Why Manly Writers' Festival?
Manly Writers’ Festival is an independent, volunteer-run festival for readers who care about words, storytelling, ideas, the power and joy of reading and writing, community life and the public good.
We bring together writers, journalists, historians, and storytellers to explore fiction and non-fiction in all their forms — from novels, memoir, history, reportage, personal reflection, and the important issues of today.
Our program balances imagination with lived experience. It brings established voices, local and emerging writers into conversations about people, place, culture, power, memory, sport, and everyday life. Not everyone will agree with every conversation or every voice, but that's exactly what writers' festivals do best: challenge, inspire, inform, and entertain.
Thomas Keneally Oration Opens Festival
19 March 2026
We are honoured to welcome Thomas Keneally AO as the Orator for the inaugural Thomas Keneally Oration at the 2026 Manly Writers’ Festival.
