Sydney Writers’ Festival Reveals Full Program For May 2026

The 2026 Sydney Writers’ Festival 2026 has announced its program, delivering 200+ events from 250+ authors to transform Sydney into a week-long celebration of storytelling, 17–24 May. 39 international guests join over 220 Australian writers for vital conversations spanning fiction, non-fiction, poetry, politics, memoir, journalism and children’s literature.

Artistic Director Ann Mossop said, “Sydney Writers’ Festival is home to the world’s best contemporary writing and the open exchange of ideas. With the theme, Show Me the Truth, the 2026 Festival highlights how these brilliant authors explore truth and trust in times of uncertainty across all forms of writing.”

“Writers bring the truth to life in many different ways, whether it is in a novel that transports us to another time and place or in rigorous journalism that reflects the current moment. The 2026 Festival brings readers extraordinary international and Australian fiction writers, from Booker Prize winners and bestselling writers of fantasy to a range of stellar debuts.

“We’ll explore important questions about the future of democracy and the impact of AI on the arts and culture, but we’ll also celebrate a major anniversary for one of Australia’s favourite cookbooks and the joys of Captain Underpants. The SWF program opens up a space for writers and readers to explore books, ideas and storytelling in all of their variety and richness,” said Mossop.

HEADLINE FESTIVAL GUESTS

International bestsellers take centre stage across the week. One of the world’s most prominent contemporary fantasy writers, R. F. Kuang (Katabasis, 2025), takes audiences through her extraordinary career. Mick Herron (Clown Town, 2025) takes us behind the success of the Slow Horses series and its latest installment. Investigative journalist Patrick Radden Keefe (London Falling, 2026) unpacks his new book and his catalogue of bestselling non-fiction and also presents a special session on Say Nothing (2018).

Political leaders and innovators bring sharp global insights to the May Festival. Former prime minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern (A Different Kind of Power, 2025), shares her path to global leadership in her deeply personal memoir. Jimmy Wales (The Seven Rules of Trust, 2025), founder of Wikipedia, looks at the vital role of trust in all aspects of our lives.

Multiple Booker Prize-winning and shortlisted authors join the Festival from across the globe. David Szalay (Flesh, 2025) explores how intimacy can become emotionally damaging in his 2025 Booker Prize winner. Susan Choi (Flashlight, 2025) examines family, absence and alienation in her new novel. Author of Life of Pi, adapted into an Oscar-winning film, Yann Martel (Son of Nobody, 2026) reimagines the Trojan War in his latest work. One of Ireland’s most celebrated writers, Booker Prize winner (and 2025 Chair of Judges), Roddy Doyle (The Women Behind the Door, 2024), discusses his life’s work and latest novel.

Novelist (Ghost Eye, 2026) and author of brilliant non-fiction (The Nutmeg’s Curse, 2021) Amitav Ghosh explores the full range of his work. Master of weird fiction, Bora Chung (The Midnight Table, 2025), invites audiences into her modern horror fable. Women’s Prize for Fiction winner Tayari Jones (Kin, 2026) discusses the bonds of mothers, daughters and sisterhood in her latest novel. New York Times bestselling author S. A. Cosby (King of Ashes, 2025) brings gritty crime fiction and Southern noir to the SWF stage.

Dav Pilkey (Captain Underpants: The First Epic Manga, 2026), the world-famous creator of Captain Underpants and Dog Man, draws his beloved characters live in an event filled with hilarious onstage antics.

2026 ESSENTIAL FESTIVAL EVENTS

In the aftermath of tragedy, writers Jessica Chapnik Kahn, Lee Kofman, Simon Tedeschi and Michael Visontay reflect on grief, solidarity and resilience with Michaela Kalowski in After Bondi (17 May), responding to the 2025 Bondi terrorist attack and exploring how communities reckon with violence.

In The Story That Changed My Life (19 May), journalists Lorena Allam, Avani Dias, Lyse Doucet, Anton Enus, Kate McClymont and Patrick Radden Keefe reflect on the moments and stories that transformed them, splitting their careers into the ‘before’ and the ‘after’.

Brave Conversations: When Words Offend (21 May) explores how we can talk about difficult questions, and how having better disagreements can strengthen Australian society and democracy. Drawing on diverse lived experiences and perspectives, panellists Waleed Aly, Cordelia Fine, Antoinette Lattouf, Greg Sheridan and Amy Thunig-McGregor and hosts Daniel Heller and Farid Zaid explore questions at the heart of democratic life and our relationships with one another.

Festival favourite, the SWF Great Debate (21 May), returns to Sydney Town Hall with the topic We Can’t Handle the Truth. Annabel Crabb and writer David Marr lead opposing teams in a saucy and suggestive comedy debate to find out whether the truth is in fact too hot to handle. Matilda Boseley, Reuben Kaye, Rhys Nicholson and Jennifer Wong battle it out under the adjudication of Yumi Stynes.

In Holding Up the Mirror (21 May), hear Jewish writers Lee Kofman, Jon Sopel and Michael Visontay discuss antisemitism in Australia and around the world, with host Avril Alba.

Looking to history to understand the present, Big Histories (22 May) brings together Amitav Ghosh, Luke Kemp (Goliath’s Curse, 2025) and Clare Wright to re-examine the grand narratives that shape our world. From empire to climate change, they consider how the stories we inherit influence the futures we imagine.

Great Adaptations (22 May) shares behind-the-scenes insight into what happens when compelling stories travel from page and stage to screen with writers Mick Herron (Slow Horses) and Suzie Miller (Prima Facie) in conversation with Benjamin Law.

State of the Art (22 May) returns with a special Booker Prize-focused edition featuring Susan Choi, Roddy Doyle, Yann Martel, David Szalay and Charlotte Wood, reflecting on their work and its journey to recognition.

Beloved storytelling event Queerstories (22 May) returns to celebrate the culture and creativity of the LGBTQIA+ community one true story at a time. Featuring Raewyn Connell, Victoria Falconer, George Kemp, Steve MinOn and Sofi Oksanen, with host Maeve Marsden.

Australian political heavyweights Waleed Aly, Sean Kelly, Amy Remeikis and Niki Savva join Barrie Cassidy and Friends: State of the Nation (23 May) to dissect a year of upheaval and policy change. Hosted by Barrie Cassidy, this Festival cornerstone offers sharp analysis of the forces shaping Australia’s political future.

Randa Abdel-Fattah, Michael Mohammed Ahmad and Antoinette Lattouf, in conversation with Jan Fran, unpack the hard truths at the core of their latest works in Silenced (23 May).

As misinformation, AI and digital disruption reshape public discourse, hear from Barbara Demick, A. C. Grayling, Jimmy Wales and Toby Walsh in The Future of Truth (24 May) to consider how trust can be rebuilt in an age of manipulation and information overload.

OPENING AND CLOSING NIGHTS

The 29th Sydney Writers’ Festival opens on 19 May with a joyful evening of performance and reflection in the Show Me the Truth Gala. The event stars dynamic Irish-Indian poet Nikita Gill, bestselling American novelist Lily King, award-winning Scottish poet Michael Pedersen, Gunai multidisciplinary artist Kirli Saunders with her band Cooee, and beloved fiction-writer Robbie Arnott, reflecting on the power of language, truth and fiction.

The Festival closes on 24 May with an exploration of A Braver Australia and the courage needed to make change. Hear from writer and activist Tony Birch, novelist Shankari Chandran, artist Ben Quilty, Chief Political Analyst at The Australia Institute Amy Remeikis, researcher and writer Amy Thunig-McGregor, alongside activist and author of Better Things Are Possible Jack Toohey.

OTHER INTERNATIONAL GUESTS – FICTION

Novelists who took the world by storm with their bestselling 2025 releases join the program. Lily King (Heart the Lover, 2025) shares her unforgettable story of love, desire, friendship and loss. Florence Knapp (The Names, 2025) explores family and the life-defining decisions that make her debut resonate so strongly with readers.

International cultures are explored in distinct and profound ways. Maria Reva (Endling, 2025) examines extinction, nationalism and cultural inheritance in Ukraine. Michael Bennett (Carved in Blood, 2025) discusses writing crime novels from a Māori perspective. Scottish poet Michael Pedersen’s fiction debut (Muckle Flugga, 2025) explores identity, belonging and emotional resilience. Much-beloved Irish writer Niall Williams (Time of the Child, 2024) reflects on his writing life, career and the country home that inspired his acclaimed novels.

Fantasy writing envelops SWF with vampires, dragons and folktales. International bestseller Lev Grossman (The Bright Sword, 2024) discusses all things myths and magic alongside R. F. Kuang and Garth Nix. Rising star Tigest Girma (Eternal Ruin, 2025) shares how she merges real and imagined worlds in her writing.

Poetry lovers can look forward to Nikita Gill (Hekate, 2025) performing readings of her bestselling body of work. Pulitzer Prize winner Mosab Abu Toha (Forest of Noise, 2024) speaks to the land and culture that influence his writing.

Tony Tulathimutte (Rejection, 2024) captures the modern millennial malaise of anxiety, rejection, resentment and delusion. Josh Silver (Fruit Fly, 2026) shares how digital media and internet culture inform his adult debut.

OTHER INTERNATIONAL GUESTS – NON-FICTION

The 2026 Festival’s international non-fiction lineup explores the future of democracy, important political trends and events and global conflicts, as well as rich personal accounts of culture and heritage.

Pulitzer Prize finalist Deborah Baker (Charlottesville: An American Story, 2025) illuminates United States history of political radicalisation. Award-winning foreign correspondent Barbara Demick (Daughters of the Bamboo Grove, 2025) shares the true story of twins separated by China’s one-child policy. Finnish Estonian author Sofi Oksanen (Same River, Twice, 2026) examines Vladimir Putin’s war on women, and award-winning BBC correspondent Lyse Doucet (The Finest Hotel in Kabul, 2025) talks about Afghanistan and brings frontline reporting from global conflict zones.

Jon Sopel (Strangeland, 2024) reflects on democracy, antisemitism and Trump’s America. A. C. Grayling (For the People, 2026) outlines the fragility of contemporary society in the face of authoritarianism. Luke Kemp (Goliath’s Curse, 2025) draws on centuries of historical evidence to examine why complex societies collapse. David Moscrop (Too Dumb for Democracy, 2019) takes a look under the hood of 21st century nationalism.

Hiroko Yoda (Eight Million Ways to Happiness, 2025) inspires audiences with the ancient spiritual wisdom of Japan. Translator and Shakespeare scholar Daniel Hahn (If This Be Magic, 2026) explores how the legendary playwright William Shakespeare has been translated into different languages around the world. Matt Alt (Pure Invention, 2020) uncovers how Japan’s culture influences the rest of the world.

For fans of memoir, Tareq Baconi (Fire in Every Direction, 2026) delves into his queer coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of his Middle Eastern heritage. Mariana Enriquez (Somebody is Walking on Your Grave, 2025) takes audiences to cemeteries across the globe to explore local histories of violence, religion and social class.

AUSTRALIAN GUESTS – FICTION

Some of Australia’s most celebrated contemporary novelists lead the 2026 program. Trent Dalton (Gravity Let Me Go, 2025) returns with his highly anticipated new novel. Booker Prize–shortlisted author Steve Toltz (A Rising of the Lights, 2026) discusses arts and culture in the age of AI. Stella Prize winner Heather Rose (A Great Act of Love, 2025) shares her latest tale of enduring love. Siang Lu (Ghost Cities, 2024) shares his 2025 Miles Franklin Award winner.

LGBTQIA+ voices light up Festival stages with bold, bright energy. Rising film star Zoe Terakes (Eros, 2025) shares their literary debut, reimagining Greek myths through a queer lens. Madeleine Gray (Chosen Family, 2025) sets the scene for a lifelong love story built on friendship. Fiona Kelly McGregor (The Trap, 2026) reflects on the homes and haunts of Sydney’s queer past.

Crime and psychological suspense linger in the Festival halls. Chris Hammer (Legacy, 2025) expands his bestselling rural noir universe with a story steeped in high-stakes and small-town reckonings. Dervla McTiernan (Three Reasons for Revenge, 2026) confronts the lengths family go to protect the ones they love. Shaun Micallef (De’Ath Takes a Holiday, 2025) shares his satirical take on the age-old vampire story.

First Nations voices remain at the heart of the Festival. Evelyn Araluen (The Rot, 2025) shares her new book, winner of the 2026 Victorian Prize for Literature, with readers. Tony Birch’s latest book, Pictures of You (2025), collects his short fiction from the past two decades. Jazz Money (mark the dawn, 2024) shares poetry in motion. Bruce Pascoe (No Hiding from the Woman in the Moon and Big Sky, 2026) calls for urgency on the climate crisis through poetry. Kirli Saunders (Eclipse, 2025) reflects on the power of language to connect us.

Melanie Saward (Making Trouble, 2026) is the guest curator of three events, including My Writing Soundtrack, Dreaming Big: Voices from the Brisbane Youth Detention Centre and Past, Present and Emerging.

FREE EVENTS

SWF offers audiences over 55 FREE events across Sydney. Here are a few:

The beloved Family Day returns on Sunday, 24 May, with a stacked program of talks, interactive workshops, performances, and of course, Russ the Story Bus. Families can join much-loved author and illustrator Cheryl Orsini for badgemaking. Story time events are hosted by Sue Whiting, Gabriel Evans, plus brother and sister team Victor Steffensen and Sandra Steffensen. Australian illustrators battle it out to see who reigns supreme, families bust 42 common myths with Dan Marshall, and audiences choose how a story unfolds with Nathan Luff and Andrew Cranna.

Jennifer Wong brings her Festival favourite event back for FEAST: Food Fights (23 May), with Durkhanai Ayubi, Natalia Figueroa Barroso, Shirley Le, Debra Oswald, Michael Shaikh and others sharing mouth-watering tales of dinner disasters and festive frivolities.

Secrets of the Lodge (21 May) sees Troy Bramston, Sean Kelly, Amy Remeikis and Niki Savva share their expert insights into Australian democracy and some of our larger-than-life prime ministers.

Fireside takes over the Blacksmith’s Workshop at Carriageworks for two stellar events. Writer Bruce Pascoe and Professor of Astrophysics Ray Norris share stories about the stars above and secrets of the universe in Fireside: Sky Stories (23 May). Meanwhile, Shaun Micallef, Bora Chung, Mariana Enriquez and Maeve Marsden gather round the campfire for an evening of horrors and delights in Fireside: Spooky Stories (23 May).