Get ready: Your ultimate guide to the Canberra Writers Festival 2024

Posted on 23 October, 2024

It’s almost here! Canberra’s biggest literary event opens this week, and runs all weekend. Not sure where to start?

We’ve put together a bumper guide with some of the highlights and must-sees. Festival Director Beejay Silcox says: “These are the stories you won’t want to miss.”

For writing festival newbies

For those who have never been to a writers’ festival before, this is a unique opportunity to be inspired, learn and discover your next favorite read. Consider attending The Power of Quiet, where authors Robbie Arnott and Booker Prize nominee Charlotte Wood discuss the impact of understated yet powerful storytelling. If you work in a creative industry, consider one of the workshops to inspire your craft.

Canberra favorite Inga Simpson will be launching her new novel The Thinning in a dedicated book launch. Set against the backdrop of a monumental solar eclipse, this literary page-turner follows two young people in a race against time. 

If you’re seeking something a bit different, Postcards from the Edge brings together Dr. Peter Goldsworthy, whose sharp wit has made him a favorite in the Australian literary scene, and memoirist C.J. Metcalfe, known for her remarkable life story. Both will reflect on life through the lens of mortality, offering a conversation that is sure to be profound and life-affirming, hosted by journalist Ginger Gorman.

If you want a household name

Come and hear from Christos Tsiolkas, whose novel The Slap was voted the best Australian novel of the 21st Century, or Markus Zusak, author of The Book Thief who returns to the festival to talk about his heartfelt memoir My Life With Dogs. The star-studded line-up also features Robbie Arnott, Anita Heiss, and even international guests like Fred C. Trump III, who will offer a candid take on his family’s controversial legacy.

If you’re a political buff

Political enthusiasts will find no shortage of stimulating discussions this year, with many of these events already sold out. Dive into The Voice, A Year On, which offers reflections from David Hume and Cheryl Leavy for a much-needed reflection. 

One of the most anticipated sessions, American Reckoning,  features Amy Remeikis and Emma Shortis, as they trace America’s fractures back to the beginning, with Rick Morton’s Reckoning with Robodebt unpacking one of biggest scandals that has rocked Australian politics sure to be a favourite with public servants.

If you want a good novel

This year is feast of fiction! Best-selling author Emily Maguire’s new novel, Rapture, is her most daring – and dazzling – work to date, a tale of gender, power and the making of a legend.  

Jessie Tu’s sensational first novel featured a violin prodigy navigating her twenties – a tale of sex and expectation while Pheasant’s Nest is award-winning investigative journalist and writer Louise Milligan’s gripping, propulsive and brilliantly original debut, in conversation with Sam Maiden.

If you want works by a female powerhouse

“This year’s festival is brimming with incredible female voices. We have literary superstars and national treasures; award-winning historians and trailblazing journalists; foreign policy experts and speculative fiction world builders; sexologists and scientists; incendiary poets and globally-lauded playwrights; memoirists and memory keepers. A mighty chorus of mighty women” said Beejay Silcox.

There’s Charlotte Wood, the first Australian writer in a decade to be shortlisted for the Booker Prize, and Nardi Simpson, singer, songwriter, and Yuwaalaraay storyteller, whose second novel The Belburd has been praised as one of the finest novels in recent memory. 

Samah Sabawi will share her family’s Palestinian story—an inspiring tale of love, homeland, and resilience, while national treasure Fran Kelly will reflect on her trailblazing career in Australian media. 

If you want something unexpected

Another special feature is The Edge of Forgetting, where authors Andra Putnis and Tess Scholfield-Peters share family memoirs that delve into the hidden secrets of the past. 

An extraordinary tale from the world of rare book dealing, Michael Visontay tells the story of his family who made their fortune by breaking up the Bible and selling it page by page. 

If you like queer stories

The festival proudly shines a spotlight on LGBTQI+ narratives. Sessions like Let’s Queer Up a Few Things honor the resilience and achievements of Australia’s queer community, while Queerstories brings to life powerful, vulnerable, and unexpected tales from queer writers. Curated by Maeve Marsden, this beloved storytelling event celebrates the creativity and diversity of queer voices from across the nation.

For the curious mind

Engage your curiosity with sessions that cover everything from social issues to the arts. Status Anxiety will examine the hidden hierarchies that govern society, while Sex, Power and Truth Telling seeks to unpack the intricate scripts surrounding gender and sexuality.

If you are keen on understanding the complex narratives of global events, Royce Kurmelovs’ Slick will take you inside the machinations of the oil industry and its devastating impact on the environment, while Anthropocene of the Crime combines thrilling fiction with an exposé on corporate malfeasance.

If you’re a crime thriller addict

Crime thriller fans can look forward to gripping sessions, including Adapting Murder, where Chris Hammer discusses the journey of his hit novel Scrublands from page to screen. For those who want to try their hand of writing real-life crime, Mark Dapin’s Tackling True Crime workshop is a must.

If you love local talent

Canberra can lay claim to almost half of the writers on the program including Miles Franklin winner Shankari Chandran who will be making the trip back home to the nation’s capital for the festival and Kaaron Warren The Under History is a haunted-house mystery and a hostage thriller rolled into one. 

Theodore Ell will talk about his book Lebanon Days, a captivating memoir that unravels the intimate details of Lebanon’s hardships, providing a profound understanding of its people and their journey.

If you’re passionate about social justice…

Sex, Power, and Truth Telling sees Virginia Haussegger leading a powerful panel on gender, sexuality, and the scripts that define them, while Law Breakers brings together legal minds to explore the intersection of law and social justice. Dr. Hilary Caldwell’s candid discussion of her book Slutdom promises to be one of the festival’s most eye-opening sessions, challenging taboos around sexuality and empowerment.