Overview
Melbourne creatives have been holding out for the 2026 return of the city's massive celebration of the written word: Melbourne Writers Festival. While the big day isn't until May, when the four-day program will run from May 7–10, we've gotten our first taste of the program this morning with the announcement that New York Times Bestselling Author R.F. Kuang leads the international guest writer lineup.
Kuang is perhaps best known for her globally beloved series The Poppy War, and also her standalone works Babel, Yellowface and most recently Katabasis. Her work has drawn a global readership and rewritten the contemporary literary landscape with its interrogations of power, colonialism, translation, authorship and cultural identity.
Kuang will be taking part in events throughout the festival weekend, but first in an in-conversation event with The Radiant Emperor Duology author Shelley Parker-Chan at Melbourne Town Hall on Friday, May 8. Here, Kuang will reflect on her career so far, the life of a storyteller amidst the global cultural reckoning and the timeless appeal of speculative fiction.
MWF Festival Director Veronica Sullivan said, "Rebecca (R.F.) Kuang is without a doubt one of the world's most exciting contemporary novelists. With each new book, she pushes the boundaries of genre and imagination in breathtaking new ways. We are delighted to have Rebecca join us at this year's 40th anniversary edition of Melbourne Writers Festival to discuss Katabasis, and know her many readers in Melbourne will warmly welcome her to our City of Literature in May."
The full festival program for Melbourne Writers Festival is yet to be confirmed, but we know exactly when to expect it: the full program and ticket release will happen at 7.30pm on Thursday, March 19.
Tickets to R.F. Kuang: Katabasis at Melbourne Town Hall are on sale now, get yours or find more information on the Melbourne Writers Festival website.
Image: John Packman