SUNDAY 20 OCTOBER
TATHRA HALL
GINA CHICK
9:30AM TATHRA HALL
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Gina Chick is a rewilding facilitator, adventurer, writer and speaker. Writing is in Gina Chick's genes. Her grandmother, Charmian Clift, was an author, essayist and Australia's first female columnist in the early 60's. Charmian married George Johnstone (My Brother Jack) and they lived together on Hydra with Leonard Cohen and bohemian expats. Charmian's teenage indiscretion, an illegitimate daughter, was given up for adoption. Gina's mum, Suzanne Chick, who, after finally discovering her mother's identity at 48, wrote her own book, Searching For Charmian, which was shortlisted for the NBC Banjo Award. Gina was one of ten participants of the first series of Alone Australia, made by iTV and screened on SBS in 2023. After 67 days of unforgettable moments of searing vulnerability, Gina was the last person standing, and the second woman to win an Alone solo challenge. Her determination, passion, and love of the natural world endeared her to more than 5.5 million people around Australia. Gina's articles have been published in The Guardian, news.com.au, Mamamia and SBS online.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Gina Chick, the inaugural winner of Alone Australia, tells the story of her extraordinary, indomitable life in one of the most powerful, moving memoirs you will ever read.
From day one of her wildly unconventional childhood, Gina Chick blazed her own trail, which led her to dance through the hidden world of 90’s Sydney nightlife into the arms of a conman. She fled to the wilderness to find healing, began a wondrous love affair with the deepest lessons life – and death – can offer, and found that all the answers are written in the wisdom of the body and the whirling silence of stars.
If you’re ready to get lost in jungles, wander into wolf-dens, sing with storms, rescue orphaned animals, dive to the depths, dance ’til your knees wobble, fall in love, find yourself by losing it all, and most of all be real; this book is for you.
We Are the Stars is a magic carpet ride through the exquisite mystery of the human heart. You’ve never read anything like it.
BRI LEE
11:00AM TATHRA HALL
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Bri Lee is the multi-award-winning author of Eggshell Skull, Beauty, and Who Gets to Be Smart. Her journalism, essays, and short stories have been published widely, and she is the creator and editor of News & Reviews.
ABOUT THE BOOK
In her first work of fiction, the formidable Bri Lee takes on art, romance and much more besides. Exploring the alienation of modernity, the frustrations of intimacy, and the friction between art and commerce, The Work is a no holds barred epic from one of our brightest talents.
INGA SIMPSON
1:00PM TATHRA HALL
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Inga Simpson began her career as a professional writer for government before gaining a PhD in creative writing. In 2011, she took part in the Queensland Writers Centre Manuscript Development Program and, as a result, Hachette Australia published her first novel, Mr Wigg, in 2013. Nest, Inga's second novel, was published in 2014 and was longlisted for the Miles Franklin Literary Award and the Stella Prize and shortlisted for the ALS Gold Medal. Inga's third novel, the acclaimed Where the Trees Were, was published in 2016.
Inga was awarded the final Eric Rolls Prize for her nature writing and has obtained a second PhD, exploring the history of Australian nature writers. Inga's account of her love of Australian nature and life with trees, Understory, was published in 2017. Her first book for children, The Book of Australian Trees, illustrated by Alicia Rogerson, was published in 2021. The Last Woman in the World, her critically acclaimed environmental thriller, was published in 2021 and shortlisted for the 2022 Fiction Indie Book Award. Her bestselling and critically acclaimed 2022 novel Willowman was shortlisted for the BookPeople Adult Fiction Book of the Year 2023 and in 2024 was selected by Australia's leading booksellers in BookPeople's 100 Must-Read Australian Novels.
Inga lives on the New South Wales south coast among trees.
ABOUT THE BOOK
A powerful literary page-turner about two young people in a race against time to reach a monumental solar eclipse, from famed Australian novelist Inga Simpson
Fin grew up by an observatory, learning about telescopes and planets, inspired by the passions of her mother and father, then leaders in their fields of astrophotography and astronomy. Those days are long over. Now Fin, her mother, Dianella, and a band of outliers live deep off the grid, always on amber alert and always ready to run.
In the outside world, things are not good: extinctions and a loss of diversity threaten what's left of the environment. With a new disaster looming, Fin finds herself thrust into an unlikely partnership with a stranger who has appeared in their camp. Terry is one of a new breed of evolved humans, the Incompletes, who are widely distrusted. But the pair will need to work together during a dangerous journey if they are to play their part in a plan to help restore the natural world - and humankind.
The Thinning is both an exquisitely written novel of nature and urgent psychological suspense.
JULIE JANSON
2:30PM TATHRA HAL.L
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Julie is a Burruberongal woman of the Darug Aboriginal nation NSW. She is a novelist, playwright, and poet. While living in remote Northern Territory in Yolngu communities in her early years as a teacher, Julie wrote plays and made giant puppets, masks and costumes with Yolngu students. Her career as a playwright resulted in ten productions at various theatres such as Sydney St Theatre, Belvoir St Theatre, Adelaide Festival Centre and Sydney Opera House Studio. Black Mary and Gunjies was published by Aboriginal Studies Press. Her plays have been produced in Arizona, USA and Makassar, Indonesia.
Her Indigenous crime novel Madukka the River Serpent (UWA Publishing 2022) was longlisted for the Miles Franklin Literary Award 2023 and the Davitt Award 2023. Benevolence, an Indigenous historical novel published by Magabala in 2020, and later published by Harper Collins in the USA and UK, was shortlisted for the Barbara Jefferis Award 2022 and in 2020 was longlisted for the NIB Literary Award and the Voss Literary Prize. Compassion (Magabala 2024) is a sequel to Benevolence.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Compassion is the dramatised life story of one of Julie Janson’s ancestors who went on trial for stealing livestock in New South Wales, and it is an exciting and violent story of anti-colonial revenge and roaming adventure. A gripping fictive account of Aboriginal life in the 1800s, Compassion follows the life of Duringah, AKA Nell James, the outlaw daughter of the Darug hero of Benevolence, Muraging.
DYLIN HARDCASTLE
4:00PM TATHRA HALL
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dylin Hardcastle is an author, artist and screenwriter. They are the author of three critically acclaimed books. Their first adult novel, Below Deck, was published in ten territories.
Trigger warning: Explores topics of family violence, overt transphobia, homophobia, racism, physical violence, the AIDS pandemic, the Stolen Generations, police brutality and stillbirth.
Dylin is the co-creator, co-writer and co-director of the TV show Cloudy River. In 2018, they were a Provost's Scholar and a research assistant in World Literature at the University of Oxford. Dylin is currently completing their PhD in Creative Writing. Dylin has travelled to Antarctica, South America and Europe for artist residencies, and has exhibited their paintings widely across Australia and the UK.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Two women - one openly queer, the other desperately suppressing her desires - unknowingly reach for each other over three heartbreaking yet euphoric decades before they collide. A Language of Limbs is perfect for fans of Devotion by Hannah Kent, Bodies of Light by Jennifer Down, On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong and Holding the Man by Timothy Conigrave.
A Language of Limbs is about love and how it's policed, friendship and how it transcends, and hilarity in the face of heartbreak - the jokes you tell as you're dying and the ways laughing at a funeral softens the edges of our grief. An unashamed celebration of life in all its vibrancy and colour, this story finds the humanity in all of us, and demands we claim our futures for ourselves. Set against the backdrop of milestones including Australia's first Mardi Gras and the AIDS pandemic, we see grief and joy live side by side until these characters finally come together.
TATHRA UNITING CHURCH
JESSIE TU
12:00 NOON TATHRA UNTING CHURCH
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jessie Tu is a book critic at The Age and Sydney Morning Herald, and a journalist for Women's Agenda. Her debut novel, A Lonely Girl is a Dangerous Thing, won the ABIA for 2020 Literary Fiction Book of the Year. The Honeyeater is her second novel.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Young academic and emerging translator Fay takes her mother on a package tour holiday to France to celebrate her birthday. It's a chance for the two of them to take a break from work and have a little fun, but they both find it hard to relax. Her mother seems reluctant to leave their room in the evening, and Fay is working on a difficult translation. On their last night in France, Fay receives the shattering news that her former lover has suddenly died.
A wildly inventive, chilling and intoxicating story of betrayal, ambition and love, The Honeyeater confirms that Jessie Tu is one of our most original and exciting writers.
INSIDE PUBLISHING - WRITING NSW
1:30PM TATHRA UNITING CHURCH
Each year, Writing NSW partners with regional writers’ festivals to present ‘Inside Publishing’, a panel discussion that explores the inner workings of the publishing world. This event provides networking opportunities and information about the industry to writers in regional NSW. This year the event will be held at Headland Writers Festival.
Come along at 12.00noon on Sunday 20 October to find out how the publishing industry really works from publishers and other industry insiders.
BRUCE NASH & KAREN VIGGERS
3:00PM TATHRA UNITING CHURCH
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Bruce Nash was awarded a 2022 Varuna Residential Fellowship for an earlier draft of this manuscript; indeed, he has enjoyed three such fellowships for his work. His previous books The Long River of Cat Fisher (2020) and An Island in the Lake (2019) were published by Australian Scholarly Publishing. He has been shortlisted for several writing awards and his short fiction has appeared in Meanjin, Australian Short Stories and anthologies. Bruce is a retired teacher and now lives on the southern New South Wales coast.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Rose is in her eighties and has dementia, but she's not done with life just yet. Alternately sharp as a tack and spectacularly forgetful, she spends her days roaming the corridors of her aged-care facility, ruminating on the staff and residents and enduring visits from her emotionally distant children and grand-daughters. But when her friend is found dead after an apparent fall from a window, Rose embarks on an eccentric and deeply personal investigation to discover the truth and exposes all manner of secrets - even some from her own past.
All the Words We Know is a wickedly funny and genuinely moving story about loneliness, language and how we make sense of the world.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Karen Viggers is an author, veterinarian and podcaster. She is the author of five novels: The Stranding (2008), The Lightkeeper’s Wife (2011), The Grass Castle (2014), The Orchardist’s Daughter (2019) and Sidelines (2024).
Her work is set in Australian landscapes and communities, and explores contentious issues, such as dying with dignity, displacement of First Peoples, wildlife conservation, clear-felling of native forests, and now, modern parenting and junior sport. She is co-host of the Secrets From the Green Room podcast in which she interviews writers and other book industry colleagues about books and writing. Her novels have been translated into several languages and have enjoyed great success in France where she is a bestselling author and has won a literary award.
ABOUT THE BOOK
'Sidelines', a family drama about teen sport and parents living vicariously through their children. Through adult and teen characters who we can all relate to, the story delves into modern life, parenting, and the ongoing challenges of raising kids. (Similar to The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas and Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty).
THE SONGS OF HENRY LAWSON
4:00PM TATHRA UNITING CHURCH
A performance of poems by Henry Lawson which have been set to music – sung by Spirit Allegro chamber choir accompanied by guest artists led by Sam and Robyn Martin.
It’s fair to say that there is a shortage of music which captures the Australian vernacular and which works well for a community choir to perform. Then a surprise find; a book of songs entitled ‘The Songs of Henry Lawson’ – a compendium of Lawson poetry which features the tunes people have written in order to perform the poetry. Largely in the folk idiom the tunes selected for this performance are either by Australian songwriters which have been arranged for choir or they have been specially composed for this project.
Since 2016 Spirit Allegro have presented bi-annual inspiring, innovative and joyful concerts to the people of the Bega Valley Shire. The repertoire presented at these concerts has been wide and varied including secular and spiritual music, folk music, jazz and also music that is culturally diverse including First Nations. Concerts have been held in town halls, community halls, churches and outdoors throughout the Shire. The choir consider the beautiful Nethercote Hall their home and rehearse/perform regularly in this very special venue.
WORKSHOPS AT TATHRA BEACH HOUSE
SARAH TEMPORAL
10AM TATHRA BEACH HOUSE (WORKSHOP)
CONFESSIONS, SECRETS & LIES
“Owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing that we’ll ever do.” – Brene Brown
Join prize-winning poet Sarah Temporal to explore how poetry reveals our hidden selves. In an inclusive workshop suitable for beginner to advanced writers, you will be guided through creative exercises to unlock your secrets and transform them into powerful poems.
THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF HANDMADE BOOKS WITH PIP MARSHMAN
2PM TATHRA BEACH HOUSE (WORKSHOP)
Pip Marshman is a Tathra local and has a long association with the arts community. She has held exhibitions in New Zealand, Tathra, Cooma, Jindabyne and Bega. Her work is held internationally and in Australia. Making artist books has been a feature of her artmaking, along with painted canvases, drawing, eco dyeing, mono-printing and shibori.
The workshop will be an introduction to the wonderful world of handmade books – we will make a small pamphlet book. No previous experience is necessary. At the end of the workshop you will have an individual notebook complete with your choice of Japanese paper covers and decorative stitched spine. All materials provided (small fee).
TATHRA HOTEL
STUART COUPE
10:30AM TATHRA HOTEL - FREE EVENT
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Stuart Coupe is an Australian music journalist, author, band manager, promoter, publicist and music label founder. A renowned rock music writer, Coupe is best known for his work with Roadrunner, Rock Australia Magazine (RAM), The Sun-Herald, and Dolly; the music labels, GREEN Records and Laughing Outlaw; and the author of books including The Promoters, Gudinski, Roadies, Paul Kelly and Shake Some Action. Coupe is a former manager of the Australian bands Hoodoo Gurus and Paul Kelly and is currently a presenter on Sydney radio stations 2SER and FBI Radio. He is also known for his writing as a reviewer of crime fiction for the Sydney Morning Herald and for founding the Australian crime fiction magazine, Mean Streets.
ABOUT THE BOOK
The story of how a gangly, music-obsessed kid from Tassie did everything and met everyone — Shake Some Action is a rip-snorting rock ‘n’ roll ride through a life of power and passion.
For over four decades, Stuart Coupe has been at the heart of the Australian music scene, experiencing the giddy highs, crushing lows and everything in between that comes along with a life lived in the creative fast lane.
TATHRA HOTEL DINING ROOM
ANDREW FOWLER
10AM TATHRA HOTEL DINING ROOM - FREE EVENT
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Andrew Fowler is an award-winning investigative journalist and a former reporter for the ABC’s Foreign Correspondent and Four Corners programs. Fowler began his journalism career in the early 1970s, covering the IRA bombing campaign for the London Evening News. He has been the chief of staff and acting foreign editor of The Australian newspaper. He wrote The Most Dangerous Man in the World, the story of Julian Assange and WikiLeaks in 2011, which was updated in 2012 and 2020. Fowler first interviewed Assange for Foreign Correspondent in 2010, for which the program won the New York Festival Gold Medal.
His two other books are The War on Journalism (Random House, 2015) and Shooting the Messenger: Criminalising Journalism (Routledge, 2017). Fowler is a winner of the United Nations Peace Prize, has lectured on journalism at universities in Australia and the UK, and has contributed to various academic papers.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Like all military acquisition programs worth billions of dollars, Australia’s decision to buy a new submarine fleet was expected to be a torturous process. But no one could have predicted the trail of wreckage it left behind, from the boulevards of Paris to the dockyards of Adelaide, as deep inside the Australian Government a secret group conspired to overthrow the winning French bid.
In this tale of treachery and intrigue, Andrew Fowler exposes the lies and deception that so outraged the President of France. Interviewing many of the main people involved and talking to sources in Paris, London, Washington and Canberra, Fowler pieces together the plot to sink the French and switch to a nuclear-powered US submarine—a botched operation that severely compromised Australia’s ability to defend itself.
KATE KRUIMINK & RUBY TODD
3PM TATHRA HOTEL DINING ROOM - FREE EVENT
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kate Kruimink is a writer from southern Lutruwita. Her first novel, A Treacherous Country, won the 2020 Vogel/Australian's Literary Award. It was shortlisted in the Prime Minister's Literary Award for Fiction and longlisted in the UK for the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction. In 2021, she was one of the Sydney Morning Herald's Best Young Novelists. Kate also writes short stories and essays, which have been published widely. Heartsease is her second novel.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Heartsease is a sad, sly and darkly comic story about the weight of grief and the ways in which family cleave to us, for better and for worse. It's an account of love and ghosts so sharp it will leave you with paper cuts.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ruby Todd is an Australian writer, creative arts researcher, and teacher, with a PhD in Writing & Literature. She is the recipient of the inaugural 2020 Furphy Literary Award, the 2019 Ploughshares Emerging Writer’s Contest award for Fiction, and the 2016 AAWP Chapter One Prize. She has completed residencies at The Wheeler Centre and La Trobe University, and her work has appeared in Ploughshares, the Guardian, Crazyhorse, Overland and elsewhere.
ABOUT THE BOOK
A novel about the search for meaning in a bewildering world, the loyalty of love and the dangerous lengths people go to in pursuit of the truth, Bright Objects is a luminous, masterfully crafted literary thriller.