Sydney Writers’ Festival (SWF) will bring more than 25 free events to the State Library of NSW this spring with Homegrown, a two-weekend celebration of Australian writing and ideas running Friday 18–Saturday 19 September and Friday 9–Sunday 11 October 2026.
Presented in partnership with the State Library of NSW and supported by the NSW Government, Homegrown forms part of the SWF's year-round program and extends the Festival beyond May, bringing literary events to audiences throughout the year.
Across two weekends, Homegrown brings together leading authors, journalists, poets, playwrights and thinkers for a series of free talks, panels, live podcast recordings and workshops, giving audiences access to some of Australia's most celebrated contemporary writers.
Sydney Writers' Festival CEO, Brooke Webb said, "Homegrown is about making extraordinary literary conversations freely accessible to everyone. Whether audiences come to discover a new favourite writer, develop their own creative practice or engage with the ideas shaping contemporary Australia, Homegrown creates genuine opportunities for people to connect through books, stories and thought-provoking discussion."
Sydney Writers' Festival Artistic Director, Ann Mossop said, "This free program is a very special opportunity for us to bring exciting new work to audiences, focus on the craft of writing and celebrate important work of the recent past. From Tony Birch and Charlotte Wood sharing the books that shaped them, to angry millennials tackling the housing crisis and First Nations writers celebrating the world's oldest storytelling tradition, Homegrown is full of rich conversations and ideas."
HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHTS - FICTION
Across the program, novelists, playwrights and poets share their latest work, pay tribute to iconic writers and shed light on stories of great meaning to themselves and their communities. Gail Jones, Christos Tsiolkas and Sarah Holland-Batt celebrate the life and legacy of late Miles Franklin and International Dublin Literary Award Winner in Reading David Malouf. International bestselling author Garth Nix unveils his new adult space opera Massif, while Suzie Miller and David Williamson in Conversation brings together the Olivier Award-winning playwright behind Prima Facie and the veteran writer of The Removalists and Don's Party to reflect on the evolution of Australian theatre.
Booker Prize shortlisted author Charlotte Wood, Tony Birch and Emily Perkins share the Australian and New Zealand books that shaped their writing lives in The Novelists' Book Club, while international bestselling crime writer Michael Robotham discusses his first Australia-set thriller, Tell Me Something True, and Holly Ringland explores memory and belonging in her latest book The World Beneath Her Feet. First Nations poets Jazz Money, Dakota Feirer and Luke Patterson take to the stage to consider the artforms' power to express Aboriginal resistance and resilience in Sword and Shield.
Meet Cute and Queer spotlights hot, unhinged and hilarious Australian LGBTQIA+ romances with Joshua Hortinela, Patrick Lenton and host, Madeleine Gray, while Writing Queer Sydney maps the city's LGBTQIA+ past and present with Fiona Kelly McGregor, Madeleine Gray and Zoe Terakes.
HOMEGROWN HIGHLIGHTS – NON-FICTION
Authors, journalists and great Australian political minds cross the State Library stage to discuss everything from the future of Australian democracy and writing about the topics close to home, to the housing crisis and their latest memoirs.
International bestselling author and American journalist Susan Orlean joins Pip Williams to celebrate the power of libraries in Library Books, while Bruce Pascoe returns to discuss the enduring cultural impact of Dark Emu, a decade on from its publication. Leading journalists Fran Kelly, Kerry O’Brien and Laura Tingle unpack the political books and biographies that have shaped the nation in ABC Radio National’s Top 100 Australian Books: Power & Politics, while political analyst George Megalogenis joins Nick Bryant and Rosalind Dixon to examine The Future of Democracy: Australia in the 21st Century.
Myf Warhurst discusses injustice, anger and ageing disgracefully in her new memoir Middle Rage, Amy Thunig-McGregor, Jack Toohey and Fiona Wright 'let her rip' as they tackle the housing crisis in Angry Millennials, while Antoun Issa and S. Shakthidharan discuss writing about family, conflict and cultural inheritance in How We Write About Ourselves.
Alongside Homegrown, Sydney Writers' Festival will also present Volume 3 of its year-round program. The program features conversations with Booker Prize-longlisted author Andrew O’Hagan, bestselling American writer Susan Orlean, former Australian Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and Filipino American novelist Elaine Castillo from 7-15 October.
The full Homegrown program is available at swf.org.au. While all events are free, bookings are recommended. Readers can also subscribe to the Sydney Writers' Festival eNews for updates on Homegrown and future year-round programming.
Sydney Writers Festival to host over 25 free events this spring
