2026 Festival
Speaker Profile
Hannie Rayson
Award-winning playwright, screenwriter, presenter and author, Hannie Rayson's works include Hotel Sorrento, Inheritance and Life After George. The latter was the first play to be nominated for the Miles Franklin Literary Award.
Speaking For Myself: The art of first-person writing
Thursday April 23
Hotel Sorrento (Salt Bar)
10.30am
/
60 mins
Chris Hammer, Lee Kofman and Kate Holden with Hannie Rayson
Special Event
Drinks With The Prize Winners
Friday April 24
The Ballroom, The Continental
4.30pm
/
60 mins
Erin Jensen, Sofie Laguna, Bri Lee, Patrick Mullins and Pip Williams with Hannie Rayson
Join us for a drink as we welcome The Prize Winners and hear what it’s like to have your writing work acknowledged by the literary and journalism communities.
Messy Characters = Great Fiction
Saturday April 25
Ellen Grant Hall
2.30pm
/
60 mins
Bri Lee, Kate Mildenhall and JP Pomare with Hannie Rayson
Where do great characters come from? Do your family or friends ever recognise themselves in your work? And why is the flawed, imperfect oddball in a novel way more interesting than someone nice?