Melbourne Writers Festival

Melbourne Writers Festival returns 8–11 September 2022, with 75 unique events taking place at the Library over three days.

This year the festival is celebrating wild ambition and curious minds with some of the world's most exciting storytellers.

Sessions at the Library include prize-winning First nations poets Ali Cobby Eckermann and Evelyn Araluen, Australian Children's Laureate Gabrielle Wang, media presenter and writer Yassmin Abdel-Magied, plus authors Sarah Moss, Abbas Nazari, Steve Toltz and Chris Womersley and many more.

Tickets are on sale now, book on the Melbourne Writers Festival website.

The Library's bookworms have curated three special event bundles for the Friday, Saturday and Sunday to help you make the most of the Festival.

Pick up one (or more!) of the Library’s curated ticketing packages by selecting any of the events included and entering the code LIBRARYPICKS. Add to your cart and the system will automatically add your day-bundle of three events and apply a 20% discount.

Explore the event bundles.

Whether you’re logging in from home or immersed in a story in one of our stunning reading rooms, starting your next chapter is easy with a Library membership.

A State Library Victoria Access membership unlocks a treasure trove for readers, writers and curious creatives.

Learn more or become a member for free today.

Highlight events at the Library on Friday include:

• Bearing Witness (4.30pm): Human Rights Watch’s Australia Director Elaine Pearson and Gold Walkley-winning photojournalist and reporter Andrew Quilty discuss how their work bears witness to conflict and tragedy, elevating those whose lives are transformed by injustice and political failure. They speak with ABC Radio's Paul Barclay.
• Are We All OK? (6.30pm): How can we safeguard our mental wellbeing? Author Sarah Krasnostein, journalists Antoinette Lattouf and Rick Morton, and Aboriginal academic and wellbeing researcher Cammi Murrup-Stewart consider the path forward, with Astrid Edwards (The Garret).

Highlight events at the Library on Saturday include:

• Queerstories (8pm): Showcasing unexpected tales of pride, prejudice, love and resilience, Queerstories invites leading LGBTQI+ voices to share the story they’ve always wanted to tell, but have never been asked to. 
• Sarah Moss: The Fell (4.30pm): Appearing live in person, author Sarah Moss talks with Kate Evans about her suspenseful tale of mutual responsibility, personal freedom and the ways in which these past few years have exposed the fault lines of a fraught social contract. 

Highlight events at the Library on Sunday include:

• First Knowledges: Astronomy (1.30pm): Hear from Kamilaroi astrophysicist Krystal De Napoli as she shares insight into how First Nations people have valued the sun, moon and stars not just for seasonal survival, but as integral elements of the Dreaming and Songlines.
• Writing Wrongs (10.30am): Three writers from the frontlines of human rights crises share their remarkable stories of fighting – and writing – for freedom. Academic Kylie Moore-Gilbert, Journalist Louisa Lim, Myanmar-born writer and academic Michelle Aung Thin and participating chair Arnold Zable ask: when it comes to human rights, what is the role of the writer? And who is protecting them? 

Do you have a notebook full of script ideas? Have you dreamed of becoming a successful editor or been intrigued by the world of slam poetry?

Chase your passion and develop your skills with digital resources inspired by our Teen Writing Boot Camps and designed for budding writers of all backgrounds and levels!

Explore writing resources

Saturday 10 September is young adult day at the Library, where some of the best young adult writers in Australia come together for a day of free programming.

At headline event of the MWF Teens program, Sarah Ayoub, Alice Boyle, Alison Evans, Tobias Madden and Astrid Scholte share a brand-new, original story on the theme of Tales of thwarted ambitions.

In Good vs evil: the struggle is real, catch Vanessa Len, CS Pacat and Astrid Scholte as they discuss why we love reading about heroes (and villains maybe even more so) with Alison Evans.

Come along to Rewriting romance as Sarah Ayoub, Alice Boyle and Tobias Madden discuss writing stories that reflect the sometimes messy and often awkward experiences of young people in love with Leanne Hall.

Join us at Growing pains where Miranda Luby and Rhiannon Wilde share insight into their stories about young people finding courage and conviction amid hardship with Demet Divaroren.

Explore the Young Adult Day program

Join us at the library for a celebration of children's literature!

Saturday 10 September

• Real Pigeons get creative with creators of the bestselling Real Pigeons series Andrew McDonald and Ben Wood
• Australia's current Children's Laureate Gabrielle Wang will hold a fun dragon drawing workshop
• School of monsters with bestselling author Sally Rippin and her partner in slime Chris Kennett
• At 11 words for love join an interactive session with award-winning author Randa Abdel-Fattah and acclaimed illustrator Maxine Beneba Clarke

Sunday 11 September

• ABC TV musical sensations Teeny Tiny Stevies create cheerful music about the boys of reading
• Be careful, Xiao Xin! creators Alice Pung and Sher Rill Ng discuss bringing their moving tale about conquering your fears to life

Explore families weekend at the Library.

Bring internationally acclaimed writers into your home with MWF Digital.

Events are available individually on a pay-what-you-need basis, or you can purchase a Digital Pass to watch them all.

View the MWF Digital program

First Nations Curators, renowned writers Jazz Money and Chelsea Watego, enliven the Festival with events that speak to the complexities, joys and challenges of being a First Nations creative in so-called Australia.

Meet the curators in a blog by Melbourne Writers Festival.

Not sure where to start with this year's festival? Some of those closest to the program have shared their top picks:

• Walkley Award-winning columnist Jane Caro
• Kate Evans, co-presenter of ABC Radio National's weekly program 'The Bookshelf'
• MWF Associate Director Gene Smith
• MWF Program Manager Sonia Nair
• MWF Artistic Director Michaela McGuire