A stellar line up of international and Australian talent head to Margaret River for the 16th annual Margaret River Readers & Writers Festival from 17-19 May 2024.Travelling from the UK, award winning international authors A.C. Grayling and Andrew O’Hagan will headline the Festival program alongside best-selling and award-winning Australian author Holly Ringland and national treasure, stand-up comedian and TV and radio host, Wendy Harmer.
A.C. Grayling is the rock star of British philosophy and an author who has written and edited over 30 books. A.C. joins the Festival in person to launch his new book, Who Owns the Moon? In Defence of Humanity’s Common Interests in Space. A book that explores to question of who, if anyone, does owns the moon? Or Mars? Or other bodies in near space? And what do those superpowers and corporations owe to Planet Earth and its inhabitants as a whole?
Andrew O’Hagan, the bestselling author of Mayflies (now streaming on SBS TV) has been nominated for the Booker Prize and won the E.M. Forster Prize from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He joins the Festival to launch his new book, Caledonian Road. An irresistible, unputdownable, brilliant state-of-the- nation novel – the story of one man’s epic fall from grace. The novel pulls down the facades of high society and knocks over the ‘good liberal’ house-of-cards.
Holly Ringland is an award winning and internationally best-selling author, whose debut novel, The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart is currently streaming globally on Amazon Prime and stars Sigourney Weaver. Holly’s second novel, The Seven Skins of Esther Wilding became an instant national bestseller and has been published in more than 15 territories globally. Holly joins the Festival to talk about her new book, The House That Joy Built, an uplifting, powerful and inspiring book about breaking through fear and finding joy through creativity.
Wendy Harmer is a stand-up comedian, a national television host and was the highest paid woman in the cut-throat world of Sydney FM radio. Wendy joins the Festival to talk about her deeply moving, wise, hilarious and raucous memoir Lies My Mirror Told Me, in which she talks frankly about overcoming adversity and finding success in the most unlikely way. All told of course with her trademark in-your-face frankness and celebrated wit.
William McInnes is one of Australia’s most popular writers and actors and is currently starring in NCIS Sydney on Paramount+ and The Newsreader on ABC. He is established in his ability both as a columnist and author in writing pieces that celebrate life whilst encompassing the wide emotions and situations being human can bring. William joins the Festival to talk about his latest book, Yeah, Nah!: A celebration of life and the words that make us who we are.
The Festival will host a program of intimate special events featuring highlight dinner and breakfast events in Margaret River and Busselton to showcase the work of these incredible storytellers.
Dinner with A.C. Grayling at Voyager Estate, Margaret River, Saturday18 May 2024, Doors & book signing 6pm, Dinner 6.30pm
Dinner with Holly Ringland at Shelter Brewing Busselton, Saturday 18 May 2024, Doors & book signing 6pm, Dinner 7pm – Holly will be joined in conversation by fellow author and TV presenter, Julia Baird
Breakfast with William McInnes & Wendy Harmer at Shelter Brewing, Busselton, Sunday 19 May 2024, 9 -11 am
Tickets for these events are now on sale now via the links above or at https://mrrwfestival.com/latest-news-2/
The full program will be released on Friday 22 March 2024 at 6pm and tickets will go on sale Monday 25 March 2024 at 10am available at www.mrrwfestival.com