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Celebrating 30 years in the heart of Byron Bay
Byron Writers Festival is set to take over Byron Bay, NSW from Friday 14 – Sunday 16 August, and today we are excited to unveil the first collection of authors for the 2026 program, alongside a limited release of three-day passes, marking the beginning of a milestone 30th anniversary.
Leading the first announcement is one of Australia's most celebrated storytellers in two-time Walkley Award-winning journalist and international bestselling author Trent Dalton, returning with his latest novel, Gravity Let Me Go.
He will be joined by New Delhi-based International Booker Prize winner Geetanjali Shree, whose novel Tomb of Sand made literary history in 2022 as the first work written in Hindi, or any Indian language, to win the International Booker Prize.
They are joined by Goorie and Koori poet Evelyn Araluen, winner of both the Stella Prize and the Victorian Prize for Literature, whose published works include Dropbear and her latest collection The Rot; Siang Lu, the Miles Franklin Award-winning author of Ghost Cities; and Sydney-born Booker Prize-shortlisted novelist Steve Toltz with his new novel A Rising of The Lights.
Leading the local contingent of authors included in this year's program is Goorie Bundjalung and Miles Franklin Award winner Melissa Lucashenko, with her new book Not Quite White in the Head, which sees her renowned collection of essays and journalism collectively published together for the first time.
Completing the first lineup announcement is actor and writer Zoe Terakes, whose debut book Eros reimagines ancient Greek myths through a bold, queer lens, and Australian economist, public policy commentator and Executive Director of The Australia Institute, Richard Denniss, with his latest essay More Fool Me: How the Gas Industry Tricked Australia.
Celebrating 30 years in 2026 with a new chapter in the heart of Byron Bay, Byron Writers Festival will unfold across a dynamic, multi-venue precinct throughout the township, creating a townwide literary precinct set to bring writers, readers and thought leaders together across three days.
Tickets are on sale now.
Writers
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Festival Events & Workshops
Join us for a special series of separately ticketed events and workshops featuring guests from the Byron Writers Festival '26 program.
Key Information
Byron Writers Festival is held on Bundjalung Country in the township of Byron Bay, Northern New South Wales.
Eat & Drink
The Byron Bay township is full to the brim with restaurants, cafes, bars and eateries to experience during the Byron Writers Festival. Alongside this are local retailers and artisans offering unique keepsakes and gifts from the region.
Shop
Browse our marketplace of local artisans, and visit The Book Room, our festival bookshop, to grab your favourite festival titles and have them signed by authors after each session.
In the unlikely event that Byron Writers Festival 2026 does not proceed, you will be offered a refund for all passes including parking.
Unfortunately we are unable to swap or change passes once they have been issued.
Yes, we love our volunteers, they are the heart and soul of our festival. Applications generally open in May each year.
For more information on how to get involved, see our volunteer page. Make sure to sign up to our mailing list and socials to stay in the know.
Festival Partners
Thanks to all our partners and supporters. Byron Writers Festival would not be possible without your passion and generosity.
Media
Media accreditation is strictly reserved for members of the media – print, photo, radio, TV, film, news agencies and online – who represent a legitimate media organisation and must be committed to publishing event coverage.
