Spring Program launched

Newcastle Writers Festival is delighted to announce a special spring program with an exciting lineup of Australian and international writers. Five events will be held from 20 September to 25 October and include environmentalist Bob Brown, American producer/director/writer Griffin Dunne, Newcastle poet Keri Glastonbury, and New York Times-bestselling novelist Sally Hepworth. The festival will also be holding a special event to announce the winner of the $5000 Fresh Ink Emerging Writer Prize, which is in its fifth year.

The Spring Program is presented in partnernship with The University of Newcastle and supported by Create NSW, Margaret River Readers & Writers Festival, Pan Macmillan, Black Inc Books, and Giramondo Publishing. Special thanks to MacLean’s Booksellers.

Schedule

Book Launch: Keri Glastonbury’s 51 Alterities. To be launched by Chris Brown.

20 September 4pm-5pm Watt Space Gallery

Free event but regisistration required for catering purposes.

An Evening with Sally Hepworth. Hosted by Amy Lovat.

30 September 7pm-8pm Conservatorium of Music

Tickets $35

An Evening with Bob Brown. Hosted by Rosemarie Milsom.

14 October 7pm-8pm Conservatorium of Music

Tickets $35

An Evening with Griffin Dunne. Hosted by Rosemarie Milsom.

23 October 7.30pm-8.30pm Conservatorium of Music

Tickets $40

Fresh Ink Emerging Writer Prize Announcement

25 October 4pm-5pm Watt Space Gallery

Free but registration required for catering purposes.

Bob Brown is an environmental and social justice campaigner and former senator. A founding member of the Wilderness Society, he led the successful campaign against the construction of the Franklin Dam.

Chris Brown is from Newcastle, and lives in Bega where he works as a teacher. His poetry collection, hotel universo, was published by Puncher & Wattmann in 2021. He completed a thesis, Political Readings in Contemporary Australian Poetry, in 2022. He edits the slow loris chapbook series.

Griffin Dunne has been an actor, producer, and director since the late 1970s. Among his work, he produced and acted in After Hours; he directed Practical Magic and the documentary The Centre Will Not Hold about his aunt, Joan Didion. The Friday Afternoon Club: A Family Memoir has been named Best Book of the Year by TIME.

Keri Glastonbury is associate professor in Creative Writing at the University of Newcastle. Her poems have been widely published in magazines and collections. Her poetry collection, Newcastle Sonnets, was shortlisted for the 2019 Prime Minister’s Literary Award for Poetry.

Sally Hepworth is the New York Times-bestselling author of 10 novels, including The Soulmate and Darling Girls. The Family Next Door has been adapted by the ABC. Her new book, Mad Mabel, will be available in September.

Amy Lovat is Newcastle Writers Festival’s program manager and a writer. Her second novel, Big Feelings, was published in July.

Rosemarie Milsom is the founding director of the Newcastle Writers Festival.

Tickets are now on sale from 9am Wednesday 6 August.