A trifecta of major stars plus a wide-ranging line-up of new talent, new stories and lots of poetry marks the 10th year of the Newcastle Writers Festival, which runs March 31, April 1 and 2.
In all, 75 writers and poets will be holding events at the festival this year.
For Rosemarie Milsom, the founder and director of Newcastle Writers Festival, landing Jane Harper, Pip Williams and Craig Silvey for this year's event is a coup.
"To me, those three Australian writers are so loved, and so popular, and we've never had them before, so to have them all at the one festival is pretty amazing," Milsom says. "I reckon they'll be sold out."
To put the importance of the festival in perspective, over the 10 years Milsom estimates it has hosted more than 1000 writers. And the flow-on effect of out-of-festival events has just been powerful. Among the talent NWF has brought to Newcastle: Julia Gillard, Kevin Rudd, William Finnegan, Matthew Riley, Magda Szubanski, Christina Lamb, Peter Garrett, and Tishani Doshi.
Jane Harper is a big "get" for Milsom.
"I've wanted her since her first book came out a decade ago," Milsom says. "Now she's had The Dry that was so huge, the movie was so successful. I think she's on to her fifth book, I've never been able to get her, so I'm actually really happy."
Jane Harper is the author of bestsellers The Dry, Forces of Nature, The Lost Man, The Survivors and Exiles. She will be in conversation with Ashley Hay on Saturday, April 1, 6pm, at the Conservatorium of Music.
Pip Williams' first novel, The Dictionary of Lost Words, based on her original research in the Oxford English Dictionary archives, was published in 2020 and became an international bestseller. The Bookbinder of Jericho is her second novel and again combines her talent for historical research and beautiful storytelling. Williams is in conversation is Ailsa Piper on Sunday, April 2, 1.30pm at the Conservatorium of Music.
Craig Silvey has been writing books since he was 19. He's 41 now. His best known book is Jasper Jones, which was made into a movie. His session is Sunday, April 2, 3.30pm, Conservatorium of Music, Matters of the Heart, in conversation with ABC journalist Dan Cox.
Among the many other headliners at the festival:
Grace Tame Australian activist and advocate for survivors of childhood sexual abuse. She was named 2021 Australian of the Year. Her memoir, The Ninth Life of a Diamond Miner, was published in 2022. She will be the key speaker at 7.30pm, March 31, in Newcastle City Hall.
Dr Norman Swan Medical doctor and broadcast journalist, he will head a session called The Lowdown on Longevity, April 1, 6.30pm at Cessnock Performing Arts Culture, and April 2, 11.30am at the Conservatorium of Music in Newcastle.
Wendy Whiteley One-time wife and muse of legendary modern Australian artist Brett Whiteley, she will be the guest at a literary luncheon with Brett Whiteley biographer Ashleigh Wilson in conversation with Gerry Bobsien (director of Maitland Regional Art Gallery) on Saturday, March 25, at Local Connections Restaurant on the University of Newcastle campus.
Richard Fidler The esteemed writer and broadcaster discusses The Book of Roads & Kingdoms, which is inspired by the tales of medieval Arab and Persian travellers who ventured to the edges of the known world. He'll discuss the ways in which the expansion of geographical frontiers shaped knowledge. April 1, 1.30pm, Conservatorium of Music.
Andrew Quilty Award-winning photographer who is also journalist, he was based in Afghanistan from 2013 until the fall of its government to the Taliban in 2021. He is the author of August in Kabul. He speaks with Antony Loewenstein on April 1, 3pm, in the Civic Playhouse.
Holly Throsby A musician and novelist, she has released five solo albums, a collection of original children's songs, two albums as part of the band Seeker Lover Keeper, and has been nominated for five ARIAs. Her third novel, Clarke, centres on the stories of those on the periphery of a violent crime: the neighbours, the innocents, the collateral damage. She speaks to Anna Downes about her writing life and the inspiration that can be found in regional communities on Saturday, April 1, 10am, at NuSpace.
Indira Naidoo Currently the host of ABC Radio's Weekend Nightlife, she is author of The Edible Balcony and The Edible City, has designed award-winning gardens and helps community groups build their own food gardens.Her latest book is The Space Between Stars. She will be in conversation about love, loss and the healing power of nature with Cassie McCullagh on Saturday, April 1, at 10am at Civic Playhouse.
Tim Baker An award-winning author and journalist specialising in surfing history and culture, in 2015 was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic prostate cancer. This was the beginning of a fight to do more than simply survive; a process of facing his mortality, staring down his fears, and working out what really matters in life. Baker is in conversation with Jock Serong on Saturday, April 1, 10am at the Conservatorium of Music.
Fiona Kelly McGregor She has decades of experience as a performance artist as well as curator of events in Sydney's queer scene, and writes for The Saturday Paper and Sydney Review of Books. Her most recent novel, Iris, based on the life of petty criminal Iris Webber, set in 1930s Sydney. It has been named on the longlist of finalists for the Stella Prize. She will appear April 1, 11.30am at NuSpace in a chat with writer George Haddad; on Sunday, April 2, at 11.30am at NuSpace talking about The Life of Iris, and on Sunday, April 2, at 3pm at Playstate Curate, in a session about creavity with fellow artisans Helen Hopcroft, Wolf Ifritah, Richie Lewis, and Kay Proudlove.
Chloe Hooper Her most recent book is Bedtime Story. She is also the author of The Arsonist: A Mind on Fire, and The Tall Man: Death and Life on Palm Island. She is also the author of two acclaimed novels, A Child's Book of True Crime and The Engagement. She will appear with Tim Baker in a session, The Case for Hope, on Saturday, April 1, at 3pm at the Conservatorium of Music, and on Sunday, April 2, at 10am, at the Conservatorium of Music in conversation with Ashley Hay about her book The Bedtime Story.
Holly Ringland She is a writer, storyteller, and television presenter. Her bestselling debut novel, The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart, has been adapted as a seven-part TV series that will stream on Amazon Prime in 2023, starring Sigourney Weaver. She is the co-host of ABC TV's series, Back To Nature. Her second novel, The Seven Skins of Esther Wilding, is out now. She will appear on Saturday, April 1, at 4.30pm at NuSpace in conversation with Kate Mildenhall, and on Sunday, April 2, at 11.15am at the Civic Playhouse in the discussion Haunted Places and Spaces with Robbie Arnott, Bronwyn Birdsall and Geordie Williamson, and and
