02d0664b-0500-4727-8c16-1df6f366771a Tim Ayliffe ABOUT < VIEW ALL HOSTS Tim Ayliffe Tim Ayliffe is an author of ‘real world’ thriller novels about espionage, extremism, politics and global power games, as well as a journalist both here and overseas. He was the Managing Editor of Television and Video for ABC News and also Executive Producer of News Breakfast. When he's not writing or chasing news stories, Tim watches rugby and surfs. He lives in Sydney. < 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.

Liz Deep-Jones, P.J. Laverty, Texi Smith, Karen Viggers Reading the Game: Inspiring Young Readers through Football BUY TICKETS 2025 PROGRAM < VIEW ALL PROGRAMS Reading the Game: Inspiring Young Readers through Football DATE: Sunday 30th March LOCATION: Manly Golf Club COST: $12; Free for young people aged 13-18 Football can capture hearts and minds, making it a natural hook to get young people excited about reading. In this engaging session, meet four talented fiction writers who use the beautiful game to tell stories of ambition, identity, resilience, and self-discovery. Liz Deep-Jones (Lucy Zeezou), P.J. Laverty (RIPPA!), Texi Smith (Abebi), and Karen Viggers (Sidelines) delve into the emotional highs and lows of young characters whose lives are shaped by football. Together, they explore how sport-themed stories provide a powerful lens for addressing issues like family, cultural identity, perseverance, and personal growth. Whether you’re a young dreamer, an educator, or a parent, this session will inspire you to see how football stories can kickstart a lifelong love of reading. This session is suitable and free for young people aged 13-18. Host: Niav Owens 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.

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.

Ariane Beeston, Craig Semple Resilience and Recovery: Navigating Mental Health Episodes BUY TICKETS 2025 PROGRAM < VIEW ALL PROGRAMS Resilience and Recovery: Navigating Mental Health Episodes DATE: Saturday 29th March LOCATION: Darley Smith Building COST: $22 Two deeply personal journeys that explore episodic mental health breakdowns, the path to recovery, and achieving a new equilibrium. Psychologist Ariane Beeston (Because I’m Not Myself, You See) provides an intimate look at her struggles with post-partum depression and hallucinations. Craig Semple (Getting Back Up Again) shares his experience after dealing with post-traumatic stress and severe depression following 25 years as a detective. Together, their memoirs illuminate what is needed to confront unexpected and unforeseen challenges and the courage to rebuild a fulfilling life. Host: Tracey Kirkland 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.

bb3ff6dc-8f97-4f87-8cc9-dc15fd3a0209 Tracey Kirkland ABOUT < VIEW ALL AUTHORS Tracey Kirkland Tracey Kirkland is an Australian news journalist who has worked in broadcast and print for more than thirty years. She is currently the Continuous News Editor in charge of TV and video at ABC News Channel, and was previously the ABC’s national senior newsgathering editor. Since joining the ABC in 1999, Tracey has been a reporter, presenter or producer for all of the public broadcaster’s major news programs. She is the co-editor of Pandemedia: How COVID Changed Journalism. PROGRAM SESSIONS WHAT: Fractured Foundations: Trust in an Uncertain World DATE: Saturday 29th March TIME: 12.10pm-1.10pm WITH: Michael Brissenden 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.

82c2356c-c5c6-4275-9ba9-371d6f89f7e4 Gillian Wills ABOUT < VIEW ALL AUTHORS Gillian Wills Gillian Wills is a graduate and an Honorary Associate of the Royal Academy of Music for distinguished services to the music profession. She is an author, arts writer, and music reviewer who has published with The Australian, Limelight, Griffith Review, Australian Book Review and In Review. Her memoir Elvis and Me: how a world-weary musician and a broken racehorse rescued each other, was released in 2016 in Australia, America, Canada, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand. Gillian has held senior academic positions in the UK and Australia. PROGRAM SESSIONS WHAT: Creative Lives In Fiction: Stories Of Love, Ambition And Self-Discovery DATE: Sunday 30th March TIME: 10.00am-11.00am WITH: Summer Land TICKETS WHAT: 'Teach the Children Well' (Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young) DATE: Sunday 30th March TIME: 2.00pm-3.00pm WITH: Suzanne Leal 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.

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39924215-ad78-47be-b7d8-8fb26abfdef0 Murray Shaw ABOUT < VIEW ALL HOSTS Murray Shaw Murray Shaw is an experienced Executive Producer with extensive experience in the broadcast media industry. He is currently with the NINE Network, and has previously worked with the Australian Institute of Sport, Fox Sports, Sky News and Radio 2UE. He is the Executive Producer of the Olympics for NINE, as well as Head of Rugby and Football. < 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.

c9dfd947-6d40-42b6-813c-bd6d3e0b41f8 Michael Brissenden ABOUT < VIEW ALL AUTHORS Michael Brissenden Michael Brissenden is an author and journalist. He worked for the ABC for 35 years in various roles. He was posted to Moscow, Brussels and Washington and worked in Canberra for many years in various roles – including as the political editor for the 7.30 Report, as the ABC’s defence and security correspondent and as presenter of the AM program. From 2017 – 2021 he was a reporter with the ABC’s investigative television program – Four Corners. He has published both fiction and non-fiction books. He is now writing fiction full time. His first two novels were The List published in 2017 and Dead Letters published in 2021. His latest book Smoke was published in June 2024. PROGRAM SESSIONS WHAT: Politics, Power and the Thrill of the Chase DATE: Saturday 29th March TIME: 10.50am-11.50am WITH: Helen Vatsikopoulos TICKETS WHAT: Frontline Perspectives: Reporting the World Beyonder Borders DATE: Saturday 29th March TIME: 2.50pm-3.50pm WITH: Bonita Mersiades 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.

Kerrie Davies, Sarah Gilbert, Josie McSkimming Trailblazing Women BUY TICKETS 2025 PROGRAM < VIEW ALL PROGRAMS Trailblazing Women DATE: Friday 28th March LOCATION: Darley Smith Building COST: $22 Regardless of the times, some women dared to be different. We speak with three authors of biographies about women who have blazed their own trail. In Miles Franklin Undercover, Kerrie Davies examines the little-known second decade of acclaimed author Miles Franklin, who was impoverished and in service in Australia and the US, and her advocacy for working women. In Unconventional Women, Sarah Gilbert speaks to women who were part of a closed convent in the 1960s during significant social upheaval. In Gutsy Girls, Josie McSkimming writes of the unpredictable family life on the Northern Beaches, generational trauma, and deep sisterly bonds between her and her two sisters, particularly her eldest sister, poet Dorothy Porter. 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.

2cb1308f-ae2d-447f-9909-de5e114645cf Paul Mitchell ABOUT < VIEW ALL AUTHORS Paul Mitchell Paul Mitchell is the author of seven books, including his 2024 poetry collection High Spirits. His poems, essays, and stories have appeared over the past twenty-five years in numerous magazines and journals, most recently The Guardian, Westerly, Antipodes, Meniscus, and Eureka Street. He’s written several works for stage and he’s currently a co-writer with director Chris Nelius on a commissioned feature film for Third Man Films. His play, You’re the Man, was staged at La Mama Theatre in September 2024, and he also co-wrote Actions to Live By, a 2021 AFL documentary on the Brisbane Lions’ dynasty of 2001 to 2003. PROGRAM SESSIONS WHAT: Poetry Salon DATE: Saturday 29th March TIME: 4.10pm-5.30pm WITH: Michele Seminara 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.

4a269b80-c90b-4c3e-818b-bbe74a8f07a8 Isabella Higgins ABOUT < VIEW ALL HOSTS Isabella Higgins Isabella Higgins is a Walkley-award winning senior journalist for ABC News. She is a former Europe correspondent, based in London, and previously covered Indigenous affairs for ABC News for online, radio and TV. She has also worked as a reporter in the Brisbane and Rockhampton newsrooms. She joined the ABC in 2014 working for News Digital in Brisbane. < 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.