Literary lovers, we have great news: Wollongong Writers Festival is back! The eighth festival is coming up from 23 to 29 November, with 12 exciting panel discussions taking place online.
Among the headlining writers are Walkley Award-winning journalist Helen Garner; Miles Franklin Award-winning author Tara June Winch; NSW Premier’s Literary Awards-winning author Bruce Pascoe; Stella Prize-winning author Jess Hill; and award-winning author and appearance activist Carly Findlay OAM.
This year’s theme is ‘Writing the Body’.
and 2020 Miles Franklin winner Tara June Winch.
The diverse line-up of writers will consider the human body through a range of lenses, including the traumatised body, the non-white body, the trans body, the dying body, the non-monogamous body, the disabled body, the sick body, the sex worker body, the aging body, the sexual body, the animal body, and bodies hidden by history.
Festival director Chloe Higgins said that the body has long been a subject of fascination in literature, and for her personally.
“This is a theme that is close to my heart, as both a writer and reader.
I think that’s because when we talk about what it means to inhabit a body, what we’re really talking about is what it means to be human.”
Other dynamic writers exploring the theme include: Paul Dalgarno (Poly); Dervla McTiernan, bestselling author of the Cormac Reilly series; Jessie Tu (A Lonely Girl is a Dangerous Thing); Griffith Review editor Ashley Hay (A Hundred Small Lessons); and Laura Jean McKay (The Animals in That Country).
There will also be a range of talented non-fiction writers, activists, editors, poets, journalists, and many others featured in the panel discussions, which will take place online for the first time.
“In response to Covid-19, we made the decision to deliver an online program for 2020,” said Chloe.
“I’m actually pretty excited about this format because it means our regional festival has attracted some of the biggest names in Australian literature, as well as a few highly sought-after international writers.”
To find out more and book your ticket, go to: wollongongwritersfestival.com You can also follow the festival on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
