A Rock & Roll Writers Festival made its debut in 2016 as Australia’s first and only literary festival dedicated to the symbiotic relationship between writing and music, and has returned this year to reignite the creative sparks in the minds of its audience. The festival features more than 30 acclaimed authors, musicians, songwriters, journalists, commentators and broadcasters that join forces for a weekend of discussions around creativity, inspiration, and the effect that music and literature have on each other. Leadership team Leanne de Souza and Joe Woolley are both known around Brisbane as managing some of our country’s coolest bands and artists, so you can be rest assured that they know a thing or two about curating an event that makes the best of our flourishing arts scene.
This year, the team has truly handpicked some of the most unique and interesting voices in the industry to chat about a whole range of juicy topics. From hardcore punks waxing lyrical on emotions and mental health to beloved Brisbane authors chatting about sex and race, nothing is off-limits. Highlights include ABC’s Paul Barclay moderating a panel including Tim Rogers, Brentley Frazer and Matt Noffs discussing the impact of our government on the arts scene, and Triple J’s Zan Rowe helming a must-see panel that sees Peggy Frew, Nick Earls, Kirsty Eagar and Melissa Lucashenko unpack the influence of women through their effect on writers’ lives. The panel events are ticketed, but there’s also plenty of free stuff happening – a bookshop, record store, book signings, bar and more will all be open for the public to check out.
Want to soak in the wisdom of industry legends? You can grab tickets to A Rock & Roll Writers Festival panels through the Old Museum, or wander down for the free events any time through the weekend.
