2019 Sydney Writers’ Festival Program Announced!

The Sydney Writers’ Festival is all set to light up Carriageworks once again, with the 2019 lineup promising another spectacular year of Australian literary brilliance.

The theme for the festival this year is Lie to Me, a playful twist on the idea of storytelling and the role that books have come to play in our lives. Michaela McGuire, the festival’s Artistic Director, is simply thrilled about this year’s program:

“This May, hundreds of the world’s most exciting authors will gather in Sydney to examine the white lies and deceptions that are necessary for survival, and malicious lies that are spun with darker intent. They’ll explore the ways that writing can be used to deceive others in an increasingly post-truth world, look at the lies that we tell ourselves and each other, and those we collectively tell as a country”.

I don’t know about you, but this sounds awesome, and it has one hell of an author line-up to match. The festival program, which was announced last night, features an exciting and diverse line-up of Australian authors whose works have captivated readers across the country. And the best talent is not only local – there’s an armada of incredible international authors flying in too.

So, what are some of the must-see events? Here’s a (brief) rundown:

The Opening Address on the 30th of April is essential viewing, with authors Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah (Friday Black), Meg Wolitzer (The Wife), and Max Porter (Lanny) all taking the main stage to discuss the theme. Closing the festival this year will be the award-winning Pakistani author Fatima Bhutto (The Runaways).

Fiction

Fiction highlights include sessions with George Saunders (Lincoln in the Bardo, winner of the 2017 Man Booker Prize), Andrew Sean Greer (Less, winner of the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction), Kristen Roupenian (You Know You Want This), Oyinkan Braithwaite (My Sister The Serial Killer) and Sarah Perry (Melmoth).

There’s plenty of room for home-grown talent in the program – don’t miss panels with authors like Graeme Simsion (The Rosie Result), Trent Dalton (Boy Swallows Universe), Markus Zusak (Bridge of Clay), and Jane Harper (The Lost Man). And of course, it would be remiss of me not to mention that Booktopia’s very own John Purcell (The Girl on the Page) will be making an appearance!

Non-Fiction

Lovers of current affairs and all things non-fiction should be well pleased with what’s on offer this year.

Australian media veterans Leigh Sales (Any Ordinary Day), Richard Glover (The Land Before Avocado) and Stan Grant (Australia Day) all have exciting panels that you won’t want to miss. Sessions with Clementine Ford (Boys Will be Boys), Maxine Beneba Clarke (editor of Growing Up African in Australia), and Bri Lee (Eggshell Skull) are also bound to be absolutely compelling.

Guardian Australia’s editor-in-chief Lenore Taylor will also be in conversation with former New York Times executive editor Jill Abramson in what promises to be a standout event, as they discuss her controversial book Merchants of Truth. And if you love a good literary scandal (who doesn’t?), then don’t miss The New Yorker journalist Ian Parker’s panel with Malcolm Knox as they discuss all things The Woman in the Window and A.J. Finn.

All-Day YA & The Family Program

If young adult fiction is your thing, then get yourself down to Riverside Theatres at Parramatta on Saturday 4 May for all-day YA goodness.

Aussie authors Lili Wilkinson (After The Lights Go Out), Alison Evans (Highway Bodies), Jenna Guillaume (What I Like About Me), and Ambelin Kwaymullina (Catching Teller Crow) are just some of the talented authors that will be in attendance, as well as international superstars like Neal Shusterman (Dry) and Mackenzi Lee (The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy).

For younger readers, there’s plenty of treasures to be found. The festival’s Family Program will run on the weekend of the festival, headlined by Booktopian favourites Aaron Blabey (Pig the Pug & The Bad Guys), Sally Rippin (Polly and Buster), Dr Karl Kruszelnicki (Vital Science), and more!  

With over 360 Australian and over 50 international guests planning to attend the festival, there’s something here for absolutely everyone.

Check out the full program for the Sydney Writers’ Festival and buy tickets here.

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About the Contributor

Olivia Fricot

Olivia Fricot (she/her) is Booktopia's Senior Content Producer and editor of the Booktopian blog. She has too many plants and not enough bookshelves, and you can usually find her reading, baking, or talking to said plants. She is pro-Oxford comma.

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