Newcastle Writers Festival

From the page to the stage, Words & Music is a festival project in which songwriters are invited by Newcastle curator Nick Milligan to write and perform an original work inspired by the written word. Whether it be a novel, poem, short story or something unexpected, pre-existing prose is channelled into new art. The 2025 edition of Words & Music saw William Crighton, Melody Pool, Charlie Sc...

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The ability of journalists to publish news in the public interest without interference and threats to their own safety is under increasing pressure. Diminishing resources, AI, and disinformation are just some of the threats to media freedom. Join journalists Eric Beecher and Rick Morton as they shed light on the state of media and what it means for the future of democracy. Hosted by Kylie Morris....

Helen Garner returns with her signature candour and wit in an exuberant new book The Season, an account from the sidelines of the highs and lows of her youngest grandson’s footy team. Helen speaks with Newcastle Writers Festival director Rosemarie Milsom about the vulnerability of boys and the bittersweet experience of loving them and letting them go. This conversation was recorded at the 20...

In his book Always Was, Always Will Be, Thomas Mayo investigates 'what's next?' for reconciliation and justice in Australia after the failed Voice to Parliament referendum. Thomas speaks with Clare Wright about lessons from the past, a path towards the future, and the new generation of First Nations leaders who are ready, resilient, and hopeful. This conversation was recorded at the 2025 Newcastle...

For 25 years, award-winning author Michelle de Kretser has been dazzling readers with her novels. Her new book, Theory & Practice, is set in 1980s Melbourne and is an exquisite blend of fiction, memoir and essay. Michelle makes her first appearance in Newcastle to speak with Kate Evans about craft, creativity, and the enduring influence of Virginia Woolf. This conversation was recorded at the...

From larger-than-life adventures to vivid and poignant tales of the imagination, no one tells a yarn quite like Jimmy Barnes. In his fourth memoir Highways and Byways, he takes readers on another enthralling tour, this one complete with the odd detour, and a roundabout or two, through the life of one of this country’s most successful and beloved artists. Hosted by Richard Glover. This conver...

It’s the 1980s in Darlinghurst, Sydney, and strange rumours abound: that you can catch the ‘gay plague’ from kissing, or a mosquito bite. There’s talk of quarantines and army intervention, and violence increases on the streets. David Owen Kelly’s Host City fuses memoir with alternative history to spin a tale of joy and survival. He speaks with Keri Glastonbury. This c...

It’s a well-known phenomenon: the anxious, agonising process of releasing a second book after a successful debut. Is the new book too similar to the first, or maybe too dissimilar? Was the debut effort a fluke? Courtney Collins, Hayley Scrivenor, and Jessie Tu open up to Amy Lovat about imposter syndrome, creative blocks, and debunk second-book blues. This conversation was recorded at the 20...

In their most recent novels, Melanie Cheng, Raeden Richardson, and Molly Schmidt grapple with the turbulent relationship between love and loneliness, and the complexities of grief. They speak to Steph Harmon.  This conversation was recorded at the 2025 Newcastle Writers Festival. The Stories to You podcast series is supported by  Create NSW . If you would like to contribute to the valuab...

In her new book Unsettled , Kate Grenville grapples with what it means to descend from people who were ‘on the sharp edge of the moving blade that was colonisation’. Kate speaks with David Marr about uncovering family stories and confronting difficult truths. This conversation was recorded at the 2025 Newcastle Writers Festival. The Stories to You podcast series is supported by Create...

From his international bestseller, The Book Thief , to the recent memoir Three Wild Dogs and the Truth , Markus Zusak’s stellar writing career has taken him down unexpected paths. In his first Newcastle Writers Festival appearance, Markus sheds light on the good, the bad, and the ugly moments in a life full of love, sorrow, and success. Hosted by Dan Cox. This conversation was recorded at th...

ABC Newcastle's Dan Cox reads the 2025 program for 5 April. This initiative is part of Newcastle Writers Festival's Disability Inclusion Action Plan and is funded by Create NSW.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ABC Newcastle's Dan Cox reads the 2025 program for 6 April. This initiative is part of Newcastle Writers Festival's Disability Inclusion Action Plan and is funded by Create NSW.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ABC Newcastle's Dan Cox reads the 2025 program for 2 to 4 April. This initiative is part of Newcastle Writers Festival's Disability Inclusion Action Plan and is funded by Create NSW.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In October, Newcastle Writers Festival hosted a special event with best-selling US writer Jodi Picoult. Mamamia executive editor Jessie Stephens hosted the conversation, which centred on Jodi's well-researched and imaginative new book  By Any Other Name about two women, living 400 years apart, who aspire to be playwrights and the battles they must fight for recognition. Jodi speaks about the myths...

In November, Newcastle Writers Festival hosted a special event with ARIA-winning musician and songwriter Kasey Chambers at the University of Newcastle's Conservatorium of Music. Danni Carr, Kasey's friend and host of the acclaimed podcast  How I Quit Alcohol , hosted the conversation about her new memoir  Just Don't Be a D**khead and Other Profound Things I've Learnt! ,  which features compelling...

In October 2024, Newcastle Writers Festival hosted a special event with acclaimed Australian writer Tim Winton. Festival director Rosemarie Milsom hosted the conversation which centred on Tim's most recent novel  Juice , described by Tara June Winch as a 'masterful story for the ages'. Tim speaks about its central theme of climate devastation and contemplates whether a book can change the world.  ...

Poets Susie Anderson , Sara M Saleh and Rob Waters discuss the interconnection between identity and creativity with Magdalena Ball . This conversation was recorded at the 2024 Newcastle Writers Festival. The Stories to You podcast series is supported by Create NSW . If you would like to contribute to the valuable work of the festival in fostering a culture of reading and writing, please consider a...

Hannah Ferguson co-founded an independent news commentary platform at a time when the world needed it most. In 2020, Cheek Media Co. quickly established itself as the go-to platform for daring feminist opinions and progressive perspectives on everything from right-wing politics to overcoming taboos around sex and pleasure. The mission? To provoke conversation and inspire meaningful social change....

In his new book, How We Became Post-Liberal , Newcastle philosopher and legal scholar Russell Blackford examines how Western liberal democracies became nations where traditional liberal principles of toleration, individual liberty and freedom of speech are frequently dismissed to support conservative policies. He speaks to The Ethics Centre 's Simon Longstaff about why liberalism’s ideas and langu...

The book and film The Last Daughter centre on Brenda Matthew ’s life journey, and how she reconciled both halves of her history; being raised by a white foster family, before being returned to her Aboriginal family. Brenda shares her story with Melissa Lucashenko . This conversation was recorded at the 2024 Newcastle Writers Festival. The Stories to You podcast series is supported by Create NSW ....

The Netflix adaptation of Trent Dalton’s much-loved novel Boy Swallows Universe has been applauded by the book’s loyal fans, but no one could have predicted its international success. Meet the Newcastle-based BAFTA and Emmy-nominated director, Bharat Nalluri, who helped bring this very Australian story to life for a global audience. Hosted by Rosemarie Milsom. This conversation was recorded at the...