Stan Grant to open Words on the Waves writers’ festival

Central Coast writers’ festival Words on the Waves will celebrate its fifth year from May 28-June 1 with its biggest lineup of guest speakers yet.

Since the festival first launched in 2021 it has welcomed more than 13,000 attendees to its events.

Authors and journalists will descend on the Central Coast for author talks, headliner conversations, literary readings, storytelling soirees, writing workshops and more, all illuminated by this year’s theme: Burning Bright.

Festival director Angela Bennetts said the festival would celebrate with eyes lifted to the horizon.

“We acknowledge the swirling forces that darken our world,” she said.

“But we look forward with hope – with a deeply held conviction in the human capacity to share, create and blaze a path forward.

“Over each swell, a new horizon rises.”

Joining author of The Secret River Kate Grenville and political journalist Peter Greste among the headline guests will be Wiradjuri man Stan Grant, who will give the opening address alongside Hugh Mckay and Kumi Taguchi on May 28 at The Art House, Wyong.

Grant has been a noted journalist, writer and radio and television presenter since the 1990s, writing and speaking on Indigenous issues.

Included in the festival lineup will be TV presenters including Julia Baird, Virginia Trioli, Kumi Taguchi and David Marr, poets Maxine Beneba Clarke and Jazz Money, anti-domestic abuse advocate Jess Hill, and historian Clare Wright.

Geoff Raby and others will explore the state of the world today while fiction favourites Charlotte McConaghy, Nardi Simpson, Jessie Tu, Emily Maguire and Gail Jones will also appear.

In addition to the popular main weekend program there will once again be a program of free and low-cost events aimed at increasing the accessibility of writers’ festivals.

Known as The Dip, this program will run on Saturday and Sunday, May 31 and June 1.

Saturday will be a full day of events for adults while Sunday will once again see the popular Free Family Fun Day.

Alongside the weekend events there will be a host of individual events, including the opening night address, industry panels, book launches for local authors, writing workshops, storytelling events and much more.

For full details and bookings go to wordsonthewaves.com.au

Festival Highlights

Opening night address with Stan Grant, Hugh Mckay and Kumi Taguchi; Wednesday, May 28, The Art House, Wyong.

An evening with Kate Grenville; Saturday, May 31, at The Dip marquee, Peninsula Precinct, Umina Beach.

Story Club with host Zoe Norton Lodge; Friday, May 30, 7.30pm at Ocean Beach SLSC.

Day pass and Weekend Pass; two full days of author talks on Saturday, May 31, and Sunday June 1 from 10am-4pm at Ocean Beach SLSC and Umina Beach SLSC.

Writing Up Stream – a weekend of professional development sessions for writers in partnership with Writing NSW and Faber Academy; Saturday, May 31, and Sunday, June 1 from 10am-6.30pm.