Storytelling and food at the Bendigo Writers Festival 2025
If you like your literature with a side of dumplings, you’ll want to clear your calendar for 15-17 August. The Bendigo Writers Festival is back and this year’s theme blends two of life’s greatest pleasures: storytelling and food. Highlights include a full restaurant takeover by Chin Chin’s Benjamin Cooper, a Q&A on his cookbook Still Hungry, and sessions that dig into how food and culture shape our identities.
It’s not just for the foodies, though. The program boasts more than 80 authors and 60 events, from children’s art to regional writing showcases. You’ll find familiar names like Kate Mildenhall, Jock Serong and AWC alumni Jennifer Wong, who brings her trademark wit to a conversation about food and mental health. Add a few bookish markets, local library events, and even a UNESCO Book Club stream, and you’ve got yourself a delicious winter escape.
Explore the full program here.
Sarah Speedie’s The Great Dawn Choir
The Great Dawn Choir, written by Australian Writers’ Centre graduate Sarah Speedie and brought to vivid life by illustrator Cindy Lane, is landing on bookshelves this August via CSIRO Publishing. In celebration of Australia’s morning bird chorus, it may just have us all listening a little bit closer next sunrise.
Sarah began her journey as a stay‑at‑home mum looking for a creative spark. Signing up for AWC’s Writing Picture Books course (and its follow‑up Masterclass) gave her what she calls “the knowledge to confidently write and submit manuscripts” From finishing that first draft at naptime to building lifelong writing buddies, each module became a stepping stone.
Fast forward a few years and voila – Sarah now has many published titles, like Mozzies vs Flies, Meowster Chef, Wild About Book Week and Our Beautiful World. The Great Dawn Choir is her latest creation, proving that AWC’s courses don’t just teach writing techniques – they help launch careers .
Find out more about Sarah’s journey here.
Queensland Memory Awards 2026 – fellowships now open
If you’ve ever wanted time, space, and actual funding to dive into Queensland’s colourful past, the State Library of Queensland is now officially your best friend. Applications are open for the 2026 Queensland Memory Awards, with fellowships of up to $25,000 available – plus access to rare archival collections, a dedicated workspace, and mentoring from library curators. That’s a big green light for writers, artists, researchers, and creatives of all kinds.
The fellowships support a wide range of themes including First Nations history, LGBTIQ+ stories, business and industry, cultural memory and even Ekka nostalgia. And here’s the best part: you don’t need to be part of a university or institution to apply. This is open to anyone with a strong idea and a passion for storytelling. Applications close 1 August 2025 – so if your curiosity is already tingling, it might be time to pitch a project.
Test Your KidLit Knowledge – ArtsHub’s 20-question YA & children’s literature quiz
ArtsHub has a 20‑question pub‑quiz dedicated to children’s and YA literature – a perfect blend of nostalgia and literary challenge for anyone whose reading journey began between picture-book pages and teen epics. Think you know who the rat in Charlotte’s Web is, or the storeys in Andy Griffiths’s Treehouse series? Now’s your chance to prove it.
Crafted by literary editor Thuy On, it has questions ranging from classic picture books to contemporary YA blockbusters. An ideal activity for book clubs, school events – or just to challenge your mates.
2026 Peter Porter Poetry Prize – entries now open
Fancy your chances with a poem? The 2026 Peter Porter Poetry Prize is now accepting entries – and it’s one of the most prestigious single-poem competitions in the country. Run by Australian Book Review, the prize offers a total of $10,000, with $6,000 going to the winner and $1,000 to each of the four shortlisted poets. Your poem can be on any theme, as long as it’s original, unpublished, and no longer than 60 lines.
Judged by Judith Bishop, Felicity Plunkett and Anders Villani, the winning works will be published in ABR’s Jan–Feb 2026 issue and honoured at a special awards night. The prize honours the late Peter Porter and continues his legacy of excellence in English-language poetry. Entries close at midnight AEST on 13 October 2025 – so this could be the perfect excuse to finish that verse that’s been lingering in your notes app.
