The 2024 Byron Bay Writers Festival, which took place from 9 to 11 August, was a great success, according to organisers.
The festival recorded an 18% increase in box office revenue compared to the previous year. The 2024 festival’s motto is “From the Ground Up” and is expected to attract nearly 10,000 visitors.
This year’s event included 130 sessions on the festival site, five workshops, eight main and satellite events, and a two-day school program for primary and secondary school students.
The 10 best-selling books (in order) at the festival bookstore The Book Room Collective were:
- The alternatives (Caoilinn Hughes, Oneworld)
- Question 7 (Richard Flanagan, Penguin)
- Balcony over Jerusalem (John Lyon, HarperCollins)
- The Forever War: America’s Never-Ending Conflict with Itself (Nick Bryant, Vikings)
- Therapy (Bob Brown, Bob Brown Foundation)
- Devotional image Steinhof(Charlotte Wood, A&U)
- The Forest Wars: The ugly truth about what is happening in our high forests (David Lindenmayer, A&U)
- Bright Shining: How Grace Changes Everything (Julia Baird, Fourth Estate)
- At first glance (Suzie Miller, Picador)
- Sassafras (Rebecca Huntley, Hachette)
- Lola in the mirror (Trent Dalton, Fourth Estate) and The way to the country (Chigozie Obioma, Hutchinson Heinemann).
“Bob Brown was a star of the festival, with a sold-out evening event with Jan Fran and a packed audience at the panel discussion ‘For the Earth’ with Richard Flanagan, David Lindenmayer, Ali Cobby Eckermann and Sue Higginson, which received a standing ovation, as did John Lyons for his discussion on Balcony over Jerusalem,’ was the motto at the festival, with Kon Karapanagiotidis’ Greek cookbook also being highlighted A place at my table: Philoxenia (Hardie Grant), which sold well and attracted an enthusiastic audience, as did Bundjalung’s chef and restaurant owner Mindy Woods’ Karkalla at home‘ (Murdoch Books), among other well-known authors.
Jessica Alice, artistic director of the New Byron Writers Festival, said she was “thrilled” about her first festival. “It was a joy to bring some of the best writers in the world to the festival and to see so many enthusiastic readers in packed marquees enjoying stimulating conversation and a great atmosphere,” Alice said.
Category: Local News
