2026 Festival

Speaker Profile

Jo Dyer

Jo Dyer is a writer, literary curator and producer of theatre and film. A former director of Adelaide Writers’ Week, Jo has held leadership roles at the Sydney Writers’ Festival, Sydney Theatre Company and Bangarra Dance Theatre. Her freelance productions have been staged at such venues as the Sydney Opera House and the Tropicana Hotel in Las Vegas. Her films have been screened worldwide, notably at the Berlin International Film Festival.

When Did Climate Change Politics Become Unsexy?

Thursday April 23
Sorrento Community Centre
10.30am / 60 mins

Bob Brown, Tom McIlroy and Marian Wilkinson with Jo Dyer

Our esteemed panel - former Greens leader Bob Brown, Guardian political editor Tom McIlroy and Walkley Award-winning journalist Marian Wilkinson - discuss.


Meet The Debutants: Our new novelists share their first foray

Friday April 24
Ellen Grant Hall
9.00am / 60 mins

Davin Ardlie, Emily Lighezzolo and Cameron Sullivan with Jo Dyer

Join us as we celebrate three debutant authors and learn about the process of writing and publishing your first novel.


In Conversation: Lisa Wilkinson

Friday April 24
Portsea Surf Life Saving Club
1.30pm / 60 mins

Lisa Wilkinson with Jo Dyer

In Conversation: Louise Milligan

Saturday April 25
Hotel Sorrento (Cooper Room)
2.30pm / 60 mins

Louise Milligan with Jo Dyer

Multi-award winning investigative journalist Louise Milligan has just published her second novel. So how does one of Australia’s most prolific reporters find time to make up stories, invent characters and create imaginary worlds?