Festival Highlight - In Conversation with Bob Abbot : What will be in my Memoir and why I did what I did

The festival is delighted to present this session with our legendary ex-Mayor Bob Abbot. Bob transcends Local Government boundary changes and is a community crusader. This will be a fascinating conversation with Festival Favourite Simon Cleary about what drives Bob and where to next. 

Tickets include a complimentary drink and canapés. Bar available. Please arrive at 4pm for a 4.30pm start.

Bob Abbot is an electrician by trade, a musician at heart and a politician by choice. He is former Mayor for Noosa and the first Mayor of the Sunshine Coast LGA was undefeated in ten consecutive elections, retiring in 2012 after 30 years in local government. Bob is a politician who wears his heart on his sleeve, and with his passion, quick wit and his ability to think outside the square he has earned a formidable reputation in Queensland politics. He has also been a fisherman, a labourer, a black smiths striker, a musician, a singer, a cook, a barman and a bouncer.  Bob prides himself on being a man of the people!

Simon Cleary is a writer and barrister. Simon’s most recent book, Everything is Water – a finalist in the Queensland Literary Awards Work of State Significance Award for 2025 – is shaped by his 344 km journey by foot along the banks of the Brisbane River from its source to Moreton Bay. Everything is Water explores the ways rivers connect people, landscapes and ecologies. Simon is also the author of three novels – The Comfort of Figs (2008), Closer to Stone (2012), and The War Artist (2019) – and his work has featured in artistic and musical collaborations and includes poetry and shorter fiction.  

Discover more about the Eumundi Writers Festival here: https://eumundiwritersfestival.com.au/