A listing of literature-related events in Australia. Thanks to Jason Nahrung.

January

Jan 22-26: ABPA Golden Damper Awards Bush Poetry Performance Competition, Tamworth NSW. Bush poetry.

February

Feb 7: Stella Prize: Girls Write Up, Sydney, NSW. Gen lit, schools focus.
Feb 7-10: Festival of the Photocopier and Zine Fair, Melbourne, VIC. Zines.
Feb 11-15: Australian Library and Information Association Information Online 2019 Conference, Sydney, NSW. Industry.
Feb 14: Library Lovers’ Day, national. Libraries.
Feb 18-24: Perth Writers Festival, Perth, WA. Gen. lit. (Part of Perth International Arts Festival)
Feb 24-26: Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators Conference, Sydney, NSW. Children’s. (Biennial)
Feb 26: Woollahra Poets’ Picnic, Sydney, NSW. Poetry, spoken word.
Feb 28 – Mar 3: Dunedoo Bush Poetry Festival, Dunedoo NSW. Bush poetry.

 

March

Mar 2-7: Adelaide Writers Week, Adelaide, SA. Gen. lit. Part of Adelaide Festival.
Mar 8-11: Festival Muse, Canberra, ACT. Gen. lit.
Mar 15-16: Speculate: the Victorian speculative writers festival, Melbourne, VIC. Spec.fic.
Mar 15-17: Melbourne Art Book Fair, Melbourne, VIC. Art/illustrated books.
Mar 15-17: John O’Brien Festival, Narrandera, NSW. Bush poetry.
Mar 16: Goulburn Comic Con, Goulburn, NSW. Comics. (biennial)
Mar 17: Prom Coast Children’s Literature Day, Fish Creek, Vic. Children’s.
Mar 19: Read To Me Day, international. Share the love.
Mar 20-22: Somerset Storyfest (was Somerset Celebration of Literature), Gold Coast, QLD. Children’s, YA, gen lit.
Mar 23: Romantic Rendezvous, Brisbane, QLD. Romance.
Mar 23-24: Jugiong Writers Festival, Jugiong, NSW. Gen. lit. (Biennial)
Mar 24: Romantic Rendezvous, Sydney, NSW. Romance.
Mar 30: Romantic Rendezvous, Melbourne, VIC. Romance.
Mar 30: Dromkeen Literary Festival, Riddells Creek, VIC. Children’s.

Watch for:

• Aboriginal Australian Kids Story Festival(Woylie Festival), Fremantle, WA. Indigenous, youth focus.
• Goulburn Reader Writer Festival, Goulburn, NSW. Gen. lit.
• Ipswich Poetry Feast, Ipswich, QLD. Poetry.
• Emergence creative festival, Margaret River, WA. Multi-media, cross-disciplinary.
• Snowy Mountains Readers Writers Children’s Festival, Cooma, NSW. Gen lit.
• Red Dirt Writers Week, online; possible on-site events. Gen lit.

 

April

Apr 5-7: Newcastle Writers Festival, Newcastle, NSW. General lit.
Apr 5-7: Supanova, Melbourne, VIC. Pop culture.
Apr 5-7: International Military Writers’ Festival, Darwin, NT. Non-fiction focus.
Apr 6: Creative Kids Tales Writers Festival, Gymea, NSW. Childrens.
Apr 6: CapriCon, Rockhampton, QLD. Steampunk, pop culture.
Apr 6: Fitzroy Writers Festival, Fitzroy, VIC. Gen. lit.
Apr 6-7: Two Fires Festival, Braidwood, NSW. Inspired by Judith Wright; activism and arts/lit. (Biennial)
Apr 11-14: Jane Austen Festival Australia, Canberra, ACT. All things Jane.
Apr 12-14: Supanova, Gold Coast, QLD. Pop culture.
Apr 18-22 (Easter): Swancon, Perth, WA. Spec fic.
Apr 26-28: Flash Fiction Fun Weekend, Canberra, ACT. Flash, industry.
Apr 26 — May 11: Shakespeare on the River, Stratford, VIC. Things Shakespeare.
Apr 29 — May 5: Sydney Writers Festival, Sydney, NSW. Gen. lit.

Watch for:

• Varuna and Sydney Writers Festival Blue Mountains Program, Katoomba, NSW. Gen. lit.
• Australian Storytellers Festival, Fremantle, WA. Kids, YA focus.
• Flash Fiction Fun Weekend, Canberra, ACT. Industry.

 

May

May 3-5: Margaret River Readers & Writers Festival, WA. Gen. lit.
May 3-10: Unearthed Pemberton, Pemberton, WA. Gen. lit. stream .
May 4-5: Clunes Booktown Festival, Clunes, VIC. Gen. lit.
May 8-10: Scribblers, Claremont, WA. YA, children’s.
May 8-10: IPEd national editors conference, Melbourne, VIC. Editing, industry.
May 10-26: Queenscliffe Literary Festival, Queenscliff, Point Londsdale, VIC. Various events. Gen. lit.
May 16-19: Penola Coonawarra Arts Festival, Penola and Coonawarra, SA. Gen. lit. stream.
May 16-19: NT Writers Festival, Alice Springs, NT. Gen lit.
May 20-26: Library and Information Week 2019, national. Libaries.
May 22: National Simultaneous Storytime, national. Childrens reading initiative.
May 25: KidLitVic, Melbourne, VIC. Kids and YA, industry.
May 31 — Jun 2: The Children’s Book Council of Australia National Conference, TBC. Kids, YA, industry. (Biennial)
May 31 — June 2: Capricorn Coast Writers Festival, Yeppoon, QLD. Gen. lit.
May 31 – June 3: Denmark Festival of Voice, Denmark, WA. Includes poetry, spoken word, readings, talks.

Watch for:

• Melbourne Jewish Book Week, St Kilda, VIC. Jewish literature.
• Latrobe City Literary Festival, Traralgon, Moe, VIC. Series of events. Gen. lit.
• Big Sky Readers and Writers Festival, Geraldton, WA. General lit.

 

June

Jun 1-3: GeyserCon, Rotorua, NZ. National SF convention.
June 6-10: Henry Lawson Festival, Grenfell, NSW. All things Lawson.
Jun 7-9: Bellingen Writers Festival, Bellingen, NSW. Australian general lit.
Jun 7-10: Continuum 15 (also National SF Convention), Melbourne, VIC. Spec fic, pop culture.
Jun 7-10: Woodend Winter Arts Festival, Woodend, VIC. General lit.
Jun 8-9: Oz Comic-Con, Melbourne, VIC. Pop culture.
Jun 15-16: Williamstown Literary Festival, Williamstown, VIC. General lit.
Jun 19-29: Emerging Writers Festival, Melbourne, VIC. Gen. lit.
Jun 21-23: Supanova, Sydney, NSW. Pop culture.
Jun 21-23: StoryFest, Milton region, NSW. Gen. lit.
Jun 23-24: Australian Booksellers Association Conference and Trade Exhibition, Melbourne, VIC. Industry.
Jun 25-27: Outback Writers Festival, Winton, QLD. Gen. lit.
Jun 28-30: Supanova, Perth, WA. Pop culture.
Jun 29: Speculative Fiction Festival, Sydney, NSW. Spec fic.

Watch for:

• Australian Fairy Tale Society Annual Conference, Sydney, NSW. Fairy tales.
• WordFest, Melbourne, VIC. Author talk series. Gen. lit.
• Glen Eira Storytelling Festival — Off the Page, Glen Eira, VIC. Series of events. Gen. lit.

 

July

Jul 2-5: Association for the Study of Australian Literature (ASAL) Conference, , Perth, WA. Oz lit, academic.
Jul 5-14: Rare Book Week, Melbourne, VIC. Gen lit. Inc. Rare Book Fair Jul 12-14.
Jul 6: Perth Comic Arts Festival, Perth, WA. Comics.
Jul 6-7: Children’s and Young Adult Writers and Illustrators (CYA) Conference, Brisbane. Children’s and YA.
Jul 13-14: Telling Tales in Balingup, Balingup, WA. School kids 4-14.
Jul 17-19: Whitsunday Voices Youth Literature Festival, Mackay, QLD. Children, YA, schools.
Jul 18-21: Voices on the Coast, Sunshine Coast, QLD. YA.
Jul 18-21: Mildura Writers Festival, Mildura, VIC. General lit.
Jul 19-28: Noosa Alive, Noosa, QLD. Gen lit stream.
Jul 26-28: Phillip Island Festival of Stories, Phillip Island, VIC. Gen. lit.

Watch for:

• Midwinter Words, Portarlington, VIC. Gen. lit.
• Maleny Celebration of Books, Maleny, QLD. Gen. lit.
• Words in the Valley Readers and Writers Festival, Bridgetown, WA. Gen. lit., poetry.
• Warm Winter Words, Apollo Bay, VIC. Gen. lit.
• Orange Writers Festival, Orange, NSW. Gen. lit.

 

August

Aug 2-4: Byron Bay Writers Festival, Byron Bay, NSW. Gen. lit.
Aug 9-11: Bendigo Writers Festival, Bendigo, VIC. General lit.
Aug 9-11: Romance Writers of Australia conference, Melbourne, VIC. Romance.
Aug 15-18: Mudgee Readers’ Festival, Mudgee, NSW. General lit.
Aug 16-18: Words in Winter, Daylesford and surrounding towns, VIC. Series of general lit events.
Aug 17: Writers Unleashed (Sutherland Shire Writers Festival), Gymea, NSW. Gen. lit.
Aug 17-23: Book Week, national school-based events hosted by Children’s Book Council of Australia.
Aug 22-24: Australasian Medical Writers Association Annual Conference, Sydney, NSW. Medical.
Aug 22-25: Canberra Writers Festival, Canberra, ACT. General lit.
Aug 24: New Norcia Writers Festival, New Norcia, WA. Gen. lit.
Aug 30 — Sep 8: Melbourne Writers Festival, Melbourne, VIC. General lit.

Watch for:

• Shoalhaven Readers’ and Writers’ Festival, Nowra, NSW. Gen. lit.
• Corrugated Lines, Broome, WA. Gen. lit.
• National Bookshop Day. Events around the country to encourage book buying.
• Perth Poetry Festival, Perth, WA. Poetry.
• Mandurah Readers and Writers Festival, Mandurah, WA. Gen. lit, schools component.
• Queensland Poetry Festival, Brisbane, QLD. Poetry.
• 3rd National First Nations Australia Writers Workshop, Canberra, ACT. First Nations, craft, industry.
• Salisbury Writers’ Festival, Salisbury, SA. General lit.
• Sandcliffe Writers Festival, Brighton, Shorncliffe, Bracken Ridge, QLD. Gen. lit.
• Red Dirt Poetry Festival, Alice Springs, NT. Poetry, spoken word.
• Ashgrove LitFestival, Ashgrove, QLD. Gen. lit, school-hosted.
• Storyology, Sydney, NSW; Melbourne, VIC. Journalism.
• Armadale Writers Festival, Armadale, WA. General lit.

 

September

Sep 4: Indigenous Literacy Day, nationwide. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander focus.
Sep 5-8: Brisbane Writers Festival, Brisbane, QLD. Gen. lit.
Sep 5-8: Blak & Bright: The Victorian Indigenous Literary Festival, Melbourne, VIC. Indigenous.
Sep 6-8: BAD: Sydney Crime Writers Festival, Sydney, NSW. Crime.
Sep 7: Love YA, Brisbane, QLD. YA. Part of Brisbane Writers Festival.
Sep 7: Rockingham Writers Convention, Rockingham, WA. Industry.
Sep 11-15: Write Around the Murray, Albury, NSW. Gen. lit.
Sep 12-29: Melbourne Fringe, Melbourne, VIC. Lit performance element.
Sep 13-14: Rose Scott Women Writers’ Festival, Sydney, NSW. Gen. lit, by women.
Sep 15: Heroines Festival, Thirroul and district, NSW. Spec fic, historical.
Sep 19: Australian Reading Hour, national. Pick up a book, share the love!
Sep 21-22: Oz Comic-Con, Brisbane, QLD. Pop culture.
Sep 28-29: Oz Comic-Con, Sydney, NSW. Pop culture.

Watch for:

• Kimberley Writers Festival, Kununurra, WA. General lit.
• Unspoken Words, Sydney, NSW. Poetry, spoken word.
• Odyssey Literary Festival, Melbourne, VIC. Genre, industry.
• WestWordsFest, Dubbo, NSW. Spec. fic.
• PopCon, Ballarat, VIC. Popular culture, gaming, YA.

 

October

Oct 3-6: National Young Writers Festival. Newcastle, NSW. Focus on writers 18-35.
Oct 5-7: Conflux, Canberra, ACT. Spec fic.
Oct 9: Mornington Peninsula Writers Festival, Mornington, VIC. Gen. lit.
Oct 11-13: Omega Writers Conference, Mulgoa, NSW. Christian.

Oct 13: Writers Group Convention, Brisbane. Writers learn how to improve their writing, marketing and publishing skills.

Oct 17-21: Poetry on the Move, Canberra, ACT. Poetry.
Oct 18-20: Australian Short Story Festival, Melbourne, VIC. Short stories.
Oct 25-27: Historical Novel Society Australasia (HNSA) Conference, Parramatta, NSW. Historical fiction. (Biennial)
Oct 31 — Nov 3: Murder She Wrote — Terror Australis Readers and Writers Festival, Cygnet and surrounds, TAS. Crime, mystery.

Watch for:

• Tasmanian Poetry Festival, Launceston, TAS. Poetry.
• Unleash the Beast: Writing and Wellness Symposium, Toowoomba, QLD. Mental health focus.
• Coal Creek Literary Festival, Korumburra, VIC. Gen. lit.
• Digital Writers Festival, Melbourne, VIC. Gen. lit.
• CJ Dennis Festival, Toolangi, VIC. Poetry.

 

November

Nov 1-30: National Novel Writing Month, NaNoWriMo, international (local events, online). Writing.
Nov 1-2: Celebrate Reading National Conference, Fremantle, WA. Kids.
Nov 1-3: Supanova, Adelaide, SA. Pop culture.
Nov 4-24: Design Canberra – National Design Writing Conference, Canberra, ACT. Design + writing.
Nov 8-10: Supanova, Brisbane, QLD. Pop culture.
Nov 15-17: Word for Word: National Non-Fiction Festival, Geelong, VIC. Creative non-fiction, non-fic.
Nov 21-23: Independent Publishing Conference, Melbourne, VIC. Indie publishing, inc. academic and student streams.
Nov 22-24: Wollongong Writers Festival, Wollongong, NSW. Gen. lit.

Watch for:

• Brimbank Writers and Readers Festival, various locations within Brimbank city, VIC. Gen. lit.
• Scone Literary Festival, Scone, NSW. Gen. lit.
• untitled Literary Festival, Stonnington, VIC. Gen. lit.

 

December

NIL