When   Tuesday,
22 October - 6:30 pm - 9 pm
Where   Osmond Terrace Function Centre, 97 The Parade, Norwood SA

Join us at the IAF's October Literary Dinner, featuring guest speaker Peter Monteath, discussing An Indigenous South: German writers on colonial South Australia.

From its earliest years, South Australia was the most German of the Australian colonies.

As they contributed to the founding and consolidation of a British colony, Germans observed the processes of dispossession and subjugation that changed the lives of First Nations peoples around them forever. More than that, they participated in those profound and tragic changes. Importantly, German settlers and visitors left behind records of the events they witnessed.

This volume collects those precious records and makes them available – most for the first time in English - to a modern Australian readership. It charts the course of German-Australian encounters from first contacts, through the ruptures and violence of a relentlessly expanding European presence and into the twentieth century. As it documents the astounding cultural wealth and complexity of Indigenous peoples under siege, it also lays bare the grim logic of the forces driving their world towards destruction.

Tickets are $40 for IAF members, and $45 for non-members. Purchase your tickets here.

When   Friday,
25 October - 4.30 pm – 5.30 pm
Where   Indus Restaurant, Jalan Raya Sanggingan, Ubud 80571

Revisiting historical narratives to reframe women's lives presents numerous challenges for writers. Historically, women's stories have often been marginalised or distorted by biased record keepers. Uncovering and reviving these overlooked tales requires careful navigation through deep layers of prejudice and misrepresentation. In this panel, three authors share their approaches to rewriting women's history through fiction and non-fiction, shedding light on the complexities and rewards of bringing these untold stories to life.

Our speakers for this panel are Edwina Preston, Alan Murrin, Dido Michielsen, and Ratih Kumala. Moderated by Rosemarie Milsom, founding director of the Newcastle Writers Festival.

Festival tickets start at AU$180. More information here.

When   Saturday,
26 October - 3.15 pm – 4.15 pm CIT
Where   Indus Restaurant, Jalan Raya Sanggingan, Ubud 80571

Publishing a physical book holds unique value, sparking conversations and creating lasting impressions and obsessions. Incredibly special, they offer a tactile experience that is said to enhance comprehension up to eight times more effectively than e-readers and foster deeper connections and improved understanding of the content. What makes writing a book more compelling than creating music or exploring other forms of artistic expression? In this panel, we celebrate the timeless art of book publishing and the importance of keeping the printed paperback books alive in the ever-evolving digital age.

Panelists are Palani Mohan, Kurnia Yaumil Fajar, and Edwina Preston. Moderated by publisher, writer and researcher Megan Patty.

Festival tickets start at AU$180. More information here.

When   Sunday,
27 October - 12.45 pm – 1.45 pm CIT
Where   Indus Restaurant, Jalan Raya Sanggingan, Ubud 80571

Discover fascinating insights from our panelists on the impact of honesty and compassion in shaping our world. How can our communities support us, how can food be a medium for advocacy and cultural preservation, and what are the sometimes startling truths of motherhood? These speakers offer a harmonious blend of knowledge and empathy to foster a better society and offer compelling discourse on how truth and kindness can drive meaningful change in all facets of life.

Our panelists are writer and food activist Dicky Senda, midwife and Founder of Bumi Sehat Foundation Robin Lim, and author Claire Kilroy. Moderated by Edwina Preston.

Festival tickets start at AU$180. More information here.

When   Thursday,
03 October - 6.30 pm – 8.30 pm AEST
Where   Better Read Than Dead, 265 King Street, Newtown, NSW

Join Heather Taylor-Johnson and Ashley Kalagian Blunt for a very special in-conversation event, celebrating Heather's genre-defying Little Bit.

Tickets start at $5, and can be purchased here.

When   Saturday,
05 October - 9 am – 5 pm
Where   JamFactory at Seppeltsfield, 730 Seppeltsfield Road, Seppeltsfield

JamFactory’s ICON series celebrates the achievements of South Australia’s most influential visual artists working in craft-based media. Julie Blyfield is a jeweller and metalsmith whose ever-evolving practice is inspired by her research into botanical specimens, historical silver collections and the rich diversity of the Australian landscape. Predominantly working in silver and copper, Blyfield interprets botanical motifs using the traditional metalsmithing techniques of chasing and repoussé to create intricately patterned jewellery and objects.

JamFactory ICON Julie Blyfield: Chasing a Passion is inspired by Blyfield’s experiences of the Great Barrier Reef and Daintree Rainforest in far-north Queensland. In developing work for this exhibition, Blyfield has drawn on the marine collections of the South Australian Museum as well as resources she collected during her visit. Serving as a poetic metaphor for life and loss in a time of increasing environmental peril due to climate change, Blyfield’s masterful renderings immortalise the natural beauty of vulnerable species of delicate corals and threatened ancient forests.

This exhibition runs from Saturday 5 October 2024 to Sunday 2 March 2025. More information here. Julie Blyfield: Chasing a Passion is on tour with JamFactory until 2027. Find upcoming exhibition dates here.