Byron Writers Festival
Satellite Events
Breakfast with Clementine Ford
Clementine Ford discusses her incendiary new book about toxic masculinity and misogyny: Boys will be Boys. She reveals how the patriarchy we live in is as harmful to boys and men as it is to women and girls, and asks what we have to do to reverse that damage.
When: Thursday 1 August, 8am – 9.45am
Venue: Harvest, Newrybar
Cost: $90, includes delicious Harvest breakfast
EVENT PARTNER Harvest
SUPPORTED BY Brookfarm
Matthew Evans on How to be an Ethical Carnivore
In On Eating Meat former food critic and chef, now farmer and restaurateur, Matthew Evans grapples with the thorny issues around the ways we produce and consume animals, advocating for animal welfare and less radicalisation.
When: Thursday 1 August, 10am – 11am
Venue: Beach Hotel, Byron Bay
Cost: Free, bookings essential
EVENT PARTNERS Dumbo Feather and Beach Hotel
Finding Nevo
Nevo is a Jewish, queer, non-binary writer, activist and public speaker with a particular focus on issues surrounding gender, sex, culture and sexuality. They are also the author of award-winning Finding Nevo, a memoir on gender transition. In conversation with William MacNeil.
When: Thursday 1 August, 1.30pm – 2.30pm
Venue: Whitbrook Theatre, Southern Cross University, Lismore Campus
Cost: Free, bookings essential
EVENT PARTNER Southern Cross University
Di Morrissey
Di Morrissey is one of the most successful and prolific authors Australia has ever produced. Her fascination with different countries – their cultural, political and environmental issues – has been the catalyst for her novels, which are all inspired by a particular landscape.
When: Thursday 1 August, 2pm—3.30pm
Venue: Moller Pavillion, Bangalow
Cost: $25, includes afternoon tea by Bangalow CWA
EVENT PARTNER Friends of the Library
Book Launch
BY DAVID LESER
David Leser interrogates his own privilege and role in the patriarchy as he explores misogyny and how history brought us to the #MeToo movement. To be launched by Vanessa Gorman.
When: Friday 2 August, 6.30pm—7.30pm
Venue: The Book Room, Byron Bay
Cost: Free, no bookings
Tim Costello
Tim Costello’s evocative memoir, A Lot with a Little, explores the people and experiences that have shaped him into a socially active fighter for the world’s most challenging issues. This is a book about faith and its power to sustain in the face of the world’s big issues.
When: Friday 2 August, 7pm—8pm
Venue: The Byron at Byron
Cost: $25
EVENT PARTNER The Byron at Byron
Hung Le
Hung Le is a Vietnamese refugee who has no math, medical or musical abilities. To compensate, he has carved out an international career in comedy and playing the violin out of tune. He’s currently the world’s first, best and tallest Vietnamese comic and author who has never found his land legs.
When: Friday 2 August, 7pm—8pm
Venue: Byron Theatre
Cost: $25
Writers at Risk
Join celebrated Australian foreign correspondent Peter Greste and stellar guests – incarcerated prize-winning writer Behrouz Boochani (live-streamed from Manus Island), his collaborator and translator Omid Tofighian with PEN International Chair and American-Mexican author Jennifer Clement in a pivotal discussion of the challenges to and seminal importance of press freedom.
When: Friday 2 August, 7—8.15pm
Venue: Banksia Pavilion, Elements of Byron Resort
Cost: $25 with a portion of proceeds donated to charity
Extinction
An edgy, provocative, funny play that challenges our feelings with cleverly crafted, insightful dialogue. It explores efforts to sustain our fragile world, our flawed relationships, and corruption of our institutions. Extinction is a must see!
When: Friday 2 & Saturday 3 August, 7.30pm. Sunday 4 August, 5.30pm
Venue: Drill Hall Mullumbimby
Cost: $30/22 (Friday, Saturday) or $40/32 (Sunday, inc. Q&A with Hannie and refreshments)
EVENT PARTNER Drill Hall Theatre
Solid Air
From page to the stage, let the words take flight! Come experience a literary & loud line-up of some of Australia’s most vibrant performance and slam poets, who are all featured within the groundbreaking new spoken word anthology Solid Air. Featuring Pascalle Burton, Tug Dumbly, David Hallett, Melanie Mununggurr-Williams, Anisa Nandaula, Omar Sakr, David Stavanger, Anne-Marie Te Whiu, plus special feature sets by Tishani Doshi and champion beatboxer Hope One.
When: Friday 2 August, 8.30pm—9.30pm
Venue: Byron Theatre
Cost: $15
John West Youth Poetry Prize
A performance poetry competition for young people aged 10 to 18yrs. Entrants present a 2-minute spoken word poem on any theme. First prize $500.
When: Saturday 3 August, 3.30pm—4.30pm
Venue: Byron Bay Library
Cost: Entry is free
More info: [email protected]
Australian Poetry Slam
Featuring 2018 Australian Poetry Slam champion Melanie Mununggurr-Williams, with MC Miles Merril.
When: Saturday 3 August, 5.30pm—7.30pm
Venue: Byron Bay Library
Cost: Free, bookings essential
More info: australianpoetryslam.com
EVENT PARTNER Word Travels
Object Lessons
Ailsa Piper returns to Lismore Regional Gallery with a performance inspired by the current exhibition, Object Therapy. Using both found and crafted words, Ailsa will re-flect, re-mind and re-work the way you think about the place of things in your life.
When: Saturday 3 August, 6.30pm—7.30pm
Venue: Lismore Regional Gallery
Cost: Free, bookings essential
EVENT PARTNER Lismore Regional Gallery
Stephen Pyne
Fire has preoccupied American Professor Stephen Pyne for decades. He has published 35 books, mostly on fire (including Australia) but others on topics like Antarctica and the Grand Canyon. He brings to fire a deep comparative perspective and sense of history. He lives on a small urban farm in Arizona.
When: Saturday 3 August, 6.30pm—7.30pm
Venue: Byron Theatre
Cost: $25
Story Club
Story Club is a live, themed storytelling night featuring true, hilarious stories by some of Australia’s finest raconteurs. This edition, Working for the Man, features Benjamin Law, Scott Ludlam, Kate McClymont, Sisonke Msimang and Story Club co-creators Zoë Norton Lodge and Ben Jenkins.
When: Saturday 3 August, 8pm—9.15pm
Venue: Byron Theatre
Cost: $25
The Electric Hotel
Dominic Smith, the acclaimed author of The Last Painting of Sara de Vos, takes us back in time to the birth of cinema during a discussion of his research and experience writing his latest book The Electric Hotel.
When: Sunday 4 August, 11am—12pm
Venue: Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre
Cost: Free, bookings essential
EVENT PARTNER Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre
Writers at the Rails
The 27th anniversary of Writers at the Rails featuring Melanie Mununggurr-Williams, Tug Dumbly and David Hallett.
When: Sunday 4 August, 2.30pm—4.30pm
Venue: The Rails Hotel, Byron Bay
Cost: Free, no bookings