First writers announced for 2025

Award-winning writer Markus Zusak, much-loved cookbook author and Masterchef winner Julie Goodwin, and satirist John Safran are among 155 writers participating in the 2025 Newcastle Writers Festival, which will be held from April 4 to 6.

Other guest writers include Anita Heiss, who will be returning to the festival for the second time after featuring in the inaugural program in 2013. Anita will speak about her powerful new novel Dirrayawadha: Rise Up, which explores resistance and resilience during the frontier wars.

Also returning to the festival due to popular demand is Sydney journalist and best-selling author Hannah Ferguson whose 2024 event sold out. She will speak about her new book Taboo.

Award-winning investigative journalist Peter Greste will be appearing at the festival for the first time and will speak about his book The Correspondent, which exposes the fight for truth in today’s conflicts, with new insights on Ukraine and Gaza.

Julie Goodwin will be appearing in events in Newcastle and Cessnock. She will speak about her best-selling memoir Your Time Starts Now.

Melbourne comedian and journalist John Safran will make his festival debut with his recent book, Squat, a freewheeling account of the week he spent squatting in Kanye West’s abandoned Californian mansion.

Festival director Rosemarie Milsom described the 2025 program teaser as an early Christmas gift for the event’s loyal audience. “More than 150 writers are in the program so this is just a sample, but it shows the breadth of talent the festival attracts,” she said.

There will be 95 ticketed and free events in the 2025 program, which will be launched on February 14. Bookings will open at 9am the same day.