ARTS & CULTURE · CANBERRA
Canberra Writers Festival Returns in October
Published · Updated · Cenlocal summary
The Canberra Writers Festival marks its 10th anniversary from 15 to 18 October 2026, with a new program for kids and young adults.
Book lovers can mark their calendars: Events Canberra lists the Canberra Writers Festival from 15 to 18 October 2026.
A 10th anniversary
According to the festival's Events Canberra listing, this year marks the festival's 10th anniversary, with around 110 events and 200 artists over four days.
What's in the program
The listing describes conversations covering politics, current affairs, technology and ideas, alongside fiction genres such as crime and sci-fi, as well as memoir.
For the first time, the festival includes a family program with ticketed and free events for children and young adults, including storytime, manga and live drawing.
Confirmed names
Speakers named in the official listing include Judith Lucy, Michael Robotham, Pip Williams, Andy Griffiths, Morris Gleitzman, Garth Nix, Waleed Aly, Niki Savva and David Speers. Check the festival program for session times and venues.
Why it matters locally
The festival brings readers and writers into the city's venues over four days — a good chance to support local bookshops, cafés and restaurants.
Program details, speakers and venues may change. Please check the official Canberra Writers Festival website before attending.
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Sources & Further Reading
This is an original Cenlocal summary. Cenlocal is not the original reporter; facts are attributed to the sources below.
