The Cairns Writers Festival Inc. Committee and patrons respectfully acknowledge The First Nations People as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of this ancient land.

We recognise the power of their story-telling from traditional lore and customs to penning contemporary narratives, art, dance and music. We are committed to working in partnership with First Nations People to tell their stories in their own ways.

The Cairns Tropical Writers Festival was established in 2008 and is a biennial event. It brings together our regional community of writers and readers with Australian and internationally revered authors and celebrities, who inspire us and feed our literary minds.

For national and international visitors, it is a cultural experience that allows them to touch the inspirational heart of the region in an environment of immense natural beauty where two World Heritage areas meet – the Great Barrier Reef and the Wet Tropics Rainforest.

With such a rich, tropical backdrop, it’s no surprise that the Festival continues to gain national and international appeal, allowing us to continue to showcase the distinctive voices of our tropical region.

2018 demonstrated unprecedented growth and marked our tenth year since the Festival was established.  Though Covid – 19 forced the postponement of the August 2020 festival, we will be back and even  better 13 – 15 August 2021.

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If you’re interested in speaking at the 13 – 15 August 2021 Cairns Tropical Writers Festival, we would love to hear from you. Please submit your biography, proposed topic and any other relevant information here.