Tickets on sale for Sydney Writers’ Festival streamed live and local from Maitland

Maitland libraries are offering front-row seats to the Sydney Writers’ Festival, streaming world-class authors live from Sydney straight to local libraries from Thursday 21 May with a final special event at Maitland Town Hall on Saturday 23 May.

With a series of free and ticketed events, avid readers will have the chance to connect over all things books to the theme of ‘Show Me the Truth’ from the comfort of their local library or Maitland Town Hall. For those seeking a more intimate experience, after hours library access for special live-streamed events featuring David Szalay and Florence Knapp will also be available for $5 per ticket, inclusive of tea, coffee and snacks. 

The three-day live and local event will culminate in an immersive afternoon and evening of stories, ideas and conversation at Maitland Town Hall on Saturday 23 May where there’ll be no shortage of food, drink and literary trivia. Highlights include Emma Gray in person, alongside a curated livestreamed program of the most celebrated international writers including Lev Grossman, R.F. Kuang and Lily King, with tickets starting at $40.

Maitland City Council Coordinator Community Participation, Erin Pascall said the event “is the perfect opportunity for likeminded book lovers to network and delve deep into stimulating discussions around the exploration of truth, memory and information in an era where disinformation is rife.

“Whether you’re a Trent Dalton or Florence Knapp fan, we’re so excited to be showcasing a program of top-tier authors from around the world for this revered cultural event celebrating the world of storytelling and literature,” Ms Pascall said.

“From pop-culture enthusiasts to fan fiction die-hards, we’ve seen how much the Maitland community loves their books from our Big Summer Read program, which saw Maitland read for over 255,000+ minutes over the summer holidays – we’re excited for our broadcast of Sydney Writers’ Fest to fuel this fire even further.”

Book now and view full program details at https://mait.city/SydWritersFest26

Event schedule and bookings:

Thursday 21 May

• The Future of Truth with A.C. Grayling | 10am to 11am | Maitland Town Hall in the Evans Room | free event
• Yann Martel: Son of Nobody | 12pm to 1pm | Maitland Town Hall in the Evans Room | free event
• Stephanie Alexander: The Cook's Companion 30th Anniversary | 2pm to 3pm | Maitland Town Hall in the Evans Room | free event
• Bringing the Past to Life | 4pm to 5pm | Maitland Town Hall in the Evans Room | free event
• David Szalay: Flesh | 6pm to 7pm | East Maitland Library | $5 event

Friday 22 May

• Big Histories | 10am to 11am | Maitland Town Hall in the Evans Room | free event
• Susan Choi: Flashlight | 12pm to 1pm | Maitland Town Hall in the Evans Room | free event
• Trent Dalton: Gravity Let Me Go | 2pm to 3pm | Maitland Town Hall in the Evans Room | free event
• Great Adaptations | 4pm to 5pm | Maitland Town Hall in the Evans Room | free event
• Florence Knapp: The Names | 6pm to 7pm | East Maitland Library | $5 event

Saturday 23 May 

• Special event at Maitland Town Hall | 3pm to 9pm | $40 event
  • Emma Grey Live | 3pm to 4pm
  • Fantastical Worlds | 4pm to 5pm
  • Roddy Doyle in Conversation | 6pm to 7pm
  • Lily King: Heart the Lover | 8pm to 9pm