Book lovers and aspiring authors across the region are being encouraged to mark their calendars, as the highly anticipated Gippsland Writers Festival prepares to return to Yarram from August 1-3 for another vibrant celebration of storytelling, creativity and community.
The festival has quickly become a cornerstone of Gippsland’s cultural calendar, offering a welcoming space for readers and writers of all ages and abilities to connect with the power of the written word.
Founded by a passionate group of local writers and readers, the festival was born from a desire to foster creative connection in the wake of the bushfires and pandemic. Its mission is to bring acclaimed authors to Gippsland while showcasing the region’s own rich pool of literary talent, making literary events accessible to all.
WHAT TO EXPECT AT THE FESTIVAL
Based on its popular format, the festival will feature a diverse mix of events catering to a wide range of literary tastes.
Intimate author talks: Opportunities to hear directly from celebrated national and local writers about their latest works, inspirations and creative processes.
Practical writing workshops: Hands-on sessions for all skill levels, covering genres such as fiction, poetry, memoir, and non-fiction.
Engaging panel discussions: Multiple authors and industry experts coming together to explore and debate fascinating topics and contemporary themes.
Community gatherings: Social events that allow attendees to connect with fellow book lovers, writers, and artists in a relaxed, friendly atmosphere. This year’s feature social event is the Murder Mystery Party: “Not Staying Alive” at the Regent Theatre.
Here is a glimpse into the diverse and compelling stories from the authors on this year’s program:
Michael Earp (Editor) – Kindred: 12 Queer #LoveOzYA Stories: A powerful and uplifting anthology celebrating the concept of “found family.” This collection brings together 12 of Australia’s finest LGBTQIA+ writers to explore themes of identity, belonging, and the friends who become our true kin.
RWR McDonald – The Nancys: A quirky and heartwarming crime novel where 11-year-old Tippy Chan teams up with her visiting uncle and his flamboyant boyfriend to form a detective club, “The Nancys,” to solve a murder in their small New Zealand town.
Troy Hunter – Gus and the Missing Boy: True crime buff Gus Green has always felt out of place in the world. He’s overweight, gay, his injured mum’s primary carer, and he only has two real friends: sporty Kane and feisty Shell, who are both dealing with their own problems.
Lisa Habermann – Back To Goode (filmed in Melbourne and Daylesford), Mainly Mondays Productions (Lisa Habermann and Suzanne McKee): Two lesbian couples move back to the country after drama in the city. But they are in for a surprise when trouble tracks them down. A Mainly Mondays Productions web series. Produced by a female-led team.
Vikki Conley – Where the River Runs Free: Wibble-wobble over the rumble-tumble stones and past peek-a-boo trees to where the rainbows sing. You never know who’s flip-flap-floating your way! A delightful family adventure celebrating the magic, surprise and precious moments of a walk along the river.
Victoria Brownlee – Eat Your Heart Out: Chloe Bridgers, Australian food blogger in Paris, has landed an interview to write the tell-all memoir of controversial celebrity chef Carla Duris. The only catch? To nab the role, she has to compete against a group of cut-throat, world-class food writers during a weekend-long job interview at the Duris family villa on the glistening Cote d’Azur.
Vanessa Len – Only a Monster: A thrilling YA fantasy that turns hero tropes on their head. Joan discovers she’s not a normal teenager but part of a hidden family of monsters who steal time from humans. When her family is attacked, she must embrace her monstrous side to save them.
Siang Lu – The Whitewash: A sharp and hilarious satirical novel that skewers the entertainment industry. The story follows the controversy that erupts after a white actor is cast as the lead in a blockbuster adaptation of a classic Chinese legend.
Ellie Marney – The Every Series: A popular YA crime thriller series following the adventures of teenage detectives Rachel Watts and James Mycroft. Blending classic Sherlock Holmes-style deduction with modern suspense, the duo solve dangerous and complex crimes.
Nikki Gemmell – The Bride Stripped Bare: A provocative and anonymous novel that became a cultural phenomenon. Written as the secret diary of a married woman, it is a raw and intimate exploration of female sexuality, desire, and the search for identity within a relationship.
Amy Han – Float Anthology: In this anthology of dreamy new writings by emerging writers and participants of Words of a Feather & Provocative Inklings workshops and events, you’ll find short stories, flash fiction, poetry, and creative non-fiction to move you,
lift you, and lead you into new and familiar worlds.
Ashley Kalagian Blunt – How to Be Australian: A humorous and insightful memoir about the author’s experience of moving from Canada to Australia. Blunt navigates everything from cultural quirks and confusing slang to encounters with bizarre wildlife on her journey to becoming a citizen.
Alli Parker – At the Foot of the Cherry Tree: A stunning historical fiction novel based on the author’s own family history. It tells the incredible true story of her Japanese great-grandmother who defied her family and culture in the early 20th century to marry an Australian man.
Ella Ward – Cicada House: A warm, funny and surprising love story about one woman’s journey to find out who she really is – as if Richard Curtis watched Seachange, shared a cold beer with Dolly Alderton, and together they wrote The Time Traveller’s Wife.
Tash Agafonoff – Someone Like Me: An expansive anthology of creative non-fiction, memoir, graphic storytelling and more from a stellar line-up of Autistic gender-diverse and women writers.
Mark Smith – The Road to Winter: The first book in a gripping YA dystopian trilogy set on the Australian coast after a deadly virus has devastated the population. A young surfer named Finn must navigate this lawless new world while protecting a girl seeking asylum.
The Gippsland Writers Festival is more than just a series of events; it is a testament to the region’s resilience and its deep appreciation for the arts.
