Newcastle Writers Festival

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)

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.

‘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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Virginia Trioli examines why women continue to struggle with sex and power – and what can be done. Hosted by Michael Williams. Tickets $15

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

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.

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

A day in the life of award-winning investigative journalist Kate McClymont – death threats and all. Hosted by Michael Robotham. Tickets $15

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

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.

Sophie Cunningham, Miriam Lancewood and Laura Waters explore their connection with nature and how it defines them. Hosted by Ailsa Piper. Tickets $15

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Clare will discuss her heart-breaking, wise and inspirational memoir. You’re in for a musical treat, too. Hosted by Sarah Macdonald. Tickets $30

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

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.