A celebration of the power and joy of reading, writing and ideas
The highly anticipated Manly Writers’ Festival returns for its second year, promising three days of engaging discussions, powerful storytelling, and creative inspiration from Friday, March 28 to Sunday, March 30, 2025.
With over 125 writers, journalists, academics, and creators across more than 50 events in Manly and Brookvale, this year’s festival offers a wonderfully rich and diverse program.
Other invigorating and fascinating sessions include in-depth explorations into grief, history, politics, truecrime, music, sport and AI. There is the opportunity to listen to celebrated authors alongside new voices, from the latest in contemporary fiction and memoir through to mystery and romance.
Festival Founder and Director Bonita Mersiades notes, “We are thrilled to bring together such an incredible array of talent for this year’s festival. aim of the festival is to connect people through a shared interest in reading, writing, and ideas and inspire meaningful and respectful conversations.”
Some of this year’s program highlights include:
- Opening Night Book Launch: Join best-selling author, Blanche d’Alpuget as she unveils her latest novel The Bunny Club, in a special event at Manly Spirits Distillery, complete with themed cocktails, a jazz group, and hosted by Jeremy Fernandez
- Author Talks: One-on-one author talks with authors Heather Morris, Peter FitzSimons, Jane Caro, Debra Oswald and Lech Blaine.
- Trailblazing Discussions: Notable names like Damian Collins OBE and Julie Inman- Grant will explore pressing issues like AI, social media, and online safety, providing invaluable insights for parents and educators, with host Steve Cannane
- In-Depth Real-Life Conversations: Amanda Goff, Sarah Martin and Jacqui Louise Swallow discuss their experiences of Bipolar, while three authors discuss grief and their memoirs of having lost their spouses to cancer with Michaela Kalowski.
- Fundraising Trivia Night: A charity literary trivia evening at Manly Surf Life Saving Club will support the Northern Beaches Community Cancer Charity (NBCCC), to be MC’d by Executive Producer at NINE Sports, Murray Shaw.
- Conversation Circle: Geraldine Doogue will host a discussion on Navigating the Shifting Global Order with Geoff Raby, Dennis Glover, Amelia Lester, Don Watson and Collins.
- Sunday Sessions at Manly Golf Club: Dive into the rich cultural tapestry of Australian music and sport, capped off by an evocative Chairman’s Lounge High Tea experience at the Manly Golf Club with celebrated journalist Joe Aston, hosted by Helen Vatsikopoulos
The festival also includes an innovative one-day program for upper high school students, empowering young minds with new literacy skills that will help them to separate fact from fiction guided by Gavin Fang and Tracey Kirkland from the ABC, Kim Smee from the Manly Observer, and Jill Valentine, author and communications executive.
TICKETS ON SALE NOW at www.manlywritersfestival.org.au.
The full program is available online at https://www.manlywritersfestival.org.au/program
The festival is proudly supported by The TAG Family Foundation, Northern Beaches Council, Fair Play Publishing, Hennessy Coffee, Aide de MD and Q Station, with Gleebooks as the official bookseller.
For more information, please contact Debbie McInnes or Annabel Rijks at DMCPR MEDIA
T: (02) 9550 9207 | E: [email protected] | M: 0412 818 071
