Explore the 2026 Program

Curate Your Festival | Crime

We know that the Festival has a lot of events to choose from so we’ve curated a selection of events to help you decide what to see based on your interests.

We also have multipack discounting available for when you book 4 events, 5 events or 6 or more events. Book all or some of the events in the selection to receive your discount.

In these crime-centric events, ranging across the true and not-so-true stories of murder and intrigue, masters of the genre reveal their tactics for getting your heart racing and your spine tingling.

True Crimes | Thursday 21 May, 10am

Join Walkley Award winners Sarah Krasnostein and Debbie Whitmont for an investigation into what makes crime fascinating and how to write it well. In conversation with host Rosemarie Milsom.

Your Favourites' Favourites: Chris Hammer and Michael Bennett | Thursday 21 May, 3pm

Uncover the dark underworld behind a rogue shooting in the latest Hana Westerman thriller Carved in Blood with award-winning Māori author and filmmaker Michael Bennett, in conversation with Chris Hammer. 

Beyond the Outback | Thursday 21 May, 7pm

Dive deep into the limits and possibilities of writing Australian crime fiction with three names of the subgenre, Chris Hammer, Angie Faye Martin and Dervla McTiernan, with host Matthew Condon. 

S.A. Cosby: King of Ashes | Friday 22 May, 1pm

Dig through a family’s secrets and betrayals in King of Ashes by New York Times–bestselling crime novelist S.A. Cosby, in conversation with Matthew Condon.

Dervla McTiernan: Three Reasons for Revenge | Saturday 23 May, 12pm

Untangle a sticky web of revenge with internationally bestselling author Dervla McTiernan in her latest thriller, Three Reasons for Revenge. In conversation with Hayley Scrivenor.

Where Dunnit? | Sunday 24 May, 2pm

Hear masters of crime Michael Bennett, S.A. Cosby and Chris Hammer discuss the importance of crafting compelling settings for their bestselling novels. With host Hayley Scrivenor.

Mick Herron in Conversation | Sunday 24 May, 4pm

Listen as Mick Herron reveals the details of the latest instalment in the Slough House thrillers, where theft, secrets and blackmail unnerve his band of failed spies. With Michael Williams.

Step into thrilling stories of subterfuge, blockbuster adaptations and magnetic international mysteries at the Festival this May. With so many cases to be solved, are you more inclined to the fiction or the stranger than fiction?

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