The Bookneck Literary Picnic at Mulberry Hill
Description
“Everyone agreed that the day was just right for the picnic to Hanging Rock…”
— Joan Lindsay, Picnic at Hanging Rock
It was on St Valentine’s Day 1900 that Joan Lindsay’s schoolgirls set out for their fateful picnic. On Valentine’s Day 2027, in the novel’s 60th anniversary year, we’ll gather for a picnic of our own at Mulberry Hill, the home where she wrote it.
The Bookneck Literary Picnic brings together readers, writers and bookish people for an evening of picnicking and conversation about place and story.
Bring a picnic, a rug (or low chair), and settle in as the afternoon turns to evening.
We’ll be joined by Andrea Rowe, Catherine Padmore and Aunty Vicki Thomas for conversation and stories about the places that shape what we write, remember and imagine.
The programme includes a Place & Story conversation, audience Q&A, and a short flash-fiction session led by Andrea Rowe. There’ll also be time to enjoy your picnic and wander the grounds.
Arrive from 5pm to picnic, browse and enjoy the setting. The main conversation begins at approximately 6.30pm, after the final house tour finishes.
Pippi, our tiny travelling second-hand bookshop, will of course be there too, so come by for a browse and some bookish nattering.
Guided tours of Mulberry Hill
Add a private guided tour of Mulberry Hill for $10 per person, plus booking fee.
Led by a National Trust guide, these 30-minute tours offer a closer look inside the house and its history, including its connection to Joan Lindsay.
Tours start every 15 minutes from 5pm to 6pm, with a maximum of eight people per group. Select your preferred time during checkout. Please select one tour per person.
Your Literary Picnic ticket includes access to the grounds. Entry inside the house requires a separate guided-tour ticket.
Please be ready at your booked tour time. We’ll email tour guests with meeting-point and arrival instructions before the event, including arrangements for the first tour at 5pm.
The details
Sunday 14 February 2027
5pm-8pm
Mulberry Hill, 385 Golf Links Road, Langwarrin South
Tickets: $59 per person, plus booking fee
Optional guided house tour: $10 per person, plus booking fee
Please bring your own picnic and a picnic rug or low chair. This is an alcohol-free event.
For questions or access enquiries, contact bookneckbooksellers@gmail.com
Lineup
Andrea Rowe
Andrea Rowe is a best-selling, multi award-winning picture book author. Her picture book, Jetty Jumping (illustrated by Hannah Sommerville), was awarded the 2022 CBCA Picture Book of the Year – Early Childhood and the 2023 Australian Speech Pathology Picture Book of the Year. Her books In the Rockpool and Amid the Sand Dunes and Castle Crashing were all awarded the 2024, 2025 and 2026 CBCA Notable Picture Books of the Year – Early Childhood. Andrea is inaugural Public Libraries ambassador for Victoria, a May Gibbs Children’s Literature Trust and Writers on the Reef Fellow, a sand dune stroller and rockpool rambler, and a late-night book reader.
Aunty Vicki Thomas
Aunty Vicki Thomas is a proud Bunurong/Trawlwoolway woman from Hobart, Tasmania. She has spent most of her life on Bunurong/Boon Wurrung Country with her husband, two children and eight grandchildren. A member of the Bunurong Land Council and Nairm Marr Djambana, she actively supports her community by mentoring emerging artists, sharing her knowledge, and strengthening cultural connections. After working for more than 35 years as a makeup artist, Vicki brings a keen eye for detail, colour and blending to her artwork. A chance meeting with Kokatha artist and mentor Nina Wright sparked a new creative chapter in Vicki’s life. Through Nina’s guidance and encouragement, Vicki was supported to explore and expand her artistic skills, beginning a painting journey that has brought her immense joy. Vicki draws strength and courage from her ancestor, the warrior and Chief Mannalargenna. She has created numerous artworks and murals across Bunurong Country, including Peninsula Health cot cards, a mural for Cornish College, uniform designs for Bunurong Fire Rangers, a mural for the Port of Hastings headquarters, and a large-scale commission for QEC Hastings.
Catherine Padmore
Catherine Padmore is an author and literary studies scholar from La Trobe University with research interests in creative writing, historical and biographical fictions, and women's writing. Catherine’s novel, Sibyl’s Cave (Allen and Unwin, 2004), was shortlisted for The Australian/Vogel Award and commended in the first book category of The Commonwealth Writers' Prize (south-east Asia/south Pacific region). Her short creative works have won the Ada Cambridge award (2024), the American Association of Australasian Literary Studies (AAALS) creative writing prize (2022), and the Nillumbik Prize for Contemporary Writing (Local, 2020), placed second in the Peter Carey prize (2017) and the Boroondara Literary Awards (2021), and been shortlisted for multiple others. Many have been published in literary journals and in anthologies.
FAQs
- What happens if it rains?
This is an outdoor picnic with no indoor alternative. If wet weather, soggy ground or unsafe conditions prevent the event from going ahead, we’ll aim to reschedule, subject to venue and speaker availability.
You can transfer your booking to the new date or receive a full refund. If rescheduling isn’t possible, all bookings will be refunded. We’ll contact ticket holders by email with any changes.
- What should I bring?
Bring your own picnic, a picnic rug or low chair, drinking water and whatever you need to be comfortable outdoors. We recommend sun protection and an extra layer for the evening.
We’ll supply the pen and writing card for the flash-fiction activity.
- Can I bring alcohol?
No. This is an alcohol-free event, so please leave alcoholic drinks at home.
- How do I book a house tour?
Select an optional guided house tour during checkout for $10 per person, plus booking fee. You’ll need a Literary Picnic admission ticket as well.
Tours last 30 minutes and start at 5pm, 5.15pm, 5.30pm, 5.45pm and 6pm. Each group is limited to eight people. Please select one tour per person and arrive before your booked start time.
- Is the venue accessible?
The picnic takes place on outdoor garden grounds, which include uneven surfaces. Please contact Bookneck before booking if you have access requirements, so we can check the arrangements with the venue and give you specific information.
- Where can I park?
There is an onsite car park with approximately 30 spaces. Please share a lift where possible. We’ll send any further arrival and parking instructions to ticket holders before the event.
- Can children attend?
The programme is designed for an adult audience, though children are welcome if it suits their interests. Since places are limited, all attendees, including children, require a full-price ticket. Children must remain under the supervision of their accompanying adult.
- Are chairs or tables provided?
No, please bring your own picnic rug or low chair, along with your picnic. If bringing a chair, please choose a low one and sit towards the back so everyone can see the speakers.
- Do I have to participate in the writing activity?
Not at all. The flash-fiction activity is optional, and no writing experience is needed. You’re welcome to join in or simply listen and enjoy your picnic.
- Can I bring my dog?
Please leave pet dogs at home. Assistance dogs are welcome.
- Can I get a refund if I can no longer attend?
Refunds are available up to seven days before the event. After that, we’re unable to offer a refund if you can no longer attend.
If we need to cancel or reschedule the event, our weather and cancellation policy applies.
- Are food and drinks available to buy?
Please bring your own picnic, as meals won’t be available to purchase. We’re hoping to have Beverley’s Coffee joining us with drinks and treats, and will confirm this closer to the event.
Tickets for good, not greed Humanitix dedicates 100% of profits from booking fees to charity
