See a stellar line-up of authors in Avalon
The second Northern Beaches Readers Festival, which will be held from 27 to 29 September in Avalon, offers a wide range of author talks and panels to suit every reader, whatever their preferred genre.
Festival president and author of six contemporary women’s fiction books, Sandie Docker, says that she saw a gap in the festival circuit for genres that usually don’t get a look in at bigger festivals.
“Women’s fiction, romance and historical fiction tend to get overlooked at some of those bigger festivals,” Sandie says.
“And they’re the kind of books that I love to curl up in bed (with), so I thought, ‘Where is that festival?’ It didn’t exist, so I thought somebody should create one, and that turned out to be me,” she laughs.
Highlights of this years’ festival will include two ‘in conversation’ events; 16 author panels on a variety of topics; two writing workshops; and three $5 ’festival fiver’ events, including the Book Club session on Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus.
Sandie had the idea for the readers festival pre-COVID and tried to get it off the ground in 2020 and again in 2021, but COVID stamped its lockdown foot. Eventually, they had their first biannual festival in 2022.
Sandie says she is nothing without her readers, and she considered that when she decided to call the event a reader’s festival rather than a writer’s festival.
“If I’m writing books and putting them out there and nobody’s reading them, then I’m talking to myself,” Sandie says. “Our books don’t come alive until they’re in the reader’s hands. So, it’s all about that connection we have with our readers and building that community and that love of reading.”
NORTHERN BEACHES READERS FESTIVAL
Friday 27 to Sunday 29 September
Avalon RSL and Avalon Recreation Centre
Visit: nbrf.com.au for costs and information
This year’s festival will feature 49 local and interstate authors, up from 30 in 2022, and has an expanded lineup of 24 events.
Miles Franklin Award winner Shanka Chandrin will be in conversation, as will Sulari Gentill, JP Pomare, Kate Forsyth, Benjamin Stevenson, Maya Linnell, Chris Hammer, Joanna Nell, Michael Brissenden, Hayley Scrivenor and more.
Award-winning crime writer Candice Fox will host a crime-writing workshop, and author Pamela Cook will lead a workshop on building page-turning characters in your own writing.
Author and festival patron Michael Robotham will share stories of his 20-year crime writing career. He’ll also host the Battle of the Bookish Brains event to close the festival. This is where five authors will be paired with audience members to compete in a literary quiz, with the Bookish Brains Champion Trophy up for grabs.
“Audience participation will be highly encouraged, and we might turn a blind eye to cheating,” Sandie laughs. “And I can’t guarantee that one of us will not throw out an answer here or there. It’s a free event, and it’s just a way for us to have a lot of fun to close off the festival.”
Sandie says festival tickets are selling fast, so get in quick to secure your tickets.