Escaping into books has long been a tonic for world-weariness, a remedy for sluggish creativity or a pick-me-up when life lacks zest. Above all, reading is an act of solitude that quietens distractions, fills our consciousness with imaginative possibilities – and simultaneously generates introspection and outward magical thinking. This year’s Byron Writers Festival theme, ‘Sanctuary’, encompasses the role of books as muse, medicine and meditation. Editor Sally Schofield shares some of her Festival must-do sessions.
Viking Lives: Ghost Stories with Richard Fidler and Kári Gíslason
Like many other readers, it was Hannah Kent’s Burial Rites that first piqued my interest in otherworldly Iceland so I’m very much anticipating Viking Lives: Ghost Stories with Richard Fidler and Kári Gíslason. Their book Saga Land is part travel diary, part folkloric excavation, capturing the grit and gore of Viking life in the fjords during the Middle Ages while revealing an unexpected modern day familial connection. This Festival Feature Event is a live recording for Richard and Kári’s accompanying podcast and ponders the supernatural threads woven through Icelandic life over time.
Friday 14 August, 8.15–9.30pm
Byron Theatre
The Woman in the Watchtower
I first came across Elizabeth Harrower through her 2016 Stella Prize-shortlisted anthology A Few Days in the Country: And Other Stories, published when the author was 88 years old (hope for us yet). The book is a collection of her short works, printed in literary journals during the 50s, 60s and 70s, after which Elizabeth more or less put down her pen. I was taken by the power and precision of her words. The Woman in the Watchtower, Susan Wyndham’s biography, explores Elizabeth’s tumultuous early family life and her adult entwinement with some of our best-known authors, including Patrick White and Shirley Hazzard. The book combines personal interviews with forensic reading of her work to unmask the enigma of Elizabeth Harrower – and I, for one, can’t wait for this session.
Friday 14 August, 4.30–5.30pm
Haven Gallery
AI and Art
AI is all around us – some believe it’s on the verge of eating itself and imploding, while others think (some fear) it’s only just getting started. Since widespread access to generative AI tools emerged in 2022, there has been much speculation about the ethics of their use and their capacity for misuse. The session AI and Art is an important one for anyone seeking answers to questions about creativity, copyright, critical thinking and more. How can we rationalise time-saving applications alongside the environmental damage of AI processing? How can creatives protect their work from unauthorised inclusion in AI training models? Can we stop it? Should we care? This session chaired by ABC’s Natasha Mitchell, has the potential to raise some fascinating, timely questions.
Saturday 15 August, 4.30–5.30pm
Byron Theatre
Motherhood, Marriage and Selfhood
Sunday’s session pick is one that will resonate with many Herald readers of a certain age: Motherhood, Marriage and Selfhood with Thammika Songkaeo. Her autofictive novel Stamford Hospital takes readers into the tender space that exists at the intersection of love and loneliness, both products of our own desires as partners and parents. This session, like the book, will address burnout, resentment and fatigue, all wounds inflicted by the double-edged sword wielded by women in the quest to ‘have it all’ (and why shouldn’t we?). Thammika examines ambition, sacrifice and other uncomfortable realities in conversation with Ashley Hay.
Sunday 16 August, 1.30–2.30pm
Byron Theatre
The 2026 Byron Writers Festival runs from 14–16 August 2026 across multiple venues in downtown Byron Bay. Tickets and the full program now available. See you there.
Featured photo: Sally Schofield and Emma Keenan at the 2022 Byron Writers Festival Photo Kate Holmes