Hana Assafiri promotes the rights of Muslim women, and indeed all women. She works to remove barriers that prevent women from living prosperous lives. In 1998, she started Moroccan Soup Bar, providing employment opportunities for marginalised people, and in 2017 she was inducted into the Victorian Honour Roll of Women, celebrating her contribution made to local communities and human rights. In 2019 Hana was awarded an Order of Australia Medal (OAM) for her services to women and the broader community. Her new memoir is Hana: The Audacity to be Free.
Sunday 20 October
4.00pm
The Game Changers
Anti-violence campaigners Rosie Batty and Hana Assafiri have changed conversations about violence and coercive control across their communities and across Australia. Their new memoirs explore how they each disentangled themselves from harmful situations and the role that hope has played in rewriting the scripts of their lives. With Hilary Harper.
Tim Baker is an award-winning and best-selling author and journalist specializing in surfing culture. His latest book Patting The Shark documents his experience living with advanced prostate cancer. He is a former editor of Tracks, Surfing Life and Slow Living magazines, and a two-time winner of the Surfing Australia Hall of Fame Culture Award.
Saturday 19 October
2.30pm
Life Under the Microscope
Two blokes leading big lives get diagnosed with cancer and write enthralling memoirs on lessons learned, mistakes made, and all the contemplative stuff that happens in between. Writers Peter Goldsworthy and Tim Baker will talk about difficulties, and the bleakly funny moments, of receiving a life-changing diagnosis. With Natasha Mitchell.
Rosie Batty is a British-Australian family violence campaigner and speaker. After her 11-year-old son, Luke, was killed by his father in a violent incident in February 2014, Rosie became a passionate campaigner on the issue of family violence. She won the Pride of Australia Award in 2014 and was named Australian of the Year in January 2015. Her first memoir, A Mother’s Story, was published in 2016. Her new book is Hope: a story about confronting grief, becoming an accidental hero, and reclaiming hope.
Sunday 20 October
4.00pm
The Game Changers
Anti-violence campaigners Rosie Batty and Hana Assafiri have changed conversations about violence and coercive control across their communities and across Australia. Their new memoirs explore how they each disentangled themselves from harmful situations and the role that hope has played in rewriting the scripts of their lives. With Hilary Harper.
Eric Beecher has had a long career in journalism, media and publishing. He has worked at The Age, The Sunday Times and The Observer in London, and The Washington Post. He was appointed as the youngest-ever editor of The Sydney Morning Herald and later as editor-in-chief of the Melbourne Herald. He then became an independent media owner, launching several media and publishing start-up companies, initially in print and then in digital news publishing. He is currently chair and the largest shareholder in Private Media, owner of several Australian news websites, including Crikey.
Sunday 20 October
11.30am
Who Killed the News?
In his new book The Men Who Killed the News, Eric Beecher, the owner of Crikey and ex-News Corp and Fairfax editor, explains the threat to democracies of media owners behaving badly, and what it was like being sued by the Murdochs. With Rick Morton and Nicole Chvastek.
Ariane Beeston is a former child protection caseworker and psychologist with NSW’s Department of Communities and Justice. She was a staff writer at Fairfax Media’s Essential Baby and Essential Kids and has also published articles in The Sydney Morning Herald, Daily Life, Babyology and Mamamia. Ariane currently works for Australia’s peak body in perinatal mental health, The Centre of Perinatal Excellence (COPE), as their Communications and Content Manager. She is also a dancer and choreographer. Because I’m Not Myself You See: A Memoir of Motherhood, Madness and Coming Back from the Brink is her first book.
Sunday 20 October
1pm
Because I’m Not Myself, You See
After Ariane Beeston gave birth, she experienced postpartum psychosis and was admitted to a psychiatric unit. Ariane explains in her memoir the long road back from the brink, her efforts to create awareness and minimise shame about postpartum psychosis, and her career pivot to perinatal health. With Jayne Tuttle.
Tony Birch holds the Boisbouvier Chair in Australian Literature at Melbourne University. He is the author of four novels, five short fiction collections, and two poetry books. In 2022 his book, Dark As Last Night was awarded the Christina Stead Literary Prize and the Steele Rudd Literary Award. The book was also shortlisted for the 2022 Prime Minister’s Literary Award for fiction. His most recent book is the novel, Women and Children, which has been awarded The Age 2024 Fiction Book of the Year.
Saturday 26 October
2.30pm
Women and Children
A novel exploring fraught yet loving family ties, Women and Children has been awarded The Age’s Book of the Year. Author Tony Birch talks about his long and celebrated career writing extraordinary stories anchored in ‘the ordinary’ with Jeff Sparrow.
Josh Bornstein is an award-winning lawyer specialising in employment and labour-relations law who has successfully sued a lot of badly behaved corporations, cornered the market in representing sacked rabbis, and acted for employees who were sacked for expressing political views, including high-profile media personality Antoinette Lattouf. His articles and essays have appeared in Australia’s major media outlets, and he is a contributing author to The Wages Crisis in Australia: what it is and what to do about it. His new book is Working for the Brand: How Corporations Are Destroying Free Speech.
Saturday 19 October
1pm
You’re Cancelled!
High profile industrial relations lawyer Josh Bornstein explains the real victims of ‘cancel culture’ in his new book Working for the Brand: How Corporations are Destroying Free Speech. Find out what outspoken individuals are up against in organisations where freedom of expression is seen as an affront. With Crikey journalist Charlie Lewis.
Melanie Cheng is a writer and general practitioner. She was born in Adelaide, grew up in Hong Kong and now lives in Melbourne. Her debut collection of short stories, Australia Day, won the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award for an Unpublished Manuscript in 2016 and the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award for Fiction in 2018. Room for a Stranger, her highly acclaimed first novel, was published in 2019. Her new novel is The Burrow.
Saturday 26 October
4.00pm
Saying the Quiet Part Out Loud
Award-winning authors Melanie Cheng and Jane Tara share their remarkable new novels The Burrow and Tilda Is Visible and discuss how writing fiction makes space to illuminate more about the human condition than non-fiction stories. With Sarah L'Estrange.
Nicole Chvastek is a highly regarded former ABC radio and television journalist who hosted a successful daily newsbreaking radio Drive program live across regional Victoria and into southern NSW. She was also senior producer on the award winning Jon Faine Mornings show on ABC 774, and a reporter with the 7 Network. She is a Board Member of the Centre for Advancing Journalism at Melbourne University.
Sunday 20 October
11.30am
Who Killed the News?
In his new book The Men Who Killed the News, Eric Beecher, the owner of Crikey and ex-News Corp and Fairfax editor, explains the threat to democracies of media owners behaving badly, and what it was like being sued by the Murdochs. With Rick Morton and Nicole Chvastek.
Anna Clark is an award-winning historian, author and public commentator. An internationally recognised scholar in Australian history, she’s also mad about fishing. Her most recent books are The Catch: Australia’s Love Affair with Fishing (Penguin 2023) and Making Australian History (Penguin 2022). She is currently Professor of History at the University of Technology Sydney.
Saturday 19 October
10am
Australia’s Love Affair with Fishing
Historian Anna Clark’s new book is a personal account of her love of ‘the catch’ and an exploration of how fishing became a national pastime. Anna delves into favourite fishing spots, the passing down of fishing know-how, Indigenous fishing practices, and why we love ‘throwing a line’. With Clare Wright.
Alexandra Collier is an award-winning Melbourne writer who has written for theatre, screen and print. Her memoir Inconceivable: Heartbreak, Bad Dates and Finding Solo Motherhood about her journey to becoming a solo mum by choice was published by Hachette in 2023. She is currently a writer on the new ABC/BBC detective series Return to Paradise.
Saturday 26 October
10.00am
Live Through This: New Memoirs
Why does writing our own stories feel so liberating and meaningful? Join memoirists Nova Weetman, Jo Peck and Alexandra Collier as they examine the pros and cons of writing about personal setbacks, difficulties and joys, and the unforeseen ways in which having their memoirs published has impacted their lives.
Stephanie Convery is an inequality reporter at Guardian Australia. She was previously the Guardian's deputy culture editor for five years. Prior to that, she was the deputy editor at Overland magazine and a freelance writer and arts worker. Her first book is the critically acclaimed After the Count: The Death of Davey Browne (Viking), which was longlisted for the Walkley Book Award and the Victorian Premier's Literary Award, among others.
Sunday 27 October
10am
Angry at Breakfast
Founding editor of The Saturday Paper and Schwartz Media Editor-in-Chief Erik Jensen talks about his book Angry at Breakfast, an anthology of ten years writing editorials for The Saturday Paper, and the triumphs and frustrations of his career publishing the nation’s biggest news stories. With Stephanie Convery from The Guardian.
Dr Mark Dapin is a journalist, author, screenwriter and historian. He is the author of the novels King of the Cross, Spirit House and R&R. King of the Cross won the Ned Kelly Award for Best First Fiction. His history book The Nashos’ War was shortlisted for the NSW Premier’s Literary Award for Non-Fiction, and won the NIB People’s Choice Award and an Alex Buzo Shortlist Award. He has also written three books of true crime: Public Enemies, Prison Break and Carnage. He worked as consultant producer on Network Seven TV show Armed and Dangerous, and as screenwriter on Stan’s Wolf Creek 2. He was associate producer on the recent SBS three-part series, Our Vietnam. Lest: Australian War Myths is his third history book.
Saturday 19 October
2.30pm
Telling Truths and Busting Myths
Respected historians Clare Wright and Mark Dapin describe the excitement and challenges of diving into historical records to expose truths that often make people feel uncomfortable about the past, as explored in Clare’s new book Naku Dharuk The Bark Petitions and Mark’s Lest: Australian War Myths. With Hilary Harper.
Supported by Queenscliff Bowling, Tennis and Croquet Club.
Sunday 20 October
9.30am - midday
Workshop: How to Write True Crime
Award-winning historian, journalist, screenwriter and author Mark Dapin answers practical questions faced by first-time true crime authors. How do I find inquest reports and court transcripts? How do I visit prisons? How do I interview lawyers, detectives and criminals? How do I know who is telling the truth? And importantly, how much danger am I letting myself in for? Mark will explain how to structure a story and keep the reader guessing.
David Dyer grew up in a coastal town in New South Wales. His 2016 novel The Midnight Watch, is about the ship that saw the Titanic’s distress rockets but didn’t go to her rescue. His research took him to Liverpool, London, Boston, New York and – finally – to the site of the sinking itself in the North Atlantic Ocean. David currently lives in Sydney, where he teaches, writes and makes cocktails. His new book This Kingdom of Dust, is a fictional exploration of what would have happened if the 1969 moon landing went horribly wrong.
Sunday 20 October
1pm
Fusing Fiction with Fact
Novelists are increasingly drawing on real-world historical events to write fiction. Malcolm Knox’s new book The First Friend is set in Stalin’s Soviet Union, and David Dyer’s latest, This Kingdom of Dust, explores what-ifs during the 1969 moon landing. They speak about the allure of history to Mel Fulton.
Michael Earp is the editor of Everything Under The Moon: Fairy tales in a queerer light, Kindred: 12 Queer #LoveOzYA Stories and co-editor of Avast! Pirate Stories from Transgender Authors with Alison Evans. With a teaching degree and a Masters in Children’s Literature, they have worked between bookselling and publishing for twenty years as a children’s literature specialist. Managing The Little Bookroom saw them named ABA Bookseller of the Year in 2021. Their writing has also appeared in Archer, The Age, PopMatters, The Victorian Writer, Aurealis and Underdog: #LoveOzYA Short Stories.
Sunday 27 October
11.30am
Shipwrecks and Sea Myths
Among the spectacular artefacts at Queenscliffe’s iconic Maritime Museum, authors Shivaun Plozza, Michael Earp and Andrea Rowe discuss their love of writing stories about shipwrecks, pirates, ocean adventures and sea myths for young and diverse readers. Optional tour of Fishermens’ Waiting Shed included.
Xavier Fowler is a historian who writes about sport and society. He completed his PhD at the University of Melbourne in 2018. His first book was Not Playing the Game: Sport and Australia’s Great War (MUP, 2021). Xavier currently works at Sport Integrity Australia, and continues to write on sport, society and history. His new book is The Football War: The VFA and VFL’s Battle for Supremacy.
Saturday 26 October
4.00pm
The Football War
Footy, anyone? Join footy historian Xavier Fowler and footy tragic Francis Leach for a passionate exchange about the history of our great game and an exploration of Fowler’s new book The Football War: The VFL & VFA's Battle for Supremacy.
Candice Fox is the author of many crime novels and the winner of three prestigious Ned Kelly Awards. In fact, she is the only author to have been shortlisted for that award for every single novel. She has also co-written seven New York Times bestsellers with James Patterson, the world’s bestselling thriller writer. Candice's novels Crimson Lake and Redemption Point were adapted into a major ABC TV series called Troppo. A meticulous researcher, Candice has interviewed a serial killer on Death Row and been to prison three times (for work purposes). 2024 sees Candice publishing several new crime novels, including further collaborations with James Patterson.
Friday 18 October
5pm
Candice Fox’s Long Game
International bestselling author Candice Fox talks about her devotion to crafting page-turning stories with strong characters and gripping plots, and her extraordinary experiences co-writing with American author James Patterson. With J.P. Pomare.
Peter Goldsworthy divides time between working as a GP and writing. He has won major literary awards across a range of genres: poetry, short story, novels, theatre, and opera libretti. Goldsworthy's novels have been translated worldwide and have been shortlisted for the NSW Christina Stead Fiction Prize, and twice for the Miles Franklin Award. Three Dog Night won the 2004 FAW Christina Stead Award, and was longlisted for the Dublin IMPAC prize. In 2003, his first novel, Maestro, was voted by members of the Australian Society of Authors as one of the he Top 40 Australian Books of All Time. His latest book is the memoir The Cancer Finishing School.
Saturday 19 October
2.30pm
Life Under the Microscope
Two blokes leading big lives get diagnosed with cancer and write enthralling memoirs on lessons learned, mistakes made, and all the contemplative stuff that happens in between. Writers Peter Goldsworthy and Tim Baker will talk about difficulties, and the bleakly funny moments, of receiving a life-changing diagnosis. With Natasha Mitchell.
Bonnie Hancock has competed in seven IronWoman Series and represented Australia in surf lifesaving. In 2022, she completed a gruelling 12,700-kilometre journey around Australia solo in an ocean ski, becoming the fastest ever paddler to circumnavigate the continent, the first Australian woman to circumnavigate the continent by paddle, and the youngest person to do so. She also achieved a new world record for the longest 24-hour paddle, covering a distance of 235 kilometres. Bonnie is currently an ambassador for Gotcha4Life, a speaker on leadership and mental health, and an accredited practising dietitian.
Sunday 20 October
10am
The Surfer and the Circumnavigator
Surfer Pauline Menczer and circumnavigator Bonnie Hancock faced enormous hurdles reaching the top of their professions. Each has written fascinating memoirs explaining what drives them, what kept them bouncing back when the chips were down, and how they conquered challenges that the ocean has thrown at them. With Natasha Mitchell.
Lyn Harwood has worked as a teacher, a dancer, an editor, a publisher and an artist. Her new book with Bruce Pascoe is Black Duck: A Year at Yumburra. She is a director on the Board of Black Duck Foods, promoting Indigenous food agriculture. Lyn has instigated a community based fuel management practice for the Mallacoota township. She feels that the country has much to teach us about proper care.
Sunday 20 October
5.30pm
Black Duck and Imperial Harvest
Bruce Pascoe and Lyn Harwood will speak about their new book Black Duck: A Year At Yumburra, which canvasses our relationship with nature, traditional food growing and Indigenous cuisine. Bruce will also speak about his new novel Imperial Harvest, a chronicle of war, trauma and survival. With Michael Cathcart.
Claire Hooper was has been performing stand up comedy since 2004, and won a Best Newcomer Nomination in 2006.For four years Claire shared a set with Paul McDermott and Mikey Robbins on the iconic comedy show Good News Week as a team captain. She also hosted 5 seasons of The Great Australian Bake Off, and has been seen on The Project, ABC’s The Weekly, Question Everything and Spicks & Specks, SBS’ Celebrity Letters & Numbers and Channel Ten’s Would I Lie To You? Claire is an accomplished podcaster, with 3 seasons of ABC’s The Pineapple Project under her belt, plus her own podcast I’m the Worst with Claire Hooper. Claire is also a children’s book author, a comedy director and (though it’s unlikely to be relevant) a qualified garden designer. Her latest stand up comedy show So Proud recently toured the country, and her Melbourne Comedy Festival season won her the Piece of Wood Award.
Saturday 26 October
7.30pm - 9.30pm includes intermission
Stereo Stories Concert
A celebration of the stories that make music so memorable. Join the Stereo Stories band with special guest storytellers Claire Hooper, Thomas Mayo, Jock Serong, Jayne Tuttle and Christian White for a unique evening of storytelling and music that will leave you feeling moved, amused and delightfully surprised.
NOTE: the QLF cashless bar will be open from 6.30pm, and will also be open during intermission.
Erik Jensen is an award-winning journalist, biographer, screenwriter and poet. He is the founding editor of The Saturday Paper and editor-in-chief of Schwartz Media. He is the author of Acute Misfortune (which was developed into a film), On Kate Jennings, and I Said the Sea was Folded, as well as the Quarterly Essay The Prosperity Gospel. His most recent book is a collection of political writing, Angry at Breakfast.
Sunday 27 October
10am
Angry at Breakfast
Founding editor of The Saturday Paper and Schwartz Media Editor-in-Chief Erik Jensen talks about his book Angry at Breakfast, an anthology of ten years writing editorials for The Saturday Paper, and the triumphs and frustrations of his career publishing the nation’s biggest news stories. With Stephanie Convery from The Guardian.
Nina Kenwood won the Text Prize for her debut YA novel, It Sounded Better in My Head, which went on to be published in six languages, was a finalist for the American Library Association’s William C Morris Award, as well as being shortlisted for several Australian awards. Her second book, Unnecessary Drama, continued her success both in Australia and overseas. The Wedding Forecast is Nina’s new novel, her first for adults.
Sunday 27 October
2.30pm
Love Me, Love My Manuscript
Authors Nina Kenwood, Stuart Rosson and Jane Tara share their stories about receiving manuscript rejections and the pleasure of finally being published and establishing a writing career. These riveting insights will include tips and tricks on how to get your story ideas and manuscripts noticed. With Sarah L’Estrange.
Malcolm Knox has won three Walkley Awards and a Human Rights Award. His novels include Summerland; A Private Man, winner of the Ned Kelly Award; Jamaica, which won the Colin Roderick Award and was shortlisted in the 2008 Prime Minister's Literary Awards; The Life; The Wonder Lover; and Bluebird. His many non-fiction titles include Boom: The Underground History of Australia; From Gold Rush to GFC, which won the 2013 Ashurst Business Literature Prize; and Bradman's War, shortlisted in the 2013 Prime Minister's Literary Awards. His new novel is The First Friend, a tour de force set in 1938 Stalin Soviet Union.
Sunday 20 October
1pm
Fusing Fiction with Fact
Novelists are increasingly drawing on real-world historical events to write fiction. Malcolm Knox’s new book The First Friend is set in Stalin’s Soviet Union, and David Dyer’s latest, This Kingdom of Dust, explores what-ifs during the 1969 moon landing. They speak about the allure of history to Mel Fulton.
Sarah L’Estrange has worked in arts broadcasting at ABC Radio National for over 15 years. She currently produces The Book Show and has interviewed many Australian and international authors. She has also produced and presented special series for RN including 'Fakes and Frauds' about Australian literary scandals and 'Banned Books', which looks at the forces driving book bans worldwide.
Thomas Mayo is a Kaurareg Aboriginal and Kalkalgal, Erubamle Torres Strait Islander man. He is the National Indigenous Officer of the MUA. Thomas is a signatory of the Uluru Statement from the Heart and has been a leading advocate since its inception. He is Chairperson of the Northern Territory Indigenous Labor Network, advises the Diversity Council of Australia and the From the Heart campaign, and is an executive member of the Northern Territory Trades and Labour Council. Thomas is the author of books Finding the Heart of The Nation, Dear Son, Finding The Heart, Freedom Day and The Voice to Parliament Handbook with Kerry O’Brien, the latter winning the 2024 ABIA award for Book of the Year, Social Impact Book of the Year and General Non-Fiction Book of the Year. His new book is Always Was Always Will Be: The Campaign For Justice and Recognition Continues.
Saturday 26 October
7.30pm - 9.30pm includes intermission
Stereo Stories Concert
A celebration of the stories that make music so memorable. Join the Stereo Stories band with special guest storytellers Claire Hooper, Thomas Mayo, Jock Serong, Jayne Tuttle and Christian White for a unique evening of storytelling and music that will leave you feeling moved, amused and delightfully surprised.
NOTE: the QLF cashless bar will be open from 6.30pm, and will also be open during intermission.
Sunday 27 October
1.00pm
The Referendum One Year On
With the majority of residents in the Borough of Queenscliffe voting ‘Yes’ in last year’s historical Referendum for a Voice to Parliament, but the nation overall voting ‘No’, First Nations writer Thomas Mayo and constitutional law expert Shireen Morris share their thoughts on the outcome and the new path forward for reconciliation. With radio presenter Amy Mullins.
Pauline Menczer is a world surfing champion and has become an outspoken advocate of women in sport, petitioning for them to receive parity with their male counterparts. Her mission is to share her whole story and inspire those who are dealing with or who have dealt with autoimmune diseases, sexism, misogyny and homophobia in their lives. Her memoir is Surf Like A Woman.
Sunday 20 October
10am
The Surfer and the Circumnavigator
Surfer Pauline Menczer and circumnavigator Bonnie Hancock faced enormous hurdles reaching the top of their professions. Each has written fascinating memoirs explaining what drives them, what kept them bouncing back when the chips were down, and how they conquered challenges that the ocean has thrown at them. With Natasha Mitchell.
Louise Milligan is a multi-award-winning investigative journalist for ABC TV's Four Corners. She is the author of two bestselling non-fiction books: Cardinal, The Rise and Fall of George Pell and Witness, An Investigation into the Brutal Cost of Seeking Justice. Her books have been awarded multiple prizes, including the Walkley Book Award, the Melbourne Prize for Literature People's Choice Award, the Victorian Premier's Literary Award's People's Choice prize, a Press Freedom Medal and a shortlisting for the Stella Prize. Louise's journalism, particularly her coverage of historical institutional child abuse and the experience of women in the criminal justice system and parliament, has broken national and international news and sparked government inquiries. Pheasants Nest is Louise's first novel.
Saturday 19 October
11.30am
Pheasants Nest
Award-winning investigative journalist Louise Milligan has spent her career breaking generation-defining news and exposing nefarious activities of the powerful across political, religious and social spectrums. She explains the inspiration behind her debut crime novel Pheasants Nest to J.P. Pomare.
Dr Shireen Morris is a constitutional lawyer, Associate Professor and Director of the Radical Centre Reform Lab at Macquarie University Law School. She worked on the issue of Indigenous constitutional recognition with Indigenous leaders for around 12 years. Other books include Radical Heart (MUP), A Rightful Place: a roadmap to recognition (Black Inc, 2017), A First Nations Voice in the Australian Constitution (Hart, 2020). Her new book is Broken Heart: A True History of the Voice Referendum (Black Inc, 2024).
Sunday 27 October
1.00pm
The Referendum One Year On
With the majority of residents in the Borough of Queenscliffe voting ‘Yes’ in last year’s historical Referendum for a Voice to Parliament, but the nation overall voting ‘No’, First Nations writer Thomas Mayo and constitutional law expert Shireen Morris share their thoughts on the outcome and the new path forward for reconciliation. With radio presenter Amy Mullins.
Rick Morton has been a journalist and writer for over fifteen years. His first book, One Hundred Years of Dirt, was shortlisted for the 2019 Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards and the 2019 National Biography Award, longlisted for the 2018 Walkley Book of the Year, and longlisted for both Biography of the Year and the Matt Richell Award for New Writer of the Year at the 2019 ABIA Awards. His second book was the bestselling and critically acclaimed My Year of Living Vulnerably. He is the winner of the 2013 Kennedy Award for Young Journalist of the Year and the 2017 Kennedy Award for Outstanding Columnist. In 2019, Rick left The Australian where he worked as the social affairs writer with a particular focus on social policy and is now a senior reporter for The Saturday Paper. His new book about the robodebt scandal Mean Streak: a moral vacuum and a multi-billion-dollar government fraud has been commissioned for an ABC drama series. Rick regularly appears on television, radio and panels across both the ABC and commercial networks discussing politics, the media, writing and social policy.
Sunday 20 October
11.30am
Who Killed the News?
In his new book The Men Who Killed the News, Eric Beecher, the owner of Crikey and ex-News Corp and Fairfax editor, explains the threat to democracies of media owners behaving badly, and what it was like being sued by the Murdochs. With Rick Morton and Nicole Chvastek.
Sunday 20 October
2.30pm
Rick Morton: Mean Streak
Journalist and author Rick Morton explains his extraordinary new book Mean Streak, exposing the fraud and damage wrecked by the Australian government’s Robodebt scheme, where 470,000 wrongly-issued debts were issued to citizens. Lives were lost, legal challenges, a royal commission and government inquiries ensued. With Sophie Black.
Kerrie O'Brien is a senior writer at The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald, specialising in arts and entertainment. A contributor to the podcast Good Weekend Talks, she is particularly interested in social justice, education, indigenous issues and literature. She is a board member with not-for-profit social enterprise ACRE.
Friday 18 October
12pm - 2.30pm
Lunch with Chef Tony Tan
Over a delicious two-course meal prepared from new book Tony Tan’s Asian Cooking Class, Tony will share the excitement of growing up in his family’s restaurants, eye-opening experiences working in kitchens around the world, and the remarkable path that inspired him to start his own cooking school. With Kerrie O’Brien.
Bruce Pascoe is a Yuin, Bunurong and Tasmanian man born in the Melbourne suburb of Richmond. He’s the author of the best-selling Dark Emu, Young Dark Emu: A Truer History, Loving Country: A Guide to Sacred Australia and over thirty other books including the short story collections Night Animals and Nightjar, and academic texts including The Little Red Yellow Black Book with AIATSIS. Dark Emu (Magabala Books) won Book of the Year and the Indigenous Writer’s Prize at the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards in 2016, and has now sold in excess of 200,000 copies. He is the author of Country: Future Fire, Future Farming with Bill Gammage in 2021. His new books for 2024 are Imperial Harvest, and Black Duck: A Year at Yumburra, his book with Lyn Harwood
Sunday 20 October
5.30pm
Black Duck and Imperial Harvest
Bruce Pascoe and Lyn Harwood will speak about their new book Black Duck: A Year At Yumburra, which canvasses our relationship with nature, traditional food growing and Indigenous cuisine. Bruce will also speak about his new novel Imperial Harvest, a chronicle of war, trauma and survival. With Michael Cathcart.
Natalie Paull has been baking and loving all things sweet for more than twenty-five years and spent her formative years working with Australian food luminaries Maggie Beer and Stephanie Alexander. Nat opened the cult cafe and bakery Beatrix Bakes in inner-city Melbourne in 2011 to widespread acclaim. Before Beatrix closed its doors in August 2022, fans lined up in the rain in their hundreds to secure a taste of the day’s ever-colourful – and delicious – offerings. Nat has established a reputation for melding the traditional pillars of cake baking with her distinct brand of irreverent innovation. Also, Nat eats a lot of cake. Every day.
Sunday 27 October
4.00pm - 5.30pm
Bubbles and Sweets with Nat Paull from Beatrix Bakes
Cake doyenne Nat Paull discusses her latest book, Beatrix Bakes: Another Slice, making an appetising case for baking sweet treats that are delicious, creative, a little bit mischievous and a whole lot of fun. Nat’s tantalising sweet treats recipes will be served by Willow Tree Cafe, together with sparkling wine by Scotchmans Hill. With Elizabeth McCarthy.
Jo Peck grew up in Healesville, Victoria. She worked in advertising for thirty-five years, co-running her own ad agency, Working Girls Advertising, for twenty of those years. She lives in Melbourne with her new partner. Her debut book is Suddenly Single at 60: A Memoir (Text, 2024).
Saturday 26 October
10.00am
Live Through This: New Memoirs
Why does writing our own stories feel so liberating and meaningful? Join memoirists Nova Weetman, Jo Peck and Alexandra Collier as they examine the pros and cons of writing about personal setbacks, difficulties and joys, and the unforeseen ways in which having their memoirs published has impacted their lives.
Shivaun Plozza is the award-winning author of books for Children and Young Adults. Her books include Frankie, Tin Heart, The Boy, the Wolf and the Stars, A Reluctant Witch’s Guide to Magic, Meet Me at the Moon Tree and The Worst Perfect Moment. She won the Davitt Award for Best YA Crime Novel in 2017 and has been shortlisted for numerous prizes, including the ABIAs and the CBCA Book of the Year. She lives in Geelong with her cat, Fenchurch. Summer of Shipwrecks is her latest book.
Sunday 27 October
11.30am
Shipwrecks and Sea Myths
Among the spectacular artefacts at Queenscliffe’s iconic Maritime Museum, authors Shivaun Plozza, Michael Earp and Andrea Rowe discuss their love of writing stories about shipwrecks, pirates, ocean adventures and sea myths for young and diverse readers. Optional tour of Fishermens’ Waiting Shed included.
J.P. POMARE is an award-winning author whose debut novel, Call Me Evie, won the Ngaio Marsh Award for Best First Novel. In the Clearing was made into a Disney+ Original Series, while Tell Me Lies was a #1 Audible bestseller and was shortlisted for the Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Novel and the Ned Kelly Award for Best Crime Fiction. The Last Guests is currently being made into a TV series by Stan. His fifth book, The Wrong Woman, was a top-ten bestseller and was highly acclaimed, as was his 2023 novel, Home Before Night. His new novel 17 Years Later is his seventh.
Friday 18 October
5pm
Candice Fox’s Long Game
International bestselling author Candice Fox talks about her devotion to crafting page-turning stories with strong characters and gripping plots, and her extraordinary experiences co-writing with American author James Patterson. With J.P. Pomare.
Saturday 19 October
11.30am
Pheasants Nest
Award-winning investigative journalist Louise Milligan has spent her career breaking generation-defining news and exposing nefarious activities of the powerful across political, religious and social spectrums. She explains the inspiration behind her debut crime novel Pheasants Nest to J.P. Pomare.
Hannie Rayson is a playwright, screenwriter and columnist. Her works—including Hotel Sorrento, Inheritance and Life After George—have been performed around Australia and internationally. She has been awarded two Australian Writers’ Guild Awards, four Helpmann Awards, two NSW Premier’s Literary Awards and a Victorian Premier’s Literary Award. Her play Life After George was the first play to be nominated for the Miles Franklin Literary Award. Hannie lives in Melbourne.Her memoir is Hello, Beautiful! which she adapted for the stage and performed as a one-woman show around the country. In 2023, Hannie and her husband Michael Cathcart created Hello, Queenscliffe!
Friday 18 October
7.30pm
The Dictionary of Pip Williams
The meteoric success of Pip Williams’ deeply researched, compelling novels has been celebrated worldwide. With a recent theatre adaptation and screenplays beckoning, Pip explains why, after a career writing academic and social research texts, shifting to writing fiction re-ignited her passionate love of history, drama and folklore. With Hannie Rayson.
NOTE: the QLF cashless bar will be open from 6.30pm, before this 7.30pm event.
Stuart Rosson was born in Geelong and worked as a science writer for the Sun News Pictorial throughout the mid to late 80’s, before moving to the coast in the 90’s to work in the surf industry. He then studied natural medicine, and later began writing speculative fiction, whilst running a guest house in Torquay. His previous books form two parts of a post-apocalyptic action trilogy. His third book, Framed, is a fictionalised exposé of the theft of Picasso’s Weeping Woman from the National Gallery of Victoria in 1986, a crime for which his late brother was framed.
Sunday 27 October
2.30pm
Love Me, Love My Manuscript
Authors Nina Kenwood, Stuart Rosson and Jane Tara share their stories about receiving manuscript rejections and the pleasure of finally being published and establishing a writing career. These riveting insights will include tips and tricks on how to get your story ideas and manuscripts noticed. With Sarah L’Estrange.
Andrea Rowe is an award-winning, best-selling children’s author of Jetty Jumping which won the 2022 CBCA Picture Book of the Year – Early Childhood and 2023 Australian Speech Pathology Book of the Year. In the Rockpools is a 2024 CBCA Notable release and Amid the Sand Dunes is her latest book.
Sunday 27 October
11.30am
Shipwrecks and Sea Myths
Among the spectacular artefacts at Queenscliffe’s iconic Maritime Museum, authors Shivaun Plozza, Michael Earp and Andrea Rowe discuss their love of writing stories about shipwrecks, pirates, ocean adventures and sea myths for young and diverse readers. Optional tour of Fishermens’ Waiting Shed included.
Sara M. Saleh is a writer/poet, human rights lawyer, and the daughter of Palestinian, Lebanese and Egyptian migrants. Her first novel is Songs for the Dead and the Living (Affirm Press, 2023), which was shortlisted for the 2024 NSW Premier’s Awards. Her first poetry collection is The Flirtation of Girls/Ghazal el-Banat (UQP, 2023), which was shortlisted for the 2024 ALS Gold Medal and won the Anne Elder Award.
Sunday 20 October
2.30pm
The Flirtation of Girls
Lawyer Sara M Saleh discusses her books The Flirtation of Girls and Songs For the Dead and the Living. Sara’s stories explore the lives of women and girls traversing Palestine, Lebanon, Egypt and Australia, celebrating music and family and exposing the violence of colonialism, war and displacement. With Jayne Tuttle.
Event cancelled
Jock Serong is the author of Quota, winner of the 2015 Ned Kelly Award for Best First Fiction; The Rules of Backyard Cricket, shortlisted for the 2017 Victorian Premier’s Award for Fiction, finalist of the 2017 MWA Edgar Awards for Best Paperback Original, and finalist of the 2017 Indie Book Awards Adult Mystery Book of the Year; and On the Java Ridge, which won the Colin Roderick Award and, internationally, the inaugural Staunch Prize (UK), and was shortlisted for the 2018 Indie Awards. He has won praise for his trilogy of historical novels Preservation; The Burning Island, which earned him the ARA Historical Novel Prize and the Historia Award for Historical Crime Fiction (France); and The Settlement, which was shortlisted for the Voss Prize and the ARA Historical Novel Prize. His new novel is Cherrywood.
Sunday 27 October
11.30am
Cherrywood
Jock Serong is one of our most compelling novelists, writing unforgettable stories that link tensions between the past and the present, exploring fraught familial and societal dynamics. His new novel Cherrywood is another cross-generational triumph. With Sarah L’Estrange.
Ben Shewry is an internationally renowned chef, restaurateur, husband, father, son, brother, friend and creative obsessive. He tries to be direct, honest, respectful, loving, silly, resilient and real. His CV includes owner of Attica in Melbourne's inner suburban Ripponlea (since 2015), writer of the book Origin, semi-pro playlist builder, amateur filmmaker, part-time photographer and full-time renovator. He also holds the world record for desperate Covid side hustles. His new book is Uses for Obsession: A (Chef’s) Memoir.
Saturday 19 October
5.30pm - 7.30pm
Ben Shewry’s Uses for Obsession
From growing up on a farm in New Zealand to being a globally celebrated chef, Ben has written new book that is part memoir, part manifesto, and dives deep into how innovation and imagination are central to his business, his kitchen and his life. With Myf Warhurst.
Ticket price includes a range of delicious canapés created by TARRA. Bar open; drinks available at bar prices.
SOLD OUT
Nardi Simpson is a Yuwaalaraay storyteller from New South Wales' northwest freshwater plains. As a member of Indigenous duo Stiff Gins, Nardi has traveled nationally and internationally. She is a founding member of Freshwater, an all-female vocal ensemble formed to revive the language and singing traditions of NSW river communities. Nardi is the current musical director of Barayagal, a cross-cultural choir based at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. Nardi's debut novel, Song of the Crocodile, won the 2017 Black&Write! Fellowship and the ALS Gold Medal, and was longlisted for the 2021 Stella Prize and Miles Franklin Literary Award. Her new novel is The Belburd.
Saturday 19 October
4.00pm
The Fire Inside
Two award-winning storytellers, Alexis Wright and Nardi Simpson, talk about their most recent works, Praiseworthy and The Belburd, the sparks that ignite their creative imaginations, the process of grappling with great stories, and why writing is as essential as breathing. With Mel Fulton.
Jeff Sparrow is a writer, editor, broadcaster, and Walkley Award–winning journalist. His most recent books are Fascists Among Us: online hate and the Christchurch massacre; Trigger Warnings: political correctness and the rise of the right; and No Way But This: in search of Paul Robeson. He lectures at the Centre for Advancing Journalism at The University of Melbourne and his latest book is a collaboration with Sam Wallman, 12 Rules for Strife.
Saturday 26 October
11.30am
Twelve Rules for Strife
In this cheeky nod to Jordan Petersen’s bestseller 12 Rules for Life, journalist and social activist Jeff Sparrow and illustrator/activist Sam Wallman present Twelve Rules for Strife, a how-to-guide for those wanting to create social and economic change. In discussion with Francis Leach, they outline a set of tactics.
Saturday 26 October
2.30pm
Women and Children
A novel exploring fraught yet loving family ties, Women and Children has been awarded The Age’s Book of the Year. Author Tony Birch talks about his long and celebrated career writing extraordinary stories anchored in ‘the ordinary’ with Jeff Sparrow.
Tony Tan was born in Malaysia to a Chinese family who owned restaurants. He moved to Australia in the 1970s to study renaissance history and Chinese language (he speaks seven languages), but instead became involved in its food scene. He then took himself to Europe to cook in France and study at Leiths in London. Returning to Australia, he appeared on TV, wrote for Gourmet Traveler and opened a now legendary cooking school in Trentham, Victoria. His new book is Tony Tan’s Asian Cooking Class.
Friday 18 October
12pm - 2.30pm
Lunch with Chef Tony Tan
Over a delicious two-course meal prepared from new book Tony Tan’s Asian Cooking Class, Tony will share the excitement of growing up in his family’s restaurants, eye-opening experiences working in kitchens around the world, and the remarkable path that inspired him to start his own cooking school. With Kerrie O’Brien.
Jane Tara has published over a hundred children's books, several plays and five novels. She's a daily meditator, and she spent thirteen years wandering the world and lived in five countries but is now happily at home in Sydney. Her new novel explores middle-age women and is called Tilda is Visible.
Saturday 26 October
4.00pm
Saying the Quiet Part Out Loud
Award-winning authors Melanie Cheng and Jane Tara share their remarkable new novels The Burrow and Tilda Is Visible and discuss how writing fiction makes space to illuminate more about the human condition than non-fiction stories. With Sarah L'Estrange.
Sunday 27 October
2.30pm
Love Me, Love My Manuscript
Authors Nina Kenwood, Stuart Rosson and Jane Tara share their stories about receiving manuscript rejections and the pleasure of finally being published and establishing a writing career. These riveting insights will include tips and tricks on how to get your story ideas and manuscripts noticed. With Sarah L’Estrange.
Jayne Tuttle is a writer, performer, and co-owner of The Bookshop at Queenscliff. She is the author of Paris or Die and My Sweet Guillotine. The third in her trilogy is set for publication in 2025. Paris or Die was developed into a solo theatre show which toured Melbourne, regional Victoria and France from 2021-2023. Jayne has been awarded fellowships from Varuna (the Eric Dark 2021 Fellowship), Bundanon, the La Napoule Art Foundation and the City of Paris, and her writing has appeared in The Age/SMH, The Guardian and other international publications.
Sunday 20 October
1pm
Because I’m Not Myself, You See
After Ariane Beeston gave birth, she experienced postpartum psychosis and was admitted to a psychiatric unit. Ariane explains in her memoir the long road back from the brink, her efforts to create awareness and minimise shame about postpartum psychosis, and her career pivot to perinatal health. With Jayne Tuttle.
Sunday 20 October
2.30pm
The Flirtation of Girls
Lawyer Sara M Saleh discusses her books The Flirtation of Girls and Songs For the Dead and the Living. Sara’s stories explore the lives of women and girls traversing Palestine, Lebanon, Egypt and Australia, celebrating music and family and exposing the violence of colonialism, war and displacement. With Jayne Tuttle.
Event cancelled
Saturday 26 October
7.30pm - 9.30pm includes intermission
Stereo Stories Concert
A celebration of the stories that make music so memorable. Join the Stereo Stories band with special guest storytellers Claire Hooper, Thomas Mayo, Jock Serong, Jayne Tuttle and Christian White for a unique evening of storytelling and music that will leave you feeling moved, amused and delightfully surprised.
NOTE: the QLF cashless bar will be open from 6.30pm, and will also be open during intermission.
Sam Wallman is a comics journalist and cartoonist. His drawings have been published in The Guardian, The New York Times, The Age, Overland, the ABC, and SBS. His 2023 book Our Members Be Unlimited, was an illustrated history of the trade union movement as well as a story about his own efforts to unionise while working at an Amazon warehouse. It was shortlisted for numerous awards, and won an ABDA Award. His new book, 12 Rules for Strife, is a collaboration with Jeff Sparrow.
Saturday 26 October
11.30am
Twelve Rules for Strife
In this cheeky nod to Jordan Petersen’s bestseller 12 Rules for Life, journalist and social activist Jeff Sparrow and illustrator/activist Sam Wallman present Twelve Rules for Strife, a how-to-guide for those wanting to create social and economic change. In discussion with Francis Leach, they outline a set of tactics.
Myf Warhurst is a broadcaster, TV presenter, journalist, and writer. She is renowned for her role on ABC TV’s Spicks and Specks, as Australia’s commentator for the Eurovision Song Contest, co-host of weekly arts and culture podcast Bang On, and the voice of Aunt Trixie on the popular ABC Kids show Bluey.
Saturday 19 October
5.30pm - 7.30pm
Ben Shewry’s Uses for Obsession
From growing up on a farm in New Zealand to being a globally celebrated chef, Ben has written new book that is part memoir, part manifesto, and dives deep into how innovation and imagination are central to his business, his kitchen and his life. With Myf Warhurst.
Ticket price includes a range of delicious canapés created by TARRA. Bar open; drinks available at bar prices.
SOLD OUT
Nova Weetman is an award-winning author who has published 18 books for children and young adults including Sick Bay and The Edge of Thirteen. Her new memoir Love, Death & Other Scenes is her first book for adults. Nova writes regularly for The Guardian and The Age and appears fortnightly on ABC Radio Melbourne talking about children’s books.
Saturday 26 October
10.00am
Live Through This: New Memoirs
Why does writing our own stories feel so liberating and meaningful? Join memoirists Nova Weetman, Jo Peck and Alexandra Collier as they examine the pros and cons of writing about personal setbacks, difficulties and joys, and the unforeseen ways in which having their memoirs published has impacted their lives.
Christian White is an author and screenwriter whose credits include feature film Relic, Netflix series Clickbait and numerous other projects in the pipeline. His debut novel The Nowhere Child was one of Australia's bestselling debut novels ever, with rights sold in 17 international territories and a major screen deal. Christian's second book, The Wife and the Widow (2019), and third, Wild Place (2021), were instant bestsellers. His new novel is called The Ledge.
Saturday 26 October
1.00pm
Christian White’s Ledge
Bestselling crime writer Christian White talks about The Ledge, his brand new novel of small-town intrigue, long-forgotten secrets and a reckoning with the past that sets off a chain of chilling events, showcasing his prowess as one of our most electrifying thriller writers. With Charlotte Guest.
Saturday 26 October
7.30pm - 9.30pm includes intermission
Stereo Stories Concert
A celebration of the stories that make music so memorable. Join the Stereo Stories band with special guest storytellers Claire Hooper, Thomas Mayo, Jock Serong, Jayne Tuttle and Christian White for a unique evening of storytelling and music that will leave you feeling moved, amused and delightfully surprised.
NOTE: the QLF cashless bar will be open from 6.30pm, and will also be open during intermission.
Pip Williams was born in London and now lives in South Australia. Her first novel, The Dictionary of Lost Words was published in 2020 (Affirm Press) and became an international bestseller. A theatre adaptation of the book has toured nationally. Her second novel, The Bookbinder of Jericho, was published in 2023. Pip also authored One Italian Summer, a memoir published in 2017.
Friday 18 October
7.30pm
The Dictionary of Pip Williams
The meteoric success of Pip Williams’ deeply researched, compelling novels has been celebrated worldwide. With a recent theatre adaptation and screenplays beckoning, Pip explains why, after a career writing academic and social research texts, shifting to writing fiction re-ignited her passionate love of history, drama and folklore. With Hannie Rayson.
NOTE: the QLF cashless bar will be open from 6.30pm, before this 7.30pm event.
Tim Winton is the award-winning author of 30 books. He has written novels, children's books, non-fiction books, and short stories. Has been named a Living Treasure by the National Trust of Australia, and has won the Miles Franklin Award four times. His work has been widely translated and adapted for film, television, stage and radio. His latest novel is Juice.
Thursday 24 October
1.00pm
Tim Winton’s Juice
Multi-award winning author and activist Tim Winton has won four Miles Franklin Literary Awards and been named a Living Treasure by the National Trust. His work has been adapted for film, television, stage and radio. He talks about his extraordinary new novel Juice with broadcaster Bron Burton.
Sold out
Alexis Wright is a member of the Waanyi nation of the southern highlands of the Gulf of Carpentaria. She is the author of the prize-winning novels Praiseworthy, Carpentaria and The Swan Book, and has also published three works of non-fiction: Take Power, Grog War, and Tracker. Her books have been published internationally and she has won many literary awards, including the Miles Franklin. She has won the Stella Prize twice and has been awarded the ASL Gold Medal in 2007, 2014, and 2024. She held the position of Boisbouvier Chair in Australian Literature at the University of Melbourne, and was honoured with the title of Distinguished Professor at Western Sydney University. She is the inaugural winner of the Creative Australia Award for Lifetime Achievement in Literature.
Saturday 19 October
4.00pm
The Fire Inside
Two award-winning storytellers, Alexis Wright and Nardi Simpson, talk about their most recent works, Praiseworthy and The Belburd, the sparks that ignite their creative imaginations, the process of grappling with great stories, and why writing is as essential as breathing. With Mel Fulton.
Clare Wright is a historian who has worked as a political speechwriter, university lecturer, historical consultant and radio and television broadcaster. Her first book, Beyond the Ladies Lounge: Australia’s Female Publicans, garnered both critical and popular acclaim. Her groundbreaking second book, The Forgotten Rebels of Eureka, which took ten years to research and write, won the 2014 Stella Prize. Her next book, You Daughters of Freedom: The Australians Who Won the Vote and Inspired the World was long and shortlisted for numerous awards. Clare researched, wrote and presented the ABC television documentaries Utopia Girls and The War that Changed Us. Her new book is Naku Dharuk The Bark Petitions: The Extraordinary Story of How the People of Yirrkala Changed the Course of Australian Democracy.
Saturday 19 October
10am
Australia’s Love Affair with Fishing
Historian Anna Clark’s new book is a personal account of her love of ‘the catch’ and an exploration of how fishing became a national pastime. Anna delves into favourite fishing spots, the passing down of fishing know-how, Indigenous fishing practices, and why we love ‘throwing a line’. With Clare Wright.
Saturday 19 October
2.30pm
Telling Truths and Busting Myths
Respected historians Clare Wright and Mark Dapin describe the excitement and challenges of diving into historical records to expose truths that often make people feel uncomfortable about the past, as explored in Clare’s new book Naku Dharuk The Bark Petitions and Mark’s Lest: Australian War Myths. With Hilary Harper.
Supported by Queenscliff Bowling, Tennis and Croquet Club.
We acknowledge that the Festival is held on the traditional lands of the Wadawurrung people;
we honour and pay our respects to elders past and present.
© 2024 Queenscliffe Literary Festival Inc.
