For a few special days every year, Sydney comes alive with writers, journalists, public intellectuals and book lovers – who gather for the Emerald City’s long-standing celebration of literature, reading and ideas: the Sydney Writers' Festival.
This year marks the 28th birthday for our city’s most beloved celebration of words, and the festival’s 2025 theme is In This Together: a theme that emphasizes the power that literature has to connect us. Featuring more than 200 events, and welcoming more than 40 international guests as well as more than 100 Australian authors, this year’s festival will bring fascinating conversations to Sydney from Monday, May 19 until Tuesday, May 27.
The beloved Inner City arts centre Carriageworks will act as the hub for this year’s festival, with additional events popping up at Sydney Town Hall and The State Library of NSW.
Big names taking to the stage for this year’s event include David Nicholls and Liane Moriarty (who will appear in-conversation), Jeanette Winterson (who will be celebrating the 40th anniversary of her landmark novel Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit), Marian Keyes and the incredibly insightful philosopher A.C. Grayling.
If you’re on a starving artist budget, fear not: the program features more than 50 free events (with 30 taking place at Carriageworks) including a lecture series examining topics ranging from China’s cultural revolution to the shape of Australian politics.
For budding writers and readers, there’s a whole day dedicated to families, taking place on Sunday, May 25 – with an incredible line-up of talks and workshops, plus an adorable listening zone brought to life by Yoto. Other highlights from this year’s line-up include a powerful event platforming First Nations voices from inside Correctional Centres and Firetalk: a magical storytelling event brought to life in partnership with Vivid Sydney.
The line-up is super extensive this year, so if there’s a niche Aussie writer that you’ve always adored, chances are they’ll be in attendance – you can check out the program and book tickets over here.
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