Newcastle Writers Festival is finally back after a two-year COVID-19 hiatus, with some of Australia’s most respected and loved writers visiting Newcastle for the three-day festival.
After its cancellation in 2020, the festival has since been repeatedly postponed due to recurrent COVID-19 outbreaks in the community.
The 2022 program was officially launched at a special event at the Newcastle City Hall on March 3, celebrating the festival’s first year back since 2019.
Starring special guest Costa Georgiadis and hosted by Paul West, guests were filled in on the fun writer activities and events that the Newcastle Writers Festival would bring.
The festival will be held in the Civic precinct from April 1 to 3, featuring 70 free and ticketed events.
Some activities will include a fundraising literary trivia night, a historical walking tour of Stockton, a winery event with popular writer Todd Alexander, as well as panel discussions, readings, one-on-one interviews, and book launches.
Founding director Rosemarie Milsom said there was no overarching theme for this year’s festival, but the opening and closing night events would reflect the program’s tone.
“Our opening night gala centres on love in all its forms, and six writers, including Trent Dalton and Hannah Kent, will speak about its impact,” Milsom said.
“On the final evening, Sarah Wilson will discuss her most recent book, This One Wild and Precious Life: A hopeful path forward in a fractured world.
“I realise there is a lot to despair about, whether it’s the ongoing impact of the pandemic, record-breaking floods, and the war in Ukraine.
I don’t want to sugar-coat the hardship or avoid tough conversations, but I also want to celebrate the comfort provided by books and powerful writing.”
She said session topics would include gender politics in parliament, identity, history, the environment, family, and the impact of the pandemic.
“The festival has also collaborated with the annual Margaret Henry Memorial Lecture, which will be presented as part of the program by disability advocate Graeme Innes.”
Milsom said this year’s program included some of Australia’s most respected fiction and nonfiction writers, including journalists Van Badham, Justine Cullen, Kate McClymont, and Amy Remeikis, Aboriginal writers and activists Chelsea Watego and Thomas Mayor, academic and former Griffith Review editor Julianne Schultz and leading feminists Clementine Ford and Wendy McCarthy.
Best-selling authors Kelli Hutchins, Michael Robotham, and Jane Caro will also make an appearance as well as Tom Keneally, Amani Haydar, Brendan Cowell, Jessie Stephens, Laura Elizabeth Woollett, and international guest Simon Winchester who will be appearing live from the US via video link.
Some talented local Hunter writers will also be attending the festival, including Lee Christine and Wendy James.
Some events will also be live-streamed across the three-day festival, opening accessibility for all.
For the full program and bookings, visit the Newcastle Writers Festival website.
Hayley McMahon