Dream State: Eric Puchner
in Conversation
Tuesday 7 October | 6pm
National Library of Australia
Join internationally acclaimed American novelist Eric Puchner for a special event celebrating his latest novel, Dream State - an instant New York Times bestseller and Oprah Book Club Pick!
With Montana’s breathtaking landscape as the backdrop, Dream State is a gripping and exquisitely told story of a love triangle, friendship, marriage, and the march of climate change. With tart humour and heart, it explores how the choices of one impulsive summer echo across fifty years and generations, captivating readers with its rich storytelling.
In conversation with CWF Artistic Director Andra Putnis.
Girl on Girl:
Modern Misogyny Gone Global
Friday 17 October | 6pm
Verity Lane Market
What impact has reality TV, social media, porn, and the beauty industry had on women and feminism worldwide?
U.K. Pulitzer-nominated journalist Sophie Gilbert explores this in Girl on Girl: How Pop Culture Turned a Generation of Women Against Themselves. She examines how women are shaped by beauty standards driven by the male gaze and can be pitted against themselves and each other.
Sophie joins Canberra’s Virginia Haussegger, author of Unfinished Revolution, for a powerful conversation about feminism and the ongoing fight against sexism and misogyny.
Opening Night: The Haunting Australia of Jane Harper!
Thursday 23 October | 6.30pm
National Museum of Australia
Celebrate Opening Night with international bestseller Jane Harper and her haunting new mystery, Last One Out.
Known for capturing the ominous Australian bush in The Dry, The Lost Man, and Force of Nature, Jane holds a mirror to many of our deepest fears. In this latest novel, the outback heat and dust come alive. Join her in conversation with Canberra’s Alex Sloan as they explore her meteoric rise, storytelling craft, and enduring fascination with the twilight bush.
With Alice Matthews, ABC Canberra, at the helm as our Master of Ceremonies we will give you a night to remember... with special guest Canberra musical legend and author, Fred Smith.
In Love with Tasmania:
Heather Rose in Conversation
Friday 24 October | 7pm
National Library of Australia
Heather Rose, passionate about love, Tasmania, and captivating female characters, reaches new creative heights with A Great Act of Love.
Heather will takes us from Van Diemen’s Land to the champagne vineyards of France, sharing heartfelt insights about writing through life’s challenges. The award-winning author of Museum of Modern Love, Bruny, and Nothing Bad Ever Happens Here joins celebrated Canberra writer Karen Viggers for a candid, warm, and compelling conversation about storytelling and resilience.
Grief and Glamour in Hollywood
In Conversation with Griffin Dunne
Saturday 25 October | 1.30pm
Verity Lane Market
Griffin Dunne grew up in the glamorous, fantastical world of 1980s Hollywood, surrounded by celebrities – with Joan Didion an aunt and Carrie Fisher as his best friend. He built a career as an actor, director, and producer, but tragedy struck when his sister Dominique, a rising star, was murdered by her ex-boyfriend. This event led to one of the most infamous public trials of the decade.
The Friday Afternoon Club is a raw, gripping memoir of fame, family, and loss. Griffin joins Toby Schmitz for a revealing conversation.
Dalton Defies Gravity: Trent Dalton in Conversation
Saturday 25 October | 6.30pm
National Library of Australia
Australia's bestselling author of Boy Swallows Universe, Trent Dalton, returns with his most personal work yet, Gravity Let Me Go, again set in Brisbane, and about a journalist obsessed with the true-crime scoop of a lifetime.
Dark, occasionally terrifying, but with wonderful moments of humour, light and Dalton-sweetness, Trent shows us again why we see ourselves in his work... could the characters be us if we'd just taken a few wrong turns?
In conversation with journalist, author and book enthusiast extraordinaire, Caroline Overington.
Blood, Sweat and Glitter:
Em Rusciano & Michael Lucas!
Saturday 25 October | 8pm
Verity Lane Market
Chaos, relief, and comedy collide in Em Rusciano’s laugh-out-loud, deeply honest memoir about living with the “diagnostic trifecta”: ADHD, autism, and perimenopause. It’s the kind of story that’ll have you howling with laughter one minute, sobbing with your mates the next.
Em—writer, singer, podcaster, comic—brings her signature brilliance, joined by her hilarious partner-in-crime, award-winning screenwriter Michael Lucas (Offspring, Rosehaven, The Newsreader). Expect raw truths, big laughs, and unforgettable moments.
An unmissable evening, hosted by HerCanberra’s Emma Macdonald.
One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This:
Omar El Akkad and Peter Greste
Sunday 26 October | 2.30pm
ANU Lowitja O'Donoghue Cultural Centre
Omar El Akkad’s memoir One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This is a powerful, heartfelt plea from a man that lost faith in the promise of America.
This book has received international acclaim for exposing Western cowardice in the face of the destruction of Gaza. Beyond political disillusionment, it’s a deeply personal exploration of loss and hope, shaped by his experiences growing up in Egypt and Qatar, then moving to the West.
Omar joins us for a compelling conversation with author, former journalist and media freedom advocate Peter Greste.
This is an unmissable conversation.