Every year, the Brisbane Writers Festival (BWF) in the picturesque South Bank suburb of Brisbane, welcomes thousands of readers to celebrate and express their passion and joy for authors, fiction, and the written word. BWF encourages readers from all walks of life to join the momentous event for literary conversations and to spark ideas.
BWF is Australia’s oldest continuing literature event, with a longstanding history of connecting communities and showcasing creativity and talent.
QBD Books have been proud partners of BWF for many years and we are so excited for this year’s author program, with visits from iconic Australian authors such as Bryan Brown and Chris Hammer to international headliners such as Rebecca Yarros. Make sure to visit your local QBD Books or our online store to grab these titles before the big event in May.
Keep reading to find out more about the attending authors and their bestselling stories.
Chris Hammer is a leading Australian author of crime fiction. His first book, Scrublands, was an instant bestseller when it was published in mid-2018. It won the prestigious UK Crime Writers Association John Creasy Award for a debut crime novel in 2019 and was shortlisted for various awards in Australia and the United States.
Before turning to fiction, Chris was a journalist for more than thirty years, dividing his career between covering Australian federal politics and international affairs.
Author information was provided by Allen and Unwin.
In an isolated country town brought to its knees by endless drought, a charismatic and dedicated young priest calmly opens fire on his congregation, killing five parishioners before being shot dead himself.
A year later, troubled journalist Martin Scarsden arrives in Riversend to write a feature on the anniversary of the tragedy. But the stories he hears from the locals about the priest and incidents leading up to the shooting don’t fit with the accepted version of events his own newspaper reported on. Martin can’t ignore his doubts, nor the urgings of some locals to unearth the real reason behind the priest’s deadly rampage.
Bryan Brown is known as an actor, having appeared in over eighty film and television shows. He has worked in some twenty countries including his home country of Australia and the United States. Sweet Jimmy, consisting of seven short stories on crime, was released in 2021. The Drowning is his second book.
Author information was provided by Allen and Unwin.
The body of a local teenage boy is found on the beach of a sleepy northern New South Wales town. David went for an evening swim and got into trouble . . . at least, that’s what it looks like.
With Bryan Brown’s characteristic laconic storytelling – humorous, tough and suspenseful – the secrets of this seemingly idyllic town slowly come to the surface.
Michael Connelly
Michael Connelly is the author of thirty-seven previous novels, including #1 New York Times bestsellers Desert Star, The Dark Hours, and The Law of Innocence. His books, which include the Harry Bosch series, the Lincoln Lawyer series, and the Renée Ballard series, have sold more than eighty million copies worldwide. Connelly is a former newspaper reporter who has won numerous awards for his journalism and his novels.
Author information was provided by Allen and Unwin.
Resurrection Walk
Defence attorney Mickey Haller has agreed to represent a woman who is in prison for killing her husband, a sheriff’s deputy, and Haller enlists his half-brother, retired LAPD Detective Harry Bosch, as an investigator. Even after five years in prison, his new client maintains her innocence.
The path to true justice is, for both the lawyer and his investigator, fraught with danger.
Samantha Shannon
Samantha Shannon is the New York Times bestselling author of The Bone Season and The Roots of Chaos series. Her work has been translated into twenty-eight languages. She lives in London.
This information was provided by Bloomsbury Publishing.
The Bone Season
The year is 2059. For two centuries, the Republic of Scion has led an oppressive campaign against unnaturalness in Europe.
In London, Paige Mahoney holds a high rank in the criminal underworld. The right hand of the ruthless White Binder, Paige is a dreamwalker, a rare and formidable kind of clairvoyant. Under Scion law, she commits treason simply by breathing.
Suzie Miller
Suzie Miller is a contemporary international playwright, screenwriter, and novelist. Based in both London, UK, and Sydney, Australia, Miller’s work has been produced around the world winning multiple prestigious awards. She practised human rights law before writing full-time and is currently developing major projects in theatre, literature, and screen.
The author’s information was provided by Pan Macmillan Australia.
Prima Facie
Tessa is a thoroughbred. A young, brilliant barrister. She has worked her way up from a working-class background to be at the top of her game: defending, cross-examining and lighting up the shadows of doubt in any case. Her masterful line of questioning in the courtroom has netted Tessa win after win, freeing men accused of rape and sexual assault. As controversial as it is, this is her job – it’s just about the facts and who can game the system.
Julia Baird is a globally renowned author and award-winning journalist. A much-beloved broadcaster in her native Australia, Julia presents for ABC TV and writes columns for The New York Times. In 2007, she became senior editor of Newsweek in New York. Her work has earned her four Walkley Our Watch awards, a Walkley Award for team election reporting, and two further Walkley nominations. She lives near the sea with two children, a tyrannical cat, and an abnormally large dog.
The author’s information was provided by HarperCollins Publishers Australia.
Grace is both mysterious and hard to define. It can be found when we create ways to find meaning and dignity in connection with each other, building on our shared humanity, being kinder, bigger, better with each other. If, in its crudest interpretation, karma is getting what you deserve, then grace is the opposite: forgiving the unforgivable, favouring the undeserving, loving the unlovable.
Kate Ceberano
Singer, songwriter, performer, and artist Kate Ceberano celebrated one of the most enduring and inspirational careers in Australian music with the release of her 30th album in 2023. The album My Life is a Symphony, a collaboration with Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, went straight to the top of the charts.
The author’s information was provided by Simon & Schuster.
Unsung
A beautiful illustrated memoir from beloved Australian musician Kate Ceberano, featuring her inspirational song lyrics, stories, paintings and embroidery, and celebrating four decades of songwriting and recording on the release of her 30th album.
Dr Ahona Guha is a clinical and forensic psychologist. Her first book, Reclaim: understanding complex trauma and those who abuse was published by Scribe Publications in 2023. She works with victims of abuse and trauma, and clients with a range of other difficulties — such as anxiety, depression, perfectionism, burn-out, and relationship problems. She also works with perpetrators of harmful behaviours to assess risk, and provides treatment to reduce the risk they pose to others. She writes widely for the media on matters related to mental health, health, social justice, and equity.
The author’s information was provided by Scribe Publications.
“Life Skills For A Broken World”
How can I manage heartbreak? How do I cope with death? How can I learn to tolerate anxiety and hold hope?
In this helpful, practical guide to good psychological health, Dr Ahona Guha shows us how to cope, thrive, and still feel hopeful for the future. Combining techniques from a range of therapeutic modalities, she demonstrates how we can build a range of essential psychological skills, and apply them to live a more tranquil and joyful life.
Richard Glover has written several bestselling books, including Love, Clancy, The Land Before Avocado, Flesh Wounds and The Mud House. He writes regularly for the Sydney Morning Herald and The Washington Post, as well as presenting the comedy program Thank God It’s Friday on ABC Local Radio.
The author’s information was provided by HarperCollins Publishers Australia.
Do you hate gambling ads, pre-ripped jeans, and pedestrians who walk five abreast? Do you also have a problem with plastic-wrapped fruit, climate-change deniers, and take-away sandwiches priced at $14.95?And, most of all, do you think the world would be a better place if people got back their sense of humour? Here’s proof you are not alone. Heartfelt and hilarious, serious but sly, Best Wishes is the Encyclopedia of ‘Can Do Better’. It’s a plea for a better world – one wish at a time.
We cannot wait for the 2024 Brisbane Writers Festival! The event will be running from the 30th of May to the 2nd of June. We are so excited to see our QBD Books community at the event! For more information visit the BWF’s website here.
You can ensure to be festival-ready with all of the attending authors’ fantastic books by visiting us in-store or online here.
