Sydney Writers Festival - Live & Local 2026 Day 1
One of Australia’s most loved forums for literature, ideas and storytelling, Sydney Writers’ Festival will livestream its headline events from Sydney to Port Stephens Libraries on Thursday 21, Friday 22 and Saturday 23 May.
Day 1 Livestream events
 | A.C. Grayling: The Future of Democracy Time: 10 - 11am Location: Raymond Terrace Library | Tomaree Library & Community Centre The Future of Democracy series, hosted by Nick Bryant and Rosalind Dixon, is a collaboration between Sydney Writers’ Festival and the Resilient Democracy Lab at UNSW Sydney. Professor of Philosophy and author A.C. Grayling outlines the fragility of democracy and the freedoms we take for granted and risk losing in For The People: Fighting Authoritarianism, Saving Democracy. In recent years, the democratic foundations and civil liberties of Western nations that once seemed unshakeable have been shown to be remarkably fragile – vulnerable to authoritarianism, the whims of the wealthy and powerful and the erosion of civil liberties. As with previous works like Who Owns the Moon? and Discriminations, A.C. interrogates complex political realities and offers bold solutions. Hear from a Festival favourite as he asks the critical questions of our time, followed by a discussion chaired by Nick Bryant (The Forever War) and Rosalind Dixon (The People's Guide to the Australian Constitution). |
| Yann Martel: Son of Nobody The story of the Trojan War, like so many wars real and imagined, is a story most often told by the victors, the princes and the powerful. In this new imagining of the ancient legend, Son of Nobody, Yann Martel tells the familiar tale from an unheard perspective: that of a commoner and goatherd who becomes a soldier, Psoas, the son of nobody. Acclaimed for his Booker Prize–winning Life of Pi, adapted into an Oscar-winning film, Yann’s first novel in a decade sings a universal song about the power of story. Unravel ancient traditions with Yann, in conversation with ABC Radio National’s Claire Nichols (The Book Show). |
| Stephanie Alexander: The Cooks Companion On a mission to spread the joy of good food, Australia’s beloved chef Stephanie Alexander released The Cook’s Companion in 1996. Now, 30 years and half a million copies later, the book on everybody’s kitchen shelf is back in a fully updated edition with new recipes and expanded information. Offering invaluable insights, tips and tricks from an Australian food icon, The Cook’s Companion 30th Anniversary Edition is ready to inspire a new generation of cooks. Hear from Stephanie – the creative and authoritative food thinker behind the essential resource – in conversation with fellow chef Adam Liaw in this special event. |
| Bringing the Past to Life A favourite Festival event for historical fiction buffs returns with stories from near and far. Robbie Arnott’s Dusk, set in the mountains of Tasmania, and Tasma Walton’s I Am Nannertgarrook, based on a true story from Tasma’s family, were both awarded the ARA Historical Novel Prize for their brilliant stories from Australian history. While Booker Prize–winning writer Yann Martel’s first book in a decade, Son of Nobody, features the discovery of a new perspective from the Trojan War. Sink into these stories of the past with Robbie, Tasma and Yann, |
| David Szalay - Flesh In a novel, the words on the page are our entrance into another’s mind. But sometimes it’s the space between the lines that define a character. In David Szalay’s 2025 Booker Prize–winning Flesh, István is caught between the boundaries of Hungary and England, his teenage years and adulthood, his body and sense of self and desire and indifference. With spare, propulsive prose, David paints an intimate portrait of a man slowly unravelling as he asks profound questions about the strangeness of being. Hear David trace the evolution of his singular novel and its protagonist, in conversation with Michelle de Kretser. |