Join the Manly Writer's Festival as a volunteer and help us bring storytelling, creativity, and community together in Manly, Sydney. Enjoy an unforgettable experience and contribute to a cultural celebration. VOLUNTEER SIGN UP FOR 2026 We welcome volunteers for any or all of the days of the 2026 festival from 19-22 March. If you wish to be considered for a role for 2026, please complete the form below by 12 December 2025. We will be in touch with you by January 2026. First name* Last name* Email* Phone* Were you a volunteer with MWF in 2025? Yes No Preferred Role Preferred Day T-shirt Size* Sign up for news and updates Submit ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY The Manly Writers' Festival acknowledges and thanks the original storytellers on the lands on which our events take place, the Gamaraygal and Garigal 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.

Manly Writers' Festival 19, 20, 21, 22 March, 2026 Stay up-to-date with our latest news Email* Subscribe I want to subscribe to your mailing list. Thomas Keneally Oration Announced 19 March 2026 We are honoured to welcome Thomas Keneally AO as the Orator for the inaugural Thomas Keneally Oration at the 2026 Manly Writers’ Festival. Read the full announcement → Get Tickets

Join the Manly Writer's Festival in 2025 for an exciting weekend of storytelling, author panels, workshops, and community events in Manly, Sydney. Connect with writers and thinkers. Experience the ManlyWritersFestival and immerse yourself in the world of literature. 19-22 MARCH 2026 STORIES ACROSS MANLY BUY TICKETS STORIES TO INSPIRE Beyond the world-famous Manly Beach and eponymous ferry, Manly has a literary life. Just like the entire city, Manly and the Northern Beaches is an area rich in cultural and linguistic diversity and creativity. This three day festival for readers, writers, and thinkers will bring together ideas and writing, and explore issues at a time of significant change in the world, as well as simply enjoy great stories. The Manly Writer's Festival will feed your heart and mind and aims to leave you energised, informed, and inspired. TICKETS OUR PROGRAM Sports Non-Fiction for Young Adults Sunday 30th March $12; Free for young people aged 13-18 Reading the Game: Inspiring Young Readers through Football Sunday 30th March $12; Free for young people aged 13-18 Masterclass: Navigating Copyright: Essential Insights for Authors and Publishers Friday 28th March $30 Creative Lives In Fiction: Stories Of Love, Ambition And Self-Discovery Sunday 30th March $22 VIEW ALL PROGRAM OUR AUTHORS Aarti Betigeri Alise Blayney Amanda Goff Amelia Lester Amy Hutton Amy Schembri Andrew Fowler Anthony Sobb Ariane Beeston Blanche d'Alpuget Brendan Morris Carol Lefevre Catherine Greer Catherine McKinnon Christine Newell Cocoa the Conscious Craig Semple Damian Collins David Dufty David Weiner Deborah Pike Debra Oswald Deep Gujral Dennis Glover Djon Mundine MEET OUR AUTHORS LATEST NEWS Announcing the Thomas Keneally Oration We are delighted to announce the Thomas Keneally Oration, a new annual keynote honouring one of Australia’s most influential and internationally acclaimed writers and Manly local, Thomas Keneally AO. Writing belongs to everyone We want to share the writers you will NOT see at another writers' festival within a two-hour commute of the northern beaches anytime soon. Download the Manly Writers' Festival App Our App is here! If you want to have the very latest information available at your fingertips, don't miss out on our App. OUR PROUD PARTNERS 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.

Join the Manly Writer's Festival as a sponsor or partner. Support an event that celebrates storytelling and community in Manly, Sydney, and gain exposure for your brand. PARTNERS & SPONSORS The Manly Writers' Festival is possible only because of a visionary, diverse group of partners and friends. We’re here thanks to them. Let us introduce you to our partners for 2026. NORTHERN BEACHES COUNCIL Stretching from Palm Beach to Manly, the Northern Beaches boasts more than half of all the beaches in Sydney and a population of more than 266,000. Button FAIR PLAY PUBLISHING An independent publisher based in the Northern Beaches with three imprints specialising in non-fiction sport (Fair Play), fiction (Popcorn Press), and life (Pepper Press). TAG FAMILY FOUNDATION The TAG Family Foundation supports projects that help young people through education and sport, especially focusing on young people with autism. Button MULTICULTURAL NSW Multicultural NSW promotes community harmony and social cohesion in one of the most culturally diverse states in the world. Button GLEEBOOKS Gleebooks is Sydney’s leading independent bookseller, in business for over 40 years, and online since 1996. Button MANLY OBSERVER Manly Observer is an independent, hyperlocal news service covering the Northern Beaches in Sydney with a hyperfocus from Manly to Dee Why. Button 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.

Damian Collins, Julie Inman Grant AI and Social Media: Shaping Today BUY TICKETS 2025 PROGRAM < VIEW ALL PROGRAMS AI and Social Media: Shaping Today DATE: Saturday 29th March LOCATION: Darley Smith Building COST: $22 Join us for a discussion exploring the rapidly evolving digital landscape and its profound societal impact. From the transformative power of artificial intelligence to the dramatic shifts in platforms like X and Meta, this session will dive deep into the pressing questions of our time: • How is social media shaping our children’s lives? • What are the ethical challenges of AI and its role in our digital world? • How can parents and grandparents navigate this overwhelming new terrain to ensure safety, balance, and well-being? Featuring two of the world’s leading voices in the conversation: • Julie Inman Grant, Australia’s eSafety Commissioner and a global advocate for online safety and digital responsibility. • Damian Collins, former UK Minister for Tech and the Digital Economy, and an expert in tech policy and regulation. Host: Steve Cannane 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.

2586c2d0-6bf5-4725-ad11-51f71753fe2f Catherine McKinnon ABOUT < VIEW ALL AUTHORS Catherine McKinnon Catherine McKinnon is a writer and teacher of creative writing at the University of Wollongong. Her most recent novel, To Sing of War was released in May 2024 to critical acclaim and was Highly Commende’ in the HNSA ARA Historical Novel Award. Her novel Storyland (was shortlisted for the 2018 Miles Franklin Literary Award, the 2018 Barbara Jefferis Award, the 2018 Voss Literary Prize, longlisted for the 2018 Indie Book Award, and was named one of ABC TV’s The Book Club’s Five of the Best in 2017. Catherine is one of the multi-authors of 100 Atmospheres: Studies in Scale and Wonder (Open Humanities Press, 2019). She was co-winner of the Griffith Review: Tall Tales Short – The Novella Project 111 award in 2015. Her first novel, The Nearly Happy Family, was published by Penguin in 2008. Her plays have been produced nationally, and her play Hurt was nominated for an AWGIE award in 2017. Her short stories, reviews and essays have appeared in Text Journal, Griffith Review, Meanjin, Narrative, Sydney Review of Books, Island, Sydney Morning Herald, The Saturday Paper, and The Australian. PROGRAM SESSIONS WHAT: Australian Historical Fiction DATE: Saturday 29th March TIME: 2.50pm-3.50pm WITH: Victoria Haskins 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.

b0115087-5334-421f-a886-48663cf9311a Liz Deep-Jones ABOUT < VIEW ALL HOSTS Liz Deep-Jones Liz Deep-Jones is an author, journalist, producer, presenter, film maker, curator and the inaugural Freilich Arts/Media and Activism Fellow at the Australian National University. Her best-selling young adult novels, Lucy Zeezou’s Goal and Lucy Zeezou’s Glamour Game were re-released in 2023 for the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. Liz is a champion for human rights, inspiring young people to act through her mentoring role at the ANU in media and arts activism. < 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.

44bbc598-4ad5-4218-930d-eb2a646166eb Liz Foster ABOUT < VIEW ALL AUTHORS Liz Foster Liz Foster was born and raised in England before arriving in Australia in 1991 on what turned out to be the longest gap year ever. After years doing all sorts of corporate writing she started making things up during a long convalescence. Somehow, the thought of going back to editing a fifty-page government report into dot points had lost its allure. Liz is passionate about smart and heartfelt book club fiction – creating character driven, page-turning, uplifting stories in quirky Australian settings, with big themes that resonate. She lives with her family in Sydney, peppering them endlessly with questions about plot scenarios in between listening to podcasts, reading out loud and boring the dog senseless. PROGRAM SESSIONS WHAT: New Voices in Fiction I DATE: Friday 28th March TIME: 12.40pm-1.40pm WITH: Liz Deep-Jones 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.

1183c436-08ff-4459-8010-9310e2fcbbbe Damian Collins ABOUT < VIEW ALL AUTHORS Damian Collins Damian Collins OBE is a former UK Conservative Party government Minister for Tech and the Digital Economy, and Chair of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport select committee. He also Chaired the Joint Committee of the House of Lords and House of Commons on the Online Safety Bill. In 2018 Damian launched and became the first Chair of the International Grand Committee on Disinformation and Fake News which brought together over thirty parliamentarians from more than a dozen countries to hold big tech companies to account. Damian was a member of the UK House of Commons from 2010 to 2024. Damian is also a board member of the Center for Countering Digital Hate. In 2024, Damian published his biography of former British Prime Minister David Lloyd George, Rivals in the Storm, how Lloyd George seized power, won the war and lost his government. This is his second book, and he has also written for numerous publications including The Times of London, The Guardian, The New York Times, and Wired magazine. PROGRAM SESSIONS WHAT: AI and Social Media: Shaping Today DATE: Saturday 29th March TIME: 09.30am-10.30am WITH: Steve Cannane TICKETS WHAT: Rivals in the Storm: War, Peace and the Price of Leadership DATE: Saturday 29th March TIME: 1.30pm-2.30pm WITH: Geraldine Doogue TICKETS WHAT: Conversation Circle: Navigating the Shifting Global Order DATE: Saturday 29th March TIME: 4.10pm-5.45pm WITH: Geraldine Doogue 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.

Jim Fraser, John Maynard Sunrise Raconteurs: From the Fairway to the Goal Line BUY TICKETS 2025 PROGRAM < VIEW ALL PROGRAMS Sunrise Raconteurs: From the Fairway to the Goal Line DATE: Sunday 30th March LOCATION: Manly Golf Club COST: $20; Free for young people aged 13-18 Kick off your Sunday with two master storytellers who know sport—and life—inside out. John Maynard (Golf Dreaming) takes us on a journey into golf through an Aboriginal lens, blending memoir, untold history, and cultural insight. Jim Fraser (Tales of Wagging Tails), former Socceroos goalkeeper and police dog handler, and Western Sydney Wanderers Academy coach, shares fascinating tales from the field, the force, and beyond. Over breakfast of croissants and coffee, join these two raconteurs as they swap stories about resilience, connection, and their love of sport—whether it’s football, golf, cricket, or racing. This session promises a hearty mix of humour, historical and cultural insights, and unforgettable anecdotes, setting the tone for a wonderful day! This session is suitable and free to young people aged 13-18. Coffee and Croissants are included. Host: Simon Hill 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.

303c6f62-ba58-446e-b510-274ea395959d Sarah Gilbert ABOUT < VIEW ALL AUTHORS Sarah Gilbert Sarah Gilbert is a writer, producer and oral historian from Sydney. She began her career as a copy girl at News Ltd before moving to New York where she worked as a feature writer at the New York Post before moving to Buenos Aires, where she wrote for Lonely Planet and Time Out. Sarah’s writing has been published in the Sydney Review of Books, the Sydney Morning Herald, the Wall Street Journal and Marie Claire. She works as a writer/producer across documentary film, television and podcasting, with a particular focus on Australian history, and enjoys exploring the Oz lit back catalogue for her Books Revisited column at Galah magazine. Sarah lives in Sydney with her husband and their two children PROGRAM SESSIONS WHAT: Trailblazing Women DATE: Friday 28th March TIME: 11.20am-12.20pm WITH: Victoria Haskins 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.

13fe800f-8e9c-45f4-9d72-ae036c8514a4 Amanda Goff ABOUT < VIEW ALL AUTHORS Amanda Goff Amanda Goff trained as a journalist and worked in London and Sydney, before becoming Samantha X, Australia’s most high-profile escort; she also founded her own escort agency, hiring women over 40. Under her pseudonym, she wrote two bestselling memoirs, Hooked and Back on Top, and was the media’s go-to writer for articles about women’s sexuality after 40 and the emotional needs of men. Samantha retired from the adult industry at age 49, after a bipolar diagnosis and getting sober, to become Amanda again. PROGRAM SESSIONS WHAT: Bipolar Journeys: Stories Of Strength, Struggle, And Self-Discovery DATE: Friday 28th 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.