Among them are Peter Beinart, professor of journalism and political science at the City University of New York, whose new book is Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza.
Also attending is Palestinian lawyer, human rights activist and writer Raja Shehadeh (Forgotten, 2024). Shehadeh is a co-founder of Al-Haq, the Palestinian human rights organisation that has been pursuing a British arms ban to Israel.
Australian-Israeli writer Ittay Flescher, who lives in Jerusalem, will talk about his new book, The Holy and the Broken, which opens with the tragic events of October 7 and includes his personal reflections on pathways to peace.
For the first time, the Sydney Writers’ Festival will collaborate with Sydney’s Vivid winter lights festival, co-hosting three events including one with neuroscientist Professor Matthew Walker, who will discuss the science of sleep and how it can improve learning, mood, energy and longevity.
The first openly trans woman nominated for the Women’s Prize for Fiction, Torrey Peters, brings her latest novel, Stag Dance, to the festival and Vivid.
The festival’s international guest list also includes Booker Prize winner Samantha Harvey, Irish novelist Colm Toibin, crime writer Ian Rankin, One Day author and screenwriter David Nicholls and Irish author Marian Keyes.
Jeanette Winterson will celebrate the 40th anniversary of her landmark novel, based on her childhood, Oranges are Not the Only Fruit.
Loading
Also appearing will be local author favourites Annabel Crabb, Helen Garner, Stan Grant, David Marr, Julia Baird, Markus Zusak and Liane Moriarty.
Five of the 2202 author and panellist sessions will be focused on the conflict in Gaza, Mossop said, and there are sessions on the personal experience of antisemitism led by former Age editor Michael Gawenda.
“Artistic freedom and independence are to be guarded and cherished,” Shand wrote in her resignation statement. “But freedom of expression cannot and should not be used as a justification to accept language and conversations that compromise the festival as a safe and inclusive space for all audiences.
“Every session that is planned needs to reflect the values of the festival and represent the highest standard of consideration and curation.”
Meanwhile, the festival’s veteran media manager, Benython Oldfield, has announced the end of his 11-year association with the festival to concentrate on his literary agency business.
The Booklist is a weekly newsletter for book lovers by Jason Steger. Get it delivered every Friday.
