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2025 AACTA Festival
05 Feb – 09 Feb
HOTA - 135 Bundall Road, Kurrungul (Surfers Paradise), QLD

2025 AACTA Festival

Sunday, February 9- 2:00 PM

Queensland Authors' Studio - The Art of Storytelling

Featuring: Steve MinOn

Join a lineup of some of Queensland’s most celebrated authors for a captivating exploration into the art of storytelling.
This event offers a rare opportunity to hear directly from the writers behind stories that have captured the hearts of readers far and wide in a celebration of Queensland's rich literary landscape.

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Sunday, February 9- 3:00 PM

First Nations Authors in Focus

Featuring: Samuel Wagan Watson

Join celebrated First Nations authors in a profound discussion on preserving and sharing First Nations culture through narrative writing and poetry. This panel dives deep into the ways storytelling becomes a vessel for history, resilience, and cultural connection, exploring how each author honours their heritage through words.

From contemporary poetry to vivid narrative, these authors will discuss how storytelling can empower communities, protect language, and share truths about identity and belonging with the wider world. Attendees will hear insights into the creative process, the importance of authentic representation, and the challenges and joys of weaving cultural legacy into modern literature. This session is a celebration of voices rooted in Country, offering perspectives that honour the past and inspire future generations.

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Sunday, February 9- 4:30 PM

Queensland Crime Writers in Focus

Featuring: Matthew Condon

Step behind the caution tape for a thorough examination of crime and true crime with some of Queensland’s foremost writers in the genre.

Join well known crime authors as they break down how they expertly weave mystery, suspense, and intrigue into their work and share insights into their writing process from research to release. Discussion will delve into the distinct challenges and ethical considerations of writing within the crime genre, how real-life cases colour their stories or why they choose to cover a true crime case and how Queensland's unique history, culture, and landscape shapes their writing.

Whether you’re a fan of nail-biting crime thrillers or intriguing real-life mysteries, don’t miss this exploration into crime writing's unique power to thrill, inform, and reflect the human experience.

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