The ultimate guide to Sydney Writers Festival

The annual Sydney Writers Festival is here, once again transforming the city into a haven for writers, readers and storytellers. We know it can be overwhelming if you haven’t planned properly, which is why we present to you the Sydney Travel Guide’s ultimate guide to Sydney Writers’ Festival.

What is Sydney Writers’ Festival?

Sydney Writers’ Festival is a citywide celebration of literature that brings people together to share books, writing and ideas. Storytellers of all different kinds assemble to join the week of fun which has run since 1997. The world’s best novelists, poets, journalists, intellectuals, economists, politicians, podcasters and scientists gather to discuss some of the most pressing issues of the time, and to showcase their writing.

It’s a place to hear new ideas, stories and voices.

Sydney Writers’ Festival 2025 Date, Theme and Venues

This year’s festival begins tomorrow, Tuesday, May 20 and runs until Tuesday, May 27. Events take place every day at venues across Sydney. The Festival Precinct is located at Carriageworks, and events will also be taking place at Sydney Town Hall, the State Library of NSW and Riverside Theatres in Parramatta.

Speaking about this year’s theme, ‘in this together’, artistic director Ann Mossop said:

As our list of Festival guests grew, something bigger and broader started to emerge, something that captures the state of being connected, the idea that we are ‘in this together’. Whether this is about being connected to other people, to the natural world or to the planet, being ‘in this together’ resonates with personal joys and global sorrows…

At a time when polarisation, mutual hostilities and political upheaval feel oppressively present, it also captures the fact that the Festival experience itself is an escape from this kind of division as writers and readers of all ages come together to talk and listen.

What’s on at Sydney Writers’ Festival?

The opening night event (Tuesday, May 20 at Carriageworks from 6pm) features a stellar lineup of readings and performances from across the program and is a great way to ease in to the Fesetival. Special guests will share stories about the theme, ‘In This Together’, including Torres Strait Islander writer and activist Thomas Mayo and Sunday Times-bestselling poet, Lemn Sissay and internationally acclaimed writer Jeanette Winterson. From there, the program extends across Sydney with events taking place every day for the next week.

Sydney Town Hall

Wednesday is a big day at the Town Hall: Australian author Liane Moriarty (Big Little Lies and Here One Moment) pairs up with British writer David Nicholls (One Day) to discuss their experiences of having their stories turn into bestselling novels and bingeable TV series and films (6pm-7pm). Later that evening, Marian Keyes, bestselling Irish author of Watermelon, speaks with Mamamia’s Holly Wainwright about the latest goings on for the Walsh family (8pm-9pm).

On Thursday, Jeanette Winterson celebrates 40 years of Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit (6pm-7pm) and the SWF Great Debate is back and ready to provoke (8:15pm-9:30pm). Matilda Boseley, Annabel Crabb, David Marr, Rhys Nicholson, Justine Rogers and Jennifer Wong will debate Oscar Wilde’s famous aphorism about friends who betray you.

If you’re not out at the big switch-on of Vivid Sydney 2025, catch the Bankstown Poetry Slam on Friday, May 23. Plestia Slaqad will headline this powerful night of poetry (8pm-9:30pm).

Over the weekend, Barrie Cassidy hosts a panel discussion featuring award-winning journalists Waleed Aly, George Megalogenis, Amy Remeikis and Niki Savva, who will assess the state of Australian politics in a special post-election wrap-up (Saturday, May 24, 6pm-7pm). In partnership with Vivid Sydney, Dreams of the Future will invite the audience to envision a better world uysing the power of words to create change (Saturday, May 24, 8pm-9:15pm). Firetalk is another series of events curated in partnership with Vivid Sydney (May 28, June 4 & 11, 6:30pm-7pm), taking place at Walumil Lawns in Barangaroo.

Rounding things off on Tuesday, May 27, neuroscientist Matthew Walker joins Sana Qadar to discuss his work on the science of sleep and how we can harness it to live longer, happier and healthier lives (6pm-7:15pm).

State Library of NSW

The State Library of NSW will host one day of events, starting at 9:30am and running until 7pm. First up, Kerrie Davies, Yves Rees and Susan Wyndham uncover the trailblazing Australian women whose stories have disappeared from history books at Vanishing Histories (9:30am-10:30am).

Rhodri Lewis on Shakespeare’s Tragedies explores the human condition and what makes Shakespeare’s tragedies so fresh and compelling today (11am-12pm), and then business commentator Joe Aston and award-winning labour relations lawyer Josh Bornstein take a look at the state of Australian businesses at Business Behaving Badly (1pm-2pm).

In the afteroon, festival favourites Roanna Gonsalces, Beejay Silcox and Michael Williams share what to read, who to see and how to make the most of your Festival week at Best of the Fest (2:30pm-3:30pm). Michael Visontay shares his story of delving into the world of book collectors to find the Gutenberg Bible and how he uncovered family secrets along the way (4pm-5pm) before Kate Grenville celebrates 25 years of her Australian classic, The Secret River, in a special edition of the Secret Life of Books podcast (6pm-7pm).

Sydney Writers Festival 2025 features hundreds of talks and panel discussions by top-selling novelists and thought leaders. — Sydney Writers’ Festival 2025 is based mostly at Carriageworks and features hundreds of talks and panel discussions by top-selling novelists and thought leaders. (Image supplied).

Carriageworks

More than 110 events are taking place in Eveleigh, so we won’t list them all here. Highlights, however, include appearances from Markus Zusak and Kate Grenville, and a discussion about the past and future of Indigenous recognition led by the respected leader, Thomas Mayo, and historian Clare Wright on May 22.

On Friday, May 23, novelist Shankari Chadran, investigative journalist Kate McClymont and Diamond Dagger Award-winner Ian Rankin will assemble to discuss the line between fact and fiction in their crime stories, in Untrue Crime (6pm-7pm). Ian Rankin will be back on stage the next day, on Saturday, May 24, to reflect on his career as an international bestselling author and the UK’s top crime writer, following the latest instalment of his Inspector Rebus series.

On Sunday, May 25, Colm Tóibín and Charlotte Wood discuss how they became writers and what Ireland and Australia’s literary culture means to them. Perhaps Making a Writer (2pm–3pm) could inspire your authorial journey? The full Carriageworks program is online.

Free events

There are heaps of free events at Sydney Writers’ Festival this year, with 16 to choose from between Wednesday 21 and Sunday 25. If you’re looking for some recommendations for your TBR pile, make sure you go to Your Next Favourite Book (May 22, 5pm-6pm), which is a panel discussion featuring some of the Festival’s most exciting novelists. Erik Jensen, editor in chief of Schwartz Media, will discuss the day’s headlines with special guests on May 23 and 24, while Michael Williams, editor of The Monthly, will host Coffee and Headlines on May 25 (all 8:30am-9:30am).

The winner of the 2025 Russell Prize for Humour Writing will be announced on Sunday, May 25, in a free event hosted by prize judge Richard Glover. He will also discuss what really gets us laughing at the Humour Me event (2pm-3pm).

The Curiosity Lecture Series returns to the Festival this year, bringing a lineup of through-provoking speakers who will deliver one-time talks on their favourite topics — and they’re all free to attend. Toby Walsh, one of the world’s leading researchers in artificial intelligence, kicks things off on Thursday with The Six Ideas You Need to Understand AI (11am-11:30am). Talks may only last 30 minutes but that’s sure to be enough to get you thinking, with topics including mental illness (May 22, 1:30pm-2pm), identity as a Jew in modern Australia (May 22, 2pm-2:30pm), the secrets to raising happy and healthy children aged five to 10 years (May 23, 10am-10:30am) and economic inequality (May 23, 3pm-4pm).

Young Adult fiction

Teen readers or budding authors should get themselves down to Carriageworks on Saturday, May 24, for All-Day YA. From 10am until 6:30pm there will be talks by some of YA Fiction’s most popular authors.

Mike Lucas (Olivias Voice), Margot McGovern (Neverland) and Neal Shusterman (Scythe) are known for their shocking page-turners. at All the Thrills and Chills (10am-11am), they will discuss the art and appeal of inspiring goosebumps — and unmissable opportunity to fans of any of these three authors.

Romantasy has been having its moment for a while now, largely thanks to ACOTAR (iykyk). Some of the stars of the hybrid-genre — Keshe Chow, Sophie Clark and Tricia Levenseller — will assemble at Carriageworks to talk about the irresistable allure of romantasy in Heart and Soul (2pm-3pm). The full YA program can be found here.

Kids are catered for as well, with a whole day devoted to families at Sydney Writers Festival. (Image supplied).

Family Day

Whisk kids away into a world of imagination on Sunday, May 25, when Carriageworks will host the Family Day. From 9:30am until 4pm, talks, storytelling sessions, arts and craft stations, a mobile library, live animals and more will be available through a range of free or ticketed ($10-$20) events.

Learn how to tell a great visual story with graphic novelist Mike Barry at Make Your Own Comic, test your reptile knowledge with Corey Tutt’s Deadly Reptiles (10:30am-11am), meet some wildlife from Taronga Zoo at Taronga Presents (11:30am-12pm) and settle in for Storytime with Kylie Howarth (Bush Magic & Koalas Stole My Undies; 12:30pm-1pm) or Jacqueline Harvey (Alice-Miranda; 1-1:30pm.

Epic Illustrator Battle will see four illustrators take part in a ferocious battle to determind who is the champion of champions (3-3:30pm), and Allison Rushby and AL Tait will reveal the secrets behind writing a good mystery novel for kids in Middle Grade Mysteries (3:30pm-4pm).

Other kids activities include Badgemaking with Cheryl Orsini (10am-3:30pm), the opportunity to unleash your inner artist at The Big Family Day Backdrop (10am-4pm) and Russ the Story Bus, a magical library on wheels that’s filled with books available to borrow all day (10am-4pm).

FAQs

When is Sydney Writers’ Festival?

This year’s festival begins on Tuesday, May 20 and runs for seven days until Tuesday, May 27. Events take place every day from morning until evening.

Where is Sydney Writers’ Festival?

Participating venues are located across Sydney. Carriageworks is the Festival Precinct, and events will also be taking place at Sydney Town Hall, the State Library of NSW and Riverside Theatres in Parramatta.

To get to Carriageworks, take the train to Redfern Station (eight-minute walk away), Macdonaldtown Station (10 minutes) or Newtown Station (15 minutes). Bus routes 422, 423, 426, 428, 370, 352 stop on City Road at Sydney University, a five minute walk from Carriageworks.

Do I need to buy a ticket?

The Festival is made up of many free events, though some do require tickets. Please refer to event pages for booking instructions. The program can be found at swf.org.au.