If you are an Early Bird Member or Day Pass Holder, please log in first to book your tickets.
General release tickets now on sale.
Wednesday April 24
3.00pm
Event Finished
60 mins
Sorrento Portsea RSL
Gallipoli
How one campaign defined a nation
Judith Brett and Patrick Carlyon with Michael Cathcart
Wednesday April 24
4.00pm
Event Finished
60 mins
Sorrento Portsea RSL
War Stories
Our writer friends read words from the battlefields
Patrick Carlyon, Inala Cooper, Hannie Rayson and Michael Veitch with Corrie Perkin
Wednesday April 24
5.30pm
Event Finished
120 mins
Sorrento Portsea RSL
Don't Shoot the Messenger
Live Recording of Podcast
Corrie Perkin and Caroline Wilson with Guest Marg Downey
Wednesday April 24
5.30pm
Event Finished
90 mins
Sorrento Museum
The Soldier's Letter
A personal view of The Great War
with Clive Smith and Michael Veitch
Followed by Museum Drinks
Thursday April 25
1.00pm
Event Finished
60 mins
The Ballroom, The Continental
War and Words
Why documenting conflict and terrorism matters
Nick McKenzie, Andrew Quilty, and Michael Veitch with Sally Warhaft
Thursday April 25
1.00pm
Event Finished
60 mins
Halcyon Hall, The Continental
In Conversation
Anna Funder
Anna Funder via Zoom with Celia Hirsh
Thursday April 25
1.00pm
Event Finished
60 mins
The Barlow Room, The Continental
Chapter One
How novels begin and where my ideas come from
Mark Brandi, Anne Buist and Graeme Simsion with Laura Macdonald
Thursday April 25
1.00pm
Event Finished
60 mins
Ellen Grant Hall
Can Faith Heal An Angry World?
Michael Gawenda and Greg Sheridan with Amanda Smith
Thursday April 25
1.00pm
Event Finished
60 mins
Sorrento Museum
Please Read Me A Story
The importance of bringing children and books together
Michael Carr-Gregg, Michael Earp, Jane Godwin and Anna Walker with Nicole Hayes
Thursday April 25
2.30pm
Event Finished
60 mins
The Barlow Room, The Continental
The Migration Story in Contemporary Fiction
Kgshak Akec, Leah Kaminsky, Ian Roberts and Saman Shad with Inala Cooper
Thursday April 25
2.30pm
Event Finished
60 mins
Sorrento Museum
Dynamic Workplaces and Good Leaders
How do we find them? How do we create them?
Mim Bartlett and Bernard Salt discuss with Julia Banks
Thursday April 25
2.30pm
Event Finished
60 mins
Ellen Grant Hall
In Conversation
Alex Miller
Alex Miller with Michael Shmith
Thursday April 25
2.30pm
Event Finished
60 mins
The Ballroom, The Continental
The EM Forster Project
Investigating why one of the world’s great authors stopped writing novels
University of Melbourne students Lottie Dalton and Miranda Guy and Barry Jones with Corrie Perkin
Thursday April 25
2.30pm
Event Finished
60 mins
Halcyon Hall, The Continental
In Conversation
Dervla McTiernan
Dervla McTiernan with Jaclyn Crupi
Thursday April 25
4.00pm
Event Finished
60 mins
The Ballroom, The Continental
Nice Place For a Murder
The role of small towns and close-knit communities in crime fiction
Shelley Burr, Aoife Clifford and Adrian Hyland with Tim Byrne
Thursday April 25
4.00pm
Event Finished
60 mins
Ellen Grant Hall
Other People’s Lives (i)
Three writers discuss their approach to biography
Judith Brett, Sarah Krasnostein and Walter Marsh with Michael Cathcart
Thursday April 25
4.00pm
Event Finished
60 mins
Halcyon Hall, The Continental
How To Grow Old
It ain’t for the faint-hearted
Michael Carr-Gregg, Karen Inge and Bernard Salt with Hannie Rayson
Thursday April 25
4.00pm
Event Finished
60 mins
Sorrento Museum
After Lizzie and Darcy
Great lovers and sizzling romance in contemporary fiction
Michael Earp, Madeleine Gray, Saman Shad and Graeme Simsion with Jaclyn Crupi
Thursday April 25
5.15pm
Event Finished
120 mins
Halcyon Hall, The Continental
The Barry Jones Oration by Don Watson
Plus the presentation of the Sorrento Creative Writing Prize by Helen Sykes of Future Leaders, and Acknowledgement of Country with Lionel and Skyla Lauch of Living Culture
Thursday April 25
5.15pm
Event Finished
75 mins
Sorrento Museum
The George Coppin Story
Simon Plant, Clive Smith and Fiona Gruber discuss the American years of Sorrento’s most famous founding father
Thursday April 25
5.15pm
Event Finished
75 mins
The Ballroom, The Continental
Dear Mum, You’re In My Book
The challenges of writing memoir
Robyn Davidson, Helen Elliott, Alex Miller and Rachelle Unreich with Ramona Koval
Thursday April 25
7.00pm
Event Finished
120 mins
Antipodes Book Shop and Gallery
Story Slam
with Jane Hone
This is a special event. A community, open-mic event where storytellers gather to share five-minute stories on the night's theme which is "Journeys" - without notes. This is a separate ticketed event.
Friday April 26
8.15am
Event Finished
45 mins
The Ballroom, The Continental
Modernism (i)
The Art Breakfast: The Heide crowd, its impact and influence on modern Australian art
Jane Eckett, Lesley Harding and Kendrah Morgan with Corrie Perkin
Friday April 26
8.15am
Event Finished
45 mins
Halcyon Hall, The Continental
The Morning Feed
Join our chat about the news of the day
Inala Cooper and Michael Gawenda with Tom Wright
Friday April 26
9.00am
Event Finished
60 mins
Sorrento Community Centre
Digging Deep
Finding the courage to tell my story
Jan Cochrane-Harry, Robyn Davidson, Lech Blaine and Grace Tame with Sally Warhaft
Friday April 26
9.00am
Event Finished
60 mins
The Ballroom, The Continental
Modernism (ii)
How mid-century architecture changed domestic life
Fiona Austin, Patricia Callan and Greer Honeywill with Fiona Gruber
Friday April 26
9.00am
Event Finished
60 mins
Halcyon Hall, The Continental
Truth
War’s first casualty?
John Lyons, Nick McKenzie, Andrew Quilty and Sally Young with Ian Henderson
Friday April 26
9.00am
Event Finished
60 mins
Ellen Grant Hall
It Was a Dark and Stormy Night
Page-turner novels and why we love them
Shelley Burr, Aoife Clifford, Garry Disher and Adrian Hyland with Liz Porter
Friday April 26
9.00am
Event Finished
60 mins
Sorrento Bowls Club
Come In, The Water’s Fine
Three of Australia’s hottest new novelists discuss their debut fiction
Kgshak Akec, Abby Corson and Steph Vizard with Nicole Hayes
Friday April 26
9.00am
Event Finished
60 mins
Sorrento Sailing Couta Boat Club
In Conversation
Michael Gawenda
Michael Gawenda with Ramona Koval
Friday April 26
10.30am
Event Finished
60 mins
Sorrento Bowls Club
The Plot Thickens
Three fiction writers reveal their storytelling process
Melissa Ashley, Mark Brandi and Dervla McTiernan with Hannie Rayson
Friday April 26
10.30am
Event Finished
60 mins
The Ballroom, The Continental
Modernism (iii) Mid-Century Australian Art
The heroes, the promoters and the exiles
Lesley Harding, Rodney James and Kendrah Morgan with Charlotte Guest
Friday April 26
10.30am
Event Finished
60 mins
Sorrento Community Centre
Telling Australia’s History
Judith Brett, Inala Cooper, Kate Fullagar and Don Watson with Michael Cathcart
Friday April 26
10.30am
Event Finished
60 mins
Halcyon Hall, The Continental
In Conversation
Stephanie Alexander
Stephanie Alexander with Celia Hirsh
Friday April 26
10.30am
Event Finished
60 mins
Sorrento Sailing Couta Boat Club
Romance Novels
From Jane to Georgette and beyond, they remain the publishing world's great sellers
Madeleine Gray, Jennifer Kloester, Saman Shad and Christos Tsiolkas with Michael Shmith
Friday April 26
10.30am
Event Finished
60 mins
The Barlow Room, The Continental
Books As Objects and Art Forms
In this Chat GPT, generative AI world, is there still a place for the book?
Chong Weng-Ho, Kate Mildenhall and Margo Neale with Tom Wright
Friday April 26
12.00pm
Event Finished
60 mins
The Ballroom, The Continental
The Legacy of Holocaust Stories
In fiction and non-fiction, 20th Century European Jewish history still resonates
Michael Gawenda, Leah Kaminsky and Rachelle Unreich with Liz Porter
Friday April 26
12.00pm
Event Finished
60 mins
Halcyon Hall, The Continental
The 200th Anniversary of Australia’s First Free Press
Are we still free?
Eric Beecher, Catharine Lumby and Sally Young with Ranald Macdonald
Friday April 26
12.00pm
Event Finished
60 mins
Sorrento Community Centre
Books as Game Changers
Three authors reflect upon their own books, and the work of others
Sarah Krasnostein and Christos Tsiolkas discuss with Chloe Hooper
Friday April 26
12.00pm
Event Finished
60 mins
Ellen Grant Hall
Writers on Children’s Writing
Four children’s authors and illustrators discuss the process of creating books for kids
Jane Godwin, Andrea Rowe and Anna Walker with Nicole Hayes
Friday April 26
12.00pm
Event Finished
60 mins
Sorrento Bowls Club
Writers on Writing
Three authors discuss their work, their writing journey and their creative process
Melissa Ashley, Karen Viggers and Chris Womersley with Laura Macdonald
Friday April 26
12.00pm
Event Finished
60 mins
Sorrento Sailing Couta Boat Club
The Power of Us v. It's All About Me
How to build cohesive and connected communities
Lucinda Holdforth, Jack Manning Bancroft and Bernard Salt with Stephen Lunn
Friday April 26
12.00pm
Event Finished
60 mins
The Baths, Sorrento
Talking Politics 2024
Our annual Political Lunch at The Baths
Paddy Manning, Amy Remeikis and Laura Tingle with Barrie Cassidy
Friday April 26
1.30pm
Event Finished
60 mins
Sorrento Community Centre
The Art of the Cookbook
(and why do I have so many on my shelf?)
Stephanie Alexander, Julia Busuttil-Nishimura and Belinda Jeffery with Jaclyn Crupi
Friday April 26
1.30pm
Event Finished
60 mins
Ellen Grant Hall
Australia 2024
Who are we, what do we like, what are we thinking and what are we buying?
Ross Honeywill and Bernard Salt with Stephen Lunn
Friday April 26
1.30pm
Event Finished
60 mins
Halcyon Hall, The Continental
Unlocking Australia’s Potential
How First Nations learnings can help us thrive, understand and connect
Jack Manning Bancroft, Thomas Mayo and Margo Neale with Inala Cooper
Friday April 26
1.30pm
Event Finished
60 mins
Sorrento Sailing Couta Boat Club
Between Us
Two friends discuss the ties that bind: Deborah Conway and Caroline Wilson
Deborah Conway and Caroline Wilson
Friday April 26
1.30pm
Event Finished
60 mins
Sorrento Bowls Club
In Conversation
Charlotte Wood
Charlotte Wood with Ramona Koval
Friday April 26
1.30pm
Event Finished
60 mins
The Ballroom, The Continental
My Home Turf
How my location inspires my writing
Tony Birch, Mark Brandi and Helen Elliot with Jock Serong
Friday April 26
2.00pm
Event Finished
60 mins
& Gallery
In Conversation
Artist Katherine Hattam with Chloe Hooper
Friday April 26
3.00pm
Event Finished
60 mins
The Barlow Room, The Continental
Writers on Writing
Three authors discuss their work, their writing journey and their creative process
Adrian Hyland, Richard King and Saman Shad with Sam Lane
Friday April 26
3.00pm
Event Finished
60 mins
The Ballroom, The Continental
Understanding Rupert
The influence and legacy of media proprietor Rupert Murdoch
Ranald Macdonald, Paddy Manning, Walter Marsh and Sally Young with Corrie Perkin
Friday April 26
3.00pm
Event Finished
60 mins
Sorrento Community Centre
Australia’s Role on the World Stage
Key role or bit player?
Sam Roggeveen and Greg Sheridan with Jon Faine
Friday April 26
3.00pm
Event Finished
60 mins
Sorrento Bowls Club
Other People’s Lives (ii)
Three writers discuss their approach to biography
Troy Bramston, Kate Fullagar and David Marr with Michael Veitch
Friday April 26
3.00pm
Event Finished
60 mins
Ellen Grant Hall
Climate, Crisis and Cop28
Have we lost the war?
Peter Christoff and John Hewson with Kate Mildenhall
Friday April 26
3.00pm
Event Finished
60 mins
Sorrento Sailing Couta Boat Club
The Golden Age of Detective Stories
How a generation of 20th century British and American writers transformed the genre
Anne Buist, Amanda Hampson and Jennifer Kloester with Fiona Gruber
Friday April 26
4.30pm
Event Finished
60 mins
Sorrento Bowls Club
Pinot and Poetry
Susie Anderson and Richard King discuss their art with Jaclyn Crupi
Friday April 26
4.30pm
Event Finished
90 mins
The Ballroom, The Continental
Talking Footy Event
with Samantha Lane, Mike Sheahan and Caroline Wilson with Steve Perkin. This is a special event
Friday April 26
4.30pm
Event Finished
60 mins
Ellen Grant Hall
In Conversation
Chris Hammer and Dervla McTiernan
Chris Hammer and Dervla McTiernan with Tim Byrne
Friday April 26
4.30pm
Event Finished
60 mins
The Barlow Room, The Continental
Cripes, You Can’t Say That!
What is free speech and what are we afraid of?
Dennis Glover and Lucinda Holdforth with Hannie Rayson
Friday April 26
6.15pm
Event Finished
75 mins
The Ballroom, The Continental
The Story Lab
Over Friday night drinks, watch a story come to life in real time as our writers pitch their synopsis
Ben Ball, Chris Hammer, Dervla McTiernan, Hannie Rayson and Jock Serong with Jane Hone
Saturday April 27
8.15am
Event Finished
45 mins
The Ballroom, The Continental
In Praise of Hilary Mantel
Bill Hamilton and Nicholas Pearson via Zoom from the UK with Jonathan Green
Saturday April 27
8.15am
Event Finished
45 mins
Halcyon Hall, The Continental
The Morning Feed
Join our chat about the news of the day
John Lyons and Niki Savva with Tom Wright
Saturday April 27
9.00am
Event Finished
60 mins
The Ballroom, The Continental
In Praise of Roses
The allure of the world’s favourite flower
Fiona Brockhoff, Jac Semmler and Pip Steele Wareham with Corrie Perkin
Saturday April 27
9.00am
Event Finished
60 mins
Sorrento Bowls Club
Other People’s Lives (iii)
Three writers discuss their approach to biography
Catharine Lumby, Paddy Manning and Clare Wright with Laura Macdonald
Saturday April 27
9.00am
Event Finished
60 mins
The Barlow Room, The Continental
Writers on Writing
Three authors discuss their work, their writing journey and their creative process
Melanie Joosten, Amy Brown and Liam Pieper with Tim Byrne
Saturday April 27
9.00am
Event Finished
60 mins
Sorrento Community Centre
In Conversation
Kate Grenville
Kate Grenville with Ramona Koval
Saturday April 27
9.00am
Event Finished
60 mins
Halcyon Hall, The Continental
Toward 2030
Who will be the world’s superpowers and major players?
John Lyons, Sam Roggeveen and Ilaria Walker with Natasha Mitchell
Saturday April 27
9.00am
Event Finished
60 mins
Ellen Grant Hall
Characters, I’ve Killed A Few
Why we write crime fiction
Sarah Bailey, Chris Hammer and Amanda Hampson with Steve Perkin
Saturday April 27
9.00am
Event Finished
60 mins
Portsea Surf Life Saving Club
Unpacking Australian Literature
Why telling our own stories matters
Tony Birch, Jock Serong and Charlotte Wood discuss with Sarah L’Estrange
Saturday April 27
10.00am
Event Finished
60 mins
Sorrento Golf Club
In Conversation
John Hewson
John Hewson with Jon Faine
Saturday April 27
10.30am
Event Finished
60 mins
Halcyon Hall, The Continental
Between Us
Two friends discuss the ties that bind: Julia Banks and Grace Tame
Julia Banks and Grace Tame with Sam Lane
Saturday April 27
10.30am
Event Finished
60 mins
The Ballroom, The Continental
Thank you, Bacchus
The joy of cooking and sharing a meal with others
Julia Busuttil Nishimura, Jaclyn Crupi, Karen Inge and Belinda Jeffery with Celia Hirsh
Saturday April 27
10.30am
Event Finished
60 mins
Ellen Grant Hall
Call My Agent
How to get in the door, noticed, read, remembered and published
Ben Ball, Kate Mildenhall and Liam Pieper with Irma Gold
Saturday April 27
10.30am
Event Finished
60 mins
Sorrento Community Centre
Journalism or Fake News
How did we find ourselves in an era of mistruths and misinformation
Nick McKenzie, Louise Milligan and Niki Savva with Sally Warhaft
Saturday April 27
10.30am
Event Finished
60 mins
Portsea Surf Life Saving Club
In Conversation
Gail Jones
Gail Jones with Fiona Gruber
Saturday April 27
10.30am
Event Finished
Sorrento Bowls Club
Storytelling on Stage
Wesley Enoch, David McAllister and Hannie Rayson with Michael Shmith
Saturday April 27
12.00pm
Event Finished
60 mins
Portsea Surf Life Saving Club
After Attenborough, Who or What Will Save Our Planet?
Peter Christoff and Kylie Soanes with Amanda Smith
Saturday April 27
12.00pm
Event Finished
60 mins
Sorrento Bowls Club
Lunch with The Good Ones
Story Matters in The Big Sell: A dive into what makes successful advertising in 2024
Good One Creative with Russel Howcroft
Saturday April 27
12.00pm
Event Finished
60 mins
Sorrento Golf Club
Between Us
Two friends discuss the ties that bind: Lindsay Fox and Bill Kelty
Lindsay Fox and Bill Kelty with Barrie Cassidy
Saturday April 27
12.00pm
Event Finished
60 mins
Sorrento Community Centre
The Good, The Bad and The Underwhelming
What does good political leadership look like
Lech Blaine, Troy Bramston and Niki Savva with Brendan Donohoe
Saturday April 27
12.00pm
Event Finished
60 mins
Ellen Grant Hall
Once Upon a Time…
How historical fiction helps us understand the past, the present – and ourselves
Melanie Joosten, Leah Kaminsky and Jock Serong with Peter Wilmoth
Saturday April 27
12.00pm
Event Finished
60 mins
The Ballroom, The Continental
The Life and Legacy of Stella Maria Miles Franklin
Kgshak Akec, Amy Brown, Monique DiMattina and Clare Wright with Fiona Sweet
Saturday April 27
12.00pm
Event Finished
60 mins
The Barlow Room, The Continental
In Conversation
Wendy Harmer
Wendy Harmer with Tom Wright
Saturday April 27
12.00pm
Event Finished
60 mins
Halcyon Hall, The Continental
How To Talk About War and Conflict
A conversation between John Lyons and Magda Szubanski
Saturday April 27
1.30pm
Event Finished
60 mins
The Ballroom, The Continental
From Front Page to Bestseller
How easy is it to flick the switch from journalism to fiction?
Chris Hammer, Wendy Harmer, Louise Milligan and Chris Womersley with Steve Perkin
Saturday April 27
1.30pm
Event Finished
60 mins
Ellen Grant Hall
My Creative Journey
Poet Susie Anderson, dancer David McAllister and artist Lisa Roet and discuss their art, their inspirations, their creative highs and lows with Michael Shmith
Saturday April 27
1.30pm
Event Finished
60 mins
Halcyon Hall, The Continental
Creating Real Change Through Truth-telling, Songlines and Shared Knowledge
David Marr, Thomas Mayo and Margo Neale with Natasha Mitchell
Saturday April 27
1.30pm
Event Finished
60 mins
Sorrento Community Centre
Crooks I Have Known
Betty King, Nick McKenzie and John Silvester with Libbi Gorr
Saturday April 27
1.30pm
Event Finished
60 mins
Portsea Surf Life Saving Club
Inspired by Real Events
How novelists weave fact into their fiction
Melissa Ashley, Dennis Glover and Kate Grenville with Irma Gold
Saturday April 27
1.30pm
Event Finished
60 mins
Sorrento Bowls Club
The Art of Office Politics
How do you stop toxic workplace behaviour? How do you promote good leadership?
Julia Banks, Mim Bartlett and Bernard Salt with Corrie Perkin
Saturday April 27
3.00pm
Event Finished
60 mins
The Barlow Room, The Continental
Writers on Writing
Three authors discuss their work, their writing journey and their creative process
Kgshak Akec, Sarah Bailey and Tony Birch with Nicole Hayes
Saturday April 27
3.00pm
Event Finished
60 mins
Portsea Surf Life Saving Club
The Leap From Page to Screen
Exploring the nuanced process in-between
Shaun Grant, Michael Lucas and Christos Tsiolkas with Laura Macdonald
Saturday April 27
3.00pm
Event Finished
60 mins
Ellen Grant Hall
Living in the Future
AI, Chat GPT and the changing face of learning
Jon Faine, Richard King and Zoe McKenzie with Peter Wilmoth
Saturday April 27
3.00pm
Event Finished
60 mins
The Ballroom, The Continental
Rewilding, Renewing and Rethinking
How we are applying new ideas to save our environment
Fiona Brockhoff, Peter Christoff, Jac Semmler and Kylie Soanes with Jonathan Green
Saturday April 27
3.00pm
Event Finished
60 mins
Sorrento Community Centre
USA Today
Looking ahead to the November election
Sam Roggeveen, Don Watson and Bruce Wolpe with Heather Ewart
Saturday April 27
3.00pm
Event Finished
60 mins
Sorrento Bowls Club
The Accountability Roundtable
Why truth, facts and accountability are more important than ever
Lucinda Holdforth, Barry Jones, John Hewson and Peter Singer with Sally Warhaft
Saturday April 27
3.00pm
Event Finished
60 mins
Halcyon Hall, The Continental
Between Us
Two friends discuss the ties that bind: Marg Downey and Magda Szubanski
Marg Downey and Magda Szubanski with Corrie Perkin
Saturday April 27
4.30pm
Event Finished
75 mins
Halcyon Hall, The Continental
A Reading of Hannie’s Work-In-Progress Play
Marg Downey, Libbi Gorr and Jane Montgomery Griffiths with Hannie Rayson
Saturday April 27
4.30pm
Event Finished
60 mins
Ellen Grant Hall
From The Top
Setting standards in Parliament House
Julia Banks, Troy Bramston, Kate Jenkins and Amy Remeikis with Madeleine Grummet
Saturday April 27
4.30pm
Event Finished
60 mins
Sorrento Community Centre
The Art of the Essay
Sarah Krasnostein, David Marr and Laura Tingle with Ramona Koval
Saturday April 27
4.30pm
Event Finished
60 mins
Sorrento Bowls Club
Tall Tales of True Crime
Why we can’t get enough
Gideon Haigh and John Silvester with Jon Faine
Saturday April 27
5.00pm
Event Finished
120 mins
& Gallery
When Words Fail Art Succeeds
Artists their books and literary inspiration
Lisa Roet, Noel Fermanis and Katherine Hattam in conversation
Saturday April 27
6.00pm
Event Finished
150 mins
The Ballroom, The Continental
Words & Music
This is a special event: Monique DiMattina performs 'Stella: The Miles Franklin Story' - Unplugged
Followed by
Deborah Conway and Willy Zygier
Saturday April 27
6.00pm
Event Finished
60 mins
Halcyon Hall, The Continental
In Conversation
Ann Cleeves
A glass of wine with Ann Cleeves via Zoom from the UK and Jason Steger
Sunday April 28
8.15am
45 mins
The Barlow Room, The Continental
Breakfast With The Bots
Does AI rob us of our creativity and humanity?
Dave King, Richard King and Zoe McKenzie with Libbi Gorr
Sunday April 28
8.15am
45 mins
The Ballroom, The Continental
Breakfast with The Bard
A celebration of the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's first folio
Wesley Enoch, Barry Jones and Jane Montgomery Griffiths with Michael Cathcart
Sunday April 28
8.15am
45 mins
Halcyon Hall, The Continental
The Morning Feed
Join our chat about the news of the day
Erik Jensen and Amy Remeikis with Tom Wright
Sunday April 28
9.00am
60 mins
Halcyon Hall, The Continental
After the Referendum
What happens next?
Troy Bramston, Wesley Enoch, Thomas Mayo and Laura Tingle with Jon Faine
Sunday April 28
9.00am
60 mins
The Ballroom, The Continental
Love, Lust and Literature
Exploring matters of the heart in books and other art forms
Barry Jones and Christos Tsiolkas with Michael Shmith
Sunday April 28
9.00am
45 mins
Sorrento Bowls Club
The Back Page
Sportswriting, cracking stories and how to capture legendary moments
Gideon Haigh, Sam Lane and Caroline Wilson with Steve Perkin
Sunday April 28
9.00am
60 mins
Sorrento Community Centre
The Power of the Podcast
How they impact storytelling, record history and generate vital discussion
John Silvester, Jessie Stephens and Hedley Thomas with Jonathan Green
Sunday April 28
9.00am
60 mins
The Barlow Room, The Continental
The Big Switch
Look what happens when writers try new tricks
A discussion between Louise Milligan, Jock Serong and Chris Womersley
Sunday April 28
10.00am
60 mins
The Barlow Room, The Continental
Chasing Waves
Why America’s best surfers came to Australia and why they stayed
Rusty Miller and Neverland: American and Australian Surfers in Byron 1960s and 1970s author Tricia Shantz with Jock Serong
Sunday April 28
10.30am
60 mins
Ellen Grant Hall
Writers on Writing
Three authors discuss their work, their writing journey and their creative process
Dennis Glover, Gail Jones and Myfanwy Jones with Laura Macdonald
Sunday April 28
10.30am
60 mins
Sorrento Community Centre
In Conversation
David Marr
David Marr with Barrie Cassidy
Sunday April 28
10.30am
60 mins
Halcyon Hall, The Continental
Australian Politics
Toward the 2025 election
Lech Blaine, Erik Jensen, Amy Remeikis and Niki Savva with Brendan Donohoe
Sunday April 28
10.30am
60 mins
Sorrento Bowls Club
In Conversation
William McInnes
William McInnes with Amanda Smith
Sunday April 28
10.30am
The Ballroom, The Continental
Your ABC
An Endangered Species?
Jon Faine, Wendy Harmer and Ranald Macdonald with Libbi Gorr
Sunday April 28
12.00pm
60 mins
Sorrento Community Centre
How My Life and My Story Became a Bestseller
What happens when your story takes on a new life
Dassi Erlich, Mimi Kwa and Magda Szubanski with Hannie Rayson
Sunday April 28
12.00pm
60 mins
Sorrento Bowls Club
In Conversation
Nam Le
Nam Le with Sarah L’Estrange
Sunday April 28
12.00pm
60 mins
The Ballroom, The Continental
When Good People Happen to Great Causes
How to help important issues grow wings
Nick Reece, Lyn Swinburne, Grace Tame and Clare Wright with Heather Ewart
Sunday April 28
12.00pm
60 mins
Halcyon Hall, The Continental
We are Sick of Feeling Unsafe
Feminism’s next challenge
Rosie Batty, Kate Jenkins and Catharine Lumby with Madeleine Grummet
Sunday April 28
12.00pm
60 mins
Ellen Grant Hall
Burning Issues Dressed Up As Fiction
How novels help us understand our world
Liam Pieper, Jessie Stephens, Karen Viggers and Chris Womersley with Jason Steger
Sunday April 28
1.30pm
60 mins
The Barlow Room, The Continental
In Conversation
Hedley Thomas
Hedley Thomas with Stephen Lunn
Sunday April 28
1.30pm
60 mins
Halcyon Hall, The Continental
Boards Behaving Badly
How elitism, sexism, cover-ups and stuff-ups can ruin a company’s reputation
Kate Jenkins, Stephen Mayne, Nick McKenzie and Nick Reece with Peter Inge
Sunday April 28
1.30pm
60 mins
The Ballroom, The Continental
The Trump Phenomenon
Can 2016 really happen again?
Ilaria Walker, Don Watson and Bruce Wolpe with Cameron Stewart
Sunday April 28
1.30pm
60 mins
Sorrento Community Centre
The Newsreader Unpacked
Why this ABC series made brilliant TV
Marg Downey, Michael Lucas, William McInnes and Lisa Millar with Tom Wright
Sunday April 28
1.30pm
60 mins
Sorrento Bowls Club
The Power of Editorials
Do people still listen? Should they listen?
Eric Beecher, Erik Jensen and Laura Tingle with Jon Faine
Sunday April 28
3.00pm
60 mins
Halcyon Hall, The Continental
Democracy Is Fragile
How did this happen and what must we do?
John Hewson, Niki Savva, Don Watson and Bruce Wolpe with Barrie Cassidy
Sunday April 28
3.00pm
60 mins
The Barlow Room, The Continental
The Healing Power of Writing
The magic of catharsis and the power of facing past trauma
Alexandra Collier, Dassi Erlich, Mimi Kwa and Nova Weetman with Amanda Smith
Sunday April 28
3.00pm
60 mins
The Ballroom, The Continental
Words Matter
How writing can create understanding, build bridges and changes lives
Kate Grenville, Nam Le and Thomas Mayo with Michael Shmith
Sunday April 28
3.00pm
60 mins
Sorrento Bowls Club
In Conversation
Peter Singer
Peter Singer with Michael Cathcart
Sunday April 28
3.00pm
60 mins
Sorrento Community Centre
In Conversation
Rosie Batty
Rosie Batty with Sam Lane
