Byron Writers Festival

Tom Forrest

Tom Forrest, AKA Outback Tom, is a proud Yorta Yorta man, broadcaster, journalist and storyteller. His book is Gone Bush.

Robert Forster

Robert Forster is a musician and writer who co-founded the internationally acclaimed rock band The Go-Betweens. His latest book is Songwriters on The Run.

Rafael Frumkin

Rafael Frumkin is a novelist, essayist, and critic. Her latest books are the novel Confidence and a short story collection Bugsy and Other Stories.

Arantza Garcia Ferrand

Arantza Garcia Ferrand is a Peruvian writer, living and performing on Kaurna Country. She is the 2025 Australian Poetry Slam Champion.

Brendan Fredericks

Brendan Fredericks represents 2025 Miles Franklin Award-winning author Siang Lu and bestselling author Chris Flynn

Alice Grundy

Alice Grundy is Managing Editor of Australia Institute Press.

Poppy Galactic

Poppy Galactic is a fun children's music act created to celebrate the magic of Planet Earth. Cosmic dance music for kids!

Kári Gíslason

Kári Gíslason is a writer and academic. His most recent, Running with Pirates, is a memoir about fatherhood and raising boys.

Richard Glover

Richard Glover is author of the best-sellers The Land Before Avocado and Flesh Wounds. His latest, How to Ruin a Child, will be published in October.

Osher Günsberg

Osher Günsberg is a bestselling author and broadcaster. His new book So What? Now What? is a practical mental health toolkit.

Courtney Gibson

Courtney Gibson has held CEO roles at Screen NSW, SA Film Corp and Screen QLD. She is currently Acting Director of Lismore Regional Gallery.

David Heilpern

Professor David Heilpern is Dean of Law at Southern Cross University, author of five books, and a Board Member of Bryon Writers Festival.

Ashley Hay

Ashley Hay is a novelist and essayist based in Brisbane. She is the establishing editor for Meanjin at QUT.

Steph Harmon

Steph Harmon is the culture editor of Guardian Australia. She was previously founding editor of Junkee, and editor of The Brag.

Chris Hanley

Chris Hanley OAM is the founder of Byron Writers Festival and was Chair for 20 years until 2016. He is the CEO of First National Byron.

Chris Harrigan

Chris Harrigan is the editor of The Story, a magazine about writers and readers, and Chief Editor at Fireside, a story-led communications agency.

Nour Haydar

Nour Haydar is a journalist and co-host of Guardian Australia's flagship daily news podcast Full Story.

Kathryn Heyman

Dr Kathryn Heyman is the award-winning author of nine works of fiction, memoir and poetry. Circle of Wonders is her latest novel.

Ingrid Horrocks

Ingrid Horrocks is the author of All Her Lives: Nine Stories (winner of the 2026 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards for fiction), and Where We Swim.

Shane Howard

Shane Howard is a respected poet, musician, writer, singer, producer and mentor. He was the mainstay of folk rock group Goanna.

Ben Hughes

Ben Hughes is the Senior Manager for Sales & Business Development at IngramSpark.

Lex Hirst

Lex Hirst is the Publishing Director at Sydney-based independent publishing house, Pantera Press

Mark Isaacs

Mark Isaacs is an author, a writer, a researcher, a photographer and a community worker with a deep commitment to human rights.

Antoun Issa

Antoun Issa is a Lebanese-Australian journalist and co-founder of Deepcut News. His book is Rebirth: A Love Story from the Depths of War.

Julie Janson

Julie Janson is a Burruberongal Darug Nation Indigenous woman. Her latest books include Benevolence, Compassion, My Kaathi Sister and Waagaan the Bloody Crow (2027).

Royce Kurmelovs

Royce Kurmelovs is the author of Slick: Australia’s Toxic Relationship with Big Oil. He writes for Rolling Stone, The Guardian, and others.

Misha Ketchell

Misha Ketchell is editor-in-chief of The Conversation. He has been a journalist and editor for 25 years.

Delta Kay

Delta Kay is an Arakwal Bumberbin Bundjalung woman, proud mother and grandmother passionate about sharing culture and protecting Country.

Sarah Kanowski

Sarah Kanowski presents Conversations on ABC Radio and podcast. She is currently writing a book about Zen (which her children find ironic).

Sean Kelly

Sean Kelly is a weekly columnist for The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald. He is author of The Good Fight: What Does Labor Stand For?

Kris Kneen

Kris Kneen is an award-winning author of fiction, poetry and non-fiction. Their latest book is Rite of Spring is published by Transit Lounge.

Roman Krznaric

Roman Krznaric is an acclaimed social philosopher and founder of the world’s first Empathy Museum. His latest book is History for Tomorrow.

Damian Kassabgi

Damian Kassabgi has worked in politics & tech over 20 years, both in Asia & the US. He is Chair of NORPA & loves a hit of B-grade tennis.

Grace Lucas-Pennington

Grace Lucas-Pennington is a Bundjalung/European editor, mentor and writer.

Siang Lu

Siang Lu is the Miles Franklin-winning author of Ghost Cities and ABIA-winning author of The Whitewash.

Melissa Lucashenko

Melissa Lucashenko is an acclaimed Goorie writer of Bundjalung and European heritage, widely published as an award-winning novelist, essayist and short story writer.

Antoinette Lattouf

Antoinette Lattouf is an award-winning journalist and human rights advocate. She is the author of Women Who Win.

Naomi Moran

Naomi Moran is a Dunghutti and Nyangbal/Arakwal woman of the Bundjalung nation. She is a NSW Treaty Commissioner.

Natasha Mitchell

Natasha Mitchell is host of ABC Radio National's Big Ideas program and podcast. She founded the popular ABC program All in the Mind.

Courtney Miller

Courtney Miller has a varied career across politics, art, fashion. She is the Chair of Byron Writers Festival and continues to work on issues affecting the next generation.

George Megalogenis

George Megalogenis is the author of six books and four Quarterly Essays. His latest book is Three Shocks: Who We Are Becoming in the 21st Century.

Leila McKinnon

Leila McKinnon is a journalist, broadcaster and speaker, and a Northern Rivers local.

Chris Munnery

Chris Munnery has worked in the Australian publishing Industry for over 25 years including with publishers MacMillan and Lonely Planet.

Catherine Marciniak

Catherine Marciniak is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and journalist, director of Follow the Rain and lead co-author of Planet Fungi: A Photographer’s Foray.

Jay McKenzie

Jay McKenzie is an itchy-footed, prize-winning short fiction writer and the author of How to Lose the Lottery.

Pauline Menczer

Pauline Menczer is a world champion surfer and outspoken advocate of women in sport. She is the author of Surf Like a Woman.

Cassie McCullagh

Cassie McCullagh is co-host of The Bookshelf on ABC Radio National.

Miles Merrill

Miles Merrill is the Creative Director and CEO of Word Travels and founder of the Australian Poetry Slam.

Festival '26

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Byron Bay NSW 2481

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