36c36552-b1b6-44a5-b6f3-7c9987857a38 Peter FitzSimons ABOUT < VIEW ALL AUTHORS Peter FitzSimons Peter FitzSimons AM is Australia’s bestselling non-fiction writer, and for the past 35 years has also been a journalist and columnist with the Sydney Morning Herald and the Sun Herald. He is the author of a number of highly successful books, including Breaker Morant, Burke and Wills, Monash’s Masterpiece, Kokoda, Ned Kelly and Gallipoli, as well as biographies of such notable Australians as Sir Douglas Mawson, Nancy Wake and Nick Farr-Jones. His passion is to tell Australian stories, our own stories: of great men and women, of stirring events in our history. Peter grew up on a farm north of Sydney, went to boarding school in Sydney and attended Sydney University. An ex-Wallaby, he also lived for several years in rural France and Italy, playing rugby for regional clubs. PROGRAM SESSIONS WHAT: Author Talk with Peter FitzSimons DATE: Saturday 29th March TIME: 09.30am-10.30am WITH: Anne Maria Nicholson TICKETS < PREVIOUS AUTHOR NEXT AUTHOR > ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY The Manly Writers' Festival acknowledges and thanks the original storytellers on the lands on which our events take place, the Gameraygal people of the Eora Nation. We acknowledge and respect their continuing connection and culture, and we pay our respects to ancestors and Elders, past and present, as well as emerging leaders.

Meg Keneally, Catherine McKinnon Australian Historical Fiction BUY TICKETS 2025 PROGRAM < VIEW ALL PROGRAMS Australian Historical Fiction DATE: Saturday 29th March LOCATION: Darley Smith Building COST: $22 We discuss Australian historical stories from 18th century England to World War II with two authors. Free by Meg Keneally blends storytelling with social critique in the story of Molly Thistle, who is transported to the new penal colony after stealing a horse and defies convention to create a commercial empire. To Sing of War by Catherine McKinnon weaves together an Australian nurse and soldier in New Guinea, scientists in Los Alamos, and a mother in Japan, connected in a moment of history in a tale of friendship, love, and war. Host: Victoria Haskins BUY TICKETS < PREVIOUS NEXT > ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY The Manly Writers' Festival acknowledges and thanks the original storytellers on the lands on which our events take place, the Gameraygal people of the Eora Nation. We acknowledge and respect their continuing connection and culture, and we pay our respects to ancestors and Elders, past and present, as well as emerging leaders.

Jane Caro Author Talk with Jane Caro BUY TICKETS 2025 PROGRAM < VIEW ALL PROGRAMS Author Talk with Jane Caro DATE: Friday 28th March LOCATION: Darley Smith Building COST: $22 Jane Caro is a Walkley Award-winning columnist, author, broadcaster, and social commentator. She has worked in marketing and advertising and has penned over 15 books across a range of genres, including novels, women’s issues, religion, and memoirs. Her latest novel, Lyrebird, is based on the premise that lyrebirds are exceptional mimics. So, when one 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 witnessed a murder without an actual missing person, let alone a body? In her latest thriller, released on April 1st, Jane highlights injustices faced by marginalised women. BUY TICKETS < PREVIOUS NEXT > ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY The Manly Writers' Festival acknowledges and thanks the original storytellers on the lands on which our events take place, the Gameraygal people of the Eora Nation. We acknowledge and respect their continuing connection and culture, and we pay our respects to ancestors and Elders, past and present, as well as emerging leaders.

Deborah Pike, Jessie Tu, Gillian Wills Creative Lives In Fiction: Stories Of Love, Ambition And Self-Discovery BUY TICKETS 2025 PROGRAM < VIEW ALL PROGRAMS Creative Lives In Fiction: Stories Of Love, Ambition And Self-Discovery DATE: Sunday 30th March LOCATION: Manly Golf Club COST: $22 Explore the intricate dynamics of identity, ambition, and creativity with Deborah Pike (The Players), Jessie Tu (The Honeyeater), and Gillian Wills (Big Music). Through the lens of coming-of-age journeys, the tension between art and societal expectations, and the complexities of love and ambition, these novels illuminate the universal struggle to find one’s place in a rapidly shifting world. Join us for a compelling discussion on how cultural and societal pressures shape personal growth and creative expression and what it means to forge an authentic identity amidst competing demands. Host: Summer Land BUY TICKETS < PREVIOUS NEXT > ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY The Manly Writers' Festival acknowledges and thanks the original storytellers on the lands on which our events take place, the Gameraygal people of the Eora Nation. We acknowledge and respect their continuing connection and culture, and we pay our respects to ancestors and Elders, past and present, as well as emerging leaders.

7da0e091-e36b-478a-9907-40ecd9e7d516 Jane Caro ABOUT < VIEW ALL AUTHORS Jane Caro Jane Caro AM is a Walkley award winning Australian columnist, author, novelist, feminist, public education activist and social commentator. She was awarded the B&T Women in Media Lifetime Achievement Award in 2023. Once upon a time, she was also a multi-award winning advertising copywriter and an academic. These days, she is a full time writer, novelist, speaker, MC and TV, radio and media pundit. She has published 13 books. Her most recent, The Mother, is a best seller. Her next novel, Lyrebird, will be released in April 2025. In 2024 she interviewed Miriam Margolyes at The Sydney Opera House and Newcastle’s Civic Theatre, Bryan Brown at Cremorne Orpheum and Jodi Piccoult at 4 Seasons, in between writing her columns for Nine Media and The Big Smoke, articles for The Saturday Paper and The Monthly, appearing on Nine’s Today and Today Extra and ABC’s The Gruen. She intends to continue saying yes to any other interesting work that comes her way including Writer’s Festivals, speaking engagements and developing a TV series with co-creators Julian Morrow and Jennifer Robinson. In her spare time, she is a beef producer and a timber grower. PROGRAM SESSIONS WHAT: Author Talk with Jane Caro DATE: Friday 28th March TIME: 2.00pm-3.00pm WITH: TICKETS < PREVIOUS AUTHOR NEXT AUTHOR > ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY The Manly Writers' Festival acknowledges and thanks the original storytellers on the lands on which our events take place, the Gameraygal people of the Eora Nation. We acknowledge and respect their continuing connection and culture, and we pay our respects to ancestors and Elders, past and present, as well as emerging leaders.

4868dac1-0d81-43f8-bf95-5147314b1316 Heidi Coupland ABOUT < VIEW ALL AUTHORS Heidi Coupland Heidi is an accomplished ethnographer and academic researcher who over the past 20 years has written about the experiences of others. She has a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy, a Master of Public Health and a PhD. She has also been a board member for the National Centre for Childhood Grief. A Single Lifeline is her first book. PROGRAM SESSIONS WHAT: Fighting the Long Goodbye DATE: Friday 28th March TIME: 11.20am-12.20pm WITH: TICKETS < PREVIOUS AUTHOR NEXT AUTHOR > ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY The Manly Writers' Festival acknowledges and thanks the original storytellers on the lands on which our events take place, the Gameraygal people of the Eora Nation. We acknowledge and respect their continuing connection and culture, and we pay our respects to ancestors and Elders, past and present, as well as emerging leaders.

09368532-3f67-43cb-8985-ef67770820e4 Anne Maria Nicholson ABOUT < VIEW ALL HOSTS Anne Maria Nicholson Anne Maria Nicholson is a journalist, author and public speaker who has worked for many of Australia’s major media organisations, as well as internationally. For more than 20 years, Anne Maria was a news and current affairs journalist at the ABC, specialising in the arts and reporting for Foreign Correspondent, Lateline and 730. Anne Maria has written three novels: Poker Protocol (2022), Pliny’s Warning (2009) and Weeping Waters (2006). Anne Maria is a longtime Manly resident and was an independent councillor on Manly Council and supported the introduction of many reforms including open and transparent government. She was Deputy Chair of the Australian Society of Authors and a Director of the Copyright Agency. She is currently President of the Manly Art Gallery & Museum Society. < PREVIOUS HOST NEXT HOST > ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY The Manly Writers' Festival acknowledges and thanks the original storytellers on the lands on which our events take place, the Gameraygal people of the Eora Nation. We acknowledge and respect their continuing connection and culture, and we pay our respects to ancestors and Elders, past and present, as well as emerging leaders.

Max Holzner, Josh Piterman, Katherine Wiles, Gillian Wills 'Teach the Children Well' (Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young) BUY TICKETS 2025 PROGRAM < VIEW ALL PROGRAMS 'Teach the Children Well' (Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young) DATE: Sunday 30th March LOCATION: Manly Golf Club COST: $22 Studies show that music education helps improve cognitive function and literacy. Increasingly crowded curriculums and finite resources have seen schools cut back on music programs, resulting in thousands of children leaving primary with no formal music education. Many schools that try to retain some music in their curriculum often deliver it by a generalist teacher who has received 17 hours of music education in their four-year degree, compared with 350 hours for a generalist teacher in South Korea. How do we ensure policymakers and educators see the bigger picture of the value and importance of music education to every child’s development? Panel: Max Holzner, Josh Piterman, Katherine Wiles, Gillian Wills Host: Suzanne Leal BUY TICKETS < PREVIOUS NEXT > ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY The Manly Writers' Festival acknowledges and thanks the original storytellers on the lands on which our events take place, the Gameraygal people of the Eora Nation. We acknowledge and respect their continuing connection and culture, and we pay our respects to ancestors and Elders, past and present, as well as emerging leaders.

ff57745c-0b7b-40e3-9d28-cd3b10d790b5 Amy Schembri ABOUT < VIEW ALL AUTHORS Amy Schembri Amy Schembri has spent a great deal of her life at a football pitch. Her writing journey began when she observed children as young as eight having to fight ferociously for a spot in their football team, when they should be simply enjoying the game for the sake of it. Amy lives in Melbourne with her husband and three sons. When not at a football game, she works in Human Resources, enjoys finding time to read, and attempts to keep her home in good working order. PROGRAM SESSIONS WHAT: Sports Non-Fiction for Young Adults DATE: Sunday 30th March TIME: 11.30am - 12.15pm WITH: Niav Owens TICKETS < PREVIOUS AUTHOR NEXT AUTHOR > ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY The Manly Writers' Festival acknowledges and thanks the original storytellers on the lands on which our events take place, the Gameraygal people of the Eora Nation. We acknowledge and respect their continuing connection and culture, and we pay our respects to ancestors and Elders, past and present, as well as emerging leaders.

9186bffb-5917-4bc8-9233-b86df13b02c1 Jill Valentine ABOUT < VIEW ALL HOSTS Jill Valentine Jill Valentine has spent over two decades crafting narratives as a communications and PR executive in the investment banking industry. During her career, Jill has worked closely with many CEOs, giving her a backstage pass to leadership styles and corporate culture. She firmly believes that compassion and kindness rule. Before diving into corporate life, Jill dabbled in a myriad of jobs. She was a singing, roller-skating waitress at Disneyland Paris and nurtured the little ones of an Oscar-winning movie editor and an Oscar-nominated actress as a nanny. Born in Scotland and then whisked off to England at a young age, Jill lived and worked in vibrant cities such as London, Paris, New York, and Los Angeles. In 2000, she arrived in Sydney with just a backpack and never left. She now calls the Northern Beaches home. Her first novel High Heels and Low Blows was published in 2024. < PREVIOUS HOST NEXT HOST > ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY The Manly Writers' Festival acknowledges and thanks the original storytellers on the lands on which our events take place, the Gameraygal people of the Eora Nation. We acknowledge and respect their continuing connection and culture, and we pay our respects to ancestors and Elders, past and present, as well as emerging leaders.

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39d48f7c-da39-4d57-bdd0-83ab3c46ac0b Quentin McDermott ABOUT < VIEW ALL AUTHORS Quentin McDermott Quentin McDermott worked with the ABC for more than 21 years as a producer and investigative journalist for Four Corners and Australian Story, and is now a freelance documentary maker and author. Meadow's Law, on the fight for justice for Kathleen Folbigg, is his first book. PROGRAM SESSIONS WHAT: Justice for Kathleen Folbigg DATE: Friday 28th March TIME: 12.40pm-1.40pm WITH: Anne Maria Nicholson TICKETS < PREVIOUS AUTHOR NEXT AUTHOR > ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY The Manly Writers' Festival acknowledges and thanks the original storytellers on the lands on which our events take place, the Gameraygal people of the Eora Nation. We acknowledge and respect their continuing connection and culture, and we pay our respects to ancestors and Elders, past and present, as well as emerging leaders.