Your favourite authors are coming to Manly in March.
Julia Baird, Genevieve Gannon, Miranda Darling, and Craig Foster AM are just a few of the authors coming together for the inaugural Manly Writers’ Festival 2024, which will be opened by Booker Prize winner and Manly local Tom Keneally AO.
Over 70 writers, authors, academics, journalists, publishers, thinkers and creatives will appear across more than 40 events at venues on The Corso and North Steyne in Manly and Brookvale.
The festival theme is Connecting through Storytelling and aims to bring together writers, readers and thinkers for talks on books and big ideas. Covering topics such as feminism, parenting, politics, race, and activism alongside practical industry sessions from literary agents and seasoned writers.
The festival’s founder and director, Bonita Mersiades, says there is something for everyone.
“Whether your interest is fiction or non-fiction, the festival is an opportunity to discuss issues in an informed and respectful manner in an intimate and accessible environment,” said Ms Mersiades.
The festival is an opportunity to showcase the community’s high-profile and lesser-known writers, who often don’t get to the opportunity to talk about their work.
“It’s a way to show the rest of Sydney and Australia that there is more to Manly and the Northern Beaches than the beach and the ferry.”
The school’s program includes workshops for Grades 3 to 10 to spark imagination, confidence alongside tips to help the creative writing process.
“We all know how vital it is for young people to embrace reading and writing. The people we have involved in the nine sessions for the school’s program cover a wide range of topics that we hope are of interest and relevance to young people – not merely because of relevance to the curriculum, but because the festival is also a way for them to learn more about the world and people around them,” says Mersiades.
All profits from the sale of tickets to the Manly Writers’ Festival will be shared between the Aboriginal-led Literacy for Life Foundation and local community cancer charity, Northern Beaches Community Cancer Charity.
The festival will run from Thursday, 14 March, to Saturday, 16 March 2024.
For more information, head to www.manlywritersfestival.com.au
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