Explore the 2026 Program

Spend Thursday at the Festival for Under $50

Attending Sydney Writers' Festival is a whole experience with plenty to do, see and enjoy while at the Festival Precinct at Carriageworks or at any of the satellite events around Sydney. In this series of blog posts, we break down what's on offer, from ticketed events to free events to activities and beyond, with a budget in mind because everyone is welcome to come down to the Festival and revel in the book-loving atmosphere.

This week, we've got a specially curated itinerary for spending your Thursday at the Festival for under $50 and getting the most out of your experience.

9am | The Guardian's Back to Back Barries LIVE

If you're an early riser, then you can get stuck straight in to this special live recording of The Guardian's hit podcast Back to Back Barries with political commentators Barrie Cassidy and Tony Barry.

10am | The Writers Who Made Us

Alternatively, if you'd rather a bit of a sleep in or need time to grab your morning coffee from any of our myriad coffee vendors around the Precinct, you can swing by the first iteration of a new free series at the Festival, The Writers Who Made Us. On Thursday, writers Lily King, Alexandra Lapierre and Susan Wyndham will be speaking about the influence Australian literary royalty Shirley Hazzard, Miles Franklin and Elizabeth Harrower have had on their work.

11am | Secrets of The Lodge

We all know The Lodge but few of us have ever been inside or, indeed, know what happens behind its closed doors. In this free panel discussion, some of the biggest names in Australian political commentary discuss their insights into life inside The Lodge. Hear from Troy Bramston, Niki Savva, Amy Remeikis and Sean Kelly in conversation with Margot Saville.

12pm | Lunch break

When the Festival is in full swing, we bring more than just writers down to Carriageworks. We also bring a whole host of food and drink vendors including cafes, bars, food trucks and stalls. In between sessions, grab yourself a gozleme or some nachos or a cheeky crepe. You can browse the full selection of food and drink on offer here.

1pm | Bookshop browsing

In the Carriageworks foyer every year, our good friends from Gleebooks build our very own pop-up bookshop, open to all to browse and snap up that book you just heard about that you absolutely have to read. This is a great time to get a book ready for the author signing queue and be sure to get your book stamped to commemorate your trip to the 2026 Festival.

If the sheer number of books on offer overwhelms you, head over to Bay 21 first and browse the Take One, Leave One book recommendations activation where everyone is invited to share their favourite books and get a recommendation in return.

3pm | Your Next Favourite Book

Speaking of favourite books, there is no better place than the largest writers' festival in Australia to learn about the new and noteworthy books that should be on your radar. In this free panel discussion, Michael Williams speaks to writers of some of the hottest new release books including Rebecca Armitage, Tyree Barnette, Raaza Jamshed, George Kemp and Chloe Wilson.

4pm | Bringing the Past to Life

For the final event of this full-day itinerary, we've selected a returning Festival favourite panel discussion. In Bringing the Past to Life, historical fiction writers share insights into this incredibly popular genre and how they render the past in remarkable detail on the page. This year, you can hear from two local legends Robbie Arnott and Tasma Walton and the Booker Prize winner Yann Martel, who will be discussing his first novel in ten years, with ABC Radio National's Kate Evans.

So there you have it! A full day of events and activities seeing 17 writers and soaking up the good readerly atmosphere for the price of one $45 ticket. At this point you could grab a quick drink at any of the three bars in the Precinct, including the Ester Gin pop-up or Bunnamagoo wine bar, before heading off into the night. Or, you could even stick around to see what we've got going on at Carriageworks after dark.

We can't wait to see you around the Festival!