Fiction takes us places—into the past, the future, the fantastical, the romantic, the funny and the deeply personal. It challenges our perspectives, immerses us in familiar and unknown worlds, and introduces us to characters whose triumphs and struggles can stay with us long after we turn the final page.
We want to share with you some of the varied fiction sessions we offer—and this selection is on the Friday of the Festival only. We have six more fiction sessions across Saturday and Sunday, which we'll also share with you over the coming weeks.
Whether you’re drawn to gripping thrillers, sweeping historical sagas, literary masterpieces, or the magic of speculative worlds, there’s something here for every reader.
Evelyn Sinclair, morning television host, is adored by her public but she’s on the outer with management at her television station, and unknown to anyone, she is being ‘let go’. She escapes the stress for a weekend in her home in the Southern Highlands, planning to meet a man she’s been seeing for some time. But instead of a weekend of champagne and romance, she is found dead in disturbing and mysterious circumstances.
That's the breathtaking start to The Bunny Club, Blanche d'Alpuget's latest novel which will be launched on the opening evening of the Manly Writers' Festival.
Special Event: Launch of The Bunny Club with Blanche d'Alpuget and host Jeremy Fernandez
Where: Manly Spirits Distillery
Friday 28 March, 6.30pm
Music by Jazz With Kate
Heather Morris became interested in creative writing, in part, as a side gig to her day job as a social worker in a Melbourne medical centre. But the side gig ended up as a mini-series and the rest, as they say, is history. She has since published four Holocaust novels—and along the way sold tens of millions of books. Her latest, Sisters Under the Rising Sun, is set in a Japanese POW camp in Indonesia in World War II.
Author Talk with Heather Morris
Host: Michael Brissenden
Friday 28 March, 10am
From contemporary rom-coms to romance that transcends time, Amy Hutton’s and Ingrid Adam’s books are filled with second chances, fated hearts and love everlasting. Join this lively conversation about stories of love through real and fantastical worlds.
Long Live the Romance Novel with Amy Hutton and Ingrid J. Adams
Host: Zena Shapter
Friday 28 March, 11.20am
Discover the fresh voices shaping contemporary fiction in this engaging session with Liz Foster (The Good Woman’s Guide to Making Better Choices), Catherine Greer (Bittersweet Bakery Café), and Northern Beaches local Kate Horan (The Inheritance). Join them as they discuss their inspirations, creative processes, and what it means to bring new energy and ideas to the world of fiction.
New Voices in Fiction I
Host: Liz Deep-Jones
Friday 28 March, 12.40pm
When a lyrebird emits the sound of a woman screaming in terror and pleading for her life, how do a young PhD student and an inexperienced detective convince anyone that the bird is witness to a murder, especially as there is no body to be found? Join Jane Caro as she talks about her latest book (to be released on April 1st but available at the Manly Writers' Festival), her latest novel amongst a large and significant body of work.
Author Talk with Jane Caro
Host: Michaela Kalowski
Friday 28 March, 2pm
History is never contained within a single place or time—it’s shaped by movement, both literal and symbolic. Join Emily Maguire and James Vella-Bardon as they explore their latest works of historical fiction and how they bring the past to life across different landscapes, cultures, and experiences.
Historical Fiction Beyond the Border
Host: Professor Victoria Haskins
Friday 28 March, 3.20pm