Program Bring Back Yesterday: In Conversation with Bob Carr BUY TICKETS DATE: Saturday 21 March, 2026 TIME: 5.30-6.15pm COST: $25.00 Manly Youth Centre PATHWAY: Personal Reckonings HOST : Sarah Dingle < VIEW ALL SESSIONS Bob Carr In this intimate conversation, Bob Carr reflects on love, loss, and the emotional afterlife of a shared life. Bring Back Yesterday is his deeply personal account of a 50-year partnership, and of learning how to live in the wake of profound grief following the sudden death of his wife, Helena, in 2023. Rather than offering consolation or easy answers, Carr speaks candidly about absence, memory, and how grief reshapes time, identity, and daily life. With characteristic clarity and restraint, he explores how love endures beyond loss, and what it means to keep going when the centre of one’s world has shifted. This is a quiet, searching conversation about devotion, resilience, and the hard work of remembering; a rare and moving portrait of grief told without sentimentality, and, ultimately, a story of enduring love. Content note: This session includes discussion of grief, loss and bereavement.

Help support the Manly Writer's Festival by donating today. Your contribution helps us continue to celebrate storytelling, creativity, and community in Manly, Sydney. DONATIONS Join our Donors Circle How and why your support can help We value your support to secure the future of the Manly Writers' Festival and to help prioritise literacy and creativity for the next generation. Your donation can help us keep ticket prices low, bring a regional Australian or international artist to the Festival, and much more, including keeping the Manly Writers' Festival alive. All donations of $2 and above are tax-deductible. Join our Donors Circle with one of the following tiers, or choose your own amount. Book Lovers ($50+) — Name listed in the program Festival Friends ($200+) — As above, plus a surprise book from our collection to say thank you Story Champions ($500+) — All the above, plus an invitation to a special thank-you gathering Literary Ambassadors ($1,000+) — Become one of our ambassadors and, in addition to the above, your generosity will receive year-round recognition, including when you join us at special events and selected sessions. 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.

Program Ask Us Anything: From Manuscript to Bookstore—What Really Gets You Published BUY TICKETS DATE: Saturday 21 March, 2026 TIME: 10.00-11.00am COST: $25.00 The Manly Club PATHWAY: So, You Want to be a Writer? HOST : Tim Ayliffe < VIEW ALL SESSIONS Ben Aitchison Jeanne Ryckmans John Coomer What happens between finishing a manuscript and seeing a book in the world? This session brings together key players across the publishing process to demystify how books are selected, shaped, produced and released. The discussion will unpack common misconceptions about agents, editors, design and publishing, and offer a realistic picture of how decisions are made. This is a rare opportunity to ask the experts anything you want to know about what it takes to be published. Note: Pitching manuscripts from the floor is not part of this session.

Discover the vibrant town of Manly, Sydney, home to the Manly Writer's Festival. Explore its beautiful beaches, cultural spots, and the community that makes our festival special. OUR LOCATION DISCOVER MANLY “Seven miles from Sydney and a thousand miles from care…” This was the advertising slogan to encourage people to use the new ferry service from Sydney to Manly in the 1920s. It may be a slogan that is one hundred years old, but it still rings true today. Manly is one of Sydney’s favourite beach playgrounds. Located on its own peninsula, it is surrounded by beautiful Sydney Harbour, the Sydney Harbour National Park, and the Pacific Ocean. It was originally inhabited by the Cannalgal and Kayimai people. It was named by Captain Arthur Phillip, the first British governor of of New South Wales, when he noted the “confidence and manly behaviour” of the Aboriginal people he sighted on the northern entrance to Sydney Harbour – the area we now know as North Head. Manly is easily accessible via a 22-minute ferry ride from Circular Quay, with a short walk along The Corso linking the harbour and the beach. The natural beauty is complemented by retail stores, cafes, restaurants, bars, outdoor activities such as beach volleyball and kayaking, eight beaches and national park walks. Manly is one of the major centres of the Northern Beaches local government area which stretches more than 30km from south to north. For further information about what to see and do in Manly, click here . 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.

Program Power, Paranoia and Pleasure BUY TICKETS DATE: Saturday 21 March, 2026 TIME: 4.00-4.45pm COST: $25.00 Henry G's PATHWAY: Power, Truth and Accountability HOST : Jack Toohey < VIEW ALL SESSIONS Nick Place What can a dictator’s wine cellar tell us about power, fear and control? In this session, Nick Place explores the hidden cultural history behind Joseph Stalin’s obsession with wine — revealing how luxury, paranoia and politics intertwined at the heart of the Soviet regime. A sharply told historical story that uses food, drink and excess to illuminate the mechanics of authoritarian power.

a93f47aa-c5eb-4eb6-bb83-7e047bb27a17 Kumi Taguchi ABOUT < VIEW ALL AUTHORS Kumi Taguchi Born in Melbourne to her Japanese father and Australian mother, Kumi Taguchi grew up in rural New South Wales, learning classical violin from the age of five. She has worked in the media for over 25 years in Australia and overseas and is currently the host of SBS’s Insight. < 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.

0ecc632d-0487-4d87-a746-354c69b12d38 Sarah Anna James ABOUT < VIEW ALL AUTHORS Sarah Anna James Sarah Anna James has been a nurse, midwife, craniosacral therapist, and mother – but writing has always been the thread that ties her life together. Her first book, Midwife Wisdom, Mother Love, grew from her deep experience supporting women through birth and motherhood. Her debut YA novel, LUKA, explores grief, masculinity, and emotional silence – themes that mirror her own journey through loss and creative renewal. < 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.

Program Manly Poetry Salon BUY TICKETS DATE: Saturday 21 March, 2026 TIME: 4.00-5.30pm COST: $30.00 Sky Theatre PATHWAY: Personal Reckonings HOST : Michele Seminara < VIEW ALL SESSIONS Cocoa Deep-Amek Robbie Coburn Deborah Conway AM Ruth Larner Michele Seminara Toby Davidson Six voices, six ways of seeing the world. This freestyle poetry showcase brings together an eclectic mix of poets whose work spans the page, the stage, and everything in between. Each poet will share recent work, whether read quietly or performed with all the energy and presence that poetry can demand when it leaves the printed word behind. This is poetry as a living, breathing art—diverse in form, and reflecting the moments we live through.

Program Boys, Masculinity and the Online World BUY TICKETS DATE: Friday 20 March, 2026 TIME: 6.30-7.30pm COST: $25.00 Manly Life Saving Club PATHWAY: Living Today HOST : Savva Savas < VIEW ALL SESSIONS Ashley Kalagian Blunt Jack Toohey Sarah Anna James How is online culture reshaping boys' understanding of identity, power, and belonging, and who is helping them make sense of it? A grounded, cross-disciplinary conversation for parents, educators and readers. Educational outcomes for boys are declining, while online culture increasingly shapes how young men understand power, success, gender and identity. This session brings together a crime writer exploring violence and alienation (Blunt), a researcher examining boys’ education (James) and a journalist/writer navigating these pressures first-hand (Toohey). From influencers and algorithms to fiction that explores violence, alienation and belonging, the panel examines how digital spaces are reshaping masculinity, how schools and families are struggling to keep up, and what more honest conversations with boys might look like. A challenging yet grounded conversation.

119b2452-bff9-4b03-91c8-7159a33f7192 Lucy Nelson ABOUT < VIEW ALL AUTHORS Lucy Nelson Lucy Nelson is an award-winning writer of fiction and part-time arts worker living on unceded Dharawal Country. Her work has been published in Meanjin, The Monthly, Kill Your Darlings, The Sydney Morning Herald and elsewhere. She has received the Newcastle Short Story Award and the Writing NSW Varuna Fellowship. She studied Professional Writing and Editing at RMIT in Melbourne and her first book, Wait Here, was published in June 2025. < 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.

Partner with the Manly Writer's Festival 2025 to promote storytelling and community engagement in Manly, Sydney. Enjoy exclusive opportunities to showcase your brand and support a vibrant cultural event. JOIN US IN CELEBRATING CREATIVITY BECOME A PARTNER The Manly Writers Festival welcomes support from partner organisations to deliver our engaging and enjoyable festival that celebrates writing and ideas. We invite you to be part of the conversations and help us bring writers and thinkers from around Australia and the world, to explore big ideas and great storytelling. Our program includes one-on-one conversations, panel discussions, Q&A sessions on books published in the previous 12+ months, sessions for school students, and social events. For additional information about partner packages, or to discuss tailoring a partnership to meet your needs, please contact us via email: hello@manlywritersfestival.org.au or call us directly at: +61 (0)2 7229 4889. 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.

Program Workshop: Beyond the Postcard: Writing Place with Authority BUY TICKETS DATE: Friday 20 March, 2026 TIME: 2.30-3.30pm COST: $30.00 Manly Youth Centre (The Writers' Room) PATHWAY: So, You Want to be a Writer? HOST : - < VIEW ALL SESSIONS Helen Hayes Travel writing is about far more than describing where you’ve been. In this workshop, Helen Hayes explores how writers can capture a sense of place with depth, accuracy and ethical awareness. Participants will consider how to move beyond surface description to write about places that feel lived-in and credible.