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 August!
1 – 18 August: Australian Poetry Slam Workshops (NSW)
Want to set your stories free? Get inspired with a spoken word workshop led by a professional slam poet? Check out APS’ Workshop in NSW, including Bayside, Byron Bay, Coffs Harbour, Guyra and Northern Beaches.
1 – 31 August: Australian Poetry Slam Heats (NSW)
Want to try out your skills or watch local poets on the mic? Check out APS’ Heat, including Bayside, Byron Bay, Coffs Harbour, Guyra, Blue Mountains, Northern Beaches and Parramatta.
3 August: Screenwriting for Television (Inner West Sydney)
Are you a lover of a good TV and of writing? Then you might be a budding screenwriter! In this interactive workshop, you’ll learn the tricks of the trade. This workshop covers the tropes and conventions of the soap opera genre, how to use a free scriptwriting software and how to read screenplays, and will be facilitated by award-winning multidisciplinary writer, director, and producer Grace Valerie-Lynette.
3 August: Orange Readers and Writers Festival (Central Tablelands)
Snuggling up beside the fire with a great read is one of winter’s pleasures. Be inspired with incredible guest authors at this year’s Orange Readers and Writers Festival.
4 August: Fisher’s Ghost Writing Prize Workshop (Campbelltown)
Do you have a story to tell? Get creative and learn writing skills from a published Australian author. This workshop will support writers working towards an entry for the Fisher’s Ghost Writing Prize, which is open to anyone who lives, works or attends school, TAFE or university in the Campbelltown Local Government area from grades four and above.
6 August: Writing for the Conversation (Newcastle)
Academic staff are invited to attend a one-hour session on why and how to write for The Conversation. Members of the University’s Media team will also be there for you to pick their brains and learn how to make The Conversation work for you.
6 August: Hayley Scrivenor Author Talk (North Sydney)
Join award-winning author of ‘Dirt Town’ Hayley Scrivenor as she discusses her breathtaking new thriller, Girl Falling.
7 August: Online Course: Character and Dialogue: Bringing Characters to Life (Sydney)
This writing course, Online: Character and Dialogue: Bringing Characters to Life with Amy Lovat, takes place online. In this course with author Amy Lovat, you’ll explore the fundamentals of character and dialogue so you can work on driving the narrative forward and engaging your reader.
9 – 11 August: Byron Writers Festival (Northern Rivers)
As Australia’s largest regional writers festival, this year’s vibrant program is packed with high-profile literary luminaries and new voices exploring the theme ‘From the ground up’. The festival also offers writing workshops, book launches, an engaging program for children, and events across the Northern Rivers region. Enjoy food stalls, coffee carts and bars, artisan markets, sculpture walk and the festival book shop.
10 August: Author Showcase (Sydney)
Attend an inspirational afternoon at the State Library of NSW and gain an insight into the journeys that several authors went through to write and publish their books. Hear from first time authors like Peta Stewart, Maggie Hamilton, and if you’re thinking of writing a book yourself, you’ll be able to talk to the authors and writing coach Jane Turner about what it takes to become a published author.
10 August: Researching and Writing Difference Workshop (Sydney)
The course “Researching and Writing Difference with Roanna Gonsalves” explores how writers can responsibly portray diverse identities such as race, ethnicity, gender, and more. It focuses on ethical considerations, power dynamics, and the craft of storytelling, encouraging nuanced and respectful representation of lived experiences beyond one’s own. This approach helps writers create compelling narratives that authentically reflect our diverse world.
13 August: Mike Carlton Author Talk (North Sydney)
Discover the unique story of the Australian defences’ spear tip – the submarines and the sailors who serve them.
13 August: Writing in Resistance Roundtable (Canberra)
Writing in Resistance focuses on the performance of poems by women who have survived detention but continue to be denied access to education and social engagement. Join Red Room Poetry at Parliament House for a special roundtable conversation hosted by Senator Dr Merheen Faruqui, featuring Hodan Yasin, Aida Darabi and Seti Gholshani as well as legal experts with moderation by the CEO of UN Women Australia Simone Clarke.
15 August: Write Your Family History with Rae Luckie (Far South Coast)
Celebrate Family History Month at Eurobodalla Libraries where professional writing teacher, mentor and editor Rae Luckie will be running family history writing workshops at each of their branches for just $5 entry. Whether you are interested in writing your own family history or memoir, or using family history as a basis for fiction writing this workshop will give you the information, ideas, and resources to develop your project and spark your creativity.
17 – 18 August: Mudgee Readers’ Festival (Central West NSW)
The Mudgee Readers’ Festival has been running for thirteen years, with an exciting line-up of events including the MRF Book Club and bibliotherapy sessions, storytelling events, book and wine matching and the Long Lazy Lunch.
21 – 25 August: Shalom Sydney Jewish Writers Festival (Sydney)
The Sydney Jewish Writers Festival returns at The Bondi Pavilion, and in 2024 will explore origin stories, matriarchs and patriarchs, and Genesis. Join them for a fantastic line up of writers, journalists, poets, thinkers, performers and artists for a weekend of books and conversation.
22 August: Books and Conversations w/ Shankari Chandran (Inner West Sydney)
Celebrating books and readers, this is a monthly series of in-depth and relaxed conversations with authors about their latest work, and their body of work, their writing process and the ideas that inspire them. Michaela Kalowski will be interviewing Shankari Chandran about her new novel Safe Haven.
24 August: The Rules of Writing Romance Workshop (Sydney)
In this writing workshop with author and editor Melanie Saward, we will discuss the rules of writing romance – the structure, tropes, and different subgenres – and explore how to use them along with structure to plan an on-trend Australian romance novel.
24 – 25 August: Festival of Dangerous Ideas (Sydney)
Australia’s original festival of disruptive ideas returns to Sydney this August to provide a ‘Sanctuary’ for curious minds with a taste for danger. For its 2024 edition, the Festival of Dangerous Ideas (FODI) presents an expansive roster of international experts, bestselling authors, cutting edge academics and innovative thinkers; all appearing in-person.
26 August: Paula Beavan In Conversation with Tea Cooper (Lake Macquarie)
Join Paula Beavan as she discusses her latest book Among the Grey Gums with Tea Cooper. Set in 1842 in the Hunter Valley area of NSW, the book follows Lucy’s perilous journey through a world of bushrangers, corruption and cover-ups.
29 August: Inner West Writers in Residence (Balmain, Sydney)
Join outgoing Inner West Writers in Residence, Eda Gunaydin and Eleanor Kirk, as they discuss their work and experiences of the program. Eda and Eleanor will be joined in conversation by Felicity Castagna.
31 August: The Art of Writing Memoir Workshop (Sydney)
How do you draw from personal experiences to write compelling memoir? Join Sarah Malik, author of the critically acclaimed memoir Desi Girl: On Feminism, Race, Faith and Belonging for a workshop diving into the power of memoir writing and telling one’s truth as a political act.
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 grants and prizes, as well as writing groups across NSW, and sign up to our weekly newsletter for writing events, opportunities and giveaways.