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What's that? A charming writerly festival by the sea? Sorrento Writers Festival is returning in 2026 for the fourth year in a row, and we're pretty excited about it.
The Mornington Peninsula is set to undergo a literary rush from April 23 to 26, running for four days over the ANZAC Day long weekend. In Sorrento and Portsea, 200 authors, journalists, academics, playwrights and big thinkers are ready to come together for more than 150 sessions celebrating the magical powers of storytelling and critical thinking.
In the last few years, Sorrento has taken off in a major way, surpassing all other Aussie Writer Festivals to become the second-biggest in Australia, bringing in 6000 visitors in 2025. The brainchild of award-winning journalist, podcaster, former bookshop owner and director Corrie Perkin, the festival is now the largest literary event in Victoria and includes author meet-and-greets, keynote speeches, panel discussions and even musical performances.
“In recent months, we’ve seen arts festivals around the world grapple with controversy, threats and upheaval. This motivates us to stay focused. Now, more than ever, we want audiences to feel empowered and inspired, and we want them to be reminded of the positive impact of deep thinking and long-form conversation", Perkin said.
“I truly believe right now there is no better catalyst for community connectedness than a writers festival.” She continued.
This year's stacked program features the likes of: 2026 Victorian Premier’s Literary Prizewinner Evelyn Araluen, Helen Garner, Pip Williams, A.C. Grayling, Irish writers John Boyne, Niall Williams and Cathy Kelly, activist and former Greens leader, Bob Brown, and hundreds more of acclaimed novelists, politicians and artists from every corner of the cultural sphere.
Highlights to keep your eyes peeled for include; catching Stephanie Alexander talking about the enduring, thirty-year old delight of her iconic A Cook's Companion, a timely conversation titled 'Frankenstein and Heathcliff Crushes: Gothic films reviving the classics' (Jacob Elordi not guaranteed) and 'Words and Music: The Beach House Years', an ode to childhood summers, complete with a live band performing nostalgic hits from '70's and '80's summers in Sorrento surf club.
For more information and to view the full program, head to the website.