Step behind the curtain of the book world in this candid, practical conversation about how publishing is evolving and what today’s writers need to understand to navigate it. Join the Chair of the Australian Society of Authors, Jennifer Mills, leading literary agent Dan Pilkington, and published writer George Kemp, as they unpack the realities of contracts, rights, AI risks and protections, the shifting market, and the business decisions that shape a writing career in 2026. Moderated by Sophie Groom from Writing NSW, this panel offers industry insights for emerging and established writers alike.

📍Cinema Bambino (#5), Cinema Paradiso, 189 Ocean View Road, Ettalong
⚡10% discount applied automatically at checkout if multiple Writing Up Stream sessions selected

10am – 11am

Dialogue is the ultimate magic trick every fiction writer needs up their sleeve. How do you get your characters to sound real, while ensuring their dialogue is more readable than literal speech? Acclaimed novelist and creative writing teacher Toni Jordan will take you through her tried and tested tricks for writing lively and believable dialogue. Presented by Faber Writing Academy

📍Via Di Christina, Galleria Ettalong, 189 Ocean View Rd, Ettalong
⚡10% discount applied at checkout if multiple Writing Up Stream sessions selected 

11:30am – 1:30pm

Writing about family can be a complex but transformative experience with the right approach. It takes caution, bravery and a willingness to imagine beyond your own history. Perhaps you’re working on a multi-character narrative but each voice is fighting for dominance? Or you’re trying to grapple with family history and develop your protagonist’s story? Maybe you’ve only just begun to consider writing about family and you don’t know where to start?

Join Maame Blue to uncover new approaches to fictionalising your family stories; by introducing conflict that drives your narrative but doesn’t drive you away, contextualising family history, and centering one character in a way that engages with larger family dynamics.

📍Via Di Christina, Galleria Ettalong, 189 Ocean View Rd, Ettalong
⚡10% discount applied at checkout if multiple Writing Up Stream sessions selected 

9:00am – 11:00am

If you have a completed manuscript or are well advanced on your book, Words on the Waves offers you the opportunity to talk to agent Dan Pilkington (The Pilkington Agency) for a 10 minute pitch and feedback session. This will include a chance to pitch your project as well as gain guidance on the pitching process in general. (Please note: If you do not have a completed or almost complete manuscript, this is not for you – try one of our Faber Writing Academy Writing Workshops instead).

Spaces are limited and will be on a first come first serve basis. Manuscripts will only be requested at the discretion of the agent.
⚡10% discount applied at checkout if multiple Writing Up Stream sessions selected 

📍Via Di Christina, Galleria Ettalong, 189 Ocean View Rd, Ettalong

11:30am – 2:30pm* (time window will be allocated to participants closer to the date)