- Friday 22 & Saturday 23 August, 2025 -
It's almost time! The 2025 Local Word Writers Festival program will be announced on 1 July 2025 and bookings will be open here.
Join our mailing list (below) if you'd like to receive regular updates and program information.
Key dates:
For the first time this year, the Local Word Writers Festival is offering a Local Authors Fair!
The Local Authors Fair will showcase up to fifteen local independent authors from across our region in a relaxing and fun atmosphere.
Designed for writers and readers alike, the Fair will help readers to find their new favourite authors – and authors to 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.
There will be plenty of books for sale and author readings and talks taking place all morning.
Saturday 23 August, 2025 from 10.30am to 12.30pm at Geelong Library & Heritage Centre. Free entry. Bookings not required.
See here for the full program of 14 events being held across the region.
If you are a local emerging author and you'd like to exhibit at the Local Authors Fair, we still have a few spots remaining! Contact events@grlc.vic.gov.au for further information.
The Local Word Writers Festival features writers and presenters local to the G21 region, including:
TOM ADAIR
Tom Adair is a retired secondary teacher and published author who now spends his time developing his art. This might be writing (with confidence and assurance), photography (especially spiders, bugs and other tiny beasties), playing bass guitar (very badly), singing (out-of-tune caterwauling), bookbinding or playing an Electronic Wind Instrument (where electronics turn bad breathing into moving music). Tom has had his poetry and writing published in Geelong Writers Anthology, Geelong Anomaly and is currently conducting a local writing group.
SHOKOOFEH AZAR
Shokoofeh Azar is an Iranian-Australian author and journalist known for her evocative storytelling and poetic prose. Born in Iran, she began her career as a journalist before fleeing her homeland in 2010 due to political persecution. Azar's debut novel, The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree, was translated into English and eleven other languages, and was shortlisted for the 2018 Stella Prize, the 2020 International Booker Prize, as well as PEN and National Awards. Her second novel, The Gowkaran Tree in the Middle of Our Kitchen, will be published in June 2025 simultaneously in six countries. Her work often explores the magical realism genre, along with themes of religious and political pressures, displacement, resilience, and the intersection of mythology and reality, drawing heavily on her rich cultural heritage and personal experiences. {Photo credit MIna Zare}
JOHN BARTLETT
John Bartlett is the author of twelve books, including fiction, non-fiction and poetry. He was winner of the 2020 Ada Cambridge Poetry Prize and longlisted in the 2022 & 2023 Liquid Amber Poetry Prize and also in the 2023 Geelong Library Poetry Prize, the Ros Spencer Poetry Prize and the 2023 Best Australian Yarn short story competition. He was also short-listed in the 2024 Catholic University Poetry Prize and his latest poetry pamphlet is In the Spaces Between Stars Lie Shadows. His memoir, Not as I Once Was, will be published later in 2025 by Walleah Press.
www.beyondtheestuary.com
BEV BLASKETT
Dr Bev Blaskett (BA hons, MA, DipEd, MEd, PhD, BSW) has worked as a social researcher, social worker and lecturer in welfare history and political sociology, and currently works in aged care. She advocates for public policy and procedural reform that is compassionate and respectful of human rights, particularly with regard to the rights of victims of sexual assault. She contributes to Geelong Writers and coordinates its monthly online ekphrastic writing challenge. She trawls Geelong Regional Libraries resources to inform her memoir writing.
STEVE BROWN
Steve Brown is the author of Fit to Command, By Fire and Bayonet, and editor of Autobiography, or Narrative of a Soldier, all available through Helion Books. He is also the author of Wellington’s Redjackets, the history of the 45th Regiment of Foot 1807-1815, and The Duke of York’s Flanders Campaign, both available through Pen & Sword. His current project is King George's Army: British Regiments and the Men Who Led Them (5 volumes) - a biographical compendium and encyclopaedia of all British army regiments for the period 1793 to 1815. He is a contributor to and book reviewer for The Napoleon Series website. He has also been a keen genealogist for over 40 years and therefore understands the importance of the biographical aspects of his works to those who have, as he does, military ancestors.
Facebook - Steve Brown: Author
ABIGAYLE CARMODY
Abigayle Carmody is currently working on the final stages of a novel soon be published by Text Publishing. Her short stories are featured in various anthologies and she has been shortlisted for a number of awards. She was selected as a living book by the London Empathy Museum for a Perth International Writer’s Festival event. Abigayle has facilitated and story workshops and several author-in-conversations sessions at writer's events at the Geelong Library and other venues. She lives and works on the Bellarine Peninsula.
LYN CHATHAM
Lyn Chatham’s poetry has been published in Australian print and online literary journals, and her articles and reviews have appeared in Meanjin, Plumwood Mountain and the Rochford St Review. She was a runner-up in the Shire of Nillumbik Ekphrastic Poetry Award in 2015, and in 2018 her poetry chapbook, Artisan, was published by Melbourne Poets Union. In 2023 she completed a Master of Arts in Writing and Literature at Deakin University and her painting exhibition,Tree, has just concluded at Field Studies Gallery in Maldon.
Facebook - Lyn Chatham
CAROL CLOSE
Carol Close is an artist and poet who enjoys stretching her mind and seeing how different thoughts and experiences link together. She facilitates the Arts Circle; creative writing & imagery group at Geelong Eastern Hub. She is also a member of Geelong Writers.
Instagram - Carol Close
RHETT DAVIS
Rhett Davis is the author of Arborescence, a novel about what trees might do if we weren’t careful. His first novel, Hovering, won the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award for an Unpublished Manuscript and was shortlisted for the Readings New Australian Fiction Prize and the Aurealis Award for Science Fiction. His work has appeared in places like Into Your Arms: Nick Cave’s Songs Reimagined, The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald, Kill Your Darlings, and The Big Issue. He has an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of British Columbia and a PhD from Deakin University. Rhett has also been a manager, a consultant, a business analyst, a bookseller, and a creative writing academic. He lives, works and writes mostly on Wadawurrung land in Geelong.
www.rhettdavis.com
Instagram - Rhett S Davis
GREGORY DAY
Gregory Day is a writer, poet and musician from the west coast of Victoria, Australia. He lives on Wadawurrung country. Gregory is a winner of the Australian Literature Society Gold Medal, the Nature Conservancy Australia Nature Writing Prize, and the Patrick White Award for his ongoing contribution to Australian literature. He has also twice been shortlisted for the Miles Franklin Award, most recently in 2024 for The Bell of the World. His poetry collection, Southsightedness, was published in April 2025 by Transit Lounge.
TANIA FARRELLY
Tania Farrelly is as an award-winning advertising strategist and social researcher who spent over thirty years working in the world’s leading advertising agencies telling stories for the world’s biggest brands. In 2018, with a desire to turn her hand from creating brand stories to human stories, she enrolled in Fiona McIntosh’s Masterclass for aspiring authors. Tania is now the author of two historical fiction novels published by Penguin Random House, The Eighth Wonder – set in the Gilded Age of New York and War of Hearts- set against the backdrop of World War One; both of which were inspired by trailblazing women. She is currently knee-deep editing her third manuscript. Tania is married, a mum of two adult daughters, has two grand-puppies, loves books, ballet, travel, coffee, seventies music and post it-notes.
www.taniafarrelly.com
Instagram - taniafarrelly_author
BARRY GILSON
A singer, poet and actor, Barry Gilson specialises in bringing back the ancient words and language of his people the “Wathaurung”, and working strongly towards reinstating a lost culture that has survived genocide and colonisation. He has overcome great odds to work towards leaving a legacy of hope and survival for future generations to follow. He believes the past is the greatest strength he has, because without it… there is no future.
Barry will provide a Welcome to Country and Introduction to the Local Word Writers Festival at our first panel event on Saturday 23 August, at 1:00pm
www.barryjamesgilson.me
KATE HALFPENNY
Kate Halfpenny has spent four decades telling other people's stories as an award-winning writer, editor and commentator for Who, Vogue, Marie Claire and ABC Radio. Her own plot twists include three kids, two husbands, and one mission to talk honestly about midlife as a columnist for The Age and Sydney Morning Herald. Post-pandemic, Kate fled Melbourne for Ocean Grove, where she boogie boards daily and has become unafraid of magpies. A former synchronised trampoline champ and tapestry fan who's learning the Rocky theme on piano, she's trying to break up with Botox and cooking.
www.badmothermedia.com Instagram - katehalfpenny
ANGIE HILTON
With extensive experience in mental health promotion, Angie Hilton is a qualified counsellor, meditation coach, and neurodivergence advocate, who combines this experience with a background in television presenting and production to help people find balance and calm in their lives.
Instagram - @angiehilton1 Facebook - AngieHilton1111
LINNET HUNTER
Linnet Hunter is an ontological coach, spoken word poet, author of capture & flight and co-author of a writer’s journal: seeds to sow inspiration. She delivers sought after coaching and workshops from Birregurra on Gulidjan country for artists and writers. {Photo credit Ferne Millen}
Instagram - @poetlinnet
LUKE JOHNSON
Luke Johnson is a writer who has always called Geelong home, now settled in Ocean Grove. He is married with two daughters and a physiotherapist by trade, combining this with his love of reading and writing. A fan of literary fiction, crime fiction, and strong Australian-facing narratives, characters and overtones, his debut, King Tide, is due out on July 29 2025 through Affirm Press/Simon & Schuster.
Instagram - luke_johnson_author
SUE LAWSON
Award-winning author Sue Lawson is passionate about encouraging people’s love of writing and reading. Her novels, including Pan’s Whisper and Freedom Ride, are recognized for the sensitive way they explore the exciting and heartbreaking complexities of adolescence. Sue collaborates with other writers, including Boonwurrung Elder, Aunty Fay Stweart Muir, to create books that explore and celebrate Australia’s First Nations’ people and their rich culture and history. A former teacher and journalist, Sue spent nearly 20 years in radio, working for both ABC and commercial stations. She currently writes full-time, runs workshops and author talks and facilitates literary interviews and festivals.
www.suelawson.com.au
Facebook - suelawsonauthor
Instagram - @suelawsonauthor
FIONA LOWE
Fiona Lowe has been a midwife, a sexual health counsellor and a family support worker; an ideal career for an author who writes novels about family and relationships. Authentically Australian, her current novels are often triggered by a secret, mystery, or a dead body, and they explore the themes of family, community and second chances. Described as gripping, thought-provoking, heart-warming and ultimately uplifting, Lowe’s books have been praised for their emotional depth. She is the recipient of the prestigious USA RITA® award and two Australian RuBY awards. The Accident is her 38th novel.
www.fionalowe.com Facebook - Fiona Lowe Books Instagram - @fionaloweaustralianauthor
MIRANDA LUBY
Miranda Luby is an author, journalist and copywriter living on Victoria’s Surf Coast. She has won several awards for her short stories, and her journalism features in publications such as National Geographic, BBC Travel and the New York Post. Miranda was shortlisted for the Text Prize for her debut YA novel, Sadie Starr’s Guide to Starting Over. The Edge of Everything is her second novel.
www.mirandaluby.com Instagram - @mirandaluby
BELINDA LYONS-LEE
Belinda Lyons-Lee was born in Geelong, Australia and still lives in the region with her husband and son. She has degrees in youth work, education, writing and literature. Belinda has been teaching English and creative writing in high schools for over twenty years and the nineteenth century and Golden Age detective fiction have both been obsessions of hers for even longer. Belinda has had various articles published that explore writing, vocation, mental health and creativity. Tussaud, her debut novel, was published in print and audio in 2021 and her recent release in July 2025 is titled, The Haunting of Mr and Mrs Stevenson.
www.blyonslee.com
Instagram - @belindalyonsleeauthor
ANDY POBJOY
Andy Pobjoy is a talented Jazz vocalist and multi-instrumentalist and the owner of the Piano Bar in Geelong. Andy is heavily involved in the Geelong jazz scene and has performed all over Australia in hotels, resorts, events and festivals.
Facebook - Andy Pobjoy Music
ANGELA SAVAGE
Angela Savage is an award winning Melbourne writer, who has lived and travelled extensively in Asia. Her debut novel, Behind the Night Bazaar, won the 2004 Victorian Premier’s Literary Award for an unpublished manuscript. All three of her Jayne Keeney PI novels were shortlisted for Ned Kelly Awards. The Dying Beach was also shortlisted for the 2014 Davitt Award. She has taught writing throughout Australia and overseas. Angela holds a PhD in Creative Writing from Monash University, and is former CEO of Writers Victoria and current CEO of Public Libraries Victoria. Her novel, Mother of Pearl, is published by Transit Lounge.
Instagram - @angela_savage_author
ALLI SINCLAIR
Alli Sinclair is a multi-award winning and bestselling author with seven published novels—Luna Tango, Under the Spanish Stars, Beneath the Parisian Skies, Burning Fields, The Cinema at Starlight Creek, The Codebreakers, and the recently released A Woman's Voice. Her forthcoming novel The Wedding Dress Codes will be released in 2026. Her stories uncover little-known historical events through the eyes of women who defied society's expectations. A global adventurer, she transports readers on journeys of discovery across continents and eras. When not writing novels, she works as a film and TV producer and screenwriter. She runs the annual Writer's at Sea retreat and regularly teaches writing workshops across Australia for writers in all genres and experience levels.
www.allisinclair.com
Facebook - Alli Sinclair Author
JAYNE TUTTLE
Jayne Tuttle is a writer, performer, and co-owner of The Bookshop at Queenscliff. She is the bestselling author of Paris or Die, My Sweet Guillotine and the recently-published The Sea in the Metro. Paris or Die was developed into a solo theatre show which toured Victoria and France from 2021-2023. Jayne has been awarded fellowships from Varuna National Writers Centre (the Eric Dark 2021 Fellowship), Bundanon, the La Napoule Art Foundation and the City of Paris, and her writing has appeared in The Age/SMH, The Guardian and other international publications.
Instagram - Jayne Tuttle
MELISSA WRAY
Melissa Wray is an Australian author who lives on the Bellarine Peninsula and is passionate about education, in particular literacy. With over twenty years of experience as a teacher, she believes the ability to read and write offers the power to change. Her novels include, The Lost Loot of Lima, Summer Change, The Ruby Locket and Destiny Road. Melissa was selected for The Maurice Saxby Writers Mentorship Program in 2015. She completed a Master of Education in 2017 writing a thesis by research on Picture Story Book use in the classroom setting. Melissa believes everyone should Dream Big … Read Often.
Instagram - @liss_wray Facebook - DreamBigReadOften
Visit our What's On events page for a full listing of all Local Word sessions (bookings open 1 July 2025)
We are thrilled to be partnering with Dymocks Waurn Ponds as this year's Festival Bookseller!
Dymocks Waurn Ponds will operate a pop up bookstore on Ground Floor, Geelong Library & Heritage Centre, from 10.00am to 7.30pm on Saturday 23 August, 2025.
The pop up bookstore will be stocking all of the books featured in the festival program, plus our presenters' back copies where possible.
All panel discussions will offer author book signings at the conclusion of the event, downstairs on Ground Floor. Don't miss this great chance to meet your favourite authors and have them sign your new books!
Accessibility
Geelong Regional Libraries offers fully inclusive and accessible venues. There is an accessible Word document version of the program if you use text-to-voice software. 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 workshops, panel discussions, authors in-conversation and literary-themed social events.
It's a hyper-local festival for adult audiences, 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.
Featuring workshops at Libraries across the region and a full day program of author events at Geelong Library & Heritage Centre, supported by book sales and signings.
Dates of previous festivals:
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 24 on our YouTube Channel. Re-live the discussions, or share them with your family and friends.
