Melbourne Writers Festival 2014

Overview

With winter making its chilly, soul-destroying presence well known this year, it's a relief that the Melbourne Writers Festival is nearly upon us. Giving us all a viable and damn near social opportunity to rug up with a good book, this bastion of our city's cultural calendar is about to stroll on into our jumper-clad, tea-loving lives and make things a whole lot brighter.

This year they're bringing the big guns too. The 2014 headliners include Helen Garner, Salman freakin' Rushdie, Dave Eggers, and a David Bowie-singing astronaut. There's hands-on experience being offered from Lonely Planet's Don George and The New Yorker's Emily Nussbaum. Even politicians are getting involved; you can offset your nights of heavy boozing with some highly intellectual discussions from Bob Brown, Malcolm Fraser and Bob Carr (provided you're feeling up for it).

Of course, it doesn't matter if you're not a writer yourself. These kinds of festivals are just spaces for ideas. Rub shoulders with the nation's best thinkers, jot down some newfound inspiration, and float around the many city venues fuelled by curiousity and an unwavering stream of quality caffeine. Get ready for some literature, politics and gin, people. This one's going to be a doozy.

The Melbourne Writers Festival is on August 21-31. Tickets are on sale via the festival website, though many events are free. For more, check out our full MWF run-down including our picks of the top ten events.