Looking for your next great book to read or some intellectual stimulation? Consider dropping into this year’s Sydney Writers’ Festival after reading the program, which Editor Group was pleased to edit and proofread again this year as our way of supporting the festival.
The big names
This year’s line-up includes plenty of big names, including:
- former prime minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern
- acclaimed Australian author Trent Dalton
- crime writer Mick Herron
- Stella Prize–winning author Heather Rose
- beloved chef Stephanie Alexander
- bestselling debut novelist Florence Knapp
- much-loved Irish writer Roddy Doyle
- Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales.
Our picks
With such a diverse selection of talent, you’re sure to find something to enjoy. To help you out, here are some top picks from our team in order of appearance.
Patrick Radden Keefe: Say Nothing
Sunday 17 May, 3:30–4:30pm – Library Auditorium, State Library of NSW
Join journalist Patrick Radden Keefe as he discusses his international bestseller, Say Nothing: A True Story Of Murder and Memory In Northern Ireland, with fellow journalist Fran Kelly. Starting with the notorious abduction of Jean McConville, a 38-year-old mother of 10, from her Belfast home in 1972, this is a mesmerising look at the bitter conflict known as ‘The Troubles’ and its aftermath. Radden Keefe will also be discussing a new book in other sessions.
The story that changed my life
Tuesday 19 May, 7:45–9 pm – Bay 17, Carriageworks
Join celebrated journalists and non-fiction writers – Barbara Demick, Stan Grant, Patrick Radden Keefe, Sarah Krasnostein and Leigh Sales – as they share the real-world stories that have stuck with them throughout their careers.
Art and culture in the age of AI
Wednesday 20 May, 8–9 pm – Bay 20, Carriageworks
Listen as writers Anna Goldsworthy, Richard King and Steve Toltz explore how advances in AI are reshaping literature, culture and the creative process. In conversation with AI expert Toby Walsh, they’ll consider what these technologies mean for our humanity, empathy and sense of self.
Yann Martel: Son of Nobody
Thursday 21 May, 12–12.55 pm – Bay 17, Carriageworks
Join Booker Prize–winning author Yann Martel (Life of Pi) as he talks about his first novel in a decade, Son of Nobody, a bold reimagining of the Trojan War told through the eyes of a commoner turned soldier. This conversation explores the enduring power of story.
Heather Rose: A Great Act of Love
Thursday 21 May, 1–1:55 pm – Track 12, Carriageworks
Stella Prize winner Heather Rose discusses A Great Act of Love, a sweeping novel of reinvention set in the new colony of Van Diemen’s Land, exploring the true events behind this story of enduring love, secrets and a powerful father-daughter bond.
Stephanie Alexander: The Cook’s Companion 30th anniversary
Thursday 21 May, 2–2:55 pm – Bay 17, Carriageworks
Celebrate 30 years of The Cook’s Companion with Australian icon Stephanie Alexander as she speaks with fellow chef Adam Liaw about the legacy of her essential kitchen classic and its newly updated anniversary edition.
David Szalay: Flesh
Thursday 21 May, 6–6.55 pm – Bay 17, Carriageworks
Join 2025 Booker Prize winner David Szalay as he talks about his propulsive novel, Flesh, and the slow unravelling of its protagonist. In conversation with fellow writer Michelle de Kretser, he reflects on masculinity, identity and the spaces in between.
Jimmy Wales: The Seven Rules of Trust
Thursday 21 May, 6–7 pm – Sydney Town Hall
Hear Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales as he offers practical steps from his new book, The Seven Rules of Trust, for rebuilding trust and strengthening communities in a ‘post-truth’ world.
Writing in the age of Trump
Thursday 21 May, 7–7:55 pm – Track 8, Carriageworks
American writers Deborah Baker, S.A. Cosby and Tayari Jones discuss the state of literature amid rising extremism and political unrest in the US, and the threat to their creative freedom.
Florence Knapp: The Names
Friday 22 May, 6–6:55 pm – Bay 17, Carriageworks
Join bestselling debut novelist Florence Knapp in conversation with Claire Nichols as she discusses The Names, a powerful story that asks whether a name can determine the path of a life across three possible versions of it.
Jacinda Ardern: A Different Kind of Power
Friday 22 May, 6–7 pm – Sydney Town Hall
Join former prime minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern as she discusses her bestselling memoir, A Different Kind of Power, sharing insights into leading with kindness, balancing motherhood and public life, and the decisions that defined her time in office.
An Evening with R.F. Kuang
Friday 22 May, 8–9 pm – Sydney Town Hall
Join international sensation R.F. Kuang as she reflects on her meteoric literary career, from Yellowface and Babel to her new fantasy epic, Katabasis – inspired by the Ancient Greek tradition of the hero journeying into the underworld.
State of the art: The Booker Prize
Friday 22 May, 8–9:15 pm – Bay 17, Carriageworks
For novelists, winning a Booker Prize is a career-altering achievement. At this special event, award winners, as well as shortlisted and longlisted authors, read from the works that brought them recognition and reflect on how winning shaped their writing lives. Speakers include Roddy Doyle, Yann Martel, David Szalay and Charlotte Wood.
Melissa Lukashenko: A writing life
Saturday 23 May, 1–1:55 pm – Track 8, Carriageworks
Listen as Australian author Melissa Lucashenko reflects on the life of letters behind her acclaimed body of work, including her new collection, Not Quite White in the Head. This is the first time her Walkley Award–winning non-fiction and journalism have been published together.
Barbara Demick: Daughters of the Bamboo Grove
Saturday 23 May, 7–7:55 pm – Track 8, Carriageworks
Hear Pulitzer Prize–shortlisted investigative journalist Barbara Demick discuss her latest book, Daughters of the Bamboo Grove, which uncovers the true story of twin girls abducted, separated and trafficked for international adoption under China’s one-child policy.
Mick Herron in conversation
Sunday 24 May, 4–5 pm – Bay 17, Carriageworks
Hear as Mick Herron discusses Clown Town, the latest instalment in his bestselling Slough House series, where theft, secrets and blackmail threaten to destabilise Jackson Lamb’s band of misfit spies, and the sharp wit behind the series.
Antoinette Lattouf: Women Who Win
Sunday 24 May, 2–2:55 pm – Bay 17, Carriageworks
Join award-winning journalist and human rights advocate Antoinette Lattouf as she discusses her latest book, Women Who Win, celebrating women throughout history who fought for change and refused to be silenced.
By Ylla Watkins
