The fifth installment of the Bathurst Writers' and Readers' Festival is set to combine a host of free live streamed sessions from Sydney with a local program of author talks, panels, workshops and poetry in 2019.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Running from May 3 to 5, the festival will return back to the Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre (BMEC), after being held at Charles Sturt University in 2018.
Festival co-organiser Jenny Barry said the opening night will feature author and journalist James Knight.
"James is the author of twelve non-fiction books including Henry and Banjo and The Man From Coolibah," she said.
"He will also talk about his new book, Back on Track, the inspirational story of Bernie Shakeshaft and the BackTrack Youthworks Program's work with disadvantaged rural kids."
She said one of the highlights of the festival will again be the Great Festival Read.
The session will see book lovers read the same book in the lead-up to the festival weekend.
"This year, the chosen book is Hare's Fur, by Blue Mountains-based author Trevor Shearston," she explained.
"This is a wonderful novel that has recently been released and has received terrific reviews.
"The book will be discussed by a local panel featuring book lovers Tracey Sorensen, Dave Rankine, Lesley Wade, Peter Wilson and Lauren O'Brien. Everyone is encouraged to read Hare's Fur and come along and take part in the Q and A during the session."
Local group Bathurst Poets will also have its anthology launched by successful Australian poet Tricia Dearborn.
Ms Dearborn, who grew up in Bathurst, will be reading her latest poetry collection, Autobiochemistry.
The hugely successful creative writing workshops will be back again for this year's festival, for secondary school students.
Best-selling young adult writers Jack Heath and Erin Gough will lead the workshops.
Some of the biggest international and local writers will be appearing by live stream direct from the Sydney Writers' Festival, including Simon Schama, Leigh Sales, David Marr and painter Ben Quilty.
The program for the festival is available online from BMEC at www.bmec.com.au, with printed forms available from BooksPlus and BMEC.
To find out more about this local festival, contact Ms Barry at BooksPlus on 6331 5994 or by emailing admin@booksplus.com.au.
Please sign up to our free morning headlines email to read more Bathurst news:
