Headland Writers Festival

Headland Writers Festival Headland Writers Festival is a celebration of storytelling, literature, and ideas, held on the breathtaking headland at Tathra.

Around three in five young people aged 10–17 incarcerated in Australia are Aboriginal.Behind these statistic are real yo...
14/09/2026

Around three in five young people aged 10–17 incarcerated in Australia are Aboriginal.

Behind these statistic are real young people, families and communities — and stories that must be heard.

Join Luke Patterson, Gary Lonesborough, Ralph Jackman and Michell Scott for a powerful conversation about the disproportionate impact of the criminal justice system on First Nations communities, the responsibility of bearing witness and the importance of truth-telling.

🎟️ Tickets on sale now headlandfestival.com.au or link in bio

Loved, loathed, celebrated and blamed: the curious history of cats in Australia. 🐈Since the arrival of the First Fleet, ...
13/09/2026

Loved, loathed, celebrated and blamed: the curious history of cats in Australia. 🐈

Since the arrival of the First Fleet, cats have occupied a complicated place in Australian life.

Join Australia’s only cat historian, Dr Jodie Stewart, in conversation with Daniel Bingham for a funny, fascinating and affectionate journey through our enduring love-hate relationship with cats.

🎟️ Tickets on sale now headlandfestival.com.au or link in bio

11/09/2026

PROGRAM PICKS | Sunday 25th October

There are so many delicious conversations to pick from, but with the HWF coming up soon, now’s the time to grab your tickets!

🙌 Weekend passes (not many left!)
🙌 Day Passes
🙌 Single session tickets

👉🏼 headlandfestival.com.au

Who gets to speak up — and who gets told to be nice?Entrenched misogyny, enforced civility and national myths all shape ...
10/09/2026

Who gets to speak up — and who gets told to be nice?

Entrenched misogyny, enforced civility and national myths all shape whose voices are heard — and whose are silenced.

Amy Remeikis, Claire Thomas and Gabbie Stroud come together for a provocative conversation about dissent, power and resistance. Drawing on Screw Nice, On Not Climbing Mountains and Angry Wives Club, they’ll challenge accepted truths and the dominant narratives that shape our lives.

Sometimes dissent demands making a little noise.

🎟️ Tickets on sale now headlandfestival.com.au or link in bio

Congratulations to the writers whose stories have been selected for the 2026 Olga Masters Short Story Award longlist.Thi...
10/09/2026

Congratulations to the writers whose stories have been selected for the 2026 Olga Masters Short Story Award longlist.

This year’s judges, Dr Sarah Nicholson from South Coast Writers Centre and author Michael Winkler, considered a strong field of entries from writers across Australia and have selected these nine stories:

Back to Feltan Lane — Sandra Barnett (NSW)
Bounce — Jodie Haid (NSW)
I Love Paris I Love Eden — Gizelle Regan (NSW)
You Are Here — Poppy White (VIC)
Wild Dog Road — Susanna Cornelius (VIC)
Three Millimetres — Michelle Bertram (NSW)
My Friend Rowie — Alison Batten (WA)
The Country Between — Rebecca Hodges (VIC)
Fly Away Blackbird — Fiona Harvie (QLD)

Congratulations to all nine writers on this achievement, and thank you to everyone who submitted work to this year’s award.

The shortlist will be announced in the lead-up to Headland Writers Festival, with the winner, runner-up and highly commended stories announced at the Headland Writers Festival Opening Night at 6.30pm on 23 October at Tathra Hotel.

Follow the Masters Short Story Award and for the next announcement.

Got a poem? Bring it to the mic. 🎤Start your Sunday at the inaugural Ocean Mic Poets Slam — a morning of original poetry...
10/09/2026

Got a poem? Bring it to the mic. 🎤

Start your Sunday at the inaugural Ocean Mic Poets Slam — a morning of original poetry, performance and friendly competition at the Tathra Hotel.

Poets of all ages are invited to take the stage, with three minutes to perform an original work before our randomly selected audience judges raise their scoreboards.

Hosted by Gabrielle Journey Jones and the Ocean Mic Poets.

Free entry. Sign up from 9am to perform.

Explore the full festival program at headlandfestival.com.au or link in bio

09/09/2026

📣Weekend passes are nearly sold out!
Head to headlandfestival.com.au to secure one, or check out our other tickets options.

Four poets. Four distinctive voices. One evening of words that stay with you.Evocation! brings together Ellen van Neerve...
08/09/2026

Four poets. Four distinctive voices. One evening of words that stay with you.

Evocation! brings together Ellen van Neerven, Luke Patterson, Ed Southorn and Adara Enthaler for a poetry soirée exploring memory, imagination, place and the emotional power of language.

Hosted by Gabrielle Journey Jones, settle in and experience poetry as it’s meant to be heard — live and shared.

Free entry. Come as you are.

Explore the full festival program at headlandfestival.com.au or link in bio

Some of our most treasured memories begin around a table.Food can connect us to family, friendship and the familiar — bu...
07/09/2026

Some of our most treasured memories begin around a table.

Food can connect us to family, friendship and the familiar — but it can also take us somewhere unexpected.

Romy Ash and Kate Legge join Lisa Markham for a delectable conversation spanning fiction and memoir, exploring how food, memory and shared meals shape our relationships and our understanding of one another.

Come hungry for stories.

🎟️ Tickets on sale now at headlandfestival.com.au or link in bio

Did you know echidnas can use their snouts like snorkels — and sense electromagnetic fields?There’s much more to one of ...
05/09/2026

Did you know echidnas can use their snouts like snorkels — and sense electromagnetic fields?

There’s much more to one of Australia’s most curious creatures than its spikes and appetite for ants.

Join biologist and award-winning author Danielle Clode in conversation with Jacinta Counihan as they uncover the echidna’s remarkable biology, behaviour and journey through the Australian landscape.

Curious minds, this one’s for you.

🎟️ Tickets on sale now at headlandfestival.com.au or link in bio

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Tathra
Tathra, NSW
2550

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