Did you know that my record for attending events at Melbourne Writer’s Festival is eleven? I was the laughing stock of my fiction writing class when I explained that I’d basically spent two weekends in a row (including Friday evenings) at ye olde Malthouse Theatre, wandering from panel to panel and lining up for signings.
I freaking loved it. Loved it!
And many moons later, I still love myself a bookish event where I get to hear incredible authors talk about their books, their processes and their inspiration.
I’m incredibly blessed to live in a city like Melbourne, where I could feasibly attend a book event every single night of the week at bookstores, libraries and rooftop bars. I’m also at a life stage where the dinner, bath and bedtime routine is no longer under my domain as my cherubs are now teenagers. One even has her driver’s licence, so my uber obligations have been considerably cut.
This year, 2025, I’m making it my mission to go to as many bookish events as I can.
Why? Well for a couple of reasons.
First up: I think it’s important to be a good literary citizen, as my friend Fiona Taylor puts it. It’s important to support authors, particularly local ones, and support the bookstores, usually independent, that set up shop at bookish events, as they support authors in their way. A book represents many, MANY hours of hard slog, time at the keyboard, time spent in a fictional world while also at the mercy of the real world. Being part of an author’s launch celebration is a privilege to behold. Even when I don’t know the writer there’s an almost overwhelming sense of pride on their behalf at their achievement: they took a kernel of an idea and crafted and shaped and melded it into something I can hold in my hands, that will keep me company as I read it, that will linger in my psyche long after I turn that last page.
Secondly, I’m a reader as well as a writer, and beyond hearing from the person who created a world I’ve just loved inhabiting, I also I love hearing straight from the horse’s mouth the thinking behind the polished gems I devour. When it’s a conversation between two authors, the way they banter, they way they challenge each other and champion each other is inspirational, motivational and fills my cup, and my creative well. Hearing about an author’s take on a concept can spark an idea in my own head about my own writing, or can help me get unstuck with a structural or plot issue I’ve been struggling with
So, how do I find out what’s on and where? I subscribe to library newsletters: my own and others. They have a ‘what’s on’ section detailing the author talks they’re hosting. So too some of the larger bookstores such as Readings and Dymocks. I also subscribe to Melbourne is a City of Literature newsletter which is a weekly summary of what’s on and where. I also follow Literary Listings on Instagram. I keep an eye on what authors are posting on IG. If I know someone has a launch coming up, I’ll screenshot any posts that refer to the launch to book myself a ticket at their upcoming event.
I’m also a member of #DebutCrew25, a group of traditionally published authors who are debuting novels in 2025. This is a group of people who are passionate advocates for each other, and of course, I’ll bust a rib making sure I’m supporting their events, just as I know they have my back.
Basically, going to a bookish event is a way to spend time with supremely clever, interesting people who are doing amazing things in the world. What could be better than that?