2026 Festival

Speaker Profile

Bri Lee

Bri Lee is the multi-award-winning bestselling author of acclaimed non-fiction books Eggshell Skull, Beauty and Who Gets to Be Smart. Her journalism, essays, and short stories have been published widely, and she is the creator and editor of News & Reviews. Bri’s bestselling first novel, The Work, was published in April 2024 and has been longlisted for the 2025 Indie Award for Debut Fiction. Her latest book, Seed, was released in 2025. 

Special Event
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? 

How Did I Come Up With That? Three fiction writers reveal their ideas

Sunday April 26
Hotel Sorrento (Cooper Room)
10.30am / 60 mins

Miranda Darling, Bri Lee, Murray Middleton with Mel Fulton 

Three Books I Always Recommend – And Why

Sunday April 26
Ellen Grant Hall
3.00pm / 60 mins

Jennifer Byrne, Bri Lee and J.P. Pomare with Jason Steger 

Our panel discusses when a friend asks for a great book recommendation, do you find you have a favourite two or three? What is it about these books that encourage us to share?