Australian literary powerhouse Helen Garner, distinguished advocate for Indigenous Australia Professor Marcia Langton, six-time Walkley Award winner Kerry O’Brien, feminist icon Clementine Ford, renowned historian Peter Cochrane, and writer and actor William McInnes – these are just some of the big names set to grace the literary stage at the 2018 Word for Word Non-Fiction Festival, Geelong.

Word for Word Festival is Australia’s only national literary event with a dedicated focus on non-fiction writing and ideas. Held across three days from 16-18 November 2018 at the Geelong Library and Heritage Centre, the Festival is packed with fascinating discussions through a series of in-conversations, panel discussions and keynote addresses.

This year Word for Word invites its audience to Get Real by facilitating robust, hard-hitting and frank discussions on a wide range of topics including racism, asylum seekers, social justice, Indigenous issues, true crime, artificial intelligence, memoir and so much more. 

Opening Night will feature critically acclaimed author Helen Garner in conversation with Deakin University’s Associate Professor Maria Takolander; and in partnership with Express Media the winner of the 2018 Scribe Nonfiction Prize for Young Writers will be announced. For budding writers and writing enthusiasts there’s also a series of Masterclasses available on Friday 16 November at library locations across the region.

Seventy-six expert guest speakers will interrogate, examine and redefine key social issues over forty-five individual sessions held across the three days of the festival. A special highlight is the return of the hilarious and very popular Great Debate on Saturday 17 November, with a panel of seven debating the contentious topic “The Novel is Dead: Long Live the Novel!”.

All of the Festival sessions are individually ticketed so you can attend as much or as little as you like.
Visit www.wordforwordfestival.com.au for full program details and to book your tickets.

Join us, and let’s get real…