Join us this August for Local Word Writers Festival, featuring workshops across the month and culminating in our Local Authors Fair on Saturday 29 August. Perfect for readers, writers and lovers of stories.
Whether you're looking to get published, write for children, explore poetry, crime fiction or speculative fiction, or adapt your work for the screen, Local Word Writers Festival offers workshops led by authors, publishers and industry experts.
Held at libraries across the region, workshops are suitable for a range of experience levels, from those just starting out to writers developing a manuscript. The festival concludes with our Local Authors Fair at Geelong Library & Heritage Centre. Meet more than 25 local writers and illustrators, browse books across a range of genres, and discover your next favourite read. Our popular pop-up author talks will continue throughout the year, celebrating local stories and creative talent from across the region.
Stef Gemmill – So You Want to Get Published - Saturday 1 August 9.30am-4.00pm at Geelong Library & Heritage Centre
Emily Baulch – Contemporary Children’s Publishing - Sunday 2 August 1.00-5.00pm at Corio Library
Rachael Blackwood – Adapting Your Fiction for the Screen - Saturday 8 August 9.30am to 1.00pm at Biyal-a Armstrong Creek Library
Kim Sargent-Wishart - Ecosystems in creative writing - Friday 14 August 1.30-4.30pm at Queenscliff Library
Dr Tanya Scott – Writing Realistic Illness and Injuries - Saturday 15 August 1.30-4.30pm at Torquay Library
Bruce McLeod – Writing Realism in Crime - Saturday 22 August 10.30am – 12.30pm at Colac Library
Brendan Ryan – Creating Narratives with Poetry - Saturday 22 August 10.30am-2.30pm at Bannockburn Library
Rhett Davis – Crafting Speculative Fiction - Sunday 23 August 10.30am-4.30pm at Geelong Library & Heritage Centre
Tickets: Half day workshops$40 or $20 concession; Full day workshops $80 or $40 concession. Bookings are required.
BOOK NOW
First introduced at last year's festival, the Local Authors Fair showcases local authors and their stories from across our region in a supportive and fun atmosphere.
This event is designed for writers and readers alike - readers can find their new favourite authors – and authors can find new fans!
Everyone is invited to come along, browse the tables, meet some of our local emerging authors and hear about their latest books. Entry is free and there will be plenty of books for sale, but no obligation to buy!
Saturday 29 August, 2026 from 12.00noon to 3.00pm at Geelong Library & Heritage Centre. Tickets: Free entry but registration preferred as light refreshments will be provided. BOOK NOW
Held throughout the year, our Local Word Pop-Up Author Talks showcase some of this region's most popular writers:
Accessibility
Geelong Regional Libraries offers fully inclusive and accessible venues. If you require any assistance to access the program or attend the events, please email events@grlc.vic.gov.au or call (03) 4201 0600.
Program Changes and Refunds
Photography and Session Recordings
Question not answered here?
Visit our FAQ's page for more information, or email us at events@grlc.vic.gov.au
The annual Local Word Writers Festival brings our diverse local writing communities together through writers workshops and our local authors fair.
It's a hyper-local festival, designed to celebrate and showcase the creative and literary talent of Victoria’s south-west region – from Geelong, the Bellarine, Colac and the Great Ocean Road from Torquay to Cape Otway.
For established and emerging writers, and appealing to readers and book lovers generally, the festival includes topics and books from fiction and non-fiction genres and includes storytellers of all kinds.
Dates of previous festivals:
2025 - Friday 22 and Saturday 23 August 2025
2024 - Friday 23 to Sunday 25 August 2024
2023 - Friday 25 and Saturday 26 August 2023
2022 - Friday 18 and Saturday 19 November 2022
Watch Local Word online:
You can now view recorded sessions from Local Word 2025 on our YouTube Channel. Re-live the discussions, or share them with your family and friends.
