Sydney Writers' Festival: Difference between revisions

Sydney Writers' Festival
Sydney Writers' Festival
Genre	Literary festival
Begins	May
Frequency	Annual
Location(s)	Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Years active	27
Inaugurated	1997
Participants	300
Attendance	100,000
Website	www.swf.org.au

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The Sydney Writers' Festival (SWF) is an annual literary festival held in Sydney in May, with the inaugural festival taking place in 1997. The 2020 event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia.

History

The festival began in January 1997,^[1]^[2] with most events initially held at the State Library of New South Wales. The first independent Sydney Writers' Festival ran from 12 to 17 May 1998, with 169 participants appearing in venues in, and around, the centre of Sydney.

Since then, the Festival has rapidly expanded. Events have also been held at venues stretching across Sydney, including Roslyn Packer Theatre, Sydney Town Hall, City Recital Hall, and Sydney Opera House. Events are also regularly held in regional and suburban locations including Parramatta, Ashfield, Auburn, Blacktown, Bankstown, Campbelltown, Hornsby, Penrith, Blue Mountains and Wollongong.

The Festival moved from Walsh Bay to Carriageworks in May 2018 (as Walsh Bay was undergoing a major refurbishment).

The 2020 event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia.^[3]

Now held mid-to-late May each year, the Festival involves over 400 participants and presents over 300 events. Approximately one-third of all Sydney Writers' Festival events are free of charge. Festival attendances have reached over 90,000 each year since 2007.^{[citation needed]}

Sydney Writers' Festival Limited is a not-for-profit company with an independent board of directors.

Chairs of SWF

Past and present chairs of the festival include:^{[citation needed]}

1997–2000: Geraldine Doogue
Late 2000–Dec 2011: Sandra Yates
Jan 2012–Jan 2018: Deena Shiff
Feb 2018– : Mark Scott

Artistic directors

Artistic directors for festival years include:^{[citation needed]}

1998: John Nieuwenhuizen, with Meredith Curnow the Program Director. Meredith Curnow became Festival Director for the period *1999–2002: Meredith Curnow
2003–2006: Caro Llewellyn (AD & CEO)
2007-2009: Wendy Were (AD & CEO)
2010–2012: Chip Rolley
2013–2016: Jemma Birrell
2017–2020: Michaela McGuire (appointed November 2016)^[4]
2021–2022 : Michael Williams, interim director (since August 2020)^[5]
2022– : Ann Mossop

Executive directors

2009–2014: Ben Strout^{[citation needed]}
2015: Jo Dyer ED from 2015; promoted to CEO in November 2016, when she also joined the Festival board of directors.^[4]
2018–2021: Chrissy Sharp, CEO^[4] ^[6]
2021– Brooke Webb

Past international guests

Past guests have included:

1999 – Alan Duff,^[7] and Peter Porter^[8]
2002 – Jodi Picoult,^[9] Lloyd Jones, Giles Milton and Neil Hanson^[10]
2003 – Antony Beevor, Jonathan Franzen, Catherine Millet, Janette Turner Hospital, Nicholas Shakespeare, and CK Stead^[11]
2004 – Alan Bennett, Alain de Botton, Hilary Mantel, Tim Krabbe, Susanna Moore, Jane Campion, Louis de Bernières, Salam Pax, John W. Dean, Harvey Pekar, Alexei Sayle, ZZ Packer, and David Sedaris^[12]
2005 – Lewis Lapham, Alan Hollinghurst, Deirdre Bair, Professor Harold Bloom, Tariq Ali, David Suzuki, Jared Diamond, Suad Amiry, Michael Winter, Colin McAdam and Miriam Toews^[13]
2006 – Naomi Wolf, Anna Politkovskaya, Michael Burleigh, Andy Borowitz, Susan Orlean, Aleksandar Hemon, Hendrik Hertzberg, Mark Danner, Haifa Zangana, John Banville, Edmund White, and Maya Angelou^[14]
2007 – Andrew O'Hagan, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Bei Dao, Will Hutton, Antony Beevor, William Dalyrmple, Lionel Shriver, Richard Ford, Andrei Makine, Rachel Seiffert, Mohsin Hamid and Steven Hall^[15]
2008 – Jon Lee Anderson, Andrew J. Bacevich, Michael Pollan, John Gray, and Jeanette Winterson^[16]
2009 – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Alex Ross, and Kazuo Ishiguro^[17]
2010 – John Carey, Colm Tóibín, Lionel Shriver, Yiyun Li, John Ralston Saul, Bill McKibben, and Raj Patel^[18]
2011 – Ingrid Betancourt, Howard Jacobson, A. A. Gill, Anthony Bourdain, Téa Obreht, Izzeldin Abuelaish, Kei Miller, Kader Abdolah, Michael Cunningham, David Mitchell, AC Grayling, Michael Connelly, Gail Dines, and Daniel Altman
2012 – Hisham Matar, Jeffrey Eugenides, Dava Sobel^[19]
2013 – Molly Ringwald, Ruby Wax, Claire Messud^[20]
2014 – Irvine Welsh, Vince Gilligan, Alice Walker
2015 – Michael Connelly, Anthony Horowitz, Douglas Coupland, Norman Doidge, Alan Cumming, Atul Gawande, David Walliams, Michael Frayn, James Patterson (out of season event)
2016 – Gloria Steinem, Jonathan Franzen, Marlon James, Julian Barnes, William Boyd, Jeanette Winterson, Kae Tempest, Yanis Varoufakis, Hanya Yanagihara, Paul Muldoon, Yeonmi Park
2017 – Anne Enright, Henry Marsh, Ian Rankin, George Saunders, A. N. Wilson^[21]
2018 – André Aciman, Min Jin Lee, Alexis Okeowo, Masha Gessen, Jennifer Egan, Tayari Jones
2019 – Fatima Bhutto, Rachel Kushner, Susan Orlean, George Saunders, Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, Meg Wolitzer, Akala, Andrew Sean Greer, Alexander Chee

Past local guests

1997 – Robert Dessaix,^[1] Andrew McGahan, Matthew Condon, Bernard Cohen, Christos Tsiolkas, Gillian Mears^[2]
2001 – Lee Tulloch^[22]
2002 – Geoffrey Atherden, Bernard Cohen^[10]
2003 – Sonya Hartnett, David Malouf, Danny Katz, Louis Nowra^[11]
2005 – Bob Carr and John Kinsella^[13]
2006 – Alex Miller, Robert Drewe, Kate Grenville, Les Murray, Tegan Bennett Daylight, Peter Singer, Tim Flannery, Gail Jones^[14]
2007 – Raimond Gaita^[15]
2008 – Mem Fox, Peter van Onselen, Michelle de Kretser, Gail Jones, Drusilla Modjeska^[16]
2009 – Elizabeth Farrelly
2010 – Peter Carey, Les Murray, Alex Miller, Ross Garnaut, Clive Hamilton^[18]
2011 – Suelette Dreyfus, Annette Shun Wah, David Hicks
2012 – Kathy Lette^[23]
2013 – Brendan Cowell,^[20] Elizabeth Farrelly, Claudia Karvan,
2014 – Christos Tsiolkas, Michelle de Kretser, Robert Dessaix
2015 – Richard Flanagan, Annabel Crabb, Leigh Sales, Helen Garner, David Malouf, Les Murray, Andy Griffiths, Julia Gillard
2016 – Elizabeth Harrower, Anna Funder, Magda Szubanski, Stan Grant, Kerry O'Brien, Bob Brown, Charlotte Wood
2017 – Julia Baird, Jimmy Barnes, Peter Corris, Clementine Ford, Liane Moriarty^[21]
2018 – Michelle de Kretser, Jane Harper, Helen Garner, Christos Tsiolkas, Julia Gillard
2019
2021- Melissa Lucashenko, Tara June Winch, Evelyn Araluen (Opening Night)
2022
2023 - Alexis Wright, Patrick Abboud, Thomas Hedley, Kate McClymont, Ghassan Hage

Closing address

2011 James Gleick 'Perish the thought'
2012 Dava Sobel
2013 Claire Messud^[20]
2014 Emma Donoghue
2015 Helen Macdonald
2016 Hanya Yanagihara
2017 Susan Faludi^[24]
2018 Jennifer Egan
2019 Fatima Bhutto
2020
2021
2022
2023 Richard Flanagan

Organisational structure

The festival is led by CEO Brooke Webb and programmed by the Artistic Director, Michael Williams.^[25]

References

^ ^a ^b Dessaix, Robert (24 January 1997). "After The Plague". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 28 May 2011.
^ ^a ^b Tom, Emma (11 January 1997). "The Best Young Australian Novelists 1997". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 28 May 2011.
^ Sydney Writers’ Festival cancelled for 2020 Mumbrella 17 March 2020
^ ^a ^b ^c "McGuire appointed SWF artistic director". Books + Publishing. 10 November 2016. Retrieved 1 March 2017.
^ Steger, Jason (17 August 2020). "Michael Williams joins Sydney Writers' Festival as interim director". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
^ "Sharp steps down from SWF; new head of sales, publicity manager for Hachette". Books+Publishing. 14 July 2021. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
^ "Alan Duff on Both Sides of the Moon". Book Talk on Radio National. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 22 May 1999. Retrieved 28 May 2011.
^ "Program Summaries and Transcripts". Books and Writing on Radio National. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 1999. Retrieved 28 May 2011.
^ "Events". Festival News 2002. University of Technology Sydney. 2002. Retrieved 23 May 2011.
^ ^a ^b "Program Summaries and Transcripts". Books and Writing on Radio National. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 2002. Retrieved 28 May 2011.
^ ^a ^b "Highlights from Festival 2003". Festival 2003. Sydney Writers' Festival. 2003. Retrieved 23 May 2011.
^ "Highlights from Festival 2004". Festival 2004. Sydney Writers' Festival. 2004. Archived from the original on 23 July 2011. Retrieved 23 May 2011.
^ ^a ^b "Highlights from Festival 2005". Festival 2005. Sydney Writers' Festival. 2005. Retrieved 24 May 2011.
^ ^a ^b "Highlights from Festival 2006". Festival 2006. Sydney Writers' Festival. 2006. Retrieved 24 May 2011.
^ ^a ^b "Highlights from Festival 2007". Festival 2007. Sydney Writers' Festival. 2007. Retrieved 24 May 2011.
^ ^a ^b "Highlights from Festival 2008". Festival 2008. Sydney Writers' Festival. 2008. Retrieved 4 June 2011.
^ "Highlights from Festival 2009". Festival 2009. Sydney Writers' Festival. 2009. Retrieved 24 May 2011.
^ ^a ^b "Highlights from Festival 2010". Festival 2010. Sydney Writers' Festival. 2010. Retrieved 23 May 2011.
^ "Festival Nights". Festival 2012. Sydney Writers' Festival. 2012. Retrieved 19 April 2012.
^ ^a ^b ^c Haroldson, Peter. "Sydney Writers' Festival 2013". Sydney Life. Destination New South Wales. Retrieved 18 December 2013.
^ ^a ^b "Sydney Writers Festival 20–28 May 2017" (PDF). Sydney Writers Festival. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
^ "Program Summaries and Transcripts". Books and Writing on Radio National. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 2001. Retrieved 28 May 2011.
^ "Highlights". Festival 2012. Sydney Writers' Festival. 2012. Retrieved 19 April 2012.
^ "2017 Closing Address : Susan Faludi". Sydney Writers Festival. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
^ "Executive office". Sydney Writers Festival. Retrieved 22 March 2022.

External links

[Dessaix-1] Dessaix, Robert (24 January 1997). "After The Plague". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 28 May 2011.

[Tom-1997-2] Tom, Emma (11 January 1997). "The Best Young Australian Novelists 1997". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 28 May 2011.

[3] Sydney Writers’ Festival cancelled for 2020 Mumbrella 17 March 2020

[Books+_Publishing-4] "McGuire appointed SWF artistic director". Books + Publishing. 10 November 2016. Retrieved 1 March 2017.

[steger-5] Steger, Jason (17 August 2020). "Michael Williams joins Sydney Writers' Festival as interim director". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 1 April 2021.

[:0-6] "Sharp steps down from SWF; new head of sales, publicity manager for Hachette". Books+Publishing. 14 July 2021. Retrieved 25 July 2021.

[abc1999-Duff-7] "Alan Duff on Both Sides of the Moon". Book Talk on Radio National. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 22 May 1999. Retrieved 28 May 2011.

[abc1999-RN-8] "Program Summaries and Transcripts". Books and Writing on Radio National. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 1999. Retrieved 28 May 2011.

[swf2002-9] "Events". Festival News 2002. University of Technology Sydney. 2002. Retrieved 23 May 2011.

[abc2002-RN-10] "Program Summaries and Transcripts". Books and Writing on Radio National. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 2002. Retrieved 28 May 2011.

[swf2003-11] "Highlights from Festival 2003". Festival 2003. Sydney Writers' Festival. 2003. Retrieved 23 May 2011.

[swf2004-12] "Highlights from Festival 2004". Festival 2004. Sydney Writers' Festival. 2004. Archived from the original on 23 July 2011. Retrieved 23 May 2011.

[swf2005-13] "Highlights from Festival 2005". Festival 2005. Sydney Writers' Festival. 2005. Retrieved 24 May 2011.

[swf2006-14] "Highlights from Festival 2006". Festival 2006. Sydney Writers' Festival. 2006. Retrieved 24 May 2011.

[swf2007-15] "Highlights from Festival 2007". Festival 2007. Sydney Writers' Festival. 2007. Retrieved 24 May 2011.

[swf2008-16] "Highlights from Festival 2008". Festival 2008. Sydney Writers' Festival. 2008. Retrieved 4 June 2011.

[swf2009-17] "Highlights from Festival 2009". Festival 2009. Sydney Writers' Festival. 2009. Retrieved 24 May 2011.

[swf2010-18] "Highlights from Festival 2010". Festival 2010. Sydney Writers' Festival. 2010. Retrieved 23 May 2011.

[19] "Festival Nights". Festival 2012. Sydney Writers' Festival. 2012. Retrieved 19 April 2012.

[DNSW2013-20] Haroldson, Peter. "Sydney Writers' Festival 2013". Sydney Life. Destination New South Wales. Retrieved 18 December 2013.

[SWF2017-21] "Sydney Writers Festival 20–28 May 2017" (PDF). Sydney Writers Festival. Retrieved 27 February 2018.

[abc2001-RN-22] "Program Summaries and Transcripts". Books and Writing on Radio National. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 2001. Retrieved 28 May 2011.

[23] "Highlights". Festival 2012. Sydney Writers' Festival. 2012. Retrieved 19 April 2012.

[24] "2017 Closing Address : Susan Faludi". Sydney Writers Festival. Retrieved 27 February 2018.

[25] "Executive office". Sydney Writers Festival. Retrieved 22 March 2022.

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@@ Line 24: / Line 24: @@
 | budget       =
 | patron       =
-| website      = http://www.swf.org.au
+| website      = {{url|https://www.swf.org.au/}}
 | footnotes    =
 }}
-The '''Sydney Writers' Festival''' is an annual [[literary festival]] held in [[Sydney]], with the inaugural festival taking place in 1997. The 2020 event was cancelled due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Australia]].
+The '''Sydney Writers' Festival''' ('''SWF''') is an annual [[literary festival]] held in [[Sydney]] in May, with the inaugural festival taking place in 1997. The 2020 event was cancelled due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Australia]].
-The festival's interim [[artistic director]] since August 2020 is Michael Williams.
-The Sydney Writes Festival moved its location from Walsh Bay to Carriageworks in Redfern,  Sydney. In 2023 the SWF resumed in person attendance.
-Previous SWF directors include Chip Rolley. 2023 director is Ann Mossop.
 ==History==
 The festival began in January 1997,<ref name="Dessaix">{{cite news|url=http://www.rapture.com.au/rapture-articles/1997/1/24/after-the-plague/|author=Dessaix, Robert|title=After The Plague|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=24 January 1997|accessdate=28 May 2011|authorlink=Robert Dessaix}}</ref><ref name="Tom-1997">{{cite news|url=http://www.sydneymotorbikes.com.au/sydney-motorbikes-articles/1997/1/11/the-best-young-australian-novelists-1997/|author=Tom, Emma|title=The Best Young Australian Novelists 1997|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=11 January 1997|accessdate=28 May 2011|authorlink=Emma Tom}}</ref> with most events initially held at the [[State Library of New South Wales]]. The first independent Sydney Writers' Festival ran from 12 to 17 May 1998, with 169 participants appearing in venues in, and around, the [[Sydney central business district|centre of Sydney]].
-Since then, the Festival has rapidly expanded. The Festival moved from [[Walsh Bay]] to [[Carriageworks]] in May 2018 (Walsh Bay is undergoing a major refurbishment). Events were also held at venues stretching across Sydney, from the [[City Recital Hall]] and [[Sydney Town Hall]] in the city centre, into suburban Sydney and the [[Blue Mountains, New South Wales|Blue Mountains]].
+Since then, the Festival has rapidly expanded. Events have also been held at venues stretching across Sydney, including [[Roslyn Packer Theatre]], [[Sydney Town Hall]], [[City Recital Hall]], and [[Sydney Opera House]]. Events are also regularly held in regional and suburban locations including [[Parramatta]], [[Ashfield, New South Wales|Ashfield]], [[Auburn, New South Wales|Auburn]], [[Blacktown]], [[Bankstown]], [[Campbelltown, New South Wales|Campbelltown]], [[Hornsby, New South Wales|Hornsby]], [[Penrith, New South Wales|Penrith]], [[Blue Mountains, New South Wales|Blue Mountains]] and [[Wollongong]].
+The Festival moved from [[Walsh Bay]] to [[Carriageworks]] in May 2018 (as Walsh Bay was undergoing a major refurbishment).
-Held mid-to-late May each year, the Festival now involves over 400 participants and presents over 300 events in renovated piers at Walsh Bay. Other festival locations include [[Roslyn Packer Theatre]], Sydney Town Hall, City Recital Hall, and [[Sydney Opera House]]. Events are also regularly held in regional and suburban locations including [[Parramatta]], [[Ashfield, New South Wales|Ashfield]], [[Auburn, New South Wales|Auburn]], [[Blacktown]], [[Bankstown]], [[Campbelltown, New South Wales|Campbelltown]], [[Hornsby, New South Wales|Hornsby]], [[Penrith, New South Wales|Penrith]], the Blue Mountains and [[Wollongong]].
+The 2020 event was cancelled due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Australia]].<ref>[https://mumbrella.com.au/sydney-writers-festival-cancelled-for-2020-621600 Sydney Writers’ Festival cancelled for 2020] ''[[Mumbrella]]'' 17 March 2020</ref>
-Approximately one-third of all Sydney Writers' Festival events are free of charge. Festival attendances have reached over 90,000 each year since 2007.{{cn|date=April 2021}}
+Now held mid-to-late May each year, the Festival involves over 400 participants and presents over 300 events. Approximately one-third of all Sydney Writers' Festival events are free of charge. Festival attendances have reached over 90,000 each year since 2007.{{cn|date=April 2021}}
-The 2020 event was cancelled due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Australia]].<ref>[https://mumbrella.com.au/sydney-writers-festival-cancelled-for-2020-621600 Sydney Writers’ Festival cancelled for 2020] ''[[Mumbrella]]'' 17 March 2020</ref>
+Sydney Writers' Festival Limited is a not-for-profit company with an independent board of directors.
+===Chairs of SWF===
-Sydney Writers' Festival Limited is a not-for-profit company with an independent board of directors. The chairs of the festival have been:{{cn|date=October 2022}}
+Past and present chairs of the festival include:{{cn|date=October 2022}}
 *1997–2000: [[Geraldine Doogue]]
 *Late 2000–Dec 2011: [[Sandra Yates]] {{post-nominals|country=AUS|AO}}
@@ Line 52: / Line 49: @@
 *Feb 2018– : Mark Scott
-Artistic directors for festival years:{{cn|date=April 2021}}
+===Artistic directors ===
+Artistic directors for festival years include:{{cn|date=April 2021}}
 *1998: John Nieuwenhuizen, with Meredith Curnow the Program Director. Meredith Curnow became Festival Director for the period *1999–2002: Meredith Curnow
 *2003–2006: [[Caro Llewellyn]] (AD & CEO)
@@ Line 59: / Line 57: @@
 *2013–2016: Jemma Birrell
 *2017–2020: [[Michaela McGuire]] (appointed November 2016)<ref name="Books+ Publishing"/>
-*2021– 2022 : Michael Williams, interim director (since August 2020)<ref name=steger>{{cite web | last=Steger | first=Jason |authorlink=Jason Steger| title=Michael Williams joins Sydney Writers' Festival as interim director | website=The Sydney Morning Herald | date=17 August 2020 | url=https://www.smh.com.au/culture/books/michael-williams-joins-sydney-writers-festival-as-interim-director-20200817-p55miu.html | access-date=1 April 2021}}</ref>
+*2021–2022 : Michael Williams, interim director (since August 2020)<ref name=steger>{{cite web | last=Steger | first=Jason |authorlink=Jason Steger| title=Michael Williams joins Sydney Writers' Festival as interim director | website=The Sydney Morning Herald | date=17 August 2020 | url=https://www.smh.com.au/culture/books/michael-williams-joins-sydney-writers-festival-as-interim-director-20200817-p55miu.html | access-date=1 April 2021}}</ref>
 *2022– : Ann Mossop
-Executive directors & other CEOs:
+===Executive directors===
 *2009–2014: Ben Strout{{cn|date=April 2021}}
 *2015: [[Jo Dyer]] ED from 2015; promoted to CEO in November 2016, when she also joined the Festival board of directors.<ref name="Books+ Publishing"/>
-*2018–2021: Chrissy Sharp, CEO<ref name="Books+ Publishing">{{cite news|url=https://www.booksandpublishing.com.au/articles/2016/11/10/80867/mcguire-appointed-swf-artistic-director/|title=McGuire appointed SWF artistic director|work=Books + Publishing|date=10 November 2016|accessdate=1 March 2017}}</ref> <ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=|date=2021-07-14|title=Sharp steps down from SWF; new head of sales, publicity manager for Hachette|url=https://www.booksandpublishing.com.au/articles/2021/07/14/189631/sharp-steps-down-from-swf-new-head-of-sales-publicity-manager-for-hachette/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-25|website=Books+Publishing|language=en-AU}}</ref>
+*2018–2021: Chrissy Sharp, CEO<ref name="Books+ Publishing">{{cite news|url=https://www.booksandpublishing.com.au/articles/2016/11/10/80867/mcguire-appointed-swf-artistic-director/|title=McGuire appointed SWF artistic director|work=Books + Publishing|date=10 November 2016|accessdate=1 March 2017}}</ref> <ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=|date=2021-07-14|title=Sharp steps down from SWF; new head of sales, publicity manager for Hachette|url=https://www.booksandpublishing.com.au/articles/2021/07/14/189631/sharp-steps-down-from-swf-new-head-of-sales-publicity-manager-for-hachette/|access-date=2021-07-25|website=Books+Publishing|language=en-AU}}</ref>
 *2021–  Brooke Webb
@@ Line 88: / Line 86: @@
 *2017 – [[Anne Enright]], [[Henry Marsh (neurosurgeon)|Henry Marsh]], [[Ian Rankin]], [[George Saunders]], [[A. N. Wilson]]<ref name="SWF2017">{{cite web|title=Sydney Writers Festival 20–28 May 2017|url=https://www.swf.org.au/media/1971/swf_2017compressed.pdf|website=Sydney Writers Festival|accessdate=27 February 2018}}</ref>
 *2018 – [[André Aciman]], [[Min Jin Lee]], [[Alexis Okeowo]], [[Masha Gessen]], [[Jennifer Egan]], [[Tayari Jones]]
-*2019 – [[Fatima Bhutto]], [[Rachel Kushner]], [[Susan Orlean]], [[George Saunders]], Nana Kwame Adjei–Brenyah, [[Meg Wolitzer]], [[Akala (rapper)|Akala]], [[Andrew Sean Greer]], [[Alexander Chee]]
+*2019 – [[Fatima Bhutto]], [[Rachel Kushner]], [[Susan Orlean]], [[George Saunders]], [[Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah]], [[Meg Wolitzer]], [[Akala (rapper)|Akala]], [[Andrew Sean Greer]], [[Alexander Chee]]
 ==Past local guests==
@@ Line 109: / Line 107: @@
 *2017 – [[Julia Baird (journalist)|Julia Baird]], [[Jimmy Barnes]], [[Peter Corris]], [[Clementine Ford (writer)|Clementine Ford]], [[Liane Moriarty]]<ref name="SWF2017" />
 *2018 – [[Michelle de Kretser]], [[Jane Harper]], [[Helen Garner]], [[Christos Tsiolkas]], [[Julia Gillard]]
+*2019
+*2021- [[Melissa Lucashenko]], Tara June Winch, Evelyn Araluen (Opening Night)
+*2022
+*2023 -  [[Alexis Wright]], Patrick Abboud,  Thomas Hedley, Kate McClymont, [[Ghassan Hage]]
 ==Closing address==
 *2011 [[James Gleick]] 'Perish the thought'
 *2012 [[Dava Sobel]]
-*2013 [[Claire Messud]]<ref name=DNSW2013>{{cite web | last =Haroldson | first =Peter | title =Sydney Writers’ Festival 2013 | work =Sydney Life | publisher =Destination New South Wales | url =http://www.sydney.com/sydney-life/arts-and-culture/sydney-writers-festival-2013/ | accessdate =18 December 2013 }}</ref>
+*2013 [[Claire Messud]]<ref name=DNSW2013>{{cite web | last =Haroldson | first =Peter | title =Sydney Writers' Festival 2013 | work =Sydney Life | publisher =Destination New South Wales | url =http://www.sydney.com/sydney-life/arts-and-culture/sydney-writers-festival-2013/ | accessdate =18 December 2013 }}</ref>
 *2014 [[Emma Donoghue]]
 *2015 [[Helen Macdonald (writer)|Helen Macdonald]]
@@ Line 127: / Line 129: @@
 ==Organisational structure==
 The festival is led by CEO Brooke Webb and programmed by the Artistic Director, Michael Williams.<ref>{{cite web|title=Executive office |url=https://www.swf.org.au/about-us/staff/ |website=Sydney Writers Festival|accessdate=22 March 2022 }}</ref>
-{{as of |March 2022}} the directors of the Festival are:<ref>{{cite web|title=Board|url=https://www.swf.org.au/about-us/board/|website=Sydney Writers Festival|accessdate=22 March 2022 }}</ref>
-*[[Mark Scott (businessman)|Mark Scott]] (Chair)
-*Kathy Shand (Deputy Chair)
-*Nikki Christer
-*[[Annabel Crabb]]
-*Michael Dagostino
-*Amelia Lester
-*Sheila McGregor
-*Su-Ming Wong
 ==See also==