported by Griffith Review.
Tickets $20
Concert Hall
War Wounds
Sunday 5 April 2020
Against the backdrop of World War II and its far-reaching fallout, Suzanne Leal and Favel Parrett’s compelling new novels explore the impact of betrayal and the meaning of home.
Hosted by Meredith Jaffé.
Tickets $15
Civic Playhouse
Your Own Kind of Girl: An Afternoon with Clare Bowditch
Sunday 5 April 2020
Clare will discuss her heart-breaking, wise and inspirational memoir. You’re in for a musical treat, too.
Hosted by Sarah Macdonald.
Tickets $30
Newcastle Conservatorium Concert Hall
All at Sea
Sunday 5 April 2020
With her novel Wolfe Island, Lucy Treloar joins a growing number of writers whose work explores anthropogenic catastrophe. She discusses the thin line between the present and a dystopian future.
Hosted by Susan Wyndham.
Tickets $15
Hunter Room
The First Stone Revisited
Sunday 5 April 2020
Twenty-five years after her incendiary book about the Ormond College sexual harassment case was published, Helen Garner speaks about its impact and whether she still has the same questions about sex and power.
Hosted by David Leser.
Tickets $20
Newcastle Conservatorium Concert Hall
The Tribes Have Spoken
Sunday 5 April 2020
In an age of propaganda and entrenched tribalism, how can we foster diverse opinion and honest debate?
With Russell Blackford and James Fry. Hosted by Rebecca Huntley.
Tickets $15
Mulubinba Room
Twists and Turns
Sunday 5 April 2020
They share a passion for hard work and writing best-selling page-turners. Tony Park and Michael Robotham discuss the secrets to their success.
Hosted by Jaye Ford.
Tickets $15
Civic Playhouse
Corruption, Skullduggery and Murder: Kate McClymont
Sunday 5 April 2020
A day in the life of award-winning investigative journalist Kate McClymont – death threats and all.
Hosted by Michael Robotham.
Tickets $15
Civic Playhouse
Secrets and Lies
Sunday 5 April 2020
What happens when the person you love conceals their true identity? Susan Francis and Stephanie Wood discuss the devastating fallout.
Hosted by Suzanne Leal.
Tickets $15
Mulubinba Room
SPECIAL EVENT: No Time To Die
Sunday 5 April 2020
Internationally renowned geneticist David Sinclair is on a quest to ‘cure’ ageing, but do we really want to live forever?
Hosted by Richard Fidler.
Tickets $25
Supported by The Festival of Dangerous Ideas.
Newcastle Conservatorium Concert Hall
Wild at Heart
Sunday 5 April 2020
Sophie Cunningham, Miriam Lancewood and Laura Waters explore their connection with nature and how it defines them.
Hosted by Ailsa Piper.
Tickets $15
Hunter Room
Women, Men and the Whole Damn Thing: David Leser
Sunday 5 April 2020
David Leser explores the origins of misogyny, the impact of the #MeToo movement and proposes a new map for masculinity.
Hosted by Amy Sambrooke.
Tickets $15
Cummings Room
Generation F: Virginia Trioli in Conversation
Sunday 5 April 2020
Virginia Trioli examines why women continue to struggle with sex and power – and what can be done.
Hosted by Michael Williams.
Tickets $15
Civic Playhouse
How Our Bodies Shape Us
Sunday 5 April 2020
Gabrielle Jackson and Lee Kofman explore what it’s like to live in a body that deviates from the norm – from the complexity of self-image to the minefield of medical intervention.
Hosted by Caroline Baum.
Tickets $15
Mulubinba Room
Surviving Toxic Families
Sunday 5 April 2020
Vicki Laveau-Harvie and David Owen Kelly discuss their darkly funny and confronting memoirs that share common themes: loyalty, misguided love and loss.
Hosted by Amy Sambrooke.
Tickets $15
Hunter Room
A Climate of Denial
Sunday 5 April 2020
The evidence is in, but why are some people still convinced climate change isn’t real – and what are the broader implications of the anti-science movement?
With Russell Blackford, Arek Sinanian and Heather Stevens. Hosted by Rebecca Huntley.
Tickets $15
Cummings Room
SPECIAL EVENT: Green Eggs and Hamadeus
Sunday 5 April 2020
Newcastle Youth Orchestra’s Chamber Orchestra and Newcastle Writers Festival will present the Australian Premiere of Robert Kapilow’s music for Dr Seuss’s GREEN EGGS AND HAM. To open the program NYO will perform Mozart’s famous EINE KLEINE NACHTMUSIK, which tells a wonderful story through music.
Newcastle Conservatorium Concert Hall
Queerstories
Saturday 4 April 2020
Enjoy unexpected tales from the festival's finest LGBTQI+ writers.
With Chris Brown, Michael Earp, Fiona McGregor, Sally Rugg and Chris Tse.
Hosted by Sally Rugg.
Tickets $25
Civic Playhouse
Open Book: Helen Garner Discusses Yellow Notebook
Saturday 4 April 2020
Helen Garner discusses YELLOW NOTEBOOK, the first volume of her diaries, inviting you into the intimate world behind her acclaimed novels and award-winning non-fiction.
Hosted by Caroline Baum.
Tickets $30
Newcastle Conservatorium Concert Hall
Stage Meets Page
Saturday 4 April 2020
Four ‘page’ poets and four spoken word artists go poem for poem to explore ‘uncommon’ ground. You pick the winning team.
With Hera Lindsay Bird, Omar Sakr, Michael Farrell, Anna Jackson, Mel Ree, Melinda Smith, Chris Tse and wāni.
Hosted by David Stavanger and Anne-Marie Te Whiu.
Tickets $25
Civic Playhouse
How to Save the Planet
Saturday 4 April 2020
Climate change is affecting the natural, social and economic welfare of the planet. What steps can we take – large and small – to create a solution?
With Tim Flannery, and Patrice Newell. Hosted by Jane McCredie.
Damon Gameau was previously advertised as being part of this session, but has withdrawn due to circumstances beyond our control. We apologise for any inconvenience.
Tickets $25
Newcastle Conservatorium Concert Hall
Stray Dogs Theatre Company Presents a Double Bill
Saturday 4 April 2020
LOVE MAGIC directed by Michael Ewans and BEHIND THE WIRE directed by Carl Caulfield.
A young woman cast aside in a patriarchal society – a foreign national interrogated in a detention camp. Two short one-act plays from ancient Greece and contemporary Australia, linked together by the theme of oppression.
Join us after the production for a conversation with the directors and actor Siobhan Caulfield.
Hosted by Marguerite Johnson.
Tickets $25
Civic Playhouse
Surf by Day, Jam by Night: Ash Grunwald in Conversation
Saturday 4 April 2020
From heavy wipe-outs to heaving crowds, soulful road trips to flow states, Ash Grunwald provides insight into the lives of surfing legends who also happen to be brilliant musicians.
Hosted by Nick Milligan.
Tickets $15
Hunter Room
Their Right To Rage
Saturday 4 April 2020
Throughout history, anger has fuelled surges in female - led activism, but is it having an impact where it matters now – and if not, why not?
With Jane Gilmore, Ruby Hamad and Virginia Trioli. Hosted by Trisha Pender.
Tickets $20
Concert Hall
Pygmy Dinosaurs and Terminator Pigs
Saturday 4 April 2020
Tim Flannery takes you through millions of years of evolutionary history during a deep dive into Europe’s vanished past and examines how it might inform the future.
Hosted by Scott Bevan.
Tickets $20
Concert Hall
Mind the Gap
Saturday 4 April 2020
The brain is the source of our identity, yet large gaps remain in our understanding of its complexity.
Amee Baird and Nicola Redhouse shed light on the brain – and the human condition.
Hosted by Jane McCredie.
Tickets $15
Mulubinba Room
Stories of the Sea
Saturday 4 April 2020
Three very different artists reflect on their connection to the ocean as a source of inspiration for their recent books.
With Ash Grunwald, Sophie Hardcastle and Felicity Plunkett. Hosted by Cassie McCullagh.
Tickets $15
Hunter Room
The War on Journalism
Saturday 4 April 2020
What is driving unprecedented government intervention and what impact is it having on freedom of information and whistle-blower protection?
With Paddy Manning, Kate McClymont and Margaret Simons. Hosted by Paul Scott.
Sponsored by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.
Tickets $15
Concert Hall
Wisdom of the Elders
Saturday 4 April 2020
What can we learn about our relationship with the land – and each other – from the age-old wisdom of our First Nation elders?
With Munya Andrews, Tjanara Goreng Goreng and John Maynard. Hosted by Larissa Berendt.
Tickets $15
Civic Playhouse
The Weekend: Charlotte Wood in Conversation
Saturday 4 April 2020
Charlotte Wood discusses her critically acclaimed novel THE WEEKEND, which centres on the intricacies of female friendships and the themes of ageing, love and loss.
Hosted by Ailsa Piper.
Please note the venue for this event has changed from the printed program. It is now in the Hunter Room.
Tickets $20
Hunter Room
Lessons in Leadership
Saturday 4 April 2020
The bushfire crisis placed leadership under the microscope and there were successes and failures. Tim Costello, Tjanara Goreng Goreng and Margaret Simons explore the qualities of effective leaders.
Hosted by Rebecca Huntley.
Tickets $20
Concert Hall
The Accidental Tour Guide: Mary Moody in Conversation
Saturday 4 April 2020
Mary Moody discusses her powerful new memoir, which centres on the fallout from her husband’s death and the ways in which she rebuilt her life.
Hosted by Nicole Abadee.
Tickets $15
Mulubinba Room
The Art of Childhood: John Marsden in Conversation
Saturday 4 April 2020
John Marsden has been an educator and writer for 30 years. He shares what he has learned and shares his concerns about today’s childhood experience.
Hosted by Meredith Jaffé.
Tickets $20
Civic Playhouse
Bob Hawke's Legacy: Blanche d’Alpuget in Conversation
Saturday 4 April 2020
He was our longest serving Labor Prime Minister and considered by many as our greatest. Blanche d’Alpuget discusses Bob Hawke - the man and the myth.
Hosted by Cassie McCullagh.
Tickets $15
Concert Hall
Woman in the Wilderness: Miriam Lancewood in Conversation
Saturday 4 April 2020
For six years Miriam Lancewood lived off the grid in New Zealand’s isolated Southern Alps with her partner, surviving by hunting and foraging. She shares her unique experience.
Hosted by Rosemarie Milsom.
Supported by Creative New Zealand.
Tickets $15
Civic Playhouse
Opening Night - Tell Me Why: An Evening with Archie Roach
Friday 3 April 2020
‘You can reach the darkest point in your life and come back, and come good, even better.’ Legendary musician, songwriter and activist Archie Roach shares his extraordinary story of heartbreak and resilience at this special event. Archie will also perform.
Hosted by Teela Ried. Master of Ceremonies: Dan Cox.
Tickets $40
Civic Theatre
WORKSHOP: If These Walls Could Talk
Friday 3 April 2020
A guided writing workshop with Kaaron Warren.
The Lock-Up was formerly the Newcastle Police Station from 1861 to 1982. In this guided workshop, you’ll explore the nooks and crannies, the cells and the hallways of the building, absorbing the atmosphere and history. Participants will talk about the history of the building and work with writing prompts. Stories will be shared at the end of the work.
Tickets $65. Limited to 20 places.
The Lock-Up
Festival Fundraiser: Literary Trivia
Wednesday 1 April 2020
Our Literary Trivia Night is back!
Do you know your Capote from your Corris? Can you name Tim Winton’s debut novel? After the success of the inaugural Literary Trivia Night in 2019, we’re holding another event to raise funds for the 2021 primary schools program. Great ‘literary’ prizes on offer including book bundles and festival tickets.
Teams of two to eight welcome. Hosted by Nick Milligan.
Tickets $15 ($20 on the door)
The Edwards
An evening with Christos Tsiolkas: NWF 2020 Launch
Thursday 20 February 2020
Celebrate the launch of the 2020 Newcastle Writers Festival program and enjoy an evening with Christos Tsiolkas.
The award-winning writer will discuss his ambitious new novel Damascus and the power of conversion, as well as the themes and ideas that have obsessed him as a writer: power, doubt, religion, masculinity, colonisation and refugees.
Hosted by Ailsa Piper.
Civic Playhouse
