Byron Writers Festival 2024

Secondary Schools Day

Join us for the renowned Secondary Schools Day at Byron Writers Festival, held at the festival site in Bangalow.

Through five engaging sessions, students will be invigorated by rich conversations about writing and storytelling, fantasy worlds and outer space, inner demons and strange spirits, human reckonings and inspiring futures.

Featuring YA authors Lili Wilkinson and Graham Akhurst, comedian Steph Tisdell, astrophysicist Lisa Harvey-Smith and short story writer Mykaela Saunders, students will enjoy their own Byron Writers Festival experience with author signings, books available to buy, as well as food and drink options.

Learn among the trees at the Bangalow Showground for Byron Writers Festival’s Secondary School Day, tailored for high school students of any grade level.

Secure your spot for Schools Day now! Simply book and pay with your credit card.

Pricing

Students - $25 per student (plus booking fee).
Teachers - Free (1 per 10 students).
Additional Adults/Parents - $35 (plus booking fee).

If you need any assistance with booking please email info@byronwritersfestival.com.

Schedule

All sessions will take place in the Hakea Marquee and are proudly supported by Southern Cross University

9.30 - 10:00am	Arrive at Festival, please ensure your buses arrive during these times to reduce traffic congestion
10:10 - 10:40am	Graham Akhurst in conversation with Rhianna Patrick
10:40 - 11:10am	Lili Wilkinson
11:10 - 11:30am	Signings with Graham Akhurst and Lili Wilkinson
11:10 - 11:30am	Morning Tea
11:30 - 11:45am	Southern Cross University Writing Prize announcement and readings
11:45 - 12:15pm	Steph Tisdell in conversation with Merinda Dutton
12:15 - 12:45pm	Lisa Harvey-Smith
12:45 - 1:00pm	Signings with Steph Tisdell and Lisa Harvey-Smith
12:45 - 1:00pm	Afternoon Tea
1:00 - 1:30pm	Mykaela Saunders in conversation with Rhianna Patrick
1:30 - 1:45pm	Signings with Mykaela Saunders
2:00 - 2:15pm	Have your buses arrive at 1:45pm for departure before 2.15pm

Meet the Authors

Lili Wilkinson

Lili Wilkinson is the award-winning author of nineteen books for young people, including The Erasure Initiative and A Hunger of Thorns. Lili has a PhD from the University of Melbourne, and is a passionate advocate for YA and the young people who read it, establishing the Inky Awards at the Centre for Youth Literature, State Library of Victoria. Her latest book is Deep is the Fen.

Graham Akhurst

Graham Akhurst is a Kokomini writer who grew up in Meanjin. He is the author of Borderland published by UWAP. As a Fulbright Scholar, Graham took his love for writing to New York City, where he studied for an MFA in Fiction at Hunter College. He is the Director of the Centre for the Advancement of Indigenous Knowledges at UTS.

Steph Tisdell

Steph Tisdell is a proud Ydinji woman. Her warmth and wit has been a hit with audiences and critics alike ever since she won the 2014 Deadly Funny National Grand Final. Her award-winning shows always sell out and she’s a regular on mainstream television shows such as Hughesy We Have a Problem and The Project. Her debut novel is The Skin I’m in, a hilarious, poignant, feisty YA novel.

Lisa Harvey-Smith

Lisa Harvey-Smith is an award-winning astronomer, science communicator and Professor at the University of New South Wales. In 2018 she was appointed as the Australian Government's Ambassador for Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). She is the author of The Secret Life of Stars, Little Book, BIG Universe, Aliens and Other Worlds, When Galaxies Collide and best-selling children's book Under the Stars.

Mykaela Saunders

Mykaela Saunders is the author of Always Will Be (UQP 2024), which won the David Unaipon Award, and the editor of This All Come Back Now, the Aurealis Award-winning, world-first anthology of blackfella speculative fiction (UQP 2022). Mykaela has won other prizes for fiction, poetry, life writing and research, including the Elizabeth Jolley Short Story Prize and the Oodgeroo Noonuccal Indigenous Poetry Prize.

Key Information

Program designed for students in years 7 to 12
Gates open at 9:30am for first session beginning 10:10am
On-site bus parking available (weather permitting)
No supervision provided by festival staff
Food and beverages available for purchase
Authors available for book signings and books are available for purchase from the book shop
Stay hydrated with our free water station; bring your water bottle!

We want to make sure everyone can be part of the Byron Writers Festival fun, no matter what. If you have questions about accessibility, funded placements or just have general questions, don't hesitate to reach out to us at info@byronwritersfestival.com or 02 6685 5115.