Program Updates
Please note some important program and venue updates below. You are also welcome to contact us if you have any further questions.
If you’re unsure where any of the festival Venues are, you can check their details here at the Venue page: https://sorrentowritersfestival.com.au/venues/
New Sessions
Friday April 26, 2pm – In Conversation: Artist Katherine Hattam with Chloe Hooper @ & Gallery, Sorrento
Saturday April 27, 12pm – How To Talk About War and Conflict: A conversation between John Lyons and Magda Szubanski @ Halcyon Hall, The Continental Sorrento
Saturday April 27, 1:30pm – The Art of Office Politics: How do you stop toxic workplace behaviour? How do you promote good leadership? with Julia Banks, Mim Barlett and Bernard Salt with Corrie Perkin @ Sorrento Bowls Club
Sunday April 28, 9am – THE BIG SWITCH: Look what happens when writers try new tricks A discussion between Louise Milligan, Jock Serong and Chris Womersley @ The Barlow Room, The Continental Sorrento (previously called Genre Switch, name change only)
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Sunday April 28, 10am – 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 @ The Barlow Room
If you would like to go to one of these, but have a conflict please email all details to [email protected] and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
Changes to note
Thursday April 25, 4pm – In Conversation with Amanda Lohrey (via Zoom) @ The Ballroom = Cancelled
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Thursday April 25, 5pm – Poetry Soiree @ Barlow Room, The Continental = CANCELLED
Friday April 26, 10:30am – In Conversation with Stephanie Alexander and Celia Hirsh (no longer with Paul Bangay) @ Halycon Hall, The Continental Sorrento
Friday April 26, 12noon – 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 (no longer with Stephanie Exton)
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Friday April 26, 1:30pm – 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 @ Ellen Grant Hall (no longer with Jamila Rizvi)
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Friday April 26, 4.30pm – Pinot and Poetry: Susie Anderson and Richard King discuss their art with Jaclyn Crupi @ Sorrento Bowls Club (Omar Sakr no longer attending)
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Saturday April 27, 9am – Other People’s Lives (iii): Three writes discuss their approach to biography – Catherine Lumby, Paddy Manning and Clare Wright with Laura Macdonald @ Sorrento Bowls Club (no longer with Jamila Rizvi)
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Saturday April 27, 9am – In Praise of Roses: The allure of the world’s favourite flower – Fiona Brockhoff, Jac Semmler and Pip Steele-Wareham with Corrie Perkin (no longer with Janelle McCulloch) @ The Ballroom, The Continental
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Saturday April 27, 1:30pm – Cultural Appropriation Alert: Exploring a novelist’s right to imagine – Kgshak Akec, Kate Mildenhall and Jock Serong with Fiona Gruber @ Sorrento Bowls Club – Cancelled
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Saturday April 27, 1:30pm – My Creative Journey: Poet Susie Anderson, dancer David McAllister and artist Lisa Roet with Michael Shmith @ Ellen Grant Hall (Omar Sakr no longer attending)
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Saturday April 27, 12pm – In Conversation with Wendy Harmer and Tom Wright (no longer Julia Baird) @ Halcyon Hall, The Continental Sorrento
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Saturday April 27, 4:30pm – A Reading of Hannie’s Work-in-Progress play – Marg Downey, Libby Gorr, Jane Montgomery Griffiths (no longer Magda Szubanski) @ Halcyon Hall, The Continental Sorrento
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Saturday April 27, 4:30pm – From The Top: Setting standards in Parliament House – Julia Banks, Troy Bramston, Kate Jenkins and Amy Remeikis with Madeleine Grummet @ Ellen Grant Hall (no longer with Jamila Rizvi)
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Sunday April 28, 8:15am – 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
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Sunday April 28, 10:30am – Your ABC: An Endangered Species? Jon Faine, Wendy Harmer and Ranald Macdonald with Libbi Gorr @ Ballroom, The Continental (Wendy Harmer replacing Jamila Rizvi)
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Sunday April 28, 12pm – We Are Sick of Feeling Unsafe: Feminism’s next challenge – Rosie Batty, Kate Jenkins and Catharine Lumby with Madeleine Grummet @ Halcyon Hall (no longer with Jamila Rizvi)
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Sunday April 28, 1:30pm – The Trump Phenomenon: Can 2016 really happen again? – Ilaria Walker, Don Watson and Bruce Wolpe with Cameron Stewart (Don Watson joining the panel)
Venue Changes
Thursday April 25
1pm – War and Words: Why documenting conflict and terrorism matters with Nick McKenzie, Andrew Quilty, and Michael Veitch with Sally Warhaft @ The Ballroom The Continental Sorrento (not Halcyon Hall),
1pm – In Conversation with Anna Funder (via Zoom) with Celia Hirsh @ Halcyon Hall, The Continental Sorrento (previously Ballroom)
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4pm – 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 @ The Ballroom, The Continental Sorrento (previously Barlow Room)
Friday April 26
9am – 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 @ Sorrento Bowls Club (previously Barlow Room)
9am – Digging Deep: Finding the courage to tell my story Jan Cochrane-Harry, Robyn Davidson, Lech Blaine and Grace Tame with Sally Warhaft @ Sorrento Community Centre (previously Sorrento Bowls Club)
10:30am – Telling Australia’s History: Judith Brett, Inala Cooper, Kate Fullagar and Don Watson with Michael Cathcart @ Sorrento Community Centre (previously Ellen Grant Hall)
12pm – 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 @ Sorrento Community Centre (previously Sorrento Bowls Club)
12pm – 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 @ Sorrento Bowls Club (previously Barlow Room)
1:30pm – The Art of the Cookbook (and why do I have so many on my shelf?) with Stephanie Alexander, Julia Busuttil-Nishimura and Belinda Jeffery with Jaclyn Crupi @ Sorrento Community Centre (previously Ballroom)
1:30pm – My Home Turf: How my location inspires my writing Tony Birch, Mark Brandi and Helen Elliot with Jock Serong @ Ballroom, The Continental Sorrento (previously Barlow Room)
3pm – Australia’s Role on the World Stage: Key role or bit player? Sam Roggeveen and Greg Sheridan with Jon Faine @ Sorrento Community centre (previously Halcyon Hall)
Saturday April 27
9am – In Conversation: Kate Grenville with Ramona Koval @ Community Centre (previously Sorrento Bowls Club)
9am – Other People’s Lives (iii) Three writers discuss their approach to biography Catharine Lumby, Paddy Manning and Clare Wright with Jamila Rizvi @ Sorrento Bowls Club (previously Sorrento Community Centre)
10:30am – Between Us: Two friends discuss the ties that bind Julia Banks and Grace Tame with Sam Lane @ Halcyon Hall, The Continental Sorrento (previously Sorrento Community Centre)
10:30am – 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 @ Sorrento Community Centre (previously Halcyon Hall)
12pm – In Conversation: Wendy Harmer with Tom Wright @ Barlow Room, The Continental Sorrento (previously at Halcyon Hall)
1:30pm – My Creative Journey: David McAllister, Lisa Roet and Omar Sakr in conversation @ Ellen Grant Hall (previously Ballroom)
1:30pm – 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 @ The Ballroom, The Continental Sorrento (previously Barlow Room)
3pm – USA Today: Looking ahead to the November election Sam Roggeveen, Don Watson and Bruce Wolpe with Heather Ewart @ Sorrento Community Centre (back to original venue, was in Halcyon Hall)
6pm – Words & Music: Monique DiMattina performs ‘Stella: The Miles Franklin Story’ – Unplugged. Followed by Deborah Conway and Willy Zygier @ The Ballroom, The Continental Sorrento (previously Halcyon Hall)
6pm – In Conversation: A glass of wine with Ann Cleeves via Zoom from the UK and Jason Steger @ Halcyon Hall, The Continental Sorrento (previously Ballroom)
Sunday April 28
10:30am – In Conversation: David Marr with Barrie Cassidy @ Sorrento Community Centre (previously Halcyon Hall)
10:30am – 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 @ Ellen Grant Hall (previously Barlow Room)
10:30am – Australian Politics: Toward the 2025 election Lech Blaine, Erik Jensen, Amy Remeikis and Niki Savva with Brendan Donohoe @ Halcyon Hall (previously Sorrento Community Centre)
12pm – We are Sick of Feeling Unsafe: Feminism’s next challenge Rosie Batty, Kate Jenkins and Catharine Lumby with Jamila Rizvi @ Halcyon Hall, The Continental (previously The Ballroom)
12pm – 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 @ The Ballroom, The Continental (previously Halcyon Hall)
12pm – 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 @ Ellen Grant Hall (previously Barlow Room)
NB: If you’re unsure where any of these Venues are, you can check their details here at the Venue page: https://sorrentowritersfestival.com.au/venues/
Please note there will be no refunds from 9am, Monday April 22.
