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Get ready for the inaugural CWF Kids and YA Day and join us for an action-packed line-up of interactive sessions and workshops with writing and drawing superstars and local heroes. From picture book magic to primary-aged series and teen fiction, this day celebrates reading for families and kids of all ages!
Runt, the Outback Hero
Peninsula Room - 9.30am
Leap into an outback mystery with acclaimed author Craig Silvey as he shares the delightful and much anticipated sequel to family favourite, Runt. We again travel alongside Annie and her loyal companion in this charming, funny, and feel-good adventure for readers of all ages, Runt and the Diabolical Dognapping. Above all this session will be a celebration of all our furry and not-so-furry pets and companions. Craig will be in conversation with Canberra’s bestselling author, local vet and lover of animals, Karen Viggers. Bring a photo or drawing of the special pets in your life if you want to share it.
Andy Griffiths, Bill Hope & The Legendary Peanut Butter Beast!
Peninsula Room - 11am
Grab your homemade helmets as beloved children’s author Andy Griffiths and illustrator Bill Hope take us on their most dangerous escapade yet. With YOU as the main character, hilarious adventures and live drawing, this will be a highly interactive session not to be missed. Dive headfirst into boundless imagination with You & Me and the Peanut Butter Beast. Come and be creative and funny together! Stick around after to meet Andy and Bill for book signings.
Recommended ages 6-12.
Let's Have A Draw Off!
Visions Theatre - 9.30am
See three incredible illustrators in an interactive drawing showdown! Featuring a whirlwind of live, and potentially zany, doodles from Bill Hope (You & Me and the Peanut Butter Beast), Eleri Harris (A Loo of One’s Own) and David Conley (That Book About Life Before Dinosaurs). Guaranteed to ignite imaginations with audience suggestions part of the fun, and a reminder that art is for all.
Recommended ages 6+.
Danger Countdown: Race the Clock with Jack Heath
Peninsula Room - 1pm
Get ready for thrills with famed local storyteller Jack Heath as he cracks open the explosive world of his action-packed stories! Designed to hook even the most reluctant readers, Jack’s Minutes of Danger series, and other heart-thumping books for children and teens feature brave kids in a race against time. This is 60 action-packed minutes of stories and suspense to fire up your imagination and leave you buzzing with ideas. Book signing to follow.
Recommended ages 9+
YOUNG ADULT EVENTS
Reimagining Worlds,
Reclaiming Power
Visions Theatre - 1.30pm
From parallel portals, supernatural powers, and gothic magic – this session has them all! Lisa Fuller (Washpool), Jasmin McGaughey (Moonlight and Dust), and Sandy Bigna (Little Bones) know how to blend mind-bending fantasy to reveal truths about our real world. Their characters navigate messy, transitional spaces, using magic to explore grief, discrimination, friendship, and what it means to belong somewhere. Come hear how these authors create fictional worlds that feel authentic, represent cultures respectfully, and give us all the power to tell our own stories.
Hearts, Humour & Growing Up: Does True Love Exist?
Visions Theatre - 3pm
Love is most definitely not just butterflies and first kisses. Join Sasha Vey (The Set-Up Girl) and Gabrielle Tozer (The Unexpected Mess of It All) as they dive into how YA coming-of-age rom coms explore the complicated, often chaotic experience of growing up. From awkward crushes and friendships during high school, to navigating funny and fraught relationship dynamics, these authors share their behind-the-scenes takes on the genre. Come ready to swoon, giggle and maybe even recognise yourself in their characters, who are just trying to figure it out, one disaster at a time.
WORKSHOPS FOR KIDS
Design a Garden Workshop
Tim & Gina Fairfax Discovery Centre - 9.15am
Children around Australia have started a revolution! From the coast of WA to Canberra they’ve been discovering nature in their schools and neighbourhoods, planting to attract bees, birds and butterflies, and building insect hotels. Join Dr Judy Friedlander (The Bee Squad) to learn how to design a garden that will attract birds, butterflies and other pollinators to your backyard or balcony. This will be a fun, interactive and colourful activity to help you make a difference in your neighbourhood with plantings, habitats and more. Get started on creating a comfortable home for the tiny animals around you!
For ages 10+
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Talented Tales:
Trim the Cat
Tim & Gina Fairfax Discovery Centre - 11am
Sail the seas with Trim the cat and create your own book! Author Ursula Dubosarsky takes you on a journey with Trim, the star of a new picture book published by the National Museum of Australia. After hearing of Trim’s adventures, join Ursula for a workshop and create your own book featuring Trim. Bring your imagination!
Recommended for ages 4 to 8 years
Dare to Draw and Cartoon Around
Tim & Gina Fairfax Discovery Centre - 1pm
This is a workshop for kids and teens that love drawing in all its forms. Get tips from cartoonist and illustrators Eleri Harris (A Loo of One’s Own) and David Conley (That Book About Life Before Dinosaurs) on how they approach their pencils, pens and the page. How do they free themselves up to experiment and dare to get it wrong before they get something down they like?
For ages 10+
Express yourself! Poems,
Songs and Sounds
Tim & Gina Fairfax Discovery Centre - 3pm
This is a workshop for budding young poets and those who want to use their voices in different forms to say something about what they see around them!
Ever experienced the unbearable itch of chicken pox? Annoyed at having to use your parent’s Spotify account? Smashed a window with a cricket ball? Enjoyed the glorious sweetness of fairy floss? Worn your afro high and proud? Felt anxiety at reading a text message? Or do you want to say something else entirely? Get tips for sharing your experience of the world in your own special way.
For ages 9-12.
Storytime in the Tim & Gina Fairfax Discovery Centre
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Bring the little ones as some of Canberra’s wonderful children picture book authors read from their work throughout the day. With books about cats, wombats, dung beetles, swift parrots and a whole host of other animals – this session will be a chance to celebrate Aussie animals, giggle and play.
For 2-6 year olds
Readings by:
- 9.30am Ursula Dubosarsky
- 11.00am Sophie Gillies
- 12.30pm Stephanie Owen Reeder
- 2.15pm Rhiân Williams
