ONE-DAY LITERARY CELEBRATION
Words at Pearls
Saturday 14 November 2026, 10:00am – 4:00pm
Pearl Beach Memorial Community Hall, 9 Diamond Road, Pearl Beach, NSW
DAY PASS $95 + booking fee
Annual literary celebration, Words at Pearls, will take place on Saturday November 14, 2026.
The Central Coast’s first and only writers’ festival – Words on the Waves – is elated to once more bring this one-day event to the reading community in partnership with Pearl Beach Progress Association.
Nestled in amongst lush green trees and ferns and hosted at a charming community hall, this will be an intimate day of author conversations and book signings.
This year’s Words at Pearls True & Twisty features an extraordinary line-up of authors tackling true stories… with their own unique twist. And just like a good page-turning thriller, these titles will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Joining us for our 2026 outing is Matt Bevan, host of the wildly popular ABC podcast and iView series If You’re Listening. An ABC journalist since 2008 and former Radio National Breakfast newsreader, Matt’s recent book Declassified explores the murky waters of history, memory and the stories we tell ourselves. Fellow media luminary Paul Barry – of Media Watch fame – regales us with the hair-raising real life tale of steel tycoon Sanjeev Gupta. His book The Big Steal might be non fiction but it has all the trappings of fiction: corporate villains, charisma and corruption. Speaking of fiction, bestselling author of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Heather Morris, will satisfy that itch with her incredible new book The Piano Teacher of Montparnasse, spotlighting the real forgotten women of the French Resistance. And finally, fashion editor of The Saturday Paper Lucianne Tonti draws a fascinating line between ‘women’s work’ – such as weaving – and a long and horrifying history of witch hunts. In The Good Witch, Tonti takes us on a voyage across the world from New England to Norway.
No matter what, these stories have to be heard to be believed. Be there!
Doors open from 9am.
Program
From approximately 9:45am
Introductions & Acknowledgement of Country
10:00am – 11:00am
If You’re Listening: Declassified!
Matt Bevan in conversation with Annika Blau
Matt Bevan has been a journalist at the ABC since 2008, and spent six years as newsreader for Radio National Breakfast. In his recent book Declassified – inspired by his hit ABC iView series If You’re Listening – Matt takes us on a fascinating journey through the murky waters of history, memory, and the stories we tell ourselves. Think you know all there is to know about the assassination of Julius Caesar? The collapse of the Soviet Union? An argument Matt had with his mother-in-law?! Think again!
11:00am – 11:30am
Book Signings with BOOK FACE
11:30am – 12:30pm
The Piano Teacher of Montparnasse
Heather Morris in conversation with Suzanne Leal
True stories from history have always fascinated Heather Morris. First it was the heartbreaking tale of Lale Sokolov, which led to international bestseller, The Tattooist of Auschwitz. And in her latest captivating sojourn through time, The Piano Teacher of Montparnasse, we hear about an ordinary woman who became an extraordinary figure of resistance during the Nazi occupation of Paris. The backstory is almost as remarkable as the novel itself, with overtures of strength, survival, and surprisingly, film composer Hans Zimmer as a bridge between past and present. Sit back and let this incredible story wash over you.
12:30pm – 1:30pm
Book Signings with BOOK FACE & Lunch Break
Please note: Coffee and tea will be available to purchase at the front of the Hall, with thanks to The Mad Coffee Van.
Words at Pearls lunches can be ordered before the start of the event, from 9:30am. You will be given a voucher, and then at lunchtime on the deck you can choose from wraps or sandwiches and cake – vegetarian options available.
1:30pm – 2:30pm
The Good Witch
Lucianne Tonti in conversation with Georgie McClean
What could a regenerative fibre farm possibly have to do with witchcraft? But as Guardian columnist and fashion editor Lucianne Tonti gazed over at bubbling copper cauldron, the natural wool spindle, something clicked into place. It looked like somewhere you’d cast a spell. And so her latest, electrifying read was born. The Good Witch takes us back hundreds of years to when witch hunts were sweeping Europe and North America, from Salem to England, Scotland to Norway. But most importantly, Tonti draws a line between those dark times and now; what can be learned, and what can be saved?
2:30pm – 3:00pm
Book Signings with BOOK FACE
3:00pm – 4:00pm
The Big Steal
Paul Barry in conversation with Chris Masters
Longtime Media Watch luminary Paul Barry is no stranger to corporate corruption. He’s tackled a few crooks in his day, including the ultimate fraudster, Alan Bond. And now in The Big Steal, he sets his sights on Sanjeev Gupta, the ‘Saviour of Steel’, who promised to invest billions of dollars into a South Australian steel plant that would save the planet at the same time. Now, his promises are unfulfilled, and his global empire is collapsing. How did he get away with it? An epic of governmental incompetence, media toadyism, and corporate greed, this is the riveting account, told for the first time.
4:00pm – 4:30pm
Book Signings with BOOK FACE
As a fundraising event, proceeds will be shared between the not-for-profit community organisations Words on the Waves and Pearl Beach Progress Association. Your support is warmly appreciated.
Speakers
Paul Barry
Paul Barry is the celebrated author of bestselling books that charted the business careers of Australia’s wealthiest and most powerful men: Breaking News; Who Wants to be a Billionaire; The Rise and Rise of Kerry Packer; and The Rise and Fall of Alan Bond. A graduate of Oxford University who came to Australia at first to work for Four Corners and stayed. He was the long-running host of ABC TV’s Media Watch. Photo credit Alex Barry
Matt Bevan
Matt Bevan is the host and writer of the award-winning ABC News podcast If You’re Listening. He has been a journalist at the ABC since 2008, and spent six years as newsreader for Radio National Breakfast. In 2022 he was awarded Podcast Host of the Year by Radio Today. In 2023 he was nominated for a Walkley Award for Explanatory Journalism.
Heather Morris
Heather Morris’s life changed in 2003 when she met Lale Sokolov, an elderly man with ‘a story to tell’. It formed the basis of her first novel, The Tattooist of Auschwitz and its follow-ups, Cilka’s Journey and Three Sisters, and began a lifelong interest in the retelling of true stories. In 2023 she released the historical novel, Sisters Under the Rising Sun, based on the experiences of women held in Japanese POW camps during World War II. Heather’s next novel, The Piano Teacher of Montparnasse, will publish in October 2026. It tells the astonishing story of piano teacher and French Resistance Fighter Andrée Levallois, who risked her life to protect one of her students from the Nazi’s during the war. Heather’s books have sold over 19 million copies worldwide and been translated into over 50 languages. Photo credit Gemma Day
Lucianne Tonti
Lucianne Tonti is a regenerative fashion consultant and journalist. She is the fashion editor of The Saturday Paper, the sustainability editor at large for Elle Australia and a contributor to The Guardian where her column Closet Clinic has been read over 9 million times. Her award-winning book Sundressed: Natural Fibres and the Future of Fashion was published in 2022. It is currently being developed into a docuseries by Tilt Media. Her writing also appears in Vogue Business, The Monthly, The Griffith Review, The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald. She has a Bachelor of Communication from RMIT, a post-graduate diploma in Political Science and a Juris Doctor of Law from the University of Melbourne. Photo credit Anne Peters
Benny Agius (MC)
Benny Agius has been in the book industry for over 45 years. She has owned her own publishing house and worked for several international publishers in various roles. Benny has written her own book ‘I’m Staying at Richard’s’ and she is co-founder of Words on the Waves Writers Festival.
Suzanne Leal (moderator)
Suzanne Leal is the author of novels The Watchful Wife, The Teacher’s Secret and The Deceptions, winner of the Nib Literary Award People’s Choice Prize. A lawyer working in criminal law and child protection, Suzanne is an experienced facilitator at community, corporate and literary events. She is a board member of the BAD Sydney Crime Writers Festival and founder of Thursday Book Club, a relaxed book club connecting readers online.
Chris Masters (moderator)
Chris Masters retains the record of the longest serving reporter on Australia’s longest running current affairs program, Four Corners. Over 25 years he made a series of nation shaping reports, among then The Moonlight State, which helped trigger Queensland’s Fitzgerald Inquiry. For his extensive anti-corruption work Chris has received a public service medal. Further awards include journalism’s premier Gold Walkley for his international expose of the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior. Chris is the author of six best selling books, the most recent, Flawed Hero, Truth, Lies and War Crimes which covered his Ben Robert’s-Smith investigation and defamation case. In addition to a successful court outcome, the book received the 2024 Australian Political Book of the Year Award.
Georgie McClean (moderator)
Georgie runs The Gist – a creative industries focused research, policy and strategy consultancy – following senior leadership roles at Creative Australia, AFTRS, Screen Australia and SBS.
Annika Blau (moderator)
Annika Blau is a Walkley award-winning long-form journalist and editor. She’s currently an investigative reporter and digital editor for the ABC’s flagship narrative audio program, Background Briefing. She has previously worked as the digital editor for Radio National and been recognised by the international Online Journalism Awards. Her first book, blending historical narrative non-fiction and memoir, will be released in 2027.
Event Partners
The Pearl Beach Progress Association was formed in 1929 by some of the original residents of Pearl Beach. The Association now works to promote the best interests of the ratepayers and residents of Pearl Beach, protect and enhance the environment and encourage nature conservation within the village of Pearl Beach, and to maintain the Association’s Memorial Community Hall.
