Writers Group Convention

Writers Festivals in Australia 2025 (by date)

Thanks to Jason Nahrung – Vampires in the Sunburnt Country

February

Feb 8: Festival of the Photocopier and Zine Fair, Melbourne, VIC. Zines
Feb 14-15: Blussh, Brisbane, QLD. Romance.
Feb 21-23 (inc. online): For the Love of Writing Literary Festival, Melbourne, VIC + online. Gen. lit. industry. 
Feb 28 – Mar 2: GenreCon, Brisbane, QLD. Romance, crime, spec fic – industry focus.

Watch for:

Orange Banjo Paterson Festival, Orange, NSW. Bush poetry, Banjo.
Glen Eira Storytelling Festival, Glen Eira, VIC. Series of events. Gen. lit.

March

Mar 1-6 : Adelaide Writers Week, Adelaide, SA. Gen. lit. Part of Adelaide Festival.
Mar 4-22 (weekends): Words Out West: Western Downs Readers and Writers Fest, Dalby & Chinchilla, QLD. Schools, gen. lit.
Mar 7-10: Port Fairy Folk Festival, Port Fairy, VIC. Musician cross-over, songwriters, poets.
Mar 13-22: Brimbank Writers and Readers Festival, various locations within Brimbank city, VIC. Gen. lit.
Mar 18-20 (online): ALIA Online Conference. Libraries.
Mar 19: Read To Me Day, international. Share the love.
Mar 22: A Romantic Rendezvous, Brisbane, QLD. Romance.
Mar 22-23 : Clunes Booktown Festival, Clunes, VIC. Gen. lit.
Mar 23: A Romantic Rendezvous, Sydney, NSW. Romance.
Mar 28-30: Manly Writers Festival, Manly, NSW. Gen. lit.
Mar 29: A Romantic Rendezvous, Melbourne, VIC. Romance.
Mar 29-30: Supanova, Melbourne, VIC. Pop culture
Mar 30: A Romantic Rendezvous, Perth, WA. Romance.

Watch for:
Cairns Tropical Writers Festival, Cairns, QLD. Gen. lit. 
Blak & Bright: The Victorian Indigenous Literary Festival, Melbourne, VIC. Indigenous.
Emergence creative festival, Margaret River, WA. Multi-media, cross-disciplinary. (Biennial)
Tasmania Reads, Hobart, TAS. Gen. lit., poetry, plays.

April

Apr 1-3: Somerset Storyfest, Gold Coast, QLD. Children’s, YA, gen lit.
Apr 4-6: Newcastle Writers Festival, Newcastle, NSW. General lit.
Apr 5-6: Oz Comic-Con, Perth, WA. Pop culture.
Apr 10-13: Man from Snowy River Bush Festival, Corryong, VIC. Bush poetry.
Apr 12-13: Supanova, Gold Coast, QLD. Pop culture.
Apr 23 – May 4: Stratford Shakespeare Festival, Stratford, VIC. Things Shakespeare.
Apr 24-27: Sorrento Writers Festival, Sorrento, VIC. Gen. lit.

Watch for:

Writers at the Woolshed, Wagga Wagga, NSW. Environmental.
Queensland Poetry Festival, Brisbane, QLD. Poetry, spoken word.

May

May 7: Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIA), Melbourne, VIC. Industry.
May 8-11: Melbourne Writers Festival, Melbourne, VIC. Gen. lit.
May 16-18: Penola Coonawarra Arts Festival, Penola and Coonawarra, SA. Gen. lit. stream.
May 16-18: Margaret River Readers & Writers Festival, WA. Gen. lit.
May 16-18: Penola Coonawarra Arts Festival, Penola and Coonawarra, SA. Gen. lit. stream.
May 16-18: Melbourne Art Book Fair, Melbourne et al, VIC. Art/illustrated books.
May 17-19: Continuum, Melbourne, VIC. Spec fic, pop culture.
May 19-25: Sydney Writers Festival, Sydney, NSW. Gen. lit.
May 21: National Simultaneous Storytime, national. Encouraging reading.
May 28 – Jun 1: Words on the Waves, Central Coast, NSW. General lit.
May 29 – Jun 1: NT Writers Festival, Mparntwe/Alice Springs, NT. Gen lit.
May 30 – Jun 1: Capricorn Coast Writers Festival, Yeppoon, QLD. Gen. lit.
May 30 – Jun 1: Words in Winter Central Goldfields, Maryborough et al, VIC. Gen. lit.
May 31 – Jun 1: Oz Comic-Con, Adelaide, SA. Pop culture.

Watch for:

Kyogle Readers and Writers Festival, Kyogle, NSW. Gen. lit.
KidLitVic, Melbourne, VIC. Kids and YA, industry.

June

Jun 6-8: Bellingen Writers Festival, Bellingen, NSW. Australian general lit.
Jun 6-9: Woodend Winter Arts Festival, Woodend, VIC. General lit.
Jun 7-8: Oz Comic-Con, Melbourne, VIC. Pop culture.
Jun 14-16: BookPeople Conference and Trade Exhibition (formerly Australian Booksellers Association (ABA) Conference and Trade Exhibition), Brisbane, QLD. Industry.
Jun 19-22: StoryFest, Milton region, NSW. Gen. lit.
Jun 20-22: Williamstown Literary Festival (Willy Lit Fest), Williamstown, VIC. General lit.
Jun 21-22: Supanova, Sydney, NSW. Pop culture.
Jun 27-28: Rose Scott Women Writers’ Festival, Sydney, NSW. Gen. lit., female focus.
Jun 28-29: Supanova, Perth, WA. Pop culture.

Watch for:

Love YA, Brisbane, QLD. YA. Part of Brisbane Writers Festival. YA
Winterwords, Beechworth, Stanley, VIC. Gen. lit.
Regional Writers Rise Festival, Traralgon, VIC. Gen. lit.

July

Jul 1-4: Association for the Study of Australian Literature (ASAL) Conference, Adelaide, SA. Oz lit, academic.
Jul 16-18: Whitsunday Voices Youth Literature Festival, Mackay, QLD. Children, YA, schools.
Jul 19-20 (online), Jul 26-27: Children’s and Young Adult Writers and Illustrators (CYA) Conference, Brisbane. Children’s and YA
Jul 23-25: IPEd national editors conference. Adelaide, SA. Editing, industry. (Biennial)
Jul 28 – Aug 3: Library and Information Week, national. Libraries.

Watch for:

Telling Tales in Balingup, Balingup, WA. School kids 4-14.
South Coast Readers and Writers Festival, Thirroul, NSW. Gen lit
Mildura Writers Festival, Mildura, VIC. General lit.
Rare Book Fair, Melbourne, VIC. Collectables.
Perth Comic Arts Festival, Perth, WA. Comics.

August

Aug 8-10: Byron Bay Writers Festival, Byron Bay, NSW. Gen. lit.
Aug 9-10: Oz Comic-Con, Canberra, ACT. Pop culture.
Aug 15-17: Bendigo Writers Festival, Bendigo, VIC. Gen. lit.
Aug 16-17: Mudgee Readers’ Festival, Mudgee, NSW. General lit.
Aug 16-23: Children’s Book Week, national school-based events
Aug 29-31: Dunkeld Writers Festival, Dunkeld, VIC. Gen. lit.
Aug 30: Capricon, Rockhampton, QLD. Steampunk, pop culture.

Watch for:

Poetry Month, national. Poetry.
Kimberley Writers Festival, Kununurra, WA. General lit.
Phillip Island Festival of Stories, Cowes, VIC. Gen. lit.
Australian Fairy Tale Society Annual Conference, Melbourne, VIC. Fairy tales.
StoryArts Festival Ipswich, Ipswich, QLD. Children’s.
QPoetry, Brisbane, QLD. Poetry.
Romance Writers of Australia Conference, Glenelg, SA. Romance
Melbourne Jewish Book Week, St Kilda, VIC. Jewish literature.
Sydney Jewish Writers Festival, Sydney, NSW. Jewish.
Local Word Writers Festival, Geelong, VIC. Regional writers, gen lit.
Words in Winter, Daylesford and surrounding towns, VIC. Gen. lit.
Australasian Medical Writers Association Annual Conference, Melbourne, VIC. Medical.

September

Sep 10-14: Write Around the Murray, Albury, NSW. Gen. lit.
Sep 11-18: Emerging Writers Festival, Melbourne, VIC. Gen. lit
Sep 13-14: Oz Comic-Con, Brisbane QLD. Pop culture.
Sep 20-21: Oz Comic-Con, Sydney, NSW. Pop culture.
Sep 30 – Oct 19: Melbourne Fringe, Melbourne, VIC. Lit performance element.

Watch for:

Indigenous Literacy Day, nationwide. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander focus.
Port Fairy Literary Weekend, Port Fairy, VIC. Gen lit.
BAD: Sydney Crime Writers Online Festival, Sydney, NSW. Crime.
Bookfest: Goulburn Reader Writer Festival, Goulburn, NSW. Gen. lit.
Dubbo Writers Festival, Dubbo, NSW. Gen. lit, genre.
Northern Beaches Readers Festival, Avalon, NSW. Gen. lit.

October

Oct 9-12: Brisbane Writers Festival, Brisbane, QLD. Gen. lit.
Oct 17-26: Queenscliffe Literary Festival, Queenscliff, Point Lonsdale, VIC.  Gen. lit.
Oct 24-26: Asylumfest, Beechworth, VIC. Horror, dark fantasy.

Oct 26: Writers Group Convention, Brisbane, QLD. Writing.

Oct 31 – Nov 2: Blue Mountains Writers Festival, Katoomba, NSW. Gen. lit.

Watch for:

Story Week, Sydney, NSW. Poetry, gen. lit.
Conflux, Canberra, ACT. Spec fic.
Tasmanian Poetry Festival, Launceston, TAS. Poetry.
Big Sky Readers and Writers Festival, Geraldton, WA. General lit.
Headland Writers Festival, Tathra, NSW. Gen. lit.
Book Links StoryArts Brisbane, Brisbane, QLD. Children’s, industry.
Canberra Writers Festival, Canberra, ACT. General lit.
Oz Asia Festival, Adelaide, SA. Lit component.
Scribblers, Claremont, WA. YA, children’s.
Once Upon a Festival, Adelaide, SA. School based, children’s, YA

November

Nov 1-2: Supanova, Adelaide, SA. Pop culture.
Nov 7-9: Supanova, Brisbane, QLD. Pop culture.
Nov 22: Giiyong Festival, Jigamy, NSW. Indigenous.

Watch for:

Book Fair Australia, Sydney, NSW. Gen. lit., market
Inspired Readers Festival, Port Macquarie, NSW. Children’s, schools focus.
Australian Short Story Festival, Perth, WA. Short stories.
Mountain Festival, Macedon, VIC. Gen. lit., nature and place focus.
Storytellers Festival, Fremantle, WA. Kids, YA focus but all ages.
Australasian Association of Writing Programs annual conference, Armidale, NSW. Academic.

December

Dec 6-7: Oz Comic-Con Xmas edition, Melbourne, VIC. Pop culture.

Watch for:
Jugiong Writers Festival, Jugiong, NSW. Gen. lit. (Biennial)
Historical Novel Society Australasia (HNSA) Conference, Sydney, NSW. Historical fiction. (Biennial)
Australian Performing Arts Forum, Brisbane, QLD. Playwriting component. (Biennial)
Papercuts Comics Fest, Adelaide, SA. Comics. (Biennial)
National Young Writers Festival, Newcastle, NSW. Focus on writers 18-35.
Speculative Fiction Festival, Sydney, NSW. Spec fic.
Kids & YA Festival, Sydney, NSW. Kids, YA. (Biennial)
Terror Australis Readers and Writers Festival, Huonville, TAS. Crime, mystery.
Celebrate Reading National Conference, Fremantle, WA. Kids.