Byron Writers Festival
Byron Writers Festival is all grown up. Now in its 22nd year, this renowned regional literary festival has become recognised as one of the country’s premiere arts events, attracting writers from all over the world.
The 2018 Festival will be held from Friday 3rd to Sunday 5th August.
The growth of the Byron WF has seen sell-out days every year so it’s important to book your tickets. Be sure to take advantage of Early Bird tickets which go on sale on 30th May.
The full program will be announced on 13th June. Until then, you can find out more about the festival here:
Byron WF is a true festival of the word, Byron style. Readers and writers get together under big white marquees to celebrate all things literary, in a casual, inclusive atmosphere. Patrons purchase a daily or weekend pass to attend as many sessions as they like, dipping in and out of the tents at will.
Byron Bay Writers Festival Events
And there is so much to choose from! In the past, Byron WF has hosted such literary luminaries as Jeanette Winterson, Peter Carey, Richard Flanagan, Kate Grenville, DBC Pierre, Helen Garner, Magda Szubanski and Andy Griffiths. Noted storytellers from the world of performing arts have also attended such as Paul Kelly, Missy Higgins, Jimmy Barnes, Tex Perkins and Richard Roxburgh, not to mention prominent filmmakers and at least two former Prime Ministers.
Image by Kurt Petersen
My first experience of the festival was waiting in a coffee queue, chatting to Australian writer Michael Robotham about his next best-selling thriller. I later met the acclaimed Australian novelist, Robert Drewe, sitting under a tree at lunchtime.
Festival Director, Edwina Johnson, came to Byron from a career in publishing, after working for both Sydney Writers’ Festival and Shakespeare & Co’s Festival & Co, in Paris. She has taken the Festival to new heights, supported by a dedicated core team and a plethora of amazing volunteers.
The Early Bird gets the word…
In addition to the Festival, Byron WF holds events throughout the year, presenting such renowned international writers as Alexander McCall Smith, Elizabeth Gilbert, Lionel Shriver, Yann Martel and A.C. Grayling to the lucky readers of the Byron region. The area also benefits from the Festival’s unique StoryBoard program, offering free author workshops to schools across the Northern Rivers, and Writers on the Road, which tours acclaimed Australian writers to regional towns in the area.
From humble beginnings, Byron WF has become a destination place for those who love to read and those who love to write, from around the world.
For more information, visit byronwritersfestival.com or call (02) 6685 5115