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6 May
Primary Schools Day - Tuesday
Sold Out
Primary school students are invited to explore fresh perspectives and ignite their creativity with an inspiring lineup of authors at State Library Victoria.
The engaging program features the hilarious Nat Amoore, bestselling author Reece Carter, artist and author Nabeel Khan and the award-winning Jess Sanders.
The Primary Schools Day runs from 10am-2pm. Tickets purchased grant entrance to the full day (all four author sessions). Between sessions, students can meet the authors, have their books signed and browse a selection of titles available for purchase (card only) at a Readings pop-up bookstore.
You have the option to pay via bank card or invoice at the check out. If you select to pay via invoice, please be aware that you will be making a reservation and your booking will be confirmed once payment has been received in full.
The engaging program features the hilarious Nat Amoore, bestselling author Reece Carter, artist and author Nabeel Khan and the award-winning Jess Sanders.
The Primary Schools Day runs from 10am-2pm. Tickets purchased grant entrance to the full day (all four author sessions). Between sessions, students can meet the authors, have their books signed and browse a selection of titles available for purchase (card only) at a Readings pop-up bookstore.
You have the option to pay via bank card or invoice at the check out. If you select to pay via invoice, please be aware that you will be making a reservation and your booking will be confirmed once payment has been received in full.
10:00am
Santilla Chingaipe: Working with Archives
6:00pm
7 May
Secondary Schools Day - Wednesday
Sold Out
An extraordinary lineup of storytellers is set to inspire and captivate secondary school students in a dynamic day of learning at State Library Victoria.
Over the course of four engaging sessions, students will hear from YA author Robyn Dennison, poet Solli Raphael, Yuin author Gary Lonesborough, and New York Times-bestselling author Neal Shusterman (USA).
The Secondary Schools Day runs from 10am-2pm. Tickets purchased grant entrance to the full day (all four author sessions). Between sessions, students can meet the authors, have their books signed and browse a selection of titles available for purchase (card only) at a Readings pop-up bookstore.
You have the option to pay via bank card or invoice at the check out. If you select to pay via invoice, please be aware that you will be making a reservation and your booking will be confirmed once payment has been received in full.
Over the course of four engaging sessions, students will hear from YA author Robyn Dennison, poet Solli Raphael, Yuin author Gary Lonesborough, and New York Times-bestselling author Neal Shusterman (USA).
The Secondary Schools Day runs from 10am-2pm. Tickets purchased grant entrance to the full day (all four author sessions). Between sessions, students can meet the authors, have their books signed and browse a selection of titles available for purchase (card only) at a Readings pop-up bookstore.
You have the option to pay via bank card or invoice at the check out. If you select to pay via invoice, please be aware that you will be making a reservation and your booking will be confirmed once payment has been received in full.
10:00am
Raeden Richardson: Writing to the Edge of Reality
Sold Out
This workshop with novelist and Iowa Writers Workshop graduate Raeden Richardson will explore the work of writers who constantly defy easy categorisation, like Elizabeth Tan, Peter Carey, Salman Rushdie, Donald Barthelme and Kij Johnson.
6:00pm
8 May
Secondary Schools Day - Thursday
Sold Out
An extraordinary lineup of storytellers is set to inspire and captivate secondary school students in a dynamic day of learning at State Library Victoria.
Over the course of four engaging sessions, students will hear from YA author Robyn Dennison, poet Solli Raphael, Yuin author Gary Lonesborough, and New York Times-bestselling author Neal Shusterman (USA).
The Secondary Schools Day runs from 10am-2pm. Tickets purchased grant entrance to the full day (all four author sessions). Between sessions, students can meet the authors, have their books signed and browse a selection of titles available for purchase (card only) at a Readings pop-up bookstore.
You have the option to pay via bank card or invoice at the check out. If you select to pay via invoice, please be aware that you will be making a reservation and your booking will be confirmed once payment has been received in full.
Over the course of four engaging sessions, students will hear from YA author Robyn Dennison, poet Solli Raphael, Yuin author Gary Lonesborough, and New York Times-bestselling author Neal Shusterman (USA).
The Secondary Schools Day runs from 10am-2pm. Tickets purchased grant entrance to the full day (all four author sessions). Between sessions, students can meet the authors, have their books signed and browse a selection of titles available for purchase (card only) at a Readings pop-up bookstore.
You have the option to pay via bank card or invoice at the check out. If you select to pay via invoice, please be aware that you will be making a reservation and your booking will be confirmed once payment has been received in full.
10:00am
Opening Night: Magical Thinking
Join us to open the 2025 Festival and celebrate the transformative power of storytelling.
6:30pm
9 May
Rumaan Alam: Making Writing a Habit
Sold Out
This event is now sold out. Rumaan Alam also appears at MWF in conversation with ABC Radio National's Claire Nichols. Book tickets here.
Join acclaimed American novelist Rumaan Alam for an inspiring workshop designed to encourage you to develop a regular and rewarding writing practice that fits your life, honed though discipline and practice.
Join acclaimed American novelist Rumaan Alam for an inspiring workshop designed to encourage you to develop a regular and rewarding writing practice that fits your life, honed though discipline and practice.
10:00am
Jessica Townsend - Afternoon Session
Experience one of Australia's most loved authors, Jessica Townsend, as she delves into the highly anticipated fourth book in the New York Times-bestselling Nevermoor series: Silverborn.
At two very special Melbourne-exclusive Schools events, Jessica will take students on a journey through the Wundrous world of Nevermoor, where Morrigan Crow faces thrilling new adventures, uncovers hidden corners of her magical world and unravels mysteries of her past.
Drawing on Morrigan’s fantastical new adventures, Jessica will share behind-the-scenes details about her writing process and the storytelling magic that brings her stories to life.
The afternoon session runs from 12.30pm-1.30pm followed by a book signing until 2pm. Tickets purchased grant entrance to one session and book signing with Jessica Townsend.
This session is recommended for Year Levels 3 - 8.
You have the option to pay via bank card or invoice at the check out. If you select to pay via invoice, please be aware that you will be making a reservation and your booking will be confirmed once payment has been received in full.
At two very special Melbourne-exclusive Schools events, Jessica will take students on a journey through the Wundrous world of Nevermoor, where Morrigan Crow faces thrilling new adventures, uncovers hidden corners of her magical world and unravels mysteries of her past.
Drawing on Morrigan’s fantastical new adventures, Jessica will share behind-the-scenes details about her writing process and the storytelling magic that brings her stories to life.
The afternoon session runs from 12.30pm-1.30pm followed by a book signing until 2pm. Tickets purchased grant entrance to one session and book signing with Jessica Townsend.
This session is recommended for Year Levels 3 - 8.
You have the option to pay via bank card or invoice at the check out. If you select to pay via invoice, please be aware that you will be making a reservation and your booking will be confirmed once payment has been received in full.
12:30pm
Thin Red Lines: An Evening of Poetry
The Naarm-based poetry event celebrates six years with co-hosts Thabani Tshuma and Georgia Kartas and a lineup featuring Manisha Anjali, Afra Atiq, Daniel Browning, Hasib Hourani, Nam Le and Micaela Sahhar.
6:00pm
Kate Grenville: Unsettled
Sold Out
The beloved author of The Secret River discusses Unsettled, a deeply personal memoir of reckoning with what it means to be on land that was taken from other people. In conversation with Daniel James.
6:00pm
Queerstories
Curator and host Maeve Marsden's beloved national LGBTQIA+ storytelling project features guest speakers Rumaan Alam, Clem Bastow, Bebe Oliver, Norman Erikson Pasaribu and Ernest Price sharing personal tales celebrating the richness of the queer community.
7:30pm
Culture Club Podcast: Live with Chloe Elisabeth Wilson
Join media-slashies Jasmine Wallis and Maggie Zhou for a live recording of their podcast Culture Club, as they dive into the dark side of the beauty industry with special guest Chloe Elisabeth Wilson (Rytual).
8:00pm
Nardi Simpson: The Belburd
Award-winning author Nardi Simpson reflects on motherhood, belonging and connection to Country in The Belburd, her lyrical novel weaving the everyday with the metaphysical. In conversation with Daniel James.
8:00pm
Cancelling Culture
Is it possible to separate the art from the artist? Join journalist Osman Faruqi, philosopher A. C. Grayling and cultural critic Tara Kenny as they debate legacy, transgression and accountability with host Beejay Silcox.
8:00pm
10 May
Hannah Kent: Writing Historical Fiction
Sold Out
This event is now sold out. Hannah Kent also appears at MWF in conversation with ABC Radio National's Richard Fidler. Book tickets here.
10:00am
Badass Women of Melbourne Walking Tour
Sold Out
This event is now sold out. Sita Sargeant also appears at MWF in The Past is a Foreign Country along with Santilla Chingaipe and Steve Vizard. To learn more about upcoming walking tours led by Sita, visit She Shapes History.
Uncover Melbourne’s hidden feminist history with activist, author and tour guide Sita Sargeant. Discover the bold, trailblazing women who shaped the city on this walking tour, coming to Melbourne for the first time.
Uncover Melbourne’s hidden feminist history with activist, author and tour guide Sita Sargeant. Discover the bold, trailblazing women who shaped the city on this walking tour, coming to Melbourne for the first time.
10:30am
Jessica Townsend: Silverborn
At this family-friendly event, join internationally bestselling author Jessica Townsend as she talks about the latest book in her phenomenally popular Nevermoor series, Silverborn: The Mystery of Morrigan Crow.
10:30am
The Library of Bears with Cat Rabbit
Join Melbourne author Cat Rabbit for a heartwarming storytime featuring The Library of Bears – a tale of Softie the Bear’s journey to find a friend. Meet felt animals and enjoy this magical, feel-good adventure!
10:30am
Anita Heiss in Conversation
Anita Heiss discusses her latest novel, Red Dust Running, her ongoing activism, and writing novels grounded in heart and humour.
10:30am
Lev Grossman: The Bright Sword
New York Times-bestselling author Lev Grossman presents his long-awaited epic novel The Bright Sword, a transformative reimagining of the King Arthur legend.
10:30am
Post-Referendum Voices: Where Do We Go From Here?
Eighteen months after the Voice referendum, Daniel Browning leads a powerful discussion with Ben Abbatangelo, Thomas Mayo, and Vanessa Turnbull-Roberts on the way forward for reconciliation and the urgent need for truth-telling.
12:00pm
Culture Vultures: Griffith Review
Join Griffith Review contributors Esther Anatolitis, Darby Jones and Raeden Richardson as they consider digital versus real world artistic spaces, the hyperreality of the information age and making art in the age of algorithms, with host Carody Culver.
12:00pm
Rumaan Alam: Entitlement
Bestselling author Rumaan Alam (Leave the World Behind) talks about his latest novel Entitlement, a simmering exploration of money, morality and the compromises we’re willing to make. In conversation with ABC Radio National's Claire Nichols.
12:00pm
Wonders Under the Moon with Tai Snaith
Calling all young nature-lovers! Discover the wonders of nocturnal animals that eat and play at night and create your own magical night garden.
12:00pm
Jamila Rizvi and Rosie Waterland: Broken Brains
Writers, friends and co-authors Jamila Rizvi and Rosie Waterland discuss brain health – the physical and the mental – through their intertwined experiences of illness, resilience and friendship in this raw, insightful and Melbourne-exclusive conversation on their new book, Broken Brains.
All bookings for this event include a copy of Broken Brains at the special price of $30 (RRP$36.99). You can purchase 1 ticket + 1 copy of the book, or 2 tickets + 1 copy of the book. Larger group bookings must also include at least 1 book for every 2 tickets.
Pre-purchased books will be available to collect on the day from the Readings bookstall. Books which are not picked up at the event will be available for collection only from Readings State Library Victoria store for one week after the event, until 17 May.
All bookings for this event include a copy of Broken Brains at the special price of $30 (RRP$36.99). You can purchase 1 ticket + 1 copy of the book, or 2 tickets + 1 copy of the book. Larger group bookings must also include at least 1 book for every 2 tickets.
Pre-purchased books will be available to collect on the day from the Readings bookstall. Books which are not picked up at the event will be available for collection only from Readings State Library Victoria store for one week after the event, until 17 May.
12:30pm
The Writer as Witness
Hasib Hourani, Amy McQuire and Micaela Sahhar explore writing as an act of witnessing, challenging institutions, reclaiming narratives and shaping identity through essays, memoir and poetry.
12:30pm
Afternoon Tea with Sarah Wilson
Sold Out
Join Sarah Wilson for an intimate afternoon tea as she unpacks her storied career with Georgia Frances King. Enjoy a glass of bubbles on arrival and a delicious afternoon tea, courtesy of the Sofitel.
12:30pm
John Button Oration: Decoding the Federal Election
Selling Fast
Join pollster and electoral strategist Kos Samaras for a clear-eyed analysis of the 2025 federal election, exploring the structural, social and economic forces shaping Australia’s political landscape.
1:30pm
The Past is a Foreign Country
Historians and authors Santilla Chingaipe, Sita Sargeant and Steve Vizard explore untold, mythologised and overlooked aspects of Australian history, revealing how they shape our national identity.
1:30pm
Kaliane Bradley: The Ministry of Time
Selling Fast
Sit down with Kaliane Bradley and host Claire Nichols as they discuss Bradley's debut novel, The Ministry of Time.
2:00pm
Drawing the Line
How can comics and graphic art challenge injustice? Visual artists Safdar Ahmed and Sam Wallman explore the power of visual storytelling to amplify urgent voices.
2:30pm
Jimmy Barnes: Highways and Byways
Spend an afternoon with beloved star and maverick Jimmy Barnes as he celebrates heritage, family, friends, music and the adventure of a grand life with host Brian Nankervis.
2:30pm
Afra Atiq: The Healing Power of Poetry
Discover the healing power of poetry with award-winning spoken word artist Dr Afra Atiq.
2:30pm
Horror, Hauntings and Monstrous Femmes
Argentine author Mariana Enríquez joins partners in writing and life Mikaella Clements and Onjuli Datta to discuss queer horror, monstrous femmes and the themes that haunt their writing.
3:00pm
The Next Big Thing
Sold Out
Over a drink at The Moat, hear from novelist Dominic Amerena, graphic novelist Rachel Ang, memoirist Candice Chung, poet Jacinta Le Plastrier, romcom author Cynthia Timoti and Voiceworks contributor and poet Isabella Eichler-Onus.
3:00pm
Tradition and Innovation: 65,000 Years of Indigenous Art
Explore the brilliance and longevity of 65,000 years of Indigenous art. Marcia Langton, Judith Ryan, Brook Garru Andrew, and Jessica Neath examine its history, impact and future with Daniel Browning.
3:00pm
The Fifth Estate: Citizenship and Its Discontents
Are the voices of ordinary people fully present in Australian media, politics and halls of power? Political historian Judith Brett and advocate and author Thomas Mayo explore civic responsibility, political engagement and public identity in this federal election year.
4:00pm
Top 100 Books with ABC Radio National
Join Kaliane Bradley, Kate Grenville, Colum McCann and host Sarah L'Estrange as they debate the greatest contemporary books of the 21st century, inspired by ABC Radio National’s Top 100 Books Countdown.
4:30pm
Sarah Wilson: Living Fully in an Age of Crisis
Sarah Wilson discusses finding meaning, beauty and humanity amid global crises. Drawing on years of interviews with leading thinkers, she offers a hopeful guide to living fully in challenging times, with host Carody Culver.
4:30pm
Carrie Tiffany: Bitten – A Snake Performance
In this Australian premiere, Carrie Tiffany weaves fiction and memoir with live percussion, archival images, and subversive collages in a literary performance reimagining La Perouse’s early 1900s snake showmen.
4:30pm
Peter Steele Poetry Conversation: Pádraig Ó Tuama
Sold Out
Irish poet Pádraig Ó Tuama takes a deep dive into the state of poetry for the annual Peter Steele Conversation. He'll explore poetry’s power across mediums, closing with a taste of his Poetry Unbound podcast. With Izzy Roberts-Orr.
4:30pm
First Knowledges First
Noongar doctor Professor Sandra Eades and Darumbal and South Sea Islander journalist Amy McQuire explore the enduring wisdom of First Nations knowledge systems in the fields of healthcare and media. Curated by Nardi Simpson.
4:30pm
Asako Yuzuki: Butter
Sold Out
Join Japanese author Asako Yuzuki as she talks about her twisty treat of a novel, Butter, and the connections between food, gender and the joy of eating.
5:30pm
Colum McCann: Twist
Following the success of the National Book Award-winning Let the Great World Spin, Irish writer Colum McCann explores loss, connection and the power of the sea in his latest novel, Twist. In conversation with ABC Radio National’s Kate Evans.
6:30pm
Maxine Beneba Clarke and Amaya Laucirica: Fire Moves Faster
The premiere performance of Fire Moves Faster brings together the words of renowned poet Maxine Beneba Clarke with original music by contemporary musician Amaya Laucirica.
6:30pm
The Psychology of Your 20s with Lucinda Price AKA Froomes
Jemma Sbeg hosts a live episode of her hit podcast about the psychology behind the universal life experiences of being twenty-something, with special guest Lucinda Price (AKA Froomes).
6:30pm
Blak Magic Women
Anita Heiss, Amy McQuire and Alice Skye share their creative practices across writing, music, and performance in a night of storytelling, community and celebration. Curated and hosted by Nardi Simpson.
7:30pm
11 May
Yael van der Wouden: The Safekeep
Yael van der Wouden discusses her Booker Prize-shortlisted debut, The Safekeep – a gripping tale of desire, obsession and secrets set in the shadow of WWII, in conversation with Tali Lavi.
10:30am
Kate Grenville and Anita Heiss: Unsettling Australian Stories
Award-winning authors Kate Grenville and Anita Heiss take a personal, political and cultural look at writing frontier histories and unsettling colonial narratives, with ABC Radio National’s Kate Evans.
10:30am
Badass Women of Melbourne Walking Tour
Sold Out
Uncover Melbourne’s hidden feminist history and walk in the footsteps of trailblazing women who shaped the city, as activist, author and tour guide Sita Sargeant brings her She Shapes History walking tours to Melbourne for the first time.
10:30am
Emily Maguire and Josephine Rowe: Are You There, God?
Celebrated authors Emily Maguire (Rapture) and Josephine Rowe (Little World) discuss their new novels that explore faith, fate and the nature of belief.
10:30am
Colum McCann: The Devil Is in the Details
Sold Out
This event is now sold out. Colum McCann also appears at MWF in conversation with ABC Radio National’s Kate Evans. Book tickets here.
Join acclaimed novelist Colum McCann (Twist, Apeirogon, Let the Great World Spin) for a writing masterclass about weaving facts into fiction and making the details work.
Join acclaimed novelist Colum McCann (Twist, Apeirogon, Let the Great World Spin) for a writing masterclass about weaving facts into fiction and making the details work.
11:00am
Future Tense
Authors Bora Chung, Jordan Prosser, and Neal Shusterman discuss what draws them to write utopias and dystopias and how the speculative fiction genre mirrors our hopes and fears for the future.
12:00pm
The Bookshelf Live with ABC Radio National
Be part of a live recording of ABC Radio National's The Bookshelf as Hannah Kent and Beejay Silcox sit down with hosts Kate Evans and Jonathan Green to discuss the latest fiction releases they’re enjoying, loving and being challenged by.
12:00pm
Marian Keyes: My Favourite Mistake
Selling Fast
Spend a lively afternoon in the company of Marian Keyes, one of the most successful Irish novelists of all time, as she reflects on telling stories that resonate across generations and lessons learned over the course of her remarkable career, with host Jane Harper.
12:30pm
Queering Genre
Acclaimed authors Torrey Peters, Amie Kaufman and Yael van der Wouden explore the risks, rewards and complexities of writing within and beyond traditional genres while creating beloved, authentic queer characters, with host Patrick Lenton.
12:30pm
Found in Translation: Translation Slam with Mariana Enríquez
Translators Lilit Žekulin Thwaites and Alice Whitmore go head-to-head, each translating the same excerpt of Mariana Enríquez’s work. They defend their choices, revealing the intricacies of translation, while Enríquez reflects on being translated.
1:30pm
Norman Erikson Pasaribu: My Dream Job
Indonesian poet and International Booker Prize-longlisted author Norman Erikson Pasaribu sits down to discuss queer poetics, writing across languages and their shimmering collection of poems My Dream Job, with Hasib Hourani.
1:30pm
Better Off Said: Eulogies for the Living and Dead
Join us for a spoken-word salon with Kaliane Bradley, A. C. Grayling, Gideon Haigh, Marcia Langton, Samah Sabawi and Vanessa Turnbull-Roberts as they reflect on ‘The Words I Wish I’d Said’, with a musical performance by Eliza Hull.
2:30pm
Samantha Harvey: Orbital
Journey through deep space with the 2024 Booker Prize-winning novel, Orbital – a profound meditation on the meaning of life and the nature of humanity itself. Join Samantha Harvey in conversation with Kate Mildenhall.
2:30pm
Bora Chung: Your Utopia
In this Australian exclusive, International Booker Prize-shortlisted author Bora Chung discusses Your Utopia, her thrillingly inventive collection of speculative short stories.
3:00pm
We Sharpen Our Axes Against the Hardest Stone
Is adversity the key to making great art? Brook Garru Andrew, Nayuka Gorrie, and Bebe Oliver consider whether personal, political and social upheaval offer the necessary impetus to the creation of great works of art.
Hosted and curated by Daniel Browning.
Hosted and curated by Daniel Browning.
3:30pm
Someone Like Me: Autistic Writing and Belonging
Co-editors Clem Bastow and Jo Case are joined by contributors Jess Ho, Caitlin McGregor and Marlee Jane Ward to discuss identity, creativity, and their new anthology of non-fiction by Autistic gender-diverse and women writers.
4:30pm
Hannah Kent: Always Home, Always Homesick
One of Australia’s bestselling literary novelists, Hannah Kent, presents her debut work of non-fiction – a tender, diaristic love letter to her muse, Iceland.
4:30pm
Mariana Enríquez: A Sunny Place for Shady People
Argentine novelist and short story writer Mariana Enríquez discusses her chilling collection of macabre tales. She explores horror’s power to unpack love, trauma and Argentina’s past, in conversation with Beejay Silcox.
5:00pm
Torrey Peters: Stag Dance
Following the runaway success of her debut novel, Detransition, Baby, author Torrey Peters returns to discuss her sophomore book, Stag Dance – an unruly quartet of tales exploring trans life past, present and future.
5:30pm
A. C. Grayling: Making Peace in the Culture Wars
In this special lecture with audience Q&A, philosopher A. C. Grayling presents a nuanced and timely examination of the divisive state of public culture and offers a compelling vision for how we might move forward.
6:00pm
