Celebrate Literary Talent

We all know that the past few years have been tough for the arts, but we’re thrilled to announce that the Illawarra’s writers festival is set to return!

From Friday 3rd to Sunday 5th June you can join us at the South Coast Writers Festival for readings, conversations, panels, workshops and book launches in venues across the Wollongong Town Hall, Library, and Art Gallery, and discover new Australian writing by talented authors in our region and beyond.

Presented by the South Coast Writers Centre, the South Coast Writers Festival will bring together some of the best South Coast writers for a three-day festival that celebrates and elevates the literary talent of the area. Award-winning local authors, such as Helena Fox, Kirli Saunders, Claire Zorn and Dinuka McKenzie will be appearing, alongside bestselling Sydney authors, including Larissa Behrendt and Gary Lonesborough.

The festival includes writers across many genres including crime fiction, YA, non-fiction, middle-grade fiction, poetry and playwriting. Opening night will feature conversations with stellar women writers Christine Sykes and Jane Caro, and Kathryn Heyman and Caroline Baum.

On the Saturday ex-Greens Senator Scott Ludlam and Jonica Newby discuss finding hope against the reality of climate change with the ABC’s Robin Williams. The leaders of the Ngana Barangarai project discuss 10 years of publishing their anthology Dreaming Inside, and a panel of writers will weigh up the pros and cons of decentralising identity in literature.

Andy Muir from BAD: All About Crime will interview debut crime writers Hayley Scrivenor and Dinuka McKenzie, and Western Sydney’s West Words Academy presents a curated panel introducing three of their exceptional emerging writers: authors Zaheda Ghani and Vivian Pham, and playwright James Elazzi.

For young readers and writers there are free author talks and readings at Wollongong Library.

The festival closes with Poetry with Bubbles featuring live poetry readings by SCWC members.

Enjoy three days of events with award-winning authors and fun for readers and writers of all ages at the South Coast Writers Festival, and celebrate the literary talent of the South Coast.

Full Festival Program at www.southcoastwriters.org/festival