Sydney Writers’ Festival returns to Esperance in 2026 to bring the best of the Festival direct to you.
One of Australia’s most loved forums for literature, ideas and storytelling, Sydney Writers’ Festival will livestream its headline events from Sydney to Esperance Public Library on Thursday 21st to Sunday 24th May
Prepare to be invigorated and engaged by conversations, debates and discussions featuring some of the world’s finest writers and thinkers. Audiences can also participate in live Q&A sessions at each event, sending questions straight to the Sydney stage.
Join us in the corner lounge area for Live & Local 2026, streamed live by Sydney Writers’ Festival and delivered locally to the Esperance Public Library
All welcome - See the program below
Yann Martel: Son of Nobody
10am I Thursday 21st May
A Trojan War epic retold by the common man
The story of the Trojan War, like so many wars real and imagined, is a story most often told by the victors, the princes and the powerful.
In this new imagining of the ancient legend, Son of Nobody, Yann Martel tells the familiar tale from an unheard perspective: that of a commoner and goatherd who becomes a soldier, Psoas, the son of nobody.
Acclaimed for his Booker Prize–winning Life of Pi, adapted into an Oscar-winning film, Yann’s first novel in a decade sings a universal song about the power of story.
Unravel ancient traditions with Yann, in conversation with ABC Radio National’s Claire Nichols (The Book Show).
Presented in partnership with ABC Radio National
Free - No need to Register
Stephanie Alexander: The Cook's Companion 30th Anniversary
12noon I Thursday 21st May
Instilling a love of food one kitchen at a time
On a mission to spread the joy of good food, Australia’s beloved chef Stephanie Alexander released The Cook’s Companion in 1996.
Now, 30 years and half a million copies later, the book on everybody’s kitchen shelf is back in a fully updated edition with new recipes and expanded information.
Offering invaluable insights, tips and tricks from an Australian food icon, The Cook’s Companion 30th Anniversary Edition is ready to inspire a new generation of cooks.
Hear from Stephanie – the creative and authoritative food thinker behind the essential resource – in conversation with fellow chef Adam Liaw in this special event.
Free - No need to Register
Bringing the Past to Life
2pm I Thursday 21st May
Novel and familiar stories of families across time
A favourite Festival event for historical fiction buffs returns with stories from near and far.
Robbie Arnott’s Dusk, set in the mountains of Tasmania, and Tasma Walton’s I Am Nannertgarrook, based on a true story from Tasma’s family, were both awarded the ARA Historical Novel Prize for their brilliant stories from Australian history.
While Booker Prize–winning writer Yann Martel’s first book in a decade, Son of Nobody, features the discovery of a new perspective from the Trojan War.
Sink into these stories of the past with Robbie, Tasma and Yann, in conversation with ABC Radio National’s Kate Evans.
Free - No need to Register
David Szalay: Flesh
4pm I Thursday 21st May
2025 Booker Prize winner on the complexity of identity
In a novel, the words on the page are our entrance into another’s mind. But sometimes it’s the space between the lines that define a character.
In David Szalay’s 2025 Booker Prize–winning Flesh, István is caught between the boundaries of Hungary and England, his teenage years and adulthood, his body and sense of self and desire and indifference.
With spare, propulsive prose, David paints an intimate portrait of a man slowly unravelling as he asks profound questions about the strangeness of being.
Hear David trace the evolution of his singular novel and its protagonist, in conversation with Michelle de Kretser.
Free - No need to Register
Susan Choi: Flashlight
10am I Friday 22nd May
A young girl searches for light after a tragic loss.
The new novel from Susan Choi, multi-award-winning writer including the National Book Award and a Lambda Literary Award, is a sweeping, international family drama that was shortlisted for the 2025 Booker Prize.
Flashlight, described by The Guardian as a return to the great American novel of the 20th century, beguiled readers for its examination of absence and silence in a small family rocked by the assumed death of Louisa’s father.
Join Susan as she discusses relationships and alienation in her new novel, in conversation with Beejay Silcox.
Free - No need to Register
Trent Dalton: Gravity Let Me Go
Noon I Friday 22nd May
Uncovering the truth isn’t easy
After being crowned the number one book of the 21st century by ABC Radio National, Australian literary sensation Trent Dalton’s newest book mixes gruesome true crime with a personal exploration of love and marriage.
Noah Cork had the scoop of his journalistic career hand-delivered to his mailbox. But his decision to pursue the lead of a cold-blooded killer while the case is still under investigation invites more chaos and destruction into his life than he anticipated.
In Gravity Let Me Go, Trent returns to age-old themes of love and family in this story of ambition, truth and deception.
Join Trent for a discussion of his latest hit novel, in conversation with Cassie McCullagh.
Supported by Vision Australia.
Free - No need to Register
Great Adaptations
2pm I Friday 22nd May
Award-winning stories across page, stage and screen
Screen adaptations breathe new life into books, expanding their audiences and reimagining their worlds.
Crime writer Mick Herron’s Slough House thriller series was adapted into the award-winning Apple TV series Slow Horses, starring Gary Oldman, and playwright Suzie Miller’s Prima Facie received international acclaim, including a Laurence Olivier Award, before it was adapted into both a novel and a film.
Get behind-the-scenes insight into the adaptation process and how reimagining their stories has influenced their careers, with Mick and Suzie in conversation with host Benjamin Law.
Free - No need to Register
Florence Knapp: The Names
4pm I Friday 22nd May
Can a name change the trajectory of a life?
Instant bestseller and “best debut novel in years” (The Sunday Times) starts in a literal and metaphorical storm.
While registering her son’s birth, Cora faces a decision that could change his life: what will she name him?
Her options – Bear, Julian or Gordon – each come with their own legacies, expectations and risks. In The Names, novelist Florence Knapp tells a powerful story of darkness and hope through three vastly different versions of a boy’s life.
Explore the profound force of family with Florence, in conversation with ABC Radio National’s Claire Nichols (The Book Show).
Florence Knapp appears thanks to the support of The Salon.
Presented in partnership with ABC Radio National.
Free - No need to Register
The Future of Democracy: Trump’s America with Jon Sopel
10am I Saturday 23rd May
How democracies can bounce back
The Future of Democracy series, hosted by Nick Bryant and Rosalind Dixon, is a collaboration between Sydney Writers’ Festival and the Resilient Democracy Lab at UNSW Sydney.
We used to take honourable institutions, humans rights protections and freedom of speech for granted.
With autocratic regimes on the rise around the world, these things are no longer guaranteed, even as the the value and importance of democracy becomes stark.
In this discussion, journalist and writer Jon Sopel (UnPresidented: Politics, Pandemics and the Race that Trumped All Others) joins co-hosts Nick Bryant (The Forever War) and Rosalind Dixon (The People's Guide to the Australian Constitution) to consider how to withstand the forces eroding democracies worldwide, from the rule of tech broligarchs to the autocratic superpowers.
Join Jon in conversation with Nick and Rosalind.
Presented in collaboration with the UNSW Resilient Democracy Lab.
Free - No need to Register
Fantastical Worlds - Lev Grossman, R.F. Kuang & Garth Nix
2pm I Saturday 23rd May
Imagining new worlds, memorable characters and compelling plots, fantasy writers are the extreme jugglers of the writing craft.
In this panel discussion, hear from three of the biggest names in fantasy for adults and young adults alike.
Lev Grossman, author of The Bright Sword and the hit Magicians trilogy, international sensation and author of The Poppy War trilogy, Babel and Katabasis R.F. Kuang and Garth Nix, bestselling author of the Old Kingdom series, share their enthusiasm for the genre and its devoted readership.
Hear Lev, R.F. and Garth in conversation with Carody Culver.
Registrations are essential for this FREE program - minimum 10 guests needed to proceed. Book online here
Power Up with Dav Pilkey
10am I Sunday 24th May
Tra-la-laaaaa!
Join us at the Esperance Library for this FUN and FREE session as part of Sydney Writers' Festival 2026 Live & Local program.
We're livestreaming Dav Pilkey, the world-famous creator of Dog Man and Captain Underpants as he brings his ‘Power Up with Reading’ book tour to Sydney Writers’ Festival.
See Dav draw his beloved characters live, hear his inspiring life story and prepare yourself for some hilarious onstage antics. It’s time to unlock your potential by powering up with reading.
Don’t miss this fun, interactive, activity-filled event. Hosted by Nathan Luff.
Recommended for ages 6+
Bookings essential (minimum 10 guests needed to proceed) Register online.
Alternatively, call us on 9803 1500 or email library@esperance.wa.gov.au with any questions or to reserve your spot.