SHwf 2025 Gallery
The 2025 Southern Highlands Writers’ Festival took place on Friday 25th – Sunday 27th July at the iconic Empire Cinemas in Bowral. It featured some of Australia’s greatest writers, thinkers and directors including Blanche d’Alpuget, Adam Courtenay, Sally Aitken, Nikki Gemmell, Dr Anita Heiss AM, Dr Jacqueline Kent, Kat T. Masen, Lauren Samuelsson, Dr Hayley Scrivenor, Elle Thorpe, Helen Trinca, Michael Visontay, Toby Walsh and Mila Young.
A special shout-out to our official photographer Greg Jackson for capturing the Festival so beautifully. Enjoy the photos from this year.
Friday 25 July
Dr Jacqueline Kent
Acclaimed biographer Dr Jacqueline Kent traced some of Australia’s trailblazing women writers whose immense courage challenged the nation’s status quo in her new book Inconvenient Women: Australian radical writers 1900–1970.
Helen Trinca
In Looking for Elizabeth, journalist Helen Trinca asks why Elizabeth Harrower – one of Australia’s most important authors – stopped writing at the height of her powers. Helen unravelled this mystery for us, bringing to life a fascinating era in Australian culture.
Dr Lauren Samuelsson
Dr Lauren Samuelsson’s award-winning work includes Australian cultural history, popular culture and gender history. In A Matter of Taste, Lauren examined the history of The Australian Women’s Weekly and its influence on our food and culture.
Nikki Gemmell
Nikki Gemmell is the best-selling author of thirteen novels and four works of non-fiction including the international sensation The Bride Stripped Bare. Now, two decades later, Nikki shared Wing, another incendiary novel about what it means to be a woman today.
Every Little Thing - Film Screening & Discussion with Sally Aitken
Every Little Thing is a compelling and uplifting documentary about the beauty of hummingbirds. We started the night hearing from Ginny Grant from Bakers Lane Books and their debut novel The One Remaining by Paula McLean. Following the film, Michaela interviewed Australian filmmaker and director of Every Little Thing, Sally Aitken.
Saturday 26 July
Adam Courtenay
Journalist Adam Courtenay’s new memoir My Father Bryce examines the life of one of Australia’s highest-selling authors, Bryce Courtenay. Adam recounted his own 1960s and 1970s childhood, Bryce's career in advertising and his metamorphosis into a bestselling novelist and the impact that had on him and his family.
Dr Anita Heiss AM
Dr Anita Heiss AM is one of Australia’s most prolific and well-known authors. She shared her latest work Dirrayawadha (Rise Up) which explores the love, resilience and resistance of the Wiradyuri people during the Frontier Wars and Red Dust Running, an Aussie rom-com set in the outback.
Dr Hayley Scrivenor
Dr Hayley Scrivenor brought us Girl Falling, her compelling second novel after the #1 Australian bestseller Dirt Town. Girl Falling forces us to confront the stories we tell ourselves about the people we love.
Kat T. Masen, Elle Thorpe & Mila Young
Romance is one of the fastest-growing genres with sales surging. Three popular romance authors explained how platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube (BookTok, Bookstagram, BookTube) have boosted popularity allowing new, diverse voices to gain prominence in the genre. We asked audience members to dress up and they didn’t disappoint.
Books ever After Party
Following the romantasy session we all walked in a procession to Books Ever After, Kat T. Masen’s Bowral-based romance bookshop for author signings and a complimentary glass of bubbles.
SUNDAY 27 July
Toby Walsh
Toby Walsh is one of the world’s leading researchers in artificial intelligence (AI). Talking about his latest book, The Shortest History of AI, Toby helped us understand the origins of artificial intelligence and its role in shaping society, medicine, the military and laws to govern its use.
Michael Visontay
Journalist Michael Visontay told the story of the New York antiquarian dealer who broke up the world’s greatest book, the Gutenberg Bible. He discussed his latest work, Noble Fragments, part detective story and part memoir, in which he tracks down pages from the broken bible.
Blanche D’Alpuget
Blanche D’Alpuget shared her latest novel The Bunny Club, a racy detective story partly set in the Southern Highlands. Blanche has written biographies, novels and essays including the bestseller Robert J. Hawke: A Biography.
Behind the scenes
Take a look at the inner workings behind the Festival. From staging and audio to art direction and fancy dress - here are some choice moments from this year.
SPECIAL THANKS
Thank you to the the wonderful team from the Empire Cinemas, Bowral: Dave, James, Gerard, Will and Dane, we couldn't have done it without you.
A huge thank you to our Festival Partners including: Artemis, Bendooley Estate, Berkelouw Books, Books Ever After, The Bookshop Bowral, Centennial Vineyards, Coffee Culture, Creative & Co, Creative South, Eliza's Cocktail Bar & Restaurant, The Empire Cinemas, Endota Spa, Fermento Bakery, Glenys McLaughlin, Highland FM (107.1), Highlife, King Computers, JND, Joadja Estate, Park Proxi, Peppers, Simone Joseph, Destination Southern Highlands, SNDC, The Modern and Writers at the Woolshed. Without your generosity, kindness and support the Festival could not continue.
Finally the biggest, most heartfelt thanks to my amazing little team of volunteers, James Norton (my incredible Art Director and 2IC), Saneia Norton (my brilliant Front of House Manager), Anna Zakarus (social media), Sarah Dowland, Jon Collings, Rachel Armstrong, Clare Shepherd, Willow Smith and of course my mum Roz - you make the Festival a reality! Thank you for your time and extraordinary expertise in making the SHWF so unique, along with your grace and sensational good senses of humour!