March 22nd, 2026GATES OPEN FOR DAY TWO OF CLUNES BOOKTOWN FESTIVAL’S 20TH ANNIVERSARY EVENT
Day two of Clunes Booktown Festival kicks off on Sunday 22 March, with a feast of activities for readers, storytellers and music lovers.
The festival’s massive 20th anniversary party kicked off with perfect weather conditions and about 8,500 visitors on Saturday. Highlights included lifelong environmental activist Bob Brown (Defiance), Hear Me Roar – Fearless Female Characters in Crime Fiction with Vikki Petraitis, Fiona Hardy and Adrian Hyland, and Real Pigeons creators Andrew McDonald and Ben Wood leading a “Birds of Booktown” children’s parade through the Kids Village.
In the evening, Castlemaine’s Kim Collins took out the annual Bob McKinnon prize, named after the late poet, sculptor, writer and Clunes stalwart, in the Poetry Slam. Gomeroi astrophysicist Krystal De Napoli closed the night with an enthralling Night Sky Dreaming event.
There’s another amazing day ahead on Sunday with events including:
●Fighting the Tide: historical fiction authors Toni Jordan (Tenderfoot, Addition), Marion Taffe (By Her Hand) and Jock Serong (Cherrywood, The Settlement) discuss characters navigating a hostile world.
●How to Live and Die Well with screenwriter and playwright Marieke Hardy (From The Heart: Women of Letters, You’ll be Sorry When I’m Dead), Hannah Gould (How to Die in the 21st Century) and Antonia Pont (Plain Life).
●First Time Lucky will explore the new wave of romance writing with Emma Mugglestone (In The Long Run), Holly Brunnbauer (What Did I Miss?), Darcy Green (After The Siren) and Cynthia Timoti (How to Find a Guy In Five Weddings).
●Writer and academic Dennis Altman, human rights lawyer Paula Gerber and biographer Jill Blee will discuss the struggle for equal rights in Defiantly Queer.
●It’s Too Damn Hot! – Climate change in focus with marine environmentalist and author of eight novels Paul E Hardisty, filmmaker Alex Kelly and Andrew Reeves.
●Roving performances by The Hopefuls, The Funky Lizards and Ballarat Centre of Music and the Arts.
In the kids village, free events include storytime with Miles Franklin winner Sofie Laguna and family games with Ballarat writer Jack Henseleit (Family Camping Games). Festival entry is $15 (free for locals and children under 16). Entry includes live music and Kids Village activities including the Hay Bale Maze. For the full program and tickets visit clunesbooktown.org.au
All images supplied by Sharon Hughes of Ash + Elm Studios
@ashandelmstudios
www.ashandelmstudios.com.au
