The Sorrento Writers Festival returns to the Mornington Peninsula from Thursday 24th to Sunday 27th April with a vast program that celebrates Australia's finest writers, speakers, creatives and storytellers.
The 2025 festival is expected to be the biggest to date. More than 6000 visitors will attend 160+ events and hear from 220 speakers in Sorrento over the Anzac Day long weekend.
In just three years the Sorrento Writers Festival has cemented itself as a cultural beacon on the national festival landscape. It is now the largest literary festival in Victoria.
“Our mission – to bring writers and readers together – remains our focus as we present four-and-a-half days of extraordinary discussions featuring amazing Australians.” says Festival Director Corrie Perkin.
“We have Pulitzer Prize and Miles Franklin Award winners. We have Walkley Award-winning journalists and some of the country’s most respected community leaders, former politicians, business analysts, historians, scientists, climate experts, chefs, garden designers, poets, filmmakers. artists, actors and musicians – all coming to our beautiful coastal town from April 24-27.”
Sorrento Writers Festival is once again offering a series of free sessions including daily ‘The Morning Feed’ hosted by Tom Wright, ‘Shakespeare Unpacked’ and a ‘Writers on Writing’ series which includes access to a broad selection of authors including Jessica Stanley, Kylie Mirmohamadi, Samah Sabawi, Anita Heiss, Nina Kenwood, Santilla Chingaipe, Erik Jensen and David Marr.
“At a time when heightened anxieties surround public debate and people are cautious about bold ideas, we need writers festivals to remind us that it is possible to gather together in a spirit of mutual respect and open-heartedness. Writers festivals provide an opportunity to take time out to listen to others, to think about the world around us, to discuss, reflect and even act in ways that make the world a better place” says Perkin.
The Festival once again honours its commitment to good journalism, the role of the media in shaping public discourse, holding power to account and preserving the integrity of storytelling.
Headlining appearances in this year’s program are Pulitzer Prize winning author and journalist Geraldine Brooks in conversation with Santilla Chingaipe, award-winning author Helen Garner in conversation with David Leser and ‘Between Us’ conversations with Marcia Langton and Stan Grant, as well as Thomas Mayo and Kerry O’Brien.
The program includes sessions dedicated to the upcoming Australian Federal Election, Trump’s first 100 Days (again) and global political affairs with panellists including Rick Morton, George Megalogenis, Julianne Shultz, John Lyons, Paul Kelly, Greg Sheridan, Emma Shortis, Josh Taylor, Bruce Wolpe and Don Watson.
The program also spans historical events, in particular the milestone 50 years since 1975 – a year that included the dismissal of Gough Whitlam, the publication of Damned Whores and God's Police by Anne Summers (who will be in attendance). The festival recognises the 50th anniversary of Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours album and the launch of Countdown with a special musical celebration event “Words & Music” that includes Rebecca Barnard, Andrew Ford, Red Symons and Peter Wilmoth followed by a live music performance from The Screamin’ Eagles.
This year’s anticipated Barry Jones Oration will be delivered by former Prime Minister Julia Gillard with the event sold out within two hours.
You can view the full Sorrento Writers Festival 2025 program here.
