The eclectic South Coast Writers Festival returns from 18-20 August for its highly anticipated second year, promising three jammed-packed days celebrating Australian writing talent bringing their stories to life. 

The line-up features an impressive program of acclaimed Australian and South Coast authors across genres including Crime, Poetry, Politics, Historical Fiction, Science Fiction and young adult novels. 

This year’s program sheds light on important social issues such as mental health, politics, creative practice, cultural belonging and country. 

Festival participants were announced at the lively launch on 30 June at Wollongong Art Gallery. Screenings of music by Fourplay, the indie-rock String Quartet, in collaboration with the lyrical narratives of novelist Neil Gaiman, created an immersive experience which set the perfect tone for the launch of this year’s festival.

The festival prides itself on celebrating local authors, with over 50 per cent of the program featuring homegrown talent, including Prime Minister Literary Award Winning Young-Adult writer, Helena Fox, leading science writers Tim and Emma Flannery, as well as Kate Scott who will appear in conversation with Susan McCreery to discuss their novels, both set in NSW coastal towns.

Joining the festival this year are several highly acclaimed authors who have garnered recognition for their outstanding contributions to literature, including John Birmingham, renowned for his memoir He Died with a Felafel in His Hand and his diverse novels spanning history, science fiction, military thrillers, and time-hop adventures. 

Birmingham will discuss his Space Opera Trilogy and he’ll also appear on the panel Politics today: thriller, horror, or black comedy? alongside esteemed figures such as Tim Ayliffe (ABC News), Fiona Katauskas, and Dominic Knight (ABC Radio).

Another prominent guest is Indira Naidoo, one of Australia's most popular broadcasters, who will engage in a thought-provoking discussion on Ritual, Nature, and Grace alongside poet Tamryn Bennett, the director of Red Room Poetry, and Sarah Nicholson, Festival director.  

The state of Australian publishing, and the $18,000 average yearly earning made by Australian authors, will also be put under the microscope in a conversation between Kate Holden, publisher Radhiah Chowdury, and Australian Society of Author’s board member Sarah Ayoub. 

Sarah Ayoub will also appear with Sara M. Saleh to unpack Belonging and what it means to be ‘Arab-Australian’, in conversation with Zohra Aly. 

Festival opening night on Friday 18 August features ‘Books We Love’ with presenters Kate Holden, Caroline Baum, Laura Brading, Kay Proudlove, Joshua Lobb, Julie Janson, Hayley Scrivenor, Dominic Knight and Sarah Nicholson and Adara Enthaler.

The Festival closes on Sunday 20 August with the announcement of the South Coast Writers Centre 2023 Poetry award, at Wollongong Art Gallery.

Tickets and the full 2023 program can be found at www.southcoastwriterscentre.org