SWF 2022 program announced
The program for the 2022 Sydney Writers’ Festival (SWF), which runs Monday 16 – Sunday 22 May, has been announced.
Themed ‘Change My Mind’, the 25th SWF features 234 events with nearly 400 guests appearing via live stream and in person at venues including Carriageworks, Sydney Town Hall and in 26 suburban venues and libraries across Sydney. The opening night of the festival at Sydney Town Hall features Ali Cobby Eckermann, Jackie Huggins and Nardi Simpson, while the closing night address will be given by Chloe Hooper at Carriageworks.
Three international guests will appear at the festival in person: South African 2021 Booker Prize winner Damon Galgut, US writer Hanya Yanagihara, and American human rights lawyer and activist Derecka Purnell. International guests appearing via live stream include writers Rebecca Solnit, Claudia Rankine, Julian Barnes, Sarah Winman, Torrey Peters, Johann Hari, Art Spiegelman and Jennifer Egan.
Launched at SWF 2021, dual author spotlights return in 2022, showcasing the authors of Australian books released during the past year. Among the 26 events in the series are Miles Allinson & Emily Bitto; Maxine Beneba Clarke & Omar Musa; Liane Moriarty & Caroline Overington; Michelle de Kretser & Christos Tsiolkas; and Jennifer Down & Hannah Kent.
The Your Favourites’ Favourites series features established Australian writers interviewing the author of their favourite Australian debut from the past year. Events in the series include Michael Mohammed Ahmad & Mehreen Faruqi; Trent Dalton & David Williamson; and Evelyn Araluen & Ennis Cehic. Other special events include Musical Fictions with Casey Bennetto; the Change My Mind Storytelling Gala featuring 12 storytellers addressing the festival’s theme; and a Party Room Live political event with Barrie Cassidy, Fran Kelly and Patricia Karvelas.
Almost a quarter of SWF 2022 events are free, including the Curiosity Lecture Series and Family Day’s Big Backyard, which runs as part of Family Day on Sunday 22 May. The day includes guests such as Adam Goodes, Corey Tutt, Sami Bayly, Remy Lai, Josh Pyke and Morris Gleitzman, while All-Day YA on Saturday, 21 May features authors including Felicity Castagna, Amie Kaufman, Kay Kerr, Astrid Scholte and Jared Thomas.
The Live & Local program will return to broadcast Carriageworks’ main stage events to more than 45 community centres and libraries around the country.
Outgoing artistic director Michael Williams said: ‘The 2022 festival is underpinned by a sense of urgency and a dedication to change. It is a response to a world where public debate is increasingly polarised and toxic. We believe in literature and its role in articulating and shaping a better way. We believe that it is more than words. We believe that a writers’ festival is more than just talk.
‘For one week this May, leave the shouting matches, doomscrolling and white noise of daily life behind. Read, listen, talk and take the time—with respect, empathy, imagination, and your most open and changeable mind—at Sydney Writers’ Festival 2022.’
To view the full SWF 2022 program, visit the website.
Category: Local news
