YA Program
Sessions especially for fans of young adult fiction.
Explore the program below — and scroll further down to see more events these authors are featured in! — or head straight to Ticketek to purchase tickets by clicking the button below.
Home-grown Mysteries
5:30pm, Thursday 9 October, Fairfax Studio
Isobelle Carmody, Jasmin McGaughey and Carla Salmon
Chair: Jane Sullivan
These suspenseful novels are imbued with everyday magic, combining real-world themes with fantastical intrigue. From the domed dystopia of a near-future Canberra to the glittering beaches of California and Cairns, these books issue a call to adventure you won’t be able to resist.
What Lurks in the Dark
2:30pm, Friday 10 October, Underground Theatre
Lili Wilkinson, Garth Nix, Wen-yi Lee, Vanessa Len
Chair: Joanne Anderton
Demons, ghosts, necromancers and castles ... it’s giving dark academia in this spooky, spectral panel session. From modern masters to beguiling new voices, these authors know how to cast a spell.
Love in Unexpected Places
7:30pm, Friday 10 October, Powerhouse Theatre
Lynette Noni and Amie Kaufman
Chair: Alex Adsett
Lost in the wilderness after a reality show goes wrong or secretly competing as a knight in the Tournament of Dragonslayers ... whatever their circumstances, the characters in these swoon-worthy novels find love in the most unlikely of places.
Steph Tisdell: The Skin I'm In
7pm, Sunday 12 October, Fairfax Studio
Steph Tisdell in conversation with Rhianna Patrick
Actress, screenwriter and proud Ydinji woman Steph Tisdell’s star is so on the rise, this might be your last chance to see her in this galaxy. She’s already a TV mainstay and one of the most recognisable voices in Australian comedy – and with The Skin I’m In, Tisdell announces herself as an important new voice in literature, rendering a young woman’s coming of age into ‘vibrant, fearless, and unpretentious YA fiction’ (Nine Newspaper).
#More Events
Some young adult authors can be found in other parts of the program, including both regular and schools (please note however that these events are intended for a slightly different audience — please check age appropriateness before booking). Explore below or click the button to head straight to Ticketek and book now.
Romantasy Allstars
Regular Program
7:30pm, 9 Oct, Powerhouse Theatre
Helen Scheuerer, Sarah A. Parker, Jaymin Eve and Stacey McEwan
Contributing Chair: Vanessa Len
This star-studded panel brings together some of the most compelling writers in the romantasy game for a deep dive into the tropes, twists and tricks of this steamy subgenre.
Callie Hart: Quicksilver
Regular Program
7:30pm, 11 Oct, Powerhouse Theatre
In conversation with Lynette Noni
Get your heart pounding with Quicksilver, an enemies-to-lovers romantasy replete with alchemy, fae, and tension you could cut with a knife. Callie Hart brings us on a magical journey into the mountains of Yvelia, a place you won’t want to leave.
Comedy Salon:
So Bad It's Good
Regular Program
5:30pm, 10 Oct, Pleasuredome
Steph Tisdell, Garth Nix, David McWilliams, Benjamin Stevenson, Alice Fraser, Leon Filewood, Patrick Lenton
Host: Kris Kneen
Writing so bad it’s good? So over the top it’s funny? Harder than it may sound...
Kingdoms & Quests
Regular Program
10am, 11 Oct, Pleasuredome
Garth Nix and Fiona McIntosh
Chair: Kathleen Jennings
Join us for an enchanting deep dive into two modern classics of Australian fantasy writing. Here, these two masters of the genre discuss the art of worldbuilding and how writing that ventures far can hit so close to home.
Steph Tisdell:
The Skin I'm In
Schools Program
11:30am, 9 Oct, Pleasuredome
Steph Tisdell is a mainstay of Australian comedy and TV — join her in a talk for students about her debut YA novel, The Skin I'm In.
Isobelle Carmody:
Comes the Night
Schools Program
10am, 9 Oct, Pleasuredome
11:30am, 10 Oct, Underground Theatre
Join Isobelle Carmody as she talks about all things writing and how she came to write Comes the Night.
Amie Kaufman:
Everyday Magic
Schools Program
1pm, 9 Oct, Powerhouse Theatre
1pm, 10 Oct, Underground Theatre
Journey inside a writer’s mind with bestselling author Amie Kaufman and leave ready to turn your experiences into storytelling magic.
Lili Wilkinson:
The Power of Fantasy
Schools Program
10am, 10 Oct, Underground Theatre
Go behind the scenes of Lili Wilkinson's latest dark academia fantasy, Unhallowed Halls, and learn how to unlock the storyteller within.
Dark Imaginings
Regular Program
8:30pm, 9 Oct, Fairfax Studio
Helen Marshall, Kathleen Jennings, A. Rushby and Wen-yi Lee
Chair: Gary Budden
In these stunning novels, fable and archetype are reworked in dazzling ways, allowing readers to consider afresh how fantasy, myth and magic can allow us to better understand reality.
Big Concepts for Little People
Regular Program
2:30pm, 9 Oct, Pleasuredome
Jasmin McGaughey, Sophie Beer and Lara Cain Gray
Chair: Megan Daley
These exceptional authors discuss the art of crafting narratives for children and how literature can expose them to big ideas and create a blueprint for the kind of people they’ll grow up to be.
Tributes & Collections
Regular Program
5:30pm, 10 Oct, Fairfax Studio
Angela Savage, Jasmin McGaughey, Amy McGuire and Stephanie Dogfoot
Contributing Chair: Terri-ann White
Explore the art of great editing with these fabulous anthologies, which bring together some of the very best in contemporary Australian writing.
Garth Nix:
Making Up Stories From Your Own Life
Schools Program
11:30am, 10 Oct, Powerhouse Theatre
Garth Nix talks about how to take ordinary characters, settings and events from your own life and turn them into extraordinary stories.
#View the Full Program
Click the button below to check out the rest of the 2025 Brisbane Writers Festival program, or click here to browse the Program Booklet.