Logan Bookfest will bring readers, writers and book lovers together at the Beenleigh Events Centre on Saturday 24 October. The free event runs from 9am to 4pm and is aimed at readers of all ages, aspiring writers and families. Organiser Kathy Shanks, owner of Turtle Publishing, said the festival gives local authors a chance to meet their audience. Local authors taking part include Laura Morris, Andrew Henderson, Cam Shaw and 17-year-old Siobhan Wilson, who wrote Our Pixie Friends.
Lifeline's Big Book Fair is back at the Illawarra Sports & Community Precinct in Berkeley, with more than 80,000 pre-loved books on sale over four days from 22 to 25 October 2026. A Tough Guy Book Club member marks the event with reflections on his reading habits. He says books offer a cheap way to learn and travel without leaving home, and he defends writing in margins and abandoning books he dislikes. He also urges readers to approach self-help titles with scepticism and to read outside their interests.
The third instalment of a column looking at books adapted for the screen has been published. It highlights Margo's Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe, a laugh-out-loud novel that has inspired an upcoming screen adaptation.
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Tim Winton wrote Cloudstreet while living overseas, not expecting its success. Published in 1991 during a severe recession, it was issued as a paperback and quickly became a hit. Thirty-five years on, the novel has been adapted for radio, theatre, opera and television and has never gone out of print. It placed first in Radio National's Top 100 Australian Books, with three other Winton novels also on the list. Winton says the book draws on the family stories he heard as a child and on his grandmother's life.
Tim Winton's novel Cloudstreet has been voted Australia's favourite book in a poll run by ABC Radio National. Markus Zusak's The Book Thief placed second, and Trent Dalton's Boy Swallows Universe placed third. Set in postwar Perth, Cloudstreet follows two working-class families who share an old house over 20 years. The novel has won awards and topped earlier polls. Host Kate Evans said the list spans literary fiction, history, children's books and family stories.
Tim Winton's 1991 novel Cloudstreet has placed first in ABC Radio National's Top 100 Australian Books countdown. Winton had four books in the top 100, with Breath at 33, Dirt Music at 41 and Juice at 88. Speaking from the Perth studio, Winton said he was honoured and slightly bewildered by the result. He said he wrote the novel in his 20s and still hears from readers about it. The top five also included The Book Thief, Boy Swallows Universe, Burial Rites and A Fortunate Life.
The Queenscliffe Literary Festival begins its 12th year this weekend on the Bellarine Peninsula. The program runs from Friday 16 October to 25 October and includes panel discussions, author talks and literary activities. Festival manager Isabelle Tolhurst named an interactive session from Australian Children's Laureate Andy Griffiths and a concert from STELLA: A New Australian Musical as highlights. The festival is also staging its first Book Doof, a quiet reading session with an ambient DJ. Program director Elizabeth McCarthy said the event celebrates community and the power of stories.
Radio National will count down its Top 100 Australian books poll this weekend, with the winner announced on Sunday. Ahead of the countdown, authors and editors were asked to name their two best Australian books of all time, one fiction or poetry and one non-fiction. Their picks range widely, from Patrick White's The Tree of Man to Helen Garner's Joe Cinque's Consolation and Alexis Wright's Carpentaria. The list spans novels, memoirs, histories and poetry collections across many decades.
Four authors will speak at the inaugural Murrumburrah-Harden Writers' Festival on Saturday 28 November at the historic Barnes Store in Murrumburrah. Organised by the Rotary Club of Murrumburrah-Harden, the event features crime writer Chris Hammer, fantasy writer Juliet Lautenbach, journalist Gabrielle Chan and memoirist Macy Henderson. Each author will take part in a casual conversation of about an hour, followed by audience questions. Tickets cost $50, plus booking fees, and about a third had sold, with places limited to 60 people.
The Canberra Writers Festival runs from Thursday 15 to Sunday 18 October, with more than 100 events on the program. More than half the events have already sold out. Saturday sessions are set at Verity Lane Market and Smith's Alternative, with nearby places to eat and drink. Sunday sessions are spread across iconic venues in the Parliamentary Triangle, with cafes open across the day. Chef Josh Niland and author Amie Kaufman are among the guests. A Top 100 Australian Books session will also run during the weekend.
Anabelle's artwork will grace 65,000 free book bags distributed to Victorian Prep students in 2027. Her design, selected from over 300 submissions, captures the joy of starting school. Each bag contains five books exploring themes like healthy eating and family connections, with braille editions available. The Victorian government, which claims the best NAPLAN results and highest teacher pay, is providing the bags. Deputy Premier Gabrielle Williams highlighted the initiative's role in fostering a love of reading.
Climate and Capitalism editor Ian Angus has introduced eight left-wing books on the rise, ideas and goals of the new far right. He is presenting them together because his reading shelf has recently filled with new titles on the radical right, and he plans to return to his usual mix of subjects next month. The selection includes books by Naomi Klein and Astrid Taylor on an alliance of religious fundamentalists, Silicon Valley technologists and ethno-nationalists. Other titles examine Elon Musk, the global radical right, American hierarchies and the idea of a Cultural Marxism conspiracy.
A Central Coast News column this week looks at more books that have been adapted for the screen. It highlights H Is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald, a memoir about naturalist Helen Macdonald after her father's death.
An author discovered an AI-generated book on Amazon, credited to a writer who appears not to exist, that used a title closely resembling her own book. The fake book was poorly written, oversized and printed in Comic Sans. After the author raised the matter, Amazon said the listing broke its guidelines and removed it. Amazon did not say who was behind it. Other authors say similar AI-generated copies of their books are common, and the Australian Society of Authors has called for platforms to take more responsibility.
Michael Robotham's 20th novel, Tell Me Something True, is a rewritten version of a manuscript he wrote in the 1980s. The story, set in a small NSW town, was initially rejected by publishers. Robotham, now a bestselling author, has updated the novel to reflect contemporary sensibilities. The book explores themes of brotherhood, family, and small-town secrets, drawing from Robotham's own childhood experiences in Gundagai. He will discuss the novel at the State Library of NSW on October 10.
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A Crows Nest shop called Boat Books, on the corner of Clarke and Oxley Streets next to the Crows Nest Metro, sells only books about boats. Its stock covers building, sailing, repairing, kayaking and fishing, along with history and humour titles. The newsletter also reports that Australia lacks a national framework for recycling solar panels, so most are exported or sent to landfill. The NSW Government plans to consult on a mandatory recycling scheme, and federal MP Zali Steggall has called for extended producer responsibility for manufacturers.
Paperchain Bookstore is opening a second location in Braddon, Canberra, on 24 October. Owner Tayanah O’Donnell says the store will offer over 16,000 titles and host bookish events. The 100m² space will feature a dedicated children’s area and a carefully curated selection of books, including Australian stories, international fiction, and classics. O’Donnell hopes the store will become a community hub for book lovers.
Donna Houghton, a former midwife from Coffs Harbour, has published a children’s book titled 'Gilligan – the rescue bunny' after overcoming health challenges. The book, aimed at children aged four to seven, tells a story of transitioning from abandonment to unconditional love. Houghton wrote and illustrated the book herself, with guidance from a writing mentor and a publishing expert. The book is available on Amazon and other online bookshops.
Unbound Pages is a 12-hour event celebrating Australian indie authors, taking place in Belconnen on 6 February 2027. The event features over 70 authors, panel discussions, a marketplace with bookish merchandise, and an after-dark soirée with catering, drinks, and local music. Organiser Krystal Moon aims to connect readers with independent authors and foster a bookish community in Canberra. The event will be held at the UC Refectory on Kirinari Street in Bruce.
A British startup has launched a certification for books written by humans, aiming to reassure readers amid growing concerns about AI-generated content. Books by People received approval from the UK’s Intellectual Property Office to distribute a mark indicating human authorship. The certification process involves an authorship declaration, software checks, and manual examination of drafts and research materials. Five publishers have already signed up, with the first certified book expected by year's end. The initiative follows several scandals involving suspected AI use by authors, which have raised questions about trust in the publishing industry.
