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Join us for an inspiring evening dedicated to celebrating the literary talent within our community! Hosted by Shellharbour Libraries, this event promises an enriching experience for book lovers and supporters of local South Coast talent alike. We will be hosting Hayley Scrivenor (Dirt Town, #1 Australian bestseller), Meredith Jaffe (The Dressmakers of Yarrandarrah Prison, 2022 Better Reading Top 100), Kell Woods (After the Forest, Sunday Times Bestseller) Emma Darragh (Debut Novelist) for this special event coinciding with our Sydney Writer’s Festival programming.
Engage with the authors themselves as they share the stories behind their books, their creative processes, and the journey to publication. Browse through the book displays, chat with the authors, and perhaps even purchase a signed copy of your next favourite read to support local writers!
About the Authors
Hayley Scrivenor is the author of Dirt Town, which was published internationally in 2022 (published as Dirt Creek in the U.S., where it was a USA TODAY bestseller) and quickly became a #1 Australian bestseller. The novel has been shortlisted for multiple national and international awards and translated into several languages. In 2023, Dirt Town won the ILP John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger, the Lambda Literary Award for LGBTQ+ Mystery and the ABIA for General Fiction Book of the Year. Her second novel, Girl Falling, will be released in the second half of 2024. Hayley has a PhD in Creative Writing from the University of Wollongong and lives on Dharawal country, on the east coast of Australia.
Meredith Jaffé is the author of four novels for adults — The Tricky Art of Forgiveness, The Dressmakers of Yarrandarrah Prison,The Making of Christina and The Fence. Her bestselling novel, The Dressmakers of Yarrandarrah Prison, was voted in the 2023 and the 2022 Better Reading Top 100 and the 2021 Booktopia Favourite Australian Book Award Top 50. Jaffé is the former Festival Director of StoryFest and regularly runs workshops and facilitates at author events. Previously, she wrote the weekly literary column for the online women’s magazine The Hoopla. Her writing has also appeared in the Guardian Australia, The Huffington Post, and Mamamia.
Kell Woods is an Australian historical fantasy author. Kell studied English literature, creative writing and librarianship, so she could always be surrounded by stories. She has worked in libraries for the past twelve years, all the while writing about made-up (and not so made-up) places, people and things you might remember from the fairy tales you read as a child. Her debut novel After the Forest was published in October 2023 in Australia, the UK & US with a second, untitled novel coming in late 2024.
Dr Emma Darragh lives and works in Wollongong, on Dharawal Country. Her debut novel Thanks for Having Me was published by Allen & Unwin in February 2024. She holds a PhD in Creative Writing from the University of Wollongong. Her writing has appeared in numerous Australian publications, including Cordite, Westerly, Meniscus, TEXT, The Suburban Review, Swim Meet Lit Mag, and The Big Issue Fiction Edition. Her PhD, ‘The Short Story Cycle in the Twenty-First Century’, was awarded with Examiners’ Commendation for Outstanding Thesis.
What should I know?
Free Event. Bookings are essential to secure your seat.
This event will go for 2 hours. All authors will be available for signings after the event. Books will be available for purchase on the night.
Tea & Coffee will be provided.
Who should attend?
Suitable for ages 16+
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