NT Writers Festival 2026 festival opens

The NT Writers Festival will return to Garramilla/Darwin today, running from 28 to 31 May under the theme “Navigating”.

Panels, workshops and conversations will include appearances by writers Omar Musa, Hannah Moloney, Ali Cobby Eckermann, Djon Mundine, Zoe Terakes, Micaela Sahhar, Jack Latimore, Samah Sabawi, Jeanine Leane, Melanie Saward, Natalia Figueroa Barroso, Kate Wild and Ursula Yovich, among others.

Of the festival’s “cornerstone Saturday night event, Waves of Belonging”, artistic director Louise Omer said: “Curated by expert musician and producer James Mangohig, we have a powerful lineup of musicians and storytellers for a night of poetry and song. Omar Musa and Joelistics join locals Cyan Sue-Lee and Grace Dong for a dynamic evening of mind-blowing performance and magical creativity that celebrates the deep ties that connect South Asia and the Top End.”

“Audiences will find the perfect antidote to the isolation of doomscrolling,” said Omer of the festival program. “Rather than just creating events that are similar to what you can passively stream online, our attendees will co-create a sense of belonging IRL.”

Held annually, the festival alternates between Garramilla/Darwin and Mparntwe/Alice Springs. “With a thousand miles between locations, the festival shifts from the tropics to the desert, from coastal to inland, from Larrakia to Arrernte Country, creating a character which reflects the diversity – environmental, cultural and social – of the Northern Territory itself,” said organisers.

The full program is available on the website.

Category: Festivals Local news