Book out your weekend for the Brisbane Writers Festival
Spring in Brisbane sure is a beautiful time – the jacarandas are waking up, the weather is sublime and some of the best and brightest minds in the literary business descend upon our fair river city for the annual Brisbane Writers Festival. Aptly held within the State Library of Queensland and sprawling across the adjoining Cultural Precinct, the festival runs from September 7–11 to spread the lit love.
This year, the grand old girl is celebrating her 54th birthday with a bit of a makeover. Cultural crusaders UPLIT have taken the wheel, forming as an extension of the existing festival committee to support its significant evolution into far more than just five days in September. The Brisbane Writers Festival program explores themes of connection and belonging, settling in to examine how the reading journey helps to define a shared identity. Famous figures join forces with new voices to engage in discussion and encourage critical thought surrounding a huge range of topics.
As a result of the new blood, 2016’s program is particularly robust – the opening address is being delivered by badass international author Lionel Shriver, bringing her hot takes and cool wit. Everyone’s favourite Brisbane raconteur Nick Earls is getting the cabaret treatment with Wisdom Tree Live (which we’re very excited to be presenting!), a multi-faceted live interpretation of his novella. BWF’s Great Debate is always a knockout, with the panel’s all-star lit line-up including A.C. Grayling, Dave O’Neil, Yassmin Abdel-Magied and David Astle. Story+ has nabbed Kate Pullinger and Google Creative Labs Director Tom Uglow, and reformed pick-up artist Neil Strauss joins the festival to set his controversial record straight.
This is just the surface of a program that is overflowing with tremendous amounts of talent and inspo, so you can check out all that’s on offer at UPLIT. If all this reading has got you craving some culture, you can take a shot at winning a baller VIP Brisbane Writers Festival experience on us – hit up The Weekend Edition Golden Ticket competition and you could be going access all areas.
To find out more about what’s on in Brisbane, head to our Event Guide.