Books

Fun sessions in English and Mandarin for pre-schoolers, held in the outdoor amphitheatre

A fun program for babies and toddlers in the outdoor amphitheatre, combining rhymes and songs

Stories from around the world to highlight the experience of refugees, their communities and people seeking asylum

A fun program for babies and toddlers in the outdoor amphitheatre, combining rhymes, music, singing and puppets.

Fun sessions for pre-schoolers in the outdoor amphitheatre

Join Patricia Bernard as she gives you the insider hints & tips on how to write, illustrate and publish a picture book

For non-reading children to discover books

Artwork by nine print and book artists

Melissa Lucashenko, Tara June Winch and Evelyn Araluen come together to deliver an extraordinary Opening Night Address

Join us online each month to talk books and connect with other readers

A panel of renowned journalists discuss leadership, democracy and a lack of true accountability in extraordinary times

Kim Stanley Robinson appears live via video to discuss hard science, strong storytelling and hope with James Bradley.

Kazuo Ishiguro appears live via video to discuss his newest novel Klara and the Sun and his influential body of work

Rachel Cusk appears live via video to discuss her extraordinary career in writing and her new novel, Second Place

Andrew Denton, one of Australia's best interviewers, discusses what makes an interview great with Michael Robotham

A consummate writer of 14 novels and a keen observer of life, Peter Carey discusses his storied life in writing

Judy Blume appears live via video to discuss her celebrated books and storied career with Sophie Black

Bill Hayes shares poetry, anecdotes and photography from How We Live Now: Scenes from the Pandemic (live via video).

Virginia Trioli and Laurie Penny talk about the path of feminism in Australia with host Sisonke Msimang.

An all-star line-up of guests come together to speak on this year’s festival theme, Within Reach.

Isabel Wilkerson discusses Caste (live via video), her bestselling study of our world's corrosive social hierarchy

Richard Flanagan talks to Laura Tingle on his newest book, The Living Sea of Waking Dreams, and capturing loss in words

Sarah Krasnostein discusses her new book, The Believer, an enquiry into the power of belief, with Helen Garner.

Indigenous writers and writers of colour discuss the daring anthology After Australia and its public reception.

Margaret Pomeranz and David Stratton reunite to debate the best and worst movie adaptations of Australian books.

Jan Fran and comedian Judith Lucy talk about humour and memoir, coping and not coping, and what it means to be fine

David Malouf delivers an unmissable Closing Address for the Sydney Writers’ Festival

Instituto Cervantes celebrates its 30th anniversary and we are reading works related to our birth year: 1991

BAD Sydney presents Candice Fox in conversation with Michael Duffy about her latest book: The Chase!

A pedal powered curated bookshelf

Join us as we launch Kerry Breen's book Humanity in Medicine: The Life of Physician Dr Stanley Goulston

Female friendships are tested in this laugh-out-loud, brutally honest, new comedy.