Mudgee Readers’ Festival (MRF) has announced the full lineup for its 2025 event, which will run from August 15–17. This year’s program features more than 25 writers across an eclectic mix of events. Festival sessions will take place at various venues on Wiradjuri Country, Mudgee, NSW.
Headline guests include Chris Hammer, who has sold over a million books worldwide since he last appeared at the festival in 2019. Other featured authors include ACT Literary Award winner and Miles Franklin Literary Award shortlistee Julie Janson, Sara M. Saleh, Matthew Spencer, Victoria Purman, Kelly Rimmer, David Holmgren, Ashley Kalagian Blunt, Karina May, Lulu Houdini, Kyra Geddes, Lauren Keegan, Beejay Silcox and former Australian Poetry Slam winner Rob Waters.
This year’s Saturday evening event, Together Out West, is a partnership between MRF and WestWords, following the roaring success of last year’s Queer Out West. Some of Western Sydney’s finest writers will share stories that are both ordinary and extraordinary — moments of love, reconnection with heritage, the human dimension of the war in Ukraine, the experiences of people living with disability and those who care for them, and tales of reclaiming life and rediscovering the soul’s song.
MRF General Manager Rhys Gard said: ‘I’ve worked closely with our volunteer committee to bring together a mix of events that our attendees have come to know and love over the last fifteen years. Literary festivals are safe spaces for writers and readers to connect — to share stories and ideas — and regional events like ours offer a uniquely intimate atmosphere. Just because we’re small in size doesn’t mean we’re afraid to take on big ideas.’
‘Authors and guests love that our events are peppered across Mudgee. Most are held at the Town Hall Theatre, the Library and The Book Nest, but it’s a real treat to head out to our beautiful vineyards for feature events. It’s a unique selling point for our festival — something our guests and writers really appreciate.’
‘We’re also thrilled to launch the festival with the new addition of a Poetry Slam, and this year we’re featuring two special experiences: book and wine matching, and guided bibliotherapy sessions — a chance for guests to explore the healing and transformative power of reading. We’ll then close the weekend with our much-loved Lazy Long Lunch.’
‘This year’s festival wouldn’t be possible without the generous support of our major sponsors: Create NSW, Mid-Western Regional Council, Acen Australia, The Book Nest Mudgee and Gooree Park.’
The full program and tickets are available via the MRF website or at The Book Nest, Mudgee. For more information, visit: mudgeereaders.com
