Byron Writers Festival invites your school to participate in our annual Secondary Schools Program – a full day of live conversations and panel discussions with some of the foremost writers and thinkers from the 2021 Festival.
When: Thursday 5 August, 10am – 2pm
Where: The Festival site (Elements of Byron, Byron Bay)
Cost: $17 per student
View the day’s program below and scroll down for author bios and their books.
10.30am: Finding Humour in Hard Times
Matt Okine in conversation with Marc Fennell
11.10am: Beyond Pronouns
Nevo Zisin in conversation with Mia Thom
12.10pm: Paths to Understanding
Craig Silvey in conversation with Zacharey Jane
12.50pm: Coming of Age during the War on Terror
Randa Abdel-Fattah in conversation with Sunil Badami
1.30pm: Poetry and Identity
Evelyn Araluen in conversation with Tony Birch
10.30am: This is How it Feels
Helena Fox in conversation with Siboney Duff
11.10am: Connecting Ideas and Imagination
Davina Bell in conversation with Sarah Armstrong
12.10pm: Magical Thinking
Isobelle Carmody in conversation with Tristan Bancks
12.50pm: Stuff Happens – Will K.’s unexpected journey to writing
Will Kostakis in conversation with Grace Lucas-Pennington
A digital program will also be available for schools unable to attend the live events. More information to come. Presented in partnership with Southern Cross University and the Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund.
Do you have a way with words or a story to tell? Study creative writing, digital media or design your degree, combining more of your interests with our range of shared majors from a wide range of disciplines. It’s time to think outside the box with Southern Cross University. scu.edu.au/study
Randa Abdel-Fattah is an academic, former lawyer, mother of four children and award-winning author. Her most recent book is Coming of Age in the War on Terror.
Evelyn Araluen is a Goorie-Koori poet, researcher and co-editor of Overland Literary Journal. Her debut poetry collection is Dropbear.
Sarah Armstrong has written three novels for adults and her first novel for readers aged 8 – 12 will be published by Hardie Grant next year.
Sunil Badami is a writer and broadcaster, who has contributed to most major Australian publications and appears regularly on ABC Radio and TV.
Tristan Bancks is a children’s and teens author. His books include Two Wolves, The Fall, Detention, Tom Weekly and Nit Boy. His latest book is Ginger Meggs.
Davina Bell is a children’s author. Her books include All the Ways To Be Smart, and her debut Young Adult novel, The End of the World Is Bigger Than Love.
Tony Birch is an activist, historian, essayist and acclaimed author of the novels The White Girl, Ghost River and Blood. His most recent release is the poetry collection Whisper Songs.
Isobelle Carmody is one of Australia’s most highly regarded authors of fantasy. Her most recent novel is the final book in the Kingdom of the Lost series, The Velvet City.
Siboney Duff has worked as a freelance writer, editor, and manuscript assessor for over fifteen years. A qualified English teacher, she specialises in HSC Extension English student preparation.
Marc Fennell is a Walkley Award-winning journalist, interviewer, author and documentary maker.
Helena Fox’s debut novel, How It Feels To Float, is an exploration of grief and mental illness that has been published in Australia and internationally.
Zacharey Jane is a writer, teacher and painter. Her two publications with UQP are The Lifeboat, released internationally, and the children’s picture book, Tobias Blow.
Will Kostakis is a writer of defamatory celebrity journalism, wrestler tweets and award-winning YA novels. He recently applied his trademark style to fantasy novels Monuments and Rebel Gods.
Matt Okine is an actor, writer and one of Australia’s favourite award-winning comedians. His novel Being Black ‘N Chicken & Chips was released in 2019.
Craig Silvey is from Fremantle, Western Australia. He is the award-winning author of Jasper Jones and Honeybee.
Mia Thom is a Bundjalung climate activist, a co-organiser of the school strike for climate movement within the Byron Shire movement.
Nevo Zisin (they/them) is a queer, non-binary, Jewish writer, performer, activist and public speaker. Author of award-winning Finding Nevo, and The Pronoun Lowdown.
2022 Workshops for writers of all levels
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