For our monthly Writing On Our Calendar feature, we bring you a round-up of literary events happening in Sydney and around NSW. Check out some of the writing events and programs in 2024 this October (and the last few days of September)!
27 September – 6 October: Megan Cope: Ngumpi Kinyingarra Oyster House (Newcastle)
Welcome to Ngumpi Kinyingarra Oyster House, a 10 day participatory project celebrating local oysters, community collaboration, and environmental stewardship. Internationally acclaimed Quandamooka artist Megan Cope makes living sculptures and public installations that revive ancestral technologies, heal saltwater environments, and share knowledge. Ngumpi Kinyingarra means ‘oyster house’ in Cope’s Jandai language.
30 September – 8 November: Online: Creative Non-Fiction Course(Sydney)
This six-week online course with Ashley Kalagian Blunt is an opportunity for you to delve into the world of creative non-fiction, try new techniques to stretch your writing muscles, and receive feedback in a supportive and encouraging setting. Each lesson includes writing exercises designed to help you practise a wide range of skills, and weekly deadlines for short assignments will provide motivation. You can work toward the completion of a short-form piece for submission at the end of the course, or develop your skills for a longer project.
2 October: Author Visit: Chris Hammer and Crime Writing (Coffs Harbour)
Meet Chris Hammer, the acclaimed author known for his gripping crime novels, as he shares insights on his latest book, The Valley. This is an exclusive opportunity to hear from one of Australia’s most compelling crime writers about the stories and themes that drive his work. Whether you’re already a fan or just discovering his novels, this event will be an exciting evening for all crime fiction lovers. This Chris Hammer event is the final piece in the three-part Crime writing celebration at Coffs Harbour Libraries including the BAD Crime Writers Festival and Michael Robotham events in September at Yarrila Place.
2 October: Pride Poetry (Woy Woy)
You are welcomed to the extended rainbow network to join for poetry and good feels as part of the 2024 Coastal Twist Festival. Hosted by EJ and Liz (Space Whale) Pride Poetry is a wholesome community gathering for folks to share a love of poetry.
2 – 5 October: Russ The Story Bus (Darling Harbour)
Don’t miss out on this magical celebration of books and storytelling for students! Each year, Russ the Story Bus visits over 8,000 children in Western Sydney and regional NSW. Russ the Story Bus has been visiting schools since 2014. As part of a Russ the Story Bus visit, students can talk to the visiting children’s book author or illustrator and discuss their favourite books with Festival staff and volunteers.
4 – 25 October: The Land of Make Believe (South Lismore)
The Land of Make Believe is an Immersive Storytelling Exhibition, combining visual arts, poetry, theatre, games, dance, music, workshops, and more running over a three-week period. The diverse program will include conversations with artists and authors, storytelling for both children and adults and several meticulously curated themed events.
10 October: Sydney Final – APS Final (Sydney)
Join us for an unmissable evening of performance and the ultimate battle for the crown of Sydney Slam Champion.
11 – 12 October: YA Author Chat with Jaimie Thomas – for ages 11-18 (Cessnock)
Come and meet a young adult author who is a young adult herself! Jaimie Thomas started out writing fanfiction and has now published her own debut YA novel, So She May Breathe with plans for more books in the future. Come along to hear about Jaimie’s experience as a young writer and get some insight into the process of writing and publishing a novel. Bookings essential.
12 October: NSW State Final – APS Final (Sydney)
Australian Poetry Slam 2024 (APS ’24) travelled all over NSW to unearth the best spoken word artists from country towns to metro centres. Now it’s up to you to cheer, snap and hold up scorecards in this state-wide celebration of wordsmiths. Each writer gets two minutes to wow you with their literary wizardry. We staged heats from Byron to Albury and everywhere in between.
13 October: National Final – APS Final (Sydney)
Australian Poetry Slam 2024 (APS ’24) invites you to cheer, snap and hold up scorecards in this nation-wide celebration of spoken-wordsmiths. The country’s top sixteen slam poets wield phrases to flick your heart open and inspire you to laugh through tough topics.
17 October: Poetica Petit Poetry Night (Sydney)
Poetica in partnership with Woollahra Council hosts a special poetry night each month. Poetica Petit is held at the Cultural Hub, in the newly refurbished Woollahra Gallery at Redleaf. The Hub opens out into the picturesque harbourside Blackburn Gardens, historically the venue for the Council’s annual Poets Picnic. This special night of words and music is a more intimate affair for attendees, with a different feature poet and musician each time.
18 – 20 October: Headland Writers Festival (Tathra)
The annual Headland Writers Festival is on again in Tathra, with an amazing line up of writers, musicians and performers. Presented by South East Arts, along with partners Candelo Books and Tathra Hotel, the festival is a celebration of reading, writing, sharing stories and indulging the mind. Across three days, the spectacular Tathra headland will serve as a backdrop to an abundance of author in-conversations, panel discussions, workshops, poetry, exhibitions, theatre and music performances. Visitors can move between the Tathra Hall, Tathra Uniting Church and Tathra Hotel to catch the varied program of ticketed and free events.
19 October: Reading Like a Writer Workshop (Sydney)
All writers begin as readers and in this one-day writing workshop, novelist and writing lecturer Belinda Castles will guide you to think about what we can learn from reading stories closely, with an eye and ear for craft. This course about reading like a writer takes place at Writing NSW in Sydney.
20 October: New Hippy presents Music & Poetry, Live at Soda Factory (Sydney)
New Hippy presents music and poetry a natural fusion of two genres featuring some of Sydney’s finest local talent. Hosted exclusively at Soda Factory, it is a rejection of the niche, it is the ultimate sunday session for Rhythm and Rhyme to combine. It’s peanut butter jelly time.
23 October: Wednesday Speculative Writing Night (Chatswood)
Sydney lacks a dedicated space for writers of speculative fiction (science fiction, fantasy and horror), and we’re here to fill that gap! Our aim is to provide a supportive community for writers at all levels, offering a platform for networking, dedicated writing time, craft discussions, and publication tips. Whether you’re just starting or an established wordsmith, join us on the fourth Wednesday of each month at Chatswood Library.
24 October: Readers – Books and Conversations with Nick Bryant (Petersham)
Celebrating books and readers, this is a monthly series of in-depth and relaxed conversations with authors hosted by Michaela Kalowski. During a career spanning almost thirty years, Nick Bryant came to be regarded as one of the BBC’s finest foreign correspondents and was described as ‘the new Alistair Cooke’. He has been posted in Washington, South Asia, Australia and, most recently, New York, where he covered the Trump years. His writing has appeared in The Economist, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, The Monthly and The New Statesman.
25 – 27 October: Berry Writers Festival (Berry)
Berry Writers Festival will present a program featuring an exciting mix of major and emerging authors and thought leaders from various areas. Prepare to explore writing and ideas across various genres within fiction and non-fiction. Experience innovative interactions between the written word and other art forms, including music and the oral storytelling of our region and beyond.
26 October: Writing Setting and Landscape Workshop (Sydney)
In this workshop with award-winning author James McKenzie Watson, you will explore the role setting plays in character development and practice crafting landscapes that speak to your narratives. Drawing on his own experiences describing rural NSW in his novel Denizen, James will explore the importance of introspection in landscape description and identify what makes good descriptive language work. This writing course, Writing Setting and Landscape with James McKenzie Watson, takes place at Writing NSW in Sydney.
28 October – 6 December: Online: Writing Memoir (Online)
Join this online memoir writing course with Kate Holden. In a big life, where is the story? Everyone has not just one story but thousands. Somewhere in your many years, encounters, lessons and relationships is the tale you need to tell. It may be sad, it may be joyful, complicated or simple, it might be just for you or it might be a story lots of people can share.
30 October – 17 November: The Kingdom of Eucalypts (Bondi Beach)
This new Australian play by Alice Spigelman explores the life of Miles Franklin following her success of writing “My Brilliant Career”. As Australia recovers slowly from the depression and the ravages of war, how does the writer, Miles Franklin, author of “My Brilliant Career” reestablish herself back into Australia?
More from Writing NSW
Check out our full range of writing courses in Sydney, our online writing courses and our feedback programs to see how we can help you on your creative writing journey. Find out about our prizes & opportunities, as well as writing groups across NSW, and sign up to our weekly newsletter for writing events, opportunities and giveaways.