Spring Fling 2023 at The Wheeler Centre

Overview

If saying farewell to winter always puts you in the mood to spring clean your thinking and soak up some fresh ideas, then The Wheeler Centre's returning festival is one to add to your calendar — again. The literary hub's celebration of words and ideas that is Spring Fling first debuted in 2022, and is back again for 2023 across Monday, October 2–Saturday, October 14. As always, it's got a sparkling lineup of local and international authors, actors, musicians, thinkers and other talents in tow.

Among the exciting figures who'll be chatting is Irish author Caroline O'Donoghue, who has both The Rachel Incident and podcast Sentimental Garbage to dive into; 2023 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction winner Hernan Diaz, with Trust and money his topics of conversation; and Looking for Alibrandi star Pia Miranda, fresh from popping up in Aunty Donna's Coffee Cafe, to talk through her life and career.

The festival program spans more than 20 events, hitting venues such as The Wheeler Centre itself, Melbourne Town Hall and The Edge at Fed Square. Also on the bill: Boy Swallows Universe's Trent Dalton, cousins Andrew Quilty and Ben Quilty — who'll be speaking together publicly for the first time, covering creativity — and journalist Leigh Sales.

Rebecca Makkai will dive into I Have Some Questions for You; performers Gloria Demillo, Jasper Peach and Nevo Zisin will read queer literature and their own words while literally stripped bare to muse on vulnerability; and Amie Kaufman and Lili Wilkinson will explore the YA realm.

In the podcast space, O'Donoghue will be recording Sentimental Garbage live, while Jen Cloher will do the same with Everybody's Trying To Find Their Way Home.