Near the beach just before sunset is the place to absorb the spirit of Byron Bay. Following an east coast low, two-metre waves, breaking to perfection, have drawn more than a hundred board riders. Watching them is mesmerising as the sky turns tangerine over Mount Warning. Melodies of a singer set up with a keyboard on the grass, fill the air. At times he adds the eerie sounds of a didgeridoo and the flaring notes of a trumpet. A stunning prequel to the upcoming Byron Bay Writers Festival on 8-10 August.
Festival Director, Jessica Alice, has gathered writers from Australia, Canada, India and the UK to tell their stories allowing the audience to fully immerse themselves in their books. The Book Room is set up on site for perusing and purchasing copies.
Five marquees are installed across the Bangalow showground and filled with seats. The A&I Hall is another venue. The coffee caravans already have queues. Beyond, a variety of food stalls offer treats from pizzas to dumplings. The crowd spreads out, colourful umbrellas raised amid the drizzling rain.
The Friday sessions begin with Malcom Knox, a multi-award-winning journalist, talking about his eight novel, The First Friend with Michael Robotham. This is a story about a gangster and his driver in the Republic of Georgia in 1938. Knox explains the importance of the Bolshevik Revolution, to which his family has a link.
Malcom Knox
Michael Robotham
Of the six events on next, Robbie Arnott discussing his novel, Dusk, is my pick. A fan of Limberlost, a story of a boy’s desire for a boat, Arnott brings the Tasmanian landscape to the page. Dusk’s premise is a marauding big cat, perhaps the last of the pumas brought here. His male and female protagonists are twins. Whilst, Floyd has skills as a tracker, Iris’s relentless feminine kindness is more valuable in the bush. Arnott reminds readers the purpose of a novel is to invite people to lose themselves in another world. An articulate and inspiring writer, his stories appear to entrance the audience.
Robbie Arnott
The next session is Masters of Crime with Chris Hammer, Dervla McTiernan and Michael Robotham, chaired by Marele Day. Rain drumming on the roof necessitates the sound being turned up. Chris has published many bestselling crime novels since his riveting debut with Scrublands. His latest, The Valley, is set in an imaginary place and a map is necessary for organisation. Hammer spends a lot of time walking in the bush to capture setting. This book, set over two time periods, centres around a mine.
Chris Hammer
Dervla relocated from rainy Ireland to Western Australia and took up crime writing. Of her six novels, the most recent is The Unquiet Grave. She appears to enjoy the dark and devious side of this genre.
Dervla McTiernan
Michael, entertaining as always, is an internationally renowned crime writer. His novels often feature a criminal psychologist protagonist, making them even more intriguing. This book, The White Crow, returns to an earlier character, Philomena McCarthy. The first novel involved domestic violence within the police force. He has sold the film rights for both. One of his many anecdotes is about going out to dinner with his wife. When his gaze drifts out the window, she accused, ‘You’re with her, aren’t you?’
Moving between marquees now means slushing through mud to Memoir: My Story. Robert Dessaix, Hannah Kent and Markus Zusak are in conversation with Ashley Hay. The mix of these personalities is scintillating. Markus, who 20 years ago stunned the world with his novel The Book Thief, has written a memoir, Three Wild Dogs. Pivoting between love and chaos, he describes the effects these pets have on his family life.
Markus Zusak
Robert, a prolific author, describes Chameleon as a new way of styling the self. He also has a dog and says, ‘that is happiness.’
Hannah is well known for her wonderful novel, Burial Rites, set in Iceland. She went there as a 17-year-old student for a year. Her memoir, Always Home, Always Homesick, reveals her journey to becoming a successful writer. After a final session with Hannah, it’s a run through the rain to the bus.
Hannah Kent
On Saturday morning comes the devastating announcement that due to worsening weather and safety concerns, the rest of the festival is cancelled. While day one has been intellectually and emotionally stimulating, this terrible news is a let-down for all involved.
I hope Byron Bay Writers Festival returns in 2026.