Manly Set for Page-Turning Event in March
50 authors announced for inaugural Manly Writers’ Festival
SYDNEY – Manly is set for a page-turning event in March with the inaugural Manly Writers’ Festival to be held from 14-16 March 2024.
Celebrating the power of storytelling, the line-up for the festival involves local, national, and international authors.
Local authors include Tracy Hall who, with co-author Summer Land, will discuss their forthcoming true crime The Last Victim; Lisa Gallate with her memoir and self-help guide about grief (Just Because); Amy Hutton (Sit. Stay. Love) and Lucy Lever (Mystic Ridge) with their romantic novels; and Dr Sarah McKay, a neuroscientist on the impact of pregnancy and motherhood on our brains (Baby Brain).
Other Northern Beaches locals include Ingrid J. Adams (Descended), Jill Valentine whose debut novel High Heels and Low Blows will be launched as part of the festival, and poets Michele Seminara, Zeina Issa and Luke Fischer.
Interstate authors include the winner of the Prime Minister’s Literary Award for Non-Fiction, Sam Vincent with his memoir My Father and Other Animals, Professor Kim Cornish who is an expert on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children (The Post-Pandemic Child), prolific author Robert Gott of Melbourne with his political comedy Naked Ambition, Walter Marsh of Adelaide on his book about the beginnings of the Murdoch empire, Young Rupert, and Emily Eklund Power and Shirley Singh of Brisbane who will discuss the true crime book, Shirley’s Story.
International authors include Michelle-Ford Eriksson MBE of Switzerland, a Gold and Bronze medal winner in the pool at the Moscow 1980 Olympics, whose autobiography Turning the Tide will be released in time for the festival. Ford’s book is written with internationally acclaimed swimming journalist Craig Lord of Germany. Also from overseas is Sally Freedman of the United Kingdom whose memoir, “Get Your Tits Out for the Lads” details misogynistic behaviour in professional football in Australia, New Zealand, and Europe.
Other Sydney and NSW authors include the winner of the 2023 Walkley Book Award, Antony Loewenstein for his book entitled The Palestine Laboratory, the former Artistic Director of the Canberra Writers’ Festival Jeanne Ryckmans to discuss her book Trust – A Fractured Fable, journalist Tim Ayliffe (Killer Traitor Spy), and one of Australia’s leading experts on leadership and diversity, journalist and author Catherine Fox AM.
The 2023 recipient of the NSW Historical Society’s Annual Citation, Emeritus Professor John Maynard of Newcastle University will discuss his body of work with a special emphasis on Indigenous sportsmen and women.
There is also a children’s and schools program with children and young adult authors Ursula Dubosarsky, Carla Fitzgerald, Will Kostakis and Liz Deep-Jones.
The genres of books written by the authors ranges across historical fiction, contemporary fiction, romantic fiction, and spy thrillers; as well as true crime, parenting, women, memoirs, biographies, sport, politics, public policy, and international relations.
A full list of the author line-up is available at www.manlywritersfestival.com.au.
Running for three days, the Manly Writers’ Festival will be opened by Booker Prize winner and Manly local, Tom Keneally AO on Thursday 14th March, and held at various venues in Manly and Brookvale on the following two days.
The program for the Manly Writers’ Festival will be revealed on Saturday 27th January, with tickets available at an early bird rate until 31st January, and at full rate from 1st February.
Available now to purchase is a Festival Friends package which includes discounts to all festival sessions, a festival tote bag, and an exclusive invitation to a special author-only event at the end of the festival. A Festival Friends package is just $49 for individuals and $99 for businesses and is available to purchase until January 25th at www.manlywritersfestival.com.au.