Omar El Akkad’s One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This

Queenscliff Town Hall
$40

Egyptian-American journalist Omar El Akkad’s new book has been described by Richard Flanagan as ‘a howl from the heart of our age.’ Exploring recent global flashpoints, including Black Lives Matter, the Gulf War, and the genocide in Gaza, Omar’s book is a call for accountability and clarity, and a courageous examination of what it means to live in societies that have strayed so far from the values they claim to uphold. With Antoinette Lattouf.

Presented in partnership with The Wheeler Centre

Workshop: Putting the Romance In Your Novel with Marion Lennox

The Hub
$45

Would you like to make your writing a little spicier? Multi-award-winning romance novelist Marion Lennox has had over 110 novels published across 130 countries, translated into 30 languages. With over half of all fiction containing romantic elements, it’s no secret that romance makes a book easier to sell. If you think romance could add a touch of zing to your writing, Marion will guide you through plot, pace, empathy and, of course, passion.

Miles Franklin vs. The International Booker

Queenscliff Town Hall
$30 / $22

Winner of the 2025 Miles Franklin Literary Award Siang Lu and International Booker Prize shortlistee Shokoofeh Azar will talk about their deeply imaginative novels and explore why they love to play with tradition, myth and reality in surprising and enthralling ways. With Charlotte Guest.

Marcia Langton & Judith Ryan: 65,000 Years: A Short History of Australian Art

Queenscliff Town Hall
$30 / $22

Distinguished Professor Marcia Langton AO and Senior Curator Judith Ryan AM talk about their landmark book on the history of Indigenous Australian art. This courageous and comprehensive exploration calls us to bear witness to 65,000 years of continuous culture, Indigenous knowledge and powerful art. With Virginia Trioli

Zach Tuohy and Catherine Murphy and the Way of the Irish

Queenscliff Town Hall
$30 / $22

In 2023, Zach Tuohy set a new record for the number of AFL games played by an Irish player, passing the effort of the great Jim Stynes. A champion of the Geelong Cats, his road from Ireland to AFL Premiership glory was paved with missteps, triumphs and ultimately, victory. Journalist Catherine Murphy and Zach talk about collaborating on the book about Zach’s life with Francis Leach.

Virginia Trioli Loves a Bit on the Side

Queenscliff Town Hall
$30 / $22

Two-time Walkey Award-winning journalist Virginia Trioli’s latest book is part-memoir, part-manifesto, and an ode to looking for joy in the side dish rather than the main course. She discusses the memories, recipes, anecdotes and humour that help us navigate all the tough stuff with Kate Halfpenny.

The Greer Effect

The Boatshed - Queenscliffe Maritime Museum
$40

The Greer Effect is an interrogation of one of Australia’s most audacious thinkers. For over fifty years, Germaine Greer has been a consistently fearless and deliberately provocative figure. This play is based upon unprecedented access to the Germaine Greer Archive, portraying Greer at key points in time, giving voice to the many and varied responses she has provoked. This playreading of Vanessa O’Neill’s exciting new work is a fascinating exploration of one of Melbourne’s most formidable daughters, featuring actor Louise Siversen (Rosehaven, Utopia, Rake) as Germaine Greer. Q&A after the reading facilitated by Hannie Rayson.

Presented in partnership with Queenscliffe Maritime Museum

Better Off Said: Eulogies for the Living and Dead

Queenscliff Town Hall
$45

At one time or another, we all find there was something we wish we’d said aloud, someone out there in the world waiting to hear an important message, a piece of history we feel our voice could have improved. Better Off Said offers the opportunity to find closure and sing truth from the rooftops before it’s too late. Four guests will speak to the phrase ‘The words I wish I’d said’, and a special guest will deliver a Living Eulogy to someone or something still of this earth, to celebrate the best in our lives while we're here to hear it. From members of the team behind international literary phenomenon Women of Letters, Better Off Said is a spoken-word art salon celebrating words, stories, and human experiences. Created by Marieke Hardy and Emilie Zoey Baker and featuring Antoinette Lattouf, Hannie Rayson, Brian Nankervis, Shokoofeh Azar, and more.

The Sea in the Metro and Boogie Wonderland

Queenscliff Town Hall
$30 / $22

Kate Halfpenny and Jayne Tuttle have become prominent residents of the Bellarine after moving here from big cities. Their new memoirs explore ambition, regret, motherhood, overwhelm, addiction, and all the messiness of life. The two will dive deep into their moments of triumph, regret and bemusement with Sarah L’Estrange.

Mushroom Murders and the True Crime Podcast Boom

Queenscliff Town Hall
$30 / $22

ABC investigative journalist Rachael Brown created and presented Trace and The Mushroom Case Daily, two of the most-listened to podcasts in Australia, and Andrew Rule is a veteran crime reporter and podcaster. Together they’ll break down which stories they can’t let go, their process for cracking cold cases wide open, and why the mushroom murders held such wide appeal. With Francis Leach.

Crime Writers on the Surf Coast

Queenscliff Town Hall
$30 / $22

Mark Smith, Christine Keighery and Tanya Scott explain their love of writing crime fiction, and how living on the Surf Coast stimulates their imaginations. Demystifying the conventions of crime fiction, each author will talk about the processes behind their writing and the ways they grab readers’ attention, creating gripping novels that stand above the pack. With Sarah L’Estrange.

The Beach House Years with Brian Nankervis

Queenscliff Town Hall
$40

Inspired by Brian Nankervis’s own experiences and ‘classic’ beach house anecdotes,The Beach House Years is the fictional story of a ‘Seahaven’, a beach house. Seahaven shimmers in the heat, looking across grass, scrub and sea. The house faces north and is shaped like a Vita Brits box. Four rooms, louvered windows, concrete paths and a swing. This funny, heartfelt story of the beach house covers forty years of family life.