Schools Program
8 October 2026 at Brisbane Powerhouse
The 2026 Schools Program is now available via the schools booking form. Tickets will be available to the general public from 5 August.
The Brisbane Writers Festival schools program is a celebration of reading, writing and storytelling—and an adventure from beginning to end! We invite students to grow and experiment with their creativity and immerse themselves in the magic of story with some of Australia’s leading writers for children and young adults.
Featured authors this year include Jacqueline Harvey, Morris Gleitzman, Dr Matt Agnew, Gary Lonesborough, Kate Foster, Sally Rippin, Carla Salmon, Bori Cser, and Peter Carnavas.
See below for a list of events, the timetable, how to book, pricing (including bundle deals), and more general information. We recommend school groups use the booking form to secure a place for your students.
The BWF schools program is supported by The University of Queensland.
Artwork by Rachel Tribout.
Don’t forget to check out this year’s Microfiction Competition for Queensland-based school students, with $1,500 in prize money to be won! Scroll down for more information.
#Program Timetable

#How to book
We recommend school groups use the booking form to secure a place for your students. You can book an individual session, or a three-session bundle deal for a full day of programming, via the form. Tickets will not be available to the general public until 5 August; only the booking form for school groups is available now.
Booking Form: available from 13 July
General Public On-Sale: 5 August
Brisbane Powerhouse Box Office Contact:
boxoffice@brisbanepowerhouse.org
07 3358 8600
Pricing
Student individual tickets: $16 per person (+ booking fee)
Student bundle deal for three sessions: $40 per person (+ booking fee)
Adult tickets: $20 per person (+ booking fee)
School groups are eligible for one complimentary adult ticket for a teacher or supervisor for every 15 student tickets.
On the day, please have your tickets ready to present at the door, either printed or on a device.
#Primary
Primary / Schools Program
Jacqueline Harvey: The Stories Behind the Stories
Primary / Schools Program
Sally Rippin: Lottie, Pog and the Runaway Ghost
Primary / Schools Program
Peter Carnavas: Small Goat, Big Adventure
Primary / Schools Program
Dr Matt Agnew: AI, Algorithms, and Arguing
#Lower Secondary
Lower Secondary / Schools Program
Dr Matt Agnew: AI, Algorithms, and Arguing
Lower Secondary / Schools Program
Gary Lonesborough: A boy from Bega
Lower Secondary / Schools Program
Kate Foster: Your Voice. Your Choice.
Lower Secondary / Schools Program
Jacqueline Harvey: Princes, Girls and Ghosts – Weaving History and Mystery to Create Compelling Tales
#Upper Secondary
Upper Secondary / Schools Program
Morris Gleitzman: What I Do, How I Do It, and Why I'm Not In Jail
Upper Secondary / Schools Program
Carla Salmon: Stories You Can't Escape
Upper Secondary / Schools Program
Bori Cser: A Sceptic's Guide to Worldbuilding
Upper Secondary / Schools Program
Gary Lonesborough: A boy from Bega
#Getting to the Festival
For school groups who are planning to organise a coach bus or similar, please advise the driver to drop you off inside the New Farm Park Ring Road, at the loading zone. See the documents below for more information about visiting Brisbane Powerhouse for the festival.
#Microfiction Competition
BWF and UQ present the annual schools’ microfiction competition, open to Queensland-based students.
The 2026 prompt is the 2026 YA & Schools program artwork by *Rachel Tribout*.
Entrants are invited to respond to the prompt in no more than 120 words, using any written format (verse/prose). $1,500 in prizes to be won!
The competition will be open from 5 August. Click the button below to find out more.
#2026 YA & Schools Program Artwork by Rachel Tribout
Rachel Tribout is a French-born illustrator and graphic designer currently based in Brisbane, Queensland. She spent over a decade immersed in the arts scene of Hobart, Tasmania, before relocating her studio to Brisbane. Her work bridges commercial branding, large-scale signage, illustrations for cultural projects, community conservation campaigns and children’s books.
She has illustrated numerous children’s titles, including Cheer Up, Blobfish! (written by Julie Murphy, Affirm Press), Hold On! Saving the Spotted Handfish (written by Gina M. Newton, CSIRO Publishing), One Remarkable Reef (written by Kellie Byrnes, State Library of QLD), Lawless Ladies (written by Angela Buckingham, Five Miles), and Poo, Spew and Other Gross Things Animals Do! (written by Nicole Gill and Romane Cristescu, CSIRO Publishing). She also creates and self-publishes her own series, The Adventures of Captain Blueberry, and has toured internationally as a live-drawing performance artist with Terrapin Puppet Theatre. Across her practice she works closely with businesses, environmental organisations, and publishers, illustrating water literacy campaigns and wildlife protection projects.


#FAQs
Not sure what to expect? Check out these FAQs or email info@bwf.org.au with an enquiry.












