SWF 2016 schools program announced

Thursday, 11 February 2016 Books+Publishing

The Sydney Writers’ Festival (SWF) has announced the authors and illustrators participating in its 2016 Primary and Secondary School Days programs, to be held from 16 to 20 May.

Writer and illustrator Jon Klassen (Canada) and author of the ‘Tom Gates’ series Liz Pichon (UK) join Australian authors Tohby Riddle and Judith Rossell for the five-day Primary School Days program. The first four days of the program, which are already sold out, will be staged at Parramatta, Walsh Bay and Penrith, with the fifth to be held at the Sydney Town Hall.

The three-day Secondary School Days program includes sessions with Michael Grant (US), best known for the ‘Gone’ series, Irish author John Boyne and local YA authors Vikki Wakefield and Claire Zorn. The program will run from 16 to 18 May at Walsh Bay, Parramatta and Chatswood.

The festival is also partnering with the New South Wales Board of Studies, Teaching and Educational Standards (BOSTES) to present a one-day ‘Best of the Fest’ program of events designed for students in years nine to 12. The new program, which runs on the 16 May, will feature authors Tom Keneally, Alice Pung and Richard Watson speaking on topics linked to the NSW school curriculum. Other presenters include journalists Stan Grant and David Uren, Nobel Prize-winning scientist Peter Doherty, filmmaker Eva Orner, swimmer Leisel Jones, musician Paul Kelly and Bell Shakespeare artistic director Peter Evans.

The 2016 Sydney Writers’ Festival will run from 16-22 May, with the full program launching on 31 March. For more information about the School Days programs, visit the SWF website here.

Category: Junior Local news