Antoinette Lattouf and Evelyn Araluen will be among the names at the South Coast Readers and Writers Festival. Photo: Supplied.
International bestsellers, award-winning authors and emerging local voices will descend on Thirroul this July as the South Coast Readers and Writers Festival returns for its biggest program yet.
First guests for the three-day program, presented by the South Coast Writers Centre, include acclaimed authors Evelyn Araluen (The Rot), Antoinette Lattouf (Women Who Win), James Bradley (Landfall), Sulari Gentill (Five Found Dead), Michelle de Kretser (Theory & Practice), Tara Moss (The Italian Secret), Kate Mildenhall (The Hiding Place) and Andrew Pippos (The Transformations).
Media coordinator Liz Heffernan said the festival grew each year, shaped by audience feedback and a commitment to platforming big names alongside Illawarra and South Coast storytellers.
“Every year we try to improve upon the last year,” Liz said.
“We try to get some really unique authors and unique perspectives, and some really interesting sessions, with both nationally best-selling authors, but also a lot of local voices, which I think is what makes the festival in general just really special.”
With the full program to be released in June, she said among the first guests, she was particularly excited for award-winning author of The Rot and Dropbear Evelyn Araluen, and journalist Antoinette Lattouf, whose landmark win in Lattouf v ABC became a flashpoint in debates about free speech.
“Having Evelyn Araluen is fantastic. She’s an incredible poet and just an incredible person in general, and it’ll be really special to have her at the festival,” she said.
“Antoinette Lattouf as well, who’s just a phenomenal individual, is very inspirational.
“It’s always nice to have local authors, but also have some of these big names come to the local area.”
Liz said often people from the Illawarra and South Coast had to travel to Sydney to see these types of authors.
“Sometimes if they’re only up in Sydney it can be a little inaccessible for people in more regional areas,” she said.
“So to have quite big names like these here is really exciting.”
Liz said the event – formerly known as the South Coast Writers Festival – was rebranded last year to the South Coast Readers and Writers Festival in a deliberate move to broaden its appeal and make it more welcoming.
“We really want to emphasise the importance that you don’t just have to be a writer to come along and listen to these authors speak,” she said.
“These authors are not only writing for other writers, they’re writing for everybody who wants to pick up a book and read.”
However, she said the program still catered for emerging and established writers.
Throughout the weekend, there will be 22 sessions for readers and writers on topics ranging from crime fiction, history, young adult literature, poetry, environmental writing, publishing, memoir, literary journals and more.
There will also be book launches, author workshops, and a free “The Library That Made Me” event on the Friday night.
Liz said she hoped festival-goers walked away inspired and with a few new names to add to their bookshelves.
“I really hope they just have a really, really great weekend – a really great time – and that they find a new favourite author,” she said.
“If people recognise a name, they’ll come along.
“But I think a really special thing about writers’ festivals is they can help you discover someone who you don’t know, which is fantastic, because then they might actually become your new favourite author.”
Festival director Dr Sarah Nicholson said they were excited for the festival to be returning for its fifth year.
“Our 2026 program is bigger than ever, and we can’t wait to share it with our community,” Sarah said.
Early bird Saturday, Sunday and two-day passes are now on sale for the South Coast Readers and Writers Festival at the Thirroul District Community Centre and Library from 24–26 July. Full program will be announced in June.
