Bendigo Writers Festival 2025 returns with food-themed program featuring over 60 events from 15-17 August.
The City of Greater Bendigo unveils the program for the Bendigo Writers Festival 2025, celebrating the fusion of gastronomy and storytelling across one action-packed weekend. This year’s festival features over 60 events and more than 80 writers and speakers exploring food culture and literary arts.
Bendigo Writers Festival 2025 highlights include Benjamin Cooper, Executive Chef of Southeast Asian restaurant Chin Chin, hosting a restaurant takeover at Ms Batterhams, Mackenzie Quarters. Guests will experience Chin Chin’s signature dishes alongside an intimate discussion inspired by the restaurant’s latest cookbook Still Hungry.
Bendigo Writers Festival 2025
- Dates: 15-17 August 2025 (Friday-Sunday)
- Events: Over 60 sessions
- Speakers: More than 80 writers and speakers
- Theme: Gastronomy and storytelling fusion
- Pricing: Most sessions $16, many free events
- Special feature: Chin Chin restaurant takeover
Check out our gig guide, our festival guide, our live music venue guide and our nightclub guide. Follow us on Instagram here.
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The festival continues its partnership with La Trobe University, with acclaimed historian and Professor of Public Engagement Clare Wright returning to the curatorial team. New collaborations and programming streams enhance the weekend experience for festival attendees seeking diverse literary and culinary content.
Programming emphasises literacy, lifelong learning and cultural diversity through discussions designed to spark ideas, conversation and inspiration. The gastronomy theme allows exploration of food culture through literary perspectives, combining two fundamental human experiences in innovative ways.
The weekend format concentrates diverse voices and topics into an intensive celebration of storytelling across multiple venues throughout Greater Bendigo. Sessions cater to various interests, from intimate author conversations to large-scale presentations featuring prominent literary figures.
The festival maintains its commitment to accessibility and community engagement through affordable pricing structures. Most sessions remain priced at $16, with numerous free events ensuring broad community participation regardless of economic circumstances.
Select premium sessions offer enhanced experiences for dedicated literary enthusiasts, while the core program remains accessible to casual readers and curious minds from Bendigo, Victoria and beyond. The festival serves book lovers alongside those discovering literary culture for the first time.
For more information, head here.
