Newcastle Writers Festival

Discover the stories behind the stories when the Newcastle Writers Festival returns from 1-3 April, with a program of 70 free and ticketed events featuring over 110 writers.

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After two years of 'pivoting and postponing', the 2022 festival will shine the spotlight on local and national literary talent sharing stories from the Hunter and beyond.

Newcastle Writers Festival was one of the first Australian literary festivals to cancel in March 2020, as Covid-19 arrived and then quickly transitioned to a condensed online program, arguably the first literary festival to utilise Zoom just as the pandemic took hold. After moving its traditional April dates to September in 2021, the NSW lockdown forced the organisation to postpone until April 2022.

"We've done everything we can to remain viable, and we've become very good at dealing with whatever Covid has thrown at us," said director Rosemarie Milsom.

Some of Australia's most respected and loved writers will visit Newcastle in April, including Julia Baird, Emily Bitto, Trent Dalton, Nardi Simpson and Tom Keneally. There is also a strong contingent of Hunter writers in the program, including Lee Christine, Keri Glastonbury and Wendy James. While there isn’t an overarching theme, Milsom said the opening and closing night events reflect the program's tone.

"Our opening night gala centres on love in all its forms, and six writers, including Trent Dalton, Hannah Kent, and Thomas Mayor, will speak about its impact," said Rosemarie.

"On the final evening, Sarah Wilson will discuss her most recent book, This One Wild and Precious Life: A hopeful path forward in a fractured world. I realise there is a lot of despair given the ongoing impact of the pandemic, record-breaking floods, and the war in Ukraine. I don't want to sugar-coat the hardship or avoid tough conversations, but I also want to celebrate the comfort provided by books and powerful writing."

Run over three days, the festival is bursting with panel discussions, readings, interviews, and book launches. For the complete program and to book your tickets, visit www.newcastlewritersfestival.org.au