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.

Alise Blayney, Magan Magan, Paul Mitchell, Michele Seminara, David Stavanger Poetry Salon BUY TICKETS 2025 PROGRAM < VIEW ALL PROGRAMS Poetry Salon DATE: Saturday 29th March LOCATION: Darley Smith Building COST: $30 Immerse yourself in the rhythms, emotions, and revelations of poetry with a collection of poets: Alise Blayney, Cocoa the Conscious, Magan Magan, Paul Mitchell, Djon Mundine and Michele Seminara. In this vibrant session, each poet will share their unique voice and perspective, delving into themes of identity, culture, connection, and the human experience. Through readings and discussion, discover how poetry challenges, heals, and shapes our experiences and the world around us. Host: Michele Seminara 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.

3b8395d1-bbd1-4eba-9183-4d9cd0bb2d65 Stephan Wellink ABOUT < VIEW ALL AUTHORS Stephan Wellink Stephan Wellink pursues his passion for filmmaking as a writer, producer and director with Inkwell Films, a company he founded in 2015. His award-winning documentaries have screened at prestigious film festivals, on free-to-air television and subscription streaming platforms in many parts of the world. Stephan’s screen credits include: Rod Taylor: Pulling No Punches (2016), Jerry Lewis: The Man Behind the Clown (2016), Sam Spiegel: Conquering Hollywood (2018), Pushing the Boundaries: The Mavis Bramston Show (2022) and The Sculpture (2023), which was acquired by SBS Australia. Stephan’s interest in the history of sport in Australia led him to partnering with Brendan Morris to write the biography of the Australian triple international sportsman, Richard 'Dick' Thornett. Prior to working in film and writing, Stephan applied his deep knowledge of biotechnology, innovation systems, technology transfer and the commercialisation of intellectual property as the Principal Adviser, Agribusiness at the CSIRO and then as the Director of Research and Innovation at the University of Technology, Sydney. PROGRAM SESSIONS WHAT: The Natural: Richard 'Dick' Thornett's Sporting Life DATE: Saturday 29th March TIME: 4.10pm-5.10pm WITH: Tim Ayliffe 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.

Explore highlights from past Manly Writer's Festivals. Discover key moments, featured speakers, and memorable events from our previous festivals in Manly, Sydney. PREVIOUS FESTIVALS 2024 14, 15, 16 March 2024 Program 2025 28, 29, 30 March 2025 Program 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.

eaea7ed1-2805-46de-949e-c5de5e4134b8 Ariane Beeston ABOUT < VIEW ALL AUTHORS Ariane Beeston Ariane Beeston is a former child protection caseworker, psychologist and staff writer at Fairfax Media's Essential Baby and Essential Kids, and currently works for the Centre of Perinatal Excellence (COPE). She is also a dancer and choreographer. PROGRAM SESSIONS WHAT: Resilience and Recovery: Navigating Mental Health Episodes DATE: Saturday 29th March TIME: 2.50pm-3.50pm WITH: Tracey Kirkland 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.

ad4195b2-0f09-4212-b005-a3fe5df77c2f Kyra Geddes ABOUT < VIEW ALL AUTHORS Kyra Geddes Kyra Geddes was born in Adelaide to German-Italian heritage and spent her infancy in the South Australian opal fields before settling on the Northern Beaches from the age of five. Following a successful career in marketing and business, Kyra returned to university to study creative writing and pursue her lifelong dream of writing. The Story Thief is her debut novel, and the culmination of almost a decade of research and writing. Kyra is also passionate art lover and traveller, with two children. PROGRAM SESSIONS WHAT: New Voices in Fiction II DATE: Saturday 29th March TIME: 12.10pm-1.10pm WITH: Karen Viggers 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.

a622548b-d1b5-4f64-970f-09c2fcc1a036 Michelle Lesh ABOUT < VIEW ALL AUTHORS Michelle Lesh Michelle Lesh, an international lawyer, has taught at the Melbourne Law School and the London School of Economics, worked at the United Nations and is a member of the International Bar Association War Crimes Committee. She has written for a variety of academic and non-academic publications. She was Mark Raphael Baker’s wife and is the mother of their daughter, Melila. Together with her step-father, Raimond Gaita, she edited Mark’s memoir, A Season of Death, published posthumously in 2024. 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.

Brendan Morris, Stephan Wellink The Natural: Richard 'Dick' Thornett's Sporting Life BUY TICKETS 2025 PROGRAM < VIEW ALL PROGRAMS The Natural: Richard 'Dick' Thornett's Sporting Life DATE: Saturday 29th March LOCATION: Darley Smith Building COST: $22 Richard ‘Dick’ Thornett was a sporting prodigy who displayed exceptional skills as a schoolboy, which only grew in adulthood. The youngest of three athletic brothers, Thornett represented Australia at the Rome Olympics in water polo, toured with the Wallabies to South Africa and New Zealand alongside his brother John, and, with Ken, played a crucial role in the Kangaroos’ success in 1963-64. When it came to sport, Dick Thornett had the X-factor. However, despite his widely praised athletic abilities, he endured significant personal struggles. Brendan Morris and Stephan Wellink’s biography, The Natural – Richard ‘Dick’ Thornett, will be published in March. Host: Tim Ayliffe 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.

42b82c4b-9b4c-438d-a872-687e39027d22 Antony Loewenstein ABOUT < VIEW ALL HOSTS Antony Loewenstein Antony Loewenstein is an independent journalist, bestselling author, filmmaker, and co-founder of Declassified Australia. He’s written for The Guardian, The New York Times, The New York Review of Books, and many others. His book is The Palestine Laboratory: how Israel exports the technology of occupation around the world which won the 2023 Walkley Book Award. His other books include Pills, Powder and Smoke, Disaster Capitalism, and My Israel Question. His documentary films include Disaster Capitalism, and the Al Jazeera English films, West Africa’s Opioid Crisis and Under the Cover of Covid. He was based in East Jerusalem from 2016–2020. < 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.

5e658b4e-3222-4830-8694-cab08a5bd2f7 Rebecca Hazel ABOUT < VIEW ALL AUTHORS Rebecca Hazel Rebecca Hazel has worked as a solicitor in family law; in a women and children’s refuge; in the Women’s Family Law Support Service at the Family Court in Sydney; and briefly in domestic violence policy. The Schoolgirl Her Teacher and his Wife, is her first book, for which she was awarded the 2024 Sisters in Crime, Davitt Award for Best Non-fiction Book. PROGRAM SESSIONS WHAT: True Crime: Tales of Betrayal, Escape, and Justice DATE: Saturday 29th March TIME: 09.30am-10.30am WITH: Chris Allen 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.

757ae2a4-43e9-43c8-8f72-f2c741b05c86 Lisa Gallate ABOUT < VIEW ALL AUTHORS Lisa Gallate Lisa Gallate is a senior commercial litigator specialising in class actions and corporate insolvency. She holds a Masters of Law from the University of Cambridge, undergraduate degrees in law and commerce from Victoria University, New Zealand, and was a finalist for the NSW Women Lawyers’ Association ‘Woman Lawyer of the Year’. Lisa is also a member of the Australian Centre for Grief and Bereavement, a member and voluntary grief support worker for the National Association for Loss and Grief, a registered counsellor with the Australian Counselling Association, and has contributed to Diversity Council Australia podcasts about grief support in the workplace. A New Zealander, Lisa now lives in Sydney's Northern Beaches with her three children. She loves singing to iconic anthems whilst driving (anywhere), is an enthusiastic foodie and wine taster, and enjoys paddle boarding, swimming, and spending time with her family. Her memoir, Just Because—Love, Loss, Renewal was published in 2023. PROGRAM SESSIONS WHAT: Holding On and Letting Go: Finding Strength Through Loss DATE: Friday 28th March TIME: 3.20pm-4.20pm WITH: Suellen Dainty 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.

bb7c00f3-a7be-4115-8cc0-d201cd29cece Max Holzner ABOUT < VIEW ALL AUTHORS Max Holzner Max Holzner is a violinist, educator, and music software developer, co-founder and Chair of the Western Sydney Philharmonic (West Phil), Chair of the Sydney Eisteddfod and Deputy Chair of the Music Teachers’ Association of NSW. His musical background is as a violinist and educator, having studied violin with Josette Esquedin-Morgan and Barbara Jane Gilby. He is an alumnus of the University of Cambridge and the ANU. Over the years, Max has collaborated with many of Australia’s leading performers and professional orchestras, with chamber groups and in festivals across Australia and the UK, where he was assistant to the late Christopher Hogwood, Academy of Ancient Music. PROGRAM SESSIONS 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.