We're back! 2021 tickets now on sale

The Mudgee Readers’ Festival is returning on the weekend of 21 + 22 August 2021, with an exciting line-up of authors, events, and venues.

After the pandemic saw last year’s MRF cancelled, we have revived the much-loved weekend with a mix of old favourites and new, ensuring there is something in the program for everyone.

The Festival also sees the return of the Mudgee Young Readers’ Festival in the week leading up to the main event, beginning 12 August. With trivia, talks, story-time, and more, this is a must for every young readers’ diary.

We offer a mix of ticketed and free events, and feature everything from quiz nights and garden poetry readings, to backyard adventures and homegrown stories. 

One friendly face returning to Mudgee is cookbook author of A Basket by the Door, Sophie Hansen. Over a hearty lunch, Sophie will give guests a peek at the stories behind the recipes from her latest book, In Good Company. 

The Long Lazy Lunch is also back, featuring new face Beau Miles: described as a mash-up of Bear Grylls and Bush Tucker Man. Beau will be joined by Michael Bourke to discuss his globe-trotting experiences at Huntington Estate, catered by 53FoodCo.

Other guests include The Ripping Tree author Nikki Gemmell; How We Became Human author Tim Dean; Take Me Home author Karly Lane; Kate Kelly author Rebecca Wilson; award-winning poet Kirli Saunders; and Still author, Matt Nable.

MRF will also feature some new interactive events throughout the 2021 program. 

One such event is The Body Love Club, hosted by Hannah Grant. In her short story, I Wish I’d Been My Own Best Friend, Hannah explores a parallel world where she is kinder and more accepting of her teenage self. In this event, participants will have the opportunity to develop their storytelling skills, and to put together their own short stories on themes of self-love and self-friendship. 

Online ticket sales are now open and tickets can be snapped up here.

Follow the Mudgee Readers’ Festival on Facebook and Instagram to get the latest news on tickets, the program, and important event details.

Please note that any changes to the line-up or COVID restrictions will be communicated via social media channels and direct email to ticket-holders.

Image: smiling festival-goers enjoy reading their books in the sun at a local café. (MRF 2019, photo by Amber Hooper)

Image: smiling festival-goers enjoy reading their books in the sun at a local café. (MRF 2019, photo by Amber Hooper)

Sydney Writers' Festival returns Live & Local in Mudgee!

We are delighted to bring the Sydney Writers’ Festival to Mudgee, Live & Local in the Town Hall Theatre, over three big days! Join us on Friday 30 April, Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 May for select SWF sessions live on the big screen.

Entry is by gold coin donation at the door, and please note that COVID safety measures will be in place.

Friday 30 April

Barrie Cassidy & Friends: Biden’s America      

10:00—11:00am

Barrie’s back! Festival favourite and celebrated journalist Barrie Cassidy presents four big conversations on the issues of the day. Joined by a range of experts and colleagues, this is smart, analytical and challenging live journalism from one of the best.

Evan Osnos, New Yorker journalist and award-winning author of the biography Joe Biden: American Dreamer, has spent years studying the newly minted 46th President of the United States. Based on hundreds of interviews – with Biden and his political peers, allies and opponents – Evan appears live via video to offer his insights into the man taking the presidency in a time of extraordinary turmoil.

Following Barrie’s interview, former premier and foreign minister Bob Carr and the United States Studies Centre’s Gorana Grgic will reflect on what to expect next from Biden and America.

 

Are You There, Sydney? It’s Me, Judy Blume  

12:00—1:00pm  

For generations of readers, Judy Blume is an icon. Beginning in the late 1960s, her celebrated novels were formative for young readers and future writers alike. Her children’s stories, including Fudge and Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, were funny, irreverent and riotous precursors to the blockbuster kids’ series of today. And her young adult books were beloved – and sometimes banned – for their free and frank depictions of puberty and sexuality. Join Judy appearing live via video as she talks with Sophie Black about her body of work, which exceeds some 85 million in sales, and on her life now happily running a bookstore on an island in Florida.          

But Not Forgotten       

2:00—3:00pm

When a beloved author dies, there is consolation in knowing that their books – the culminated words of a lifetime in letters – outlive them and tether us to their memory. However the beauty of those words isn’t simply a static point in time; it continues to evolve in the minds of the writers and thinkers who follow them. Four Festival guests reflect on the powerful work of four writers taken from us in the past year. A session of reflection, tribute and celebration featuring Michelle de Kretser on Sydney literary great Elizabeth Harrower; Kerry O’Brien on legendary political reporter Mungo MacCallum; Michael Robotham on spy master John le Carré; and Sally Warhaft on Jan Morris.            

 

The Larrikin Lie

4:00—5:00pm

One of the enduring beliefs of Australian identity is the idea that we as a nation embody the larrikin spirit, that our population are easy going, anti-establishment, laissez-faire. But arguably, our success in responding to COVID-19 points to a different truth. Perhaps, behind our ‘she’ll be right’ veneer, we’re an anxious, obedient, state-regulated people. David Marr and Rebecca Huntley separate the shit-stirrers from the boot-lickers, with ABC’s Laura Tingle.  

Saturday 1 May

Barrie Cassidy & Friends: Opposition and Dissent   

10:00—11:00am

Barrie’s back! Festival favourite and celebrated journalist Barrie Cassidy presents four big conversations on the issues of the day. Joined by a range of experts and colleagues, this is smart, analytical and challenging live journalism from one of the best.

What does it mean to live your politics? Is a life of protest and dissent good for the soul or is it soul destroying? Former deputy leader of the Australian Greens Scott Ludlam was a senator from 2008 to 2017. Scott speaks to Barrie about his new book Full Circle, which explores a new approach to political and environmental change.

Barrie and Scott are then joined by Magda Szubanski to discuss the triumphs and disappointments of activism and advocacy, and Sally McManus to share the challenges and advantages of expressing dissent from an institutional base.

Isabel Wilkerson: Caste – The Lies That Divide Us   

12:00—1:00pm  

Isabel Wilkerson’s Caste: The Lies that Divide Us fast became one of the world’s most talked about books this past year for its clear-eyed survey of the unspoken social hierarchy that pervades history and our lives today. Drawing parallels between America, India and Nazi Germany, the Pulitzer Prize–winning author argues that race and class divisions are largely informed by a powerful, unacknowledged caste system that everyone knows in their bones. Join Isabel, who will appear live via video, in conversation with [MODERATOR] about the myths of meritocracy, the endurance of white supremacy and what we can do to dismantle the corrosive social hierarchy that persists throughout the world today.

Sarah Krasnostein & Helen Garner        

2:00—3:00pm

After the runaway success of Sarah Krasnostein’s debut The Trauma Cleaner: One Woman’s Extraordinary Life in Death, Decay & Disaster, Sarah spent time in Australia and the US talking to six extraordinary people who held fast to a belief even though it rubbed against the grain of conventional wisdom. Her research culminated in The Believer: Encounters with Love, Death & Faith, a deeply humane and deftly drawn enquiry into the power of belief. Sarah is joined by fellow observer of human nature, Helen Garner, to explore what we believe in and why – from ghosts and UFOs to God and the devil, to dying with autonomy and beyond.

Richard Flanagan & Laura Tingle   

4:00—5:00pm

Richard Flanagan’s latest book The Living Sea of Waking Dreams offers a tender, haunting portrait of a world disappearing around us. With Laura Tingle, he reflects on capturing in words the things we’re losing.

Sunday 2 May

Barrie Cassidy & Friends: The Canberra Bubble       

10:00—11:00am

Barrie’s back! Festival favourite and celebrated journalist Barrie Cassidy presents four big conversations on the issues of the day. Joined by a range of experts and colleagues, this is smart, analytical and challenging live journalism from one of the best. 

Political biography gives us insights into the individuals behind the politics, but it can also play an integral role in shaping how our political leaders are more widely understood. Peter van Onselen’s new book {How Good is Scott Morrison?} kicks off a conversation with Barrie about how to write about our leaders beyond their carefully cultivated images.

Christine Wallace and Niki Savva, both authors of significant political biographies, join the chat to see how deep dives into the lives of the people running the show allow us to better understand what’s really going on in Canberra.

 

George Miller: Beyond Thunderdome   

12:00—1:00pm  

George Miller AO is a legend of cinema. From Mad Max to Babe to the recent triumph of Fury Road (with a Happy Feet or two along the way), it’s hard to think of a more revolutionary creative figure in Australia today.

Jan Fran & Judith Lucy

2:00—3:00pm

Walkley Award–winning reporter Jan Fran and much-loved comedian Judith Lucy (Turns Out, I’m Fine) talk about humour and memoir, coping and not coping, and what it means to be fine.

Great Adaptations: Margaret and David Return      

4:00—5:00pm

"Greatly missed on TV screens, the nation’s favourite film critics Margaret Pomeranz and David Stratton reunite in a special event discussing movie adaptations of Australian books. The famously sparring duo settle back into their critics’ chairs to offer their top five for which standout movies do justice to the original text, the five-star films that bested the books and the flops that lost their lustre when transposed from page to screen.

2020 Visions

What a year we are having. As if prolonged drought and horrendous bushfires weren’t enough, we are now enduring a pandemic. Over the month that would have seen our festival bring authors, audiences and stories to venues throughout Mudgee, we are hunkering down and doing our best to keep ourselves and each other safe.

We may not be able to deliver a festival to you this year, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t still share stories. 2020 Visions is a series of e-zines: four short works by regional writers living through these unsettling times, brought to life with illustrations by four talented artists.

So instead of sharing stories with us in person this year, we invite you to connect with some fresh writing that just might reflect an aspect of your 2020 vision.

We will be uploading new pieces over the next month, but first up is:

Rehearsal for Disaster
by Tracy Sorensen
illustrated by Travis De Vries

And coming soon:

Future Conversations
by Summer Land
illustrated by Sam Paine

You will never cry alone
by Kirli Saunders
illustrated by Toni Behrens

Signs
by Cadance Bell
illustrated by Milla Jones

Get an earful of these MRF-approved podcast recommendations

For those of you who missed out (and even those who were there), the Listen Up! podcast event at this year’s MRF was a major nerd magnet. With host and bibliotherapist Jenn Martin leading a chat with Benjamin Law, Sophie Hansen, and Sheila Ngoc Pham, we could hardly keep up with all the cracking tips for what to listen to next.

Before we even begin, though, we have an important announcement. Not a fan of the iPhone podcast app, Ben Law shared an insider secret - download and listen to podcasts on the Pocket Casts app. According to him, it’ll change your listening life.

Check out all these epic podcasts, as loved and recommended by some of podcast’s finest:

  • Where Should We Begin? Real couples anonymously bare the raw, intimate, and profound details of their relationships to expert Esther Perel.

  • The Daily - NYT: Classic news updates brought to you by some seriously smart New Yorkers.

  • My Dad Wrote A Porno: Exactly what it says on the box - a son reading his father’s erotic fiction.

  • 7am: The ideal way to stay up-to-date, 7am is a smart, strong, character-driven account of the big story of the day.

  • Decoder Ring: In each episode, host Willa Paskin takes a cultural question, object, or habit; examines its history; and tries to figure out what it means and why it matters.

  • Ladies, We Need To Talk: By women, for women, this podcast isn’t afraid to tackle the big, hairy topics.

  • Stop Everything: A savvy, critical look at pop culture and what's in the zeitgeist (and featuring MRF author Benjamin Law)

  • My Open Kitchen: Another shameless plug for MRF speaker Sophie Hansen’s podcast all about farmers, food, and community.

  • Nancy: Stories and conversations about the queer experience today.

  • Background Briefing: Be enthralled by narrative journalism and incredible forensic investigations.

  • Still Processing: Wesley Morris and Jenna Wortham from the New York Times are “working it out” in this weekly show about culture in the broadest sense, from Hollywood to dating.

  • Touré Show: In-depth interviews with successful Black people, exploring what makes them successful and how they dealt with the most difficult moments of their lives.

Do you have an amazing podcast recommendation? Let us know in the comments!

Meet MRF Author: Amal Awad

We’re a few days out from our exciting Readers’ Festival extravaganza, and we couldn’t be more enthused. But before we get carried away, allow us to present someone pretty special - another of our glorious authors.

In our final instalment of meeting MRF authors, say hello to Amal Awad.

Amal Awad is a Sydney-based writer, journalist, author and screenwriter. She is a regular contributor to SBS Life, and has written for publications like ELLE, Frankie, Daily Life, Sheilas and Junkie. In 2010, she published her debut novel Courting Samira – a tale of Muslim courtship and coming of age in contemporary society – which was a semi-finalist in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award.

Her book Beyond Veiled Cliches – The Real Lives of Arab Women explores the real lives of Arab women both in Australia and in the Arab world. Her latest book is a look at ageing, illness and life — Fridays with My Folks stems from personal experiences, but expands to a much wider, more universal discussion about life, suffering, coping and hope.

To spend some time with this fabulous woman, be quick to snag tickets to her events:

Meet Amal Awad

Amal Awad square.png

What book/author has had the biggest impact on your career?
Watermelon by Marian Keyes turned on a switch. I have always loved stories, I have always been a voracious reader. I played with being a writer, but that book - irreverent and hilarious but not in such a heightened way that it seemed implausible - got me thinking about the power of humorous storytelling.

How did you get into the writing business?
In a very roundabout way. I graduated from uni with an arts/law degree and practised briefly before an inevitable reckoning: practising law was not my path. I went into editing legal encyclopaedias, then sub-editing trade magazines. It was there I first started to write features, and occasionally I would have a Heckler piece published in The Sydney Morning Herald. My writing career grew from that experience.

What’s your ideal reading setup?
Comfortable chair and a hot drink.

Coffee or tea?
Coffee.

Kindle or Paperback?
Paperback.

Early riser or night owl?
Night owl.

Favourite book of all time?
Woman at Point Zero by Nawal El-Saadawi.

What are you reading right now?
White Tears/Brown Scars by Ruby Hamad — I was lucky enough to get my hands on an advanced copy. This is an important book.

Get your last chance tickets for the Mudgee Readers’ Festival here!

Blind Wines, Blind Books

Ahead of our Blind Wines, Blind Books session this Saturday, Blind Wines wine genius James Horsfall has been busily matching Mudgee region wines with books by our programmed authors. Take his book and wine pairing advice and sit back with some Festival books and matching local wines:

Queerstories with Gilbert Blanc
This wine is drawn from three different grape varieties: Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer and Riesling — all blended together to make an interesting, stimulating and versatile wine that suits a wide array of foods. Often differences between grapes are highlighted, with some wine snob types preferring their wines unblended and uniformly varietal. I say pfft to that! This wine shows that diversity brings interest and richness; it often makes us better. This wine is undoubtedly going to keep you good company as you read through this collection of LGBTQIA+ stories — diverse and exciting, stimulating and challenging.

Blind Wines Queerstories.png

The Mother in Law with Heslop Cabernet Sauvignon 2017
Cabernet Sauvignon is a complex, full and rich wine. It is a wine that rewards patience and needs time in the glass to express itself fully; it is a variety that is undoubtedly full of intrigue. The tannin structure of Cabernet Sauvignon makes it very long-lived but at times makes it a tough wine to drink in its youth. If Cabernet Sauvignon is not harvested fully ripe and treated correctly in the winery, it has quite unpleasant characters. However, the Heslop's Cabernet Sauvignon is harvested at its optimum ripeness and displays beautiful full ripe fruit flavours. This wine is a deep, complex red perfectly match for this complex, suspenseful read.

Blind Wines Hepworth.png

Want to try some more Blind Wines pairings and test your own book and wine matching skills? Join James at the Mudgee Art House for Bilnd Wines, Blind Books this Saturday!

Meet MRF Author: Benjamin Law

Ddi someone ask for a funny and talented writer? Oh right - we did - when we asked the legendary Benjamin Law to be a guest at our Mudgee Readers' Festival. And guys - we can’t even believe it’s on in one week’s time! Less! Ok, we’re getting carried away.

So about Benjamin… He is the author of the memoir The Family Law, the travel book Gaysia: Adventures in the Queer East - both of which were nominated for Australian Book Industry Awards - among other fabulous titles. Meanwhile,The Family Law is now also an award-winning TV series for SBS, which Benjamin created and co-writes. Benjamin has also written for over 50 publications in Australia and beyond — including the Monthly, frankie, Good Weekend, theGuardian, the Australian, Monocle and theAustralian Financial Review— and has a PhD in creative writing from QUT. Sheesh, talk about overachieving!

Devastatingly (unless you got a ticket), his coffee/breakfast date at Pipeclay Pumphouse has sold out, but you can catch his wit and charm at these events, where tickets are still available:

  • Listen Up! - talking podcasts with talented writers + podcasters

  • Queerstories - a delightfully enjoyable evening including dinner

So without further ado…

Meet Ben Law!

What book/author has had the biggest impact on your career?

Hard to pin down. But from overseas, David Sedaris – seeing what he could do with personal essays changed how I saw writing generally. And locally, writers like Marieke Hardy and John Birmingham made me understand my writing didn’t have to be one single thing. If they could write across platforms and genres, and write across serious and silly, then so could I. 

How did you get into the writing business?

My first published piece was a letter to the editor at Rolling Stone magazine as a teenager. I was named “Letter of the Month” and they sent me a Panasonic stereo as the prize. “Obviously,” I thought, “writing is a very well-paid career path.” From there, I did a writing degree, edited the university magazine, did work experience – then worked – for street press, and got writing for newspapers and magazines from there. 

What’s your ideal reading setup?

In my usual place: at night, after a shower, when I’ve rinsed off the day, and in my bed with my legs interlocked with my fella who’s reading something entirely different. Either that, or an overnight train in India. 

Coffee or tea?

Tea. I don’t mind coffee, but I’ve never needed it – I probably have one coffee a month. I have green or oolong tea every day though.

Kindle or Paperback?

Paperback. 

Early riser or night owl?

Bit of both. I go through phases. Right now, it’s early riser, but that isn’t out of choice. I’m not a morning person, but I do like the sense of getting a headstart on everyone else. 

Favourite book of all time?

Can’t possibly answer that. Let’s approach it another way. I nominate The Cook’s Companion by Stephanie Alexander. 

What are you reading right now?

Non-fiction: Fake, by Stephanie Wood. Fiction: Black Leopard, Red Wolf, by Marlon James.

Grab your Mudgee Readers’ Festival tickets quick before they all sell out!

Benjamin Law HEADSHOT.jpg

Meet MRF Authors: The Finishing School Collective

A collection of badass women writing brilliant books? Sign us up!

We caught up with three of the fantastic Finishing School Collective women, scooping everything from their favourite books to whether we should buy them tea or coffee when we get to meet them. It’s an amazing introductory to the writers who will be gracing us with their presence at the upcoming MRF.

You can catch these ladies + more of the FSC gang at these events:

Some of the collective.jpg

Take Five With…

Sheila Pham

1. What are you reading right now?
Purple Threads by Jeanine Leane, which is wonderful. The Situation and The Story by Vivian Gornick is a brilliant book about writing I've been intending to read for years.
2. Favourite book of all time?
The Conquest of Happiness by Bertrand Russell is timeless. I regularly re-read Persuasion by Jane Austen too.
3. Coffee or tea?
Coffee before 10, tea all day long.
4. Kindle or Paperback?
I never fully converted to ebooks. Moving house was a huge pain last year given the amount of books that had to come with us!
5. Early riser or night owl?
I've always been an early riser, which is just as well nowadays since I have a two-year-old.

Eda Gunaydin

1. What are you reading right now?
Crowds and Party by Jodi Dean
2. Favourite book of all time?
Don't judge me, but it's The Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut
3. Coffee or Tea?
Coffee, Turkish
4. Kindle or Paperback?
Paperback
5. Early riser or night owl?
Early riser!

Faith Chaza

1. What are you reading right now?
I just started Room for a Stranger (Melanie Cheng)
2. Favourite book of all time?
Ooh. hard. I think it's a tie: Zoo City (Lauren Beukes) and Girl Meets Boy (Ali Smith)
3. Coffee or tea?
Both. And often.
4. Kindle or Paperback?
Paperback (usually a library copy)
5. Early riser or night owl?
Night owl (although I feel more like a bat)

Meet MRF Author: Sophie Hansen

Sophie Hansen square.png

We caught up with the fabulous writer behind the Local is Lovely blog, Sophie Hansen. Sophie kicked off her career as a journalist, spending over two decades working as a features writer.

In 2013, she set up her Local is Lovely blog to create a community of people who love supporting farmers by sourcing, sharing and celebrating good seasonal and local food. Sophie and her family raise deer according to holistic practices and Sophie has also recently published the gorgeous cookbook A Basket by the Door.

Sophie has been awarded Australian Rural Woman of the Year in recognition of her commitment to rural communities, giving us yet another reason to adore her. She also runs a podcast, My Open Kitchen, which is gearing up for its third season.

So where can we catch the lovely local at the Mudgee Readers' Festival, we hear you ask? Sadly, her High Tea event has completely sold out (she's very popular!) but you can still join Sophie at:

Meet Sophie Hansen

What book/author has had the biggest impact on your career?

Sophie Hansen Basket shot.jpg

M.F.K Fisher's The Art of Eating - I adore the way she writes about food and culture and the joy and satisfaction of a shared table of good, simple food. She’s also very funny and opinionated and writes like a dream. 

How did you get into the writing business?

I studied print journalism at university and from there found myself working in food media first as an editorial assistant for Australian Table magazine then features editor. From the get go I loved writing about food and the people who grow, cook and share it. I now mostly write for my own blog and online pages and in April this year my second book A Basket by the Door was published by Murdoch Books.

What’s your ideal reading setup?

My old blue and white arm chair; a battered old thing I bought at a garage sale when pregnant with my first child Alice. It was my nursing chair, but now lives in a sunny spot in the living room. Sitting there with a cup of tea and a good book and a good hour to read is my all time favourite thing.

Coffee or tea?

Tea first thing in the morning then coffee after 9am!

Kindle or Paperback?

Definitely paperback! I know Kindles are much cheaper but I spend so much work time in front a screen, it’s like shifting into another gear when I open a book.

Early riser or night owl?

Early riser. I try to get up around 5/5.30 most days to get a jump on the day and have my tea and the kitchen all to myself before the house wakes up and the chaos begins.

Favourite book of all time?

That is a really difficult question! I have always loved a good Gothic classic so would probably say the Count of Monte Christo. That or My Family and Other Animals. And yes, I know they are light years apart in style and setting but they both transport me into another world and that’s’ what I love about reading.

And most importantly, what are you reading right now?

Overstory by Richard Powers. I’ve only just started but absolutely loving it so far.