Canberra Writers Festival

Pens at the ready, friends: the inaugural Canberra Writer’s Festival is fast approaching. For the 26th to the 28th of August, Canberra will be captivated by a collection of local, national and international writers hosted at various locations throughout the city, under the theme of “Power, Politics, Passion.” There’s workshops and special events, as well as book releases and a chance to meet some seriously inspiring authors. With sessions quickly filling up and some event sold out, here are some events that are not to be missed:

Climbing Mountains/Writing Stories: a talk by Yann Martel

Yann Martel is the author of one of my personal favourite books, Life of Pi. His talent for storytelling and captivating the reader is nothing short of remarkable. In this talk, the winner of the 2002 Man Booker Prize for Fiction will take the audience through his journey of writing his latest novel, The High Mountains of Portugal.

6:30pm, Friday 28 August at Llewllyn Hall, Australian National University

The Shadow Game – Official Book Launch

In Canberra, we are pretty excited about Secret City – the political thriller series set in Canberra and filmed in so many iconic locations within our city. The series is inspired by The Mandarin Code and The Marmalade Files, written by Steve Lewis and Chris Uhlmann. Join the authors to celebrate the release of their latest novel, The Shadow Game.

5:45pm, Friday 28 August at the National Press Club of Australia

If These Walls Could Talk

Ever wondered what it would be like to be a fly on the wall in Parliament House or behind the closed doors of Government? Join Allan Behm, Sam Crosby and Anne Tiernan will share their experiences and insights into a world seen by so few.

10am, Saturday 27 August, Members Dining Room 2, Museum of Australian Democracy, Old Parliament House

Speechwriters: Paul Ritchie, Don Watson, Michael Cooney & Mark Brandon-Baker

As demonstrated so aptly by Melania Trump recently, speech writing is tricky business. Join a panel of speechwriters and find out exactly what it’s like to pen speeches for the Prime Minister

1pm, Saturday 27 August, Members Dining Room 2, Museum of Australian Democracy, Old Parliament House

These are just a handful of what is a very impressive lineup of authors, poets and writers. For the full schedule, visit the Canberra Writers Festival website.