A listing of literature-related events in Australia. Thanks to Jason Nahrung.
February
Feb 3-4: RTX Australia, Sydney, NSW. Computer gaming.
Feb 8-9: Association for the Study of Australian Literature Conference, Darwin, NT.
Feb 9-11: Australian Comic Arts Festival, Canberra, ACT. Comics, graphic novels, industry.
Feb 11: Festival of the Photocopier and Zine Fair, Melbourne, VIC. Zines.
Feb 16-25: Banjo Paterson Australian Poetry Festival, Orange, NSW. Bush poetry.
Feb 19-25: Perth Writers Festival, Perth, WA. Gen. lit. (Part of Perth International Arts Festival)
Feb 27: Woollahra Poets’ Picnic, Sydney, NSW. Poetry, spoken word.
March
Mar 1-4: Dunedoo Bush Poetry Festival, Dunedoo NSW. Bush poetry.
Mar 3-8: Adelaide Writers Week, Adelaide, SA. Gen. lit. Part of Adelaide Festival.
Mar 5-9: Writing and writers of Gippsland, Paynesville, VIC. Gippsland lit, academic.
Mar 14-16: Somerset Celebration of Literature, Gold Coast, QLD. Children’s, YA, gen lit.
Mar 16-18: Melbourne Art Book Fair, Melbourne, VIC. Art/illustrated books.
Mar 16-19: John O’Brien Festival, Narrandera, NSW. Bush poetry.
Mar 19: Read To Me Day, international. Share the love.
Mar 19-23: Red Dirt Writers Week, online; possible on-site events. Gen lit?
Mar 21-24: Emergence creative festival, Margaret River, WA. Multi-media, cross-disciplinary.
Mar 29 — Apr 2 (Easter): Swancon, Perth, WA. Spec fic.
Mar 30 — Apr 2 (Easter): Conclave 3, Auckland, NZ. National SF convention.
April
Apr 6-8: Newcastle Writers Festival, Newcastle, NSW. General lit.
Apr 7: CapriCon, Rockhampton, QLD. Steampunk, pop culture.
Apr 12-15: Jane Austen Festival Australia, Canberra, ACT. All things Jane.
Apr 20-22: Supanova, Melbourne, VIC. Pop culture.
Apr 21 — May 6: Shakespeare on the River, Stratford, VIC. Things Shakespeare.
Apr 21: Writers Group Convention, Brisbane QLD
Apr 26 — May 6: Unearthed Pemberton, Pemberton, WA. Gen. lit. stream.
Apr 27-29: Supanova, Gold Coast, QLD. Pop culture.
Apr 30— May 6: Sydney Writers Festival, Sydney, NSW. Gen. lit.
May
May 5-6: Boonah Writers Festival, Boonah, QLD. Gen. lit.
May 5-6: Clunes Booktown Festival, Clunes, VIC. Gen. lit.
May 10-11: Australian Library and Information Association Information Online 2017 Conference, Canberra, ACT. Industry.
May 19: KidLitVic, Melbourne, VIC. Kids and YA, industry.
May 23: National Simultaneous Storytime, national. Childrens reading initiative.
May 24-27: NT Writers Festival, Darwin, NT. Gen lit.
May 25-27: Big Sky Readers and Writers Festival, Geraldton, WA. General lit.
June
Jun 1-3: Margaret River Readers & Writers Festival, WA. Gen. lit.
Jun 5-7: Abbotsleigh Literary Festival, Sydney, NSW. Student focus. (Biennial)
June 7-11: Henry Lawson Festival, Grenfell, NSW. All things Lawson.
Jun 8-11: Conjugation (Continuum 14), Melbourne, VIC. Spec fic, pop culture.
Jun 8-10: Bellingen Writers Festival, Bellingen, NSW. Australian general lit.
Jun 8-11: Woodend Winter Arts Festival, Woodend, VIC. General lit.
Jun 9-10: Oz Comic-Con, Melbourne, VIC. Pop culture.
Jun 10: Australian Fairy Tale Society Annual Conference, Sydney, NSW. Fairy tales.
Jun 15-17: Supanova, Sydney, NSW. Pop culture.
Jun 16-17: Williamstown Literary Festival, Williamstown, VIC. General lit.
Jun 17-18: Australian Booksellers Association Conference and Trade Exhibition,Canberra, ACT. Industry.
Jun 19-29: Emerging Writers Festival, Melbourne, VIC. Gen. lit.
Jun 21 – Jul 8: Glen Eira Storytelling Festival — Off the Page, Glen Eira, VIC. Series of events. Gen. lit.
Jun 22-24: Supanova, Perth, WA. Pop culture.
Jun 26-28: Outback Writers Festival, Winton, QLD. Gen. lit.
Jun 29 — Jul 8: Rare Book Week, Melbourne, VIC. Gen lit. Inc. Rare Book Fair Jul 6-8.
Jun 30: Kids and YA Festival, Sydney, NSW. Children’s, YA.
July
Jul 7: Children’s and Young Adult Writers and Illustrators (CYA) Conference, Brisbane. Children’s and YA.
Jul 7-8: Telling Tales in Balingup, Balingup, WA. School kids 4-14.
Jul 19-22: Mildura Writers Festival, Mildura, VIC. General lit.
Jul 20-29: Noosa Long Weekend, Noosa, QLD. Gen lit stream.
Jul 21: Southern Highlands Writers’ Festival, Bowral, NSW. General lit.
Jul 30 — Aug 2: ALIA/LIANZA joint 2018 Conference, Gold Coast. Library and information industry.
August
Aug 3-5: Byron Bay Writers Festival, Byron Bay, NSW. Gen. lit.
Aug 10-12: Bendigo Writers Festival, Bendigo, VIC. General lit.
Aug 9-12: Mudgee Readers’ Festival, Mudgee, NSW. General lit.
Aug 17-19: Romance Writers of Australia conference, Sydney, NSW. Romance.
Aug 18: Writers Unleashed (Sutherland Shire Writers Festival), Gymea, NSW. Gen. lit.
Aug 18-24: Book Week, national school-based events hosted by Children’s Book Council of Australia.
Aug 24-26: Canberra Writers Festival, Canberra, ACT. General lit.
Aug 24 — Sep 2: Melbourne Writers Festival, Melbourne, VIC. General lit.
Aug 31 — Sep 1: Rose Scott Women Writers’ Festival, Sydney, NSW. Gen. lit, by women.
September
Sep 5: Indigenous Literacy Day, nationwide. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander focus.
Sep 5-9: Write Around the Murray, Albury, NSW. Gen. lit.
Sep 7-9: Brisbane Writers Festival, Brisbane, QLD. General lit.
Sep 13-30: Melbourne Fringe, Melbourne, VIC. Lit performance element.
Sep 14-16: Tamar Valley Writers Festival, Beaconsfield region, TAS. Gen. lit.
Sep 22-23: Oz Comic-Con, Brisbane, QLD. Pop culture.
Sep 29-30: Oz Comic-Con, Sydney, NSW. Pop culture.
October
Oct 12-14: Burdekin Readers and Writers Festival, Ayr, QLD. Gen. lit.
Oct 26-27: Celebrate Reading National Conference, Fremantle, WA. YA, high school focus.
November
Nov 2-4: Supanova, Adelaide, SA. Pop culture.
Nov 9-11:Supanova, Brisbane, QLD. Pop culture.
Nov 9-11: Scone Long Literary Weekend, Scone, NSW. Gen. lit.
December
NIL
