Sydney Writers’ Festival 2012

Overview

Taking inspiration from events in the past 12 months such as the (mainly UK-based) media scandals and the digital frenzy that surrounded the Kony2012 campaign, the 2012 Sydney Writers' Festival will get us all thinking, talking, and maybe even writing about the shifting boundaries between what's public and what's private.

Featuring profound and relevant discussions on current topics, including gay marriage and media in a digital age, the 15th SWF will include writing workshops, readings, talks, and panels from prizewinning authors, poets, and biographers — as well as politicians, judges, and even a CIA interrogator.

The festival will be hosting a few international heavyweights, too. Libyan novelist Hisham Matar, who was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize for In the Country of Men, will be opening the festival. He will be talking about his writing and the harrowing events of his past (his father was kidnapped by Gaddafi's regime in the '90s and is still missing).

The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Virgin Suicides, Jeffrey Eugenides, is making his first trip Down Under for the festival, and Jeanette Winterson, author of Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit, will be here to read from her memoir Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal?.

Kick-arse writers from the UK and US, including Heather Brooke, who broke the story about the British parliamentary expenses scandal, and Stella Rimington, former head of MI5, are just two from a long list of influential writers who have tackled topics as wide-reaching as the troubled history of Ireland, Vladimir Putin's hold over Russia and western capitalism versus China’s booming economy.

Closer to home, Australian expat Kathy Lette will be at the festival talking about raising an autistic child, and Aboriginal writer Anita Heiss and politician Bob Katter will be sharing their views on our nation. And don't forget the 5th annual MCA Zine Fair, where you can spend the whole day perusing, buying and talking about the DIY art.

The festival takes place from May 14 to 20 across venues such as the Sydney Opera House, Walsh Bay, Sydney Town Hall and the Recital Hall. And the best part? More than half of the events are completely free. Some events are ticketed, some are not. Go to www.swf.org.au for details of all the writers attending and how to purchase tickets.