Each year, Sydney's inner-city streets fill to the brim with writers, journalists, public intellectuals and audiences gathering for its long-standing celebration of literature, reading and ideas – the Sydney Writers' Festival.
This year marks the 26th anniversary of our city’s most beloved wordy celebration, and the 2023 festival’s theme is Stories for the Future. This year’s theme reflects the general consensus of most Australians at this point in time – looking forward, after many years that we are keen to leave behind. This year, almost 300 writers from all over Australia and the world will come together to discuss all that has passed, what is here now, and what we can expect next. 2023 has been a big year so far. With the Voice to Parliament referendum in our sights and a new government in Australia, a year since the war began in Ukraine, and three years since the start of the pandemic, many of us Down Under and worldwide are wondering what's next.
Sydney can expect some very big writerly names this year. Booker Prize winner Bernadine Evaristo will be headlining the event, along with our own Booker Prize winner Richard Flanagan, and national treasure Tim Winton. They will be joined by the likes of Julia Gillard, actor Sam Neil, two-time Pulitzer Prize Winner Colson Whitehead, Helen Garner, Grace Tame, Ben Law, Chloé Hayden and Stan Grant (just to name a few).
The line-up is positively huge this year, so if there’s a niche Aussie writer that you’ve always cherished a secret love for, check out the full list and the odds are that you’ll find them on there. There will be more than 80 free events going for all book-loving budget seekers, including fascinating lectures, children’s talks and a night of DJs, light projections and talk of song-writing at Powerhouse Late.
There will also be plenty of stuff for families, kids and young adults, with Saturday 27 May and Sunday 28 May bringing full days of kid, young adult and family-focused fun.
On top of all the literary talks, book lovin’ punters who also like food should get ready for some deliciously wordy fun. On Saturday, May 27, Carriageworks will be hit with a cook-heavy day. Visitors can peruse the culinary wonders of the Carriageworks Farmers Markets, and then settle back for a day of talks by the likes of Stephanie Alexander, Maggie Beer, Adam Liaw, plus many more. Then, on the night of May 27, Sydney Town Hall will come alive with a gala titled, ‘The Dinner That Changed my Life’. It will feature the likes of Shaun Christie David (owner of Kabul Social, Colombo Social and the new Coyoacán Social), Nat King (Nat’s What I Reckon), and Rebecca Sullivan (First Nations Food Companion), and will be hosted by Sydney legends Annabel Crabb and Adam Liaw. Cos, obviously.
The festival is set to kick off on May 22, and will run until May 28, with 226 free and ticketed events taking over Carriageworks, Town Hall, and a variety of venues across Greater Sydney and the rest of Australia. Bookings are generally essential, and you can stay on top of it all right here.
