Which Awesome Authors Are Attending This Year’s Northern Beaches Readers Festival?

August 2, 2024

Local book lovers will be excited to learn the program has been announced and tickets have gone on sale for the Beaches own Readers Festival in September…

The Northern Beaches Readers Festival (NBRF) has just released its full program for the 2024 festival and announced that tickets for all sessions are now available for purchase.

Internationally acclaimed crime writer Michael Robotham and Miles Franklin winner Shankari Chandran will be appearing as feature authors.

‘The inaugural NBRF in 2022 was an incredible success with almost 1,000 seats booked and nearly 100% of attendees saying they would attend future festivals. In September they will have their chance,” says Festival Director, Sandie Docker.

Author and Festival Director Sandie Docker

“We could not be more thrilled with the stellar talent we have managed to secure for this – our second – Northern Beaches Readers Festival. Michael Robotham is the only Australian author to win the UK’s prestigious Gold Dagger Award twice, while Shankari Chandran’s writing tackles race and racism in a way that has resonated powerfully with readers and critics.”

In addition, Michael Robotham has enthusiastically agreed to be patron of this year’s NBRF saying he is ‘beyond delighted’ to be associated with a literary festival in his own local community.

“I was privileged to attend the first NBRF as an author, a host, and as an audience member, and was impressed by a clever, diverse programme that introduced me to some wonderful new writers and reunited me with some old friends,” says Michael.

“The secret to the NBRF is in the name. It is first and foremost aimed at readers. And celebrates writing in all genres, especially those that are sometimes overlooked or sidelined by larger literary festivals. Roll on September. Put the dates in your diaries. Avalon will be the place to be.”

“We have no doubt that a number of sessions will sell out quickly,” adds Sandie. “So we urge anyone with a passion for popular fiction to jump on to our website – NBRF.COM.AU – and book tickets now.”

What’s Happening At This Year’s Readers Festival?

This year’s festival will be held from the 27^th-29^th of September at the Avalon Recreation Centre and features an expanded lineup of 24 events including:

16 author panel sessions spanning topics and themes from sport and food in fiction, to cross-cultural identities in writing, the millennial malaise and ‘big issues’ books
two ‘in-conversation’ events – one with renowned crime author and Festival Patron Michael Robotham to celebrate his stellar, twenty-year career and release of his new novel, Storm Child, and the other with rising literary superstar and 2023 Miles Franklin winner Shankari Chandran
two writing workshops for aspiring authors, one with acclaimed crime writer Candice Fox and the other with sought-after teacher and author Pamela Cook
a FREE festival closing event – Battle of the Bookish Brains, where five authors will be paired with audience members to duke it out for the Bookish Brains Literary Quiz Trophy
three ‘Festival Fiver’ sessions where audience members pay just $5 to attend discussions around books, publishing and the behind-the-scenes life of authors