THE South Coast Readers & Writers Festival returns to Thirroul in 2025 over the weekend of 5 – 6 July with a vibrant lineup of literary talent.

The full festival program is now live, featuring local voices, return guests, and internationally bestselling authors. 

Headliners Pip Williams and Charlotte McConaghy sit down for one-on-one sessions about their latest books, The Bookbinder of Jericho and Wild Dark Shore. Bestselling fantasy authors Isobelle Carmody and Kate Forsyth share the stage, while beloved provocateur Nikki Gemmell talks writing women, from memoir to thriller. Exploring themes of womanhood continue in a session featuring Lucy Nelson, debut author of Wait Here, while history, fairytale and folklore collide for local authors Lauren Keegan, Camille Booker and Kell Woods.

Nardi Simpson is joined by Dr Debra Dank to yarn about their new books, while Debra later talks storytelling before colonisation with Warra Warra Wai author Darren Rix. Ryan Butta joins Darren to discuss histories lost and found, and Helena Fox features with Isobelle Carmody in a session about writing YA in an uncertain climate future.

Jan Fran hosts a conversation on current affairs with some of Australia’s most esteemed politics and science writers, Amy Remeikis, Antony Loewenstein and Tim Flannery, while Jan and Amy later chat big ideas one-on-one. Theodore Ell, author of the memoir Lebanon Days, and Omar Sakr and Safdar Ahmed, collaborators on The Nightmare Sequence, are joined by Antony for an important session on Gaza and Lebanon. 

Literary fiction takes the spotlight in two panels, with Jessie Tu (The Honeyeater), Zahid Gamieldien (All the Missing Children), Gail Jones (The Name of the Sister) and Emily Maguire (Rapture). Bruce Nash and Malcolm Knox talk dark humour and satire, David Stavanger and Eileen Chong contemplate the intersection of personal and political in poetry, while authors, three major publishers and a NSW state librarian share the stage, with local writer Hayley Scrivenor.

Plus, a poetry reading showcase and two festival workshops.

Discover new authors and find your next favourite read at this year’s festival. Make sure Early bird tickets are on sale now until 9 June: southcoastwriters.org/festival

Visit the SCWC website for the full festival program, to meet this year’s authors, and to book.

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