After The Stella Comes The Rot
Goorie and Koori writer and Stella-award winning author
Evelyn Araluen talks about her new book, The Rot, a liturgy for girlhood in the dying days of late-stage capitalism, exposing the fraying nerves of a speaker refusing to avert their gaze from the death of Country, death on Country, and the bloody violence of settler colonies here and afar. With
Jayne Tuttle.
$30 / $22
Friday 17 October
5.00pm
Queenscliff Town Hall
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Craig Silvey’s Diabolical Genius
From
Rhubarb to
Jasper Jones,
Honeybee to
Runt—and its new, blockbuster sequel—
Craig Silvey will share how he crafts genre-defying stories for his devoted readers, why he prefers being unshackled by category and convention, and where he sees his diabolical career taking him next. With
Jason Steger.
$30 / $22
Friday 17 October
7.30pm
Queenscliff Town Hall
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Lunch with Alice Zaslavsky
Over a delicious two-course meal prepared from her hit book
Salad for Days, the host of ABC TV’s ‘A Bite To Eat with
Alice’ will share her passion for healthy, seasonal, flavourful meals and her mission to educate everyone on the joy and power of cooking for health and connection. With
Kerrie O’Brien.
$85
Friday 17 October
12.30pm
Upstairs at 360Q
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The Wellmaniac and the Introvert
Bestselling
Wellmania author Brigid Delaney and reformed sociophobe
Jenny Valentish will canvas how existential dilemmas have stimulated some of their wildest escapades, revealing the hard lessons and fraught truths that have made them into two of Australia’s most compelling writers. With
Tracee Hutchison.
$30 / $22
Saturday 18 October
9.30am
Queenscliff Town Hall
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A Morning with Craig Silvey
Join
Craig Silvey, bestselling author of
Runt and its gripping sequel,
Runt and the Diabolical Dognapping, for a fun hour of reading, pie-eating, dog drawing, question-answering, and all manner of dog-themed shenanigans. Recommended for readers aged 8+. With Kirsty Wilson.
$30 includes two kids and their adult
Saturday 18 October
11.15am
Point Lonsdale Primary School Hall
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Jane Caro’s Lyrebird
Bestselling, award-winning author and political commentator
Jane Caro will talk about her new crime novel
Lyrebird and how she weaves her real-life advocacy into her fiction, creating worlds that are uncannily familiar while crafting plot twists and absorbing mysteries to keep readers guessing. With
Hannie Rayson.
$30 / $22
Saturday 18 October
11.15am
Queenscliff Town Hall
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Heather Rose’s Next Great Act
Stella Prize-winning author
Heather Rose shares the inspiration behind her latest work,
A Great Act of Love. Rose will explore the themes she grapples with across her stories; how strong, determined, unapologetic women fuel her fiction; and why the scope of merciless colonial history has provoked her new book. With
Jason Steger.
$30 / $22
Saturday 18 October
1pm
Queenscliff Town Hall
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Peter Greste: From Correspondent to Casualty
Imprisoned for his journalism,
Peter Greste has traversed the globe and reported from the world’s most dangerous places. Depicted by Richard Roxburgh in a film based on his bestselling memoir, Greste will reflect on why telling the truth has become so dangerous, and how good journalism is essential in a fractured world. With
Michael Cathcart.
Presented in partnership with the Peter Blazey Fellowship.
$30 / $22
Saturday 18 October
2.45pm
Queenscliff Town Hall
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Melissa Leong Gets Gutsy
The first female judge on MasterChef Australia, Gold Logie-nominated TV personality and fashion icon
Melissa Leong will discuss her book
Guts: A Memoir of Food, Failure, and Taking Impossible Chances. Melissa will share her experiences of mental health, racism, and the joy food has played in her daily life and soaring career. With
Jaclyn Crupi.
Presented in partnership with Geelong Regional Libraries.
$30 / $22
Saturday 18 October
4.30pm
Queenscliff Town Hall
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Bob Brown Remains Defiant
Former Australian Greens leader
Bob Brown casts an unflinching eye on the forces that have shaped him and the reasons why he’ll never stop fighting. Bob’s new book,
Defiance, traverses his early days leading local environmental campaigns, to the national stage and Federal Parliament, all the while fighting for issues that matter. With
Sophie Black.
Presented in partnership with the Bookshop at Queenscliff.
$40
Saturday 18 October
7.30pm (bar from 6.30)
Queenscliff Town Hall
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Make Policy Great Again
Jenny Macklin AM’s parliamentary career saw her lead multiple portfolios: she designed the NDIS, oversaw the Apology to the Stolen Generations, and established the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Sexual Abuse. Passionate about reform and progressive change, she explores how urgent issues can be tackled in the current political landscape. With
Jane Caro.
$30 / $22
Sunday 19 October
9.30am
Queenscliff Town Hall
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America Unravelling
With the re-election of President Trump, America has entered a tumultuous new era of political strongmanship and an unraveling of previous approaches to foreign policy, climate action, human rights and more. With decades of U.S. political expertise between them,
Emma Shortis and
Don Watson unpack what this new era means for Australia and the world. With
Dylan Bird.
Presented in partnership with RMIT University.
$30 / $22
Sunday 19 October
11.15am
Queenscliff Town Hall
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All Gardens Bright and Beautiful
Award-winning garden and landscape designer
Tim Pilgrim and passionate gardener and cook
Jaclyn Crupi talk about the inspirations behind their new gardening books. Hear Tim and Jaclyn explore the pleasure and accessibility of being green thumbs and the joy of planning and creating the gardens of their wildest dreams. With
Michael McCoy.
$30 / $22
Sunday 19 October
1pm
Queenscliff Town Hall
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A Toast to Jane Austen
It is a truth universally acknowledged that 2025 is the 250th year since the birth of Jane Austen! Contemporary regency authors
Kelly Gardiner, Sharmini Kumar and
Alison Goodman will explore Austen’s wide appeal and ongoing relevance and explain why they love to write novels set in the regency era. Afternoon tea and champagne will be served, regency costumes will be on display, and we’ll learn a simple regency dance! With Elizabeth McCarthy.
$40 includes afternoon tea and sparkling wine
Sunday 19 October
2.45pm (bar from 2)
Queenscliff Town Hall
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Omar El Akkad’s One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This
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
$40
Friday 24 October
7.30pm (bar from 6.30)
Queenscliff Town Hall
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Workshop: Putting the Romance In Your Novel with Marion Lennox
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.
$45
Saturday 25 October
9.30am - 1.00pm
The Hub
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Miles Franklin vs. The International Booker
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.
$30 / $22
Saturday 25 October
9.30am
Queenscliff Town Hall
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Marcia Langton & Judith Ryan: 65,000 Years: A Short History of Australian Art
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
$30 / $22
Saturday 25 October
11.15am
Queenscliff Town Hall
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Crime Writers on the Surf Coast
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.
$30 / $22
Sunday 26 October
1pm
Queenscliff Town Hall
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Virginia Trioli Loves a Bit on the Side
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.
$30 / $22
Saturday 25 October
2.45pm
Queenscliff Town Hall
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The Greer Effect
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
$40
Saturday 25 October
4.30pm (bar from 4pm)
The Boatshed - Queenscliffe Maritime Museum
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Better Off Said: Eulogies for the Living and Dead
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.
$45
Saturday 25 October
7.30pm (bar from 6.30)
Queenscliff Town Hall
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The Sea in the Metro and Boogie Wonderland
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.
$30 / $22
Sunday 26 October
9.30am
Queenscliff Town Hall
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Mushroom Murders and the True Crime Podcast Boom
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.
$30 / $22
Sunday 26 October
11.15am
Queenscliff Town Hall
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Zach Tuohy and Catherine Murphy and the Way of the Irish
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.
$30 / $22
Saturday 25 October
1pm
Queenscliff Town Hall
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The Beach House Years with Brian Nankervis
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.
$40
Sunday 26 October
2.45pm (bar from 2)
Queenscliff Town Hall
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John Wayne ‘The Gunslinger’ Parr: An Australian Champion
Over the course of 150 fights and 349 stitches, Muay Thai fighter, kickboxer and boxer
John Wayne ‘The Gunslinger’ Parr won ten world titles, including the prestigious WMC World Title and an Australian middleweight boxing title. With co-writer
Jarrod Boyle, Parr will discuss the book that details the triumphs and trials of his brilliant, brutal career. With
Jenny Valentish.
$30 / $22
Saturday 18 October
1pm (bar from 12.30)
Monahan Sports Centre
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