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Must-see events at Sydney Town Hall

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Must-see events at Sydney Town Hall

Sydney,02 May,2025

There’s nothing quite like the lights dimming over a hushed audience at Sydney Town Hall ahead of an unforgettable event of searing stories or side-splitting scenes.

Join us at Sydney’s iconic meeting place this May and feel the magic of Sydney Writers’ Festival yourself. Featuring award-winning internationals and beloved local voices, you’ll be transported from space to small towns, politics to poetry and much more.

See Festival highlights at Sydney Town Hall below and explore the full program across Carriageworks and beyond.

Jeanette Winterson: 40 Years of Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit

Thursday 22 May, 6pm | Sydney Town Hall

This year marks the 40th anniversary of Jeanette Winterson’s pioneering coming-of-age tale, Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit. Join this celebratory event to hear Jeanette recount her incredible writing life so far from the very beginning.

Samantha Harvey: Orbital

Friday 23 May, 6pm | Sydney Town Hall

What is life without Earth? What is Earth without humanity? Join 2024 Booker Prize winner Samantha Harvey to explore Orbital, her profound and deeply moving study of humanity told from the International Space Station.

Liane Moriarty and David Nicholls

Wednesday 21 May, 6pm | Sydney Town Hall

International bestselling novelists Liane Moriarty and David Nicholls reflect on seeing their beloved local stories transformed into unmissable television series and films. With host Claire Nichols.

Marian Keyes: My Favourite Mistake

Wednesday 21 May, 8pm | Sydney Town Hall

Join beloved bestselling Irish author Marian Keyes as she discusses her latest heart-stopper full of lost sparks, old flames and small-town politics with Holly Wainwright.

Special events

SWF Great Debate: True Friends Stab You in the Front

Thursday 22 May, 8.15pm | Sydney Town Hall

Debate Oscar Wilde’s famous aphorism in this Festival favourite with Annabel Crabb, David Marr, Matilda Boseley, Rhys Nicholson, Justine Rogers and Jennifer Wong. Adjudicated by Yumi Stynes. Limited tickets – book soon so you don’t miss out.

Bankstown Poetry Slam

Friday 23 May, 8pm | Sydney Town Hall

Come together for a powerful night of poetry and performances on the theme of Postc(ode) with Bankstown Poetry Slam, headlining poet Plestia Alaqad and host Bilal Hafda. Attendees are welcome to put their names forward to join the line-up.

Barrie Cassidy and Friends: State of the Nation

Saturday 24 May, 6pm | Sydney Town Hall

Assess the state of Australian politics in this special post-election wrap-up edition of Barrie Cassidy’s panel discussion, featuring award-winning journalists Waleed Aly, George Megalogenis, Amy Remeikis and Niki Savva. Limited tickets – book soon so you don’t miss out.

With Vivid Sydney

Dreams of the Future

Saturday 24 May, 8pm | Sydney Town Hall

In this special storytelling event writers, artists, activists and changemakers gather to share their visions of a more hopeful future. Featuring Aretha Brown, Craig Foster, Louis Hanson, Megha Kapoor, Sisonke Msimang, Torrey Peters, Ziggy Ramo and Patrick Abboud.

Why We Sleep, Featuring Professor Matthew Walker

Tuesday 27 May, 6pm | Sydney Town Hall

In his first live event in Australia, neuroscientist Matthew Walker explores how we can harness sleep to improve learning, mood and energy levels, regulate hormones, prevent disease and slow the effects of ageing. With host Sana Qadar.

From the blog

Meet Story Factory

Before the Festival gets underway, we spoke to Story Factory about their year-round work bringing creative writing and storytelling to young people in Western Sydney.

When you visit the Festival Hub in Carriageworks, stop by The Giving Shop, Story Factory’s one-stop-shop for the perfect gift for a loved one in your life.

From our Partners

Colum McCann: The Truth Disconnect

How do we navigate a world where information is abundant, but authenticity is elusive?

Award-winning author Colum McCann (Twist) joins The Daily Aus’s Sam Koslowski to explore rupture, repair; and resilience in an age of hyper-connectivity, along with the power of fiction to reflect societal truths. Don’t miss this free event at UNSW Sydney on Tuesday 6 May.

LIBBY. The library in your pocket.

LIBBY is a free app that connects to your library membership, giving you access to over 200,000 eBooks, audiobooks, magazines, graphic novels and more.

Just download the app, find your library, log in and start reading or listening anytime, anywhere – right from your phone or tablet.

White Sydney Writers' Festival logo with apostrophe on black background

 

Sydney Writers’ Festival acknowledges the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of this nation. They are the first storytellers of our land and we honour their tradition of passing down stories. We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which our events take place. We pay our respects to Elders past and present.

 

 

 

 

 

White logos on black background: NSW Government, City of Sydney, ARA, UNSW Sydney

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Sydney Writers’ Festival Level 3, 10 Hickson Rd The Rocks NSW 2000 Australia

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Axel Ritenis editor.sydneytimes@gmail.com

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Axel Ritenis

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Sydney Times
 
E: editor.sydneytimes@gmail.com | M: +61 490 431 108
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