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 2025 this December!
3 December: Voices of Resistance: Michael Samaras (Parramatta)
Join Donna Davis MP and author Michael Samaras as they discuss the Australians who fought against Franco in the Spanish Civil War.
3 December: Meet Nick Bruining (Sydney)
Want to plan your retirement but don’t know where to start? Join trusted financial adviser Nick Bruining as we dive into his book, Don’t Panic, a guide to help you plan your retirement with a modest amount of savings.
3 – 9 December: Online: Writing from the Sentence Up with Emily Bitto (Online)
This online writing course with Emily Bitto will re-focus your writing on the level of the sentence, providing practical ways to improve your prose in both drafting and editing stages.
4 December: Curator Talk: Artists’ Books (Sydney)
Discover books like you’ve never seen them before: reimagined by artists as playful, provocative and powerful creations.
4 December: Apple and Knife: Weird Girls Vintage Classics Launch with Intan Paramaditha and Tiffany Tsao (Newtown)
Dive into the depraved, delectable depths of weird fiction with nine books by nine pioneering female authors. Bold, disruptive, chilling and enchanting, these tales of the weird are strange enough to get lost in.
4 December: Dennis Altman – Righting my World (Glebe)
From the inauguration of Richard Nixon to Trump’s America, from Gay Liberation to the AIDS crisis and beyond, Dennis Altman has been both a participant in the changing times and an acute observer. Hear him in conversation with Anne Summers.
5 December: Jane Austen’s 250th Birthday Celebration (Ryde)
Join Ryde Library for champagne, live music, dancing, and parlour games to celebrate the 250th birthday of the iconic Jane Austen!
5 December: Niki Savva in conversation with David Marr (Glebe)
Join Niki Savva in conversation with David Marr, as they discuss her new book Earthquake.
6 December: Defiance: A Conversation On Conservation with Bob Brown (Avalon)
Environmental Activist, Founder of the Foundation named in his honour, Bob Brown sits down with Pulitzer Prize winning writer Geraldine Brooks, to dicuss his life in environmental activism.
6 December: Adventures Among Essays with Anwen Crawford (Lilyfield)
In this workshop with Anwen Crawford you will consider different aspects of essay writing, including how and where to look for a topic, how to match your tone and essay approach to your subject, and tips for essay structure.
6 December: The Paris End Sydney Book Launch (Surry Hills)
Join the Sydney launch of EXCLUSIVE! Dispatches from The Paris End, an anthology from the popular longform email newsletter The Paris End, in which three young writers together explore the cultural mores, highlights and backwaters of contemporary Melbourne.
7 November: Drusilla Modjeska with Julie Rrap (Avalon)
Author Drusilla Modjeska is in conversation with contemporary artist Julie Rrap for her book A Woman’s Life, Her Art. Together they look back to the lives and art of European modernist women who recast the ways in which women’s bodies could be seen.
9 December: The Secret Life of Fungi Live with Merlin Sheldrake (Sydney)
Join renowned biologist and bestselling author Merlin Sheldrake for a mind-expanding journey into the extraordinary world of fungi.
9 December: Meanjin – A Celebration & Farewell (Glebe)
Hear from Peter Craven, Sarah Holland-Batt, John Kinsella, Ellen van Neerven, p.O., Bruce Pascoe, Sara M. Saleh and Christos Tsiolkas-reflect on the evolution of their practice as well as a feature interview with Clem Christesen.
10 December: West Side Poetry Slam (Parramatta)
Each month the WestWords Centre for Writing hosts the hybrid West Side Poetry Slam! Sign up on the night and perform an original piece of writing to open minds, hearts, and arms.
10 December: Author Talk: Jim Haynes in Conversation (Randwick)
Spend an evening with author and master storyteller Jim Haynes as he discusses his new release, Great Australian Odysseys: By Sea, Sky, Road and Rail.
11 December: The Love Launch (Newtown)
Join The Love Launch: a celebration of the latest ground-breaking anthology from the multi-award-winning team of Sweatshop Literacy Movement.
11 December: The Critics Report (Sydney)
Rounding up the year’s most consequential events, four seasoned critics deliver a live report on the state of play in the arts and culture.
14 December: Lachlan Strahan – The Curious Diplomat (Glebe)
From India to the Info-Pacific, hear Lachlan Strahan on his insider’s account of diplomacy and politics, and Australia’s position in the world in conversation with James Curran.
16 December: Jane Austen: A Literary High Tea (Sydney)
Celebrate Jane Austen’s 250th Birthday with a rare Austen book display and elegant high tea overlooking The Domain.
Writing NSW publishes these free listings in good faith but does not endorse or warrant the accuracy of any information.
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