Sparking awe and wonder, the Blue Mountains Writers’ Festival immerses readers and writers in an intimate festival of ideas and creativity.

Inspiring readers and writers alike, the Blue Mountains Writers’ Festival showcases Australia’s sharpest minds and most expansive thinkers, offering challenging, playful and exhilarating opportunities for connection.

Our 2025 theme – a path to wonder – invites audiences to engage with literature with an open mind and sense of possibility. To wonder is to approach the world with curiosity, to question without agenda, to allow for beauty, space and reflection, or to explore new ways of thinking and being in the world.

The main program offers an astounding array of talent in six venues across Katoomba, including The Carrington Hotel, the Katoomba Community Centre, Katoomba Library and the Blue Mountains Cultural Centre. New to this year’s Festival is also a satellite program held in the beautiful Megalong Valley, as well as a program for high school students.

But what really sets our Festival apart are our special events. The Festival’s events at Scenic World will return, offering audiences the chance to share a ride on the Skyway or Cableway with some of their favourite writers. And, for the first time in 2025, the Festival offers an exclusive Opening Gala, with keynotes from four Festival headliners.

Blue Mountains Writers’ Festival is presented by Varuna, the National Writers’ House.