Dispatch #022
The battle against AI continues; a massive movie deal for Tim Winton; plenty of new books and festivals to attend, and three cheers for all writers making their debut in 2026
BIG TECH: What is the collective noun for a bunch of writers? A quill? A shelf? I’m not exactly sure, so for now let’s just say a binder of furious writers, poets, podcasters and musicians (see above) went to Canberra last week, determined to stop the big AI companies from stealing their copyright.
In case you haven’t noticed, the big AI companies have come to Australia, demanding the right to gobble up all our books, films, poetry, podcasts, and spew it all out again, as AI slop. These AI companies don’t want to pay. Incredibly, they also want to use Australia’s water and energy for free. These proposals must be defeated, so three cheers to everyone who made the journey, including the wonderful Anna Funder and Andy Griffiths, who told the crowd at Parliament House that a staggering 67 of his books have already been stolen and digested by AI machines. If you would like to sign the petition, which says Big Tech must ask, license and pay for what it currently steals, you can do so here.
FILM: There was some good news on the creative front last week, with a massive movie deal announced by Tim Winton, whose novel, Juice, has been acquired by Working Title Films, with the two-time BAFTA-winning director Joe Wright attached. Wright’s feature film credits include Atonement, Pride & Prejudice, and Anna Karenina. Juice is set in a world ruptured by a climate-change disaster, and Wright said: “I couldn’t be more thrilled that Tim Winton has entrusted us with his extraordinary epic.” Working Title Films has ten Oscar Best Picture nominations, 15 Academy Awards, 16 Golden Globes, 41 BAFTA Awards and numerous prizes at the Cannes and Berlin festivals, so this is a really big deal.
DEBUT CREW: If you happen to have a book coming out this year, make sure you join the Debut Crew (#debutcrew) on Instagram and Facebook. I don’t know exactly who set it up, but I’m told it may well have been the mighty Lisa Kenway. It’s an incredibly supportive group of writers who are being traditionally published for the first time. They all come together to cheer for each other, attend each other’s launches, follow each other online, and they meet up in real life. It can be so daunting to have a book coming out, and this initiative is one of the best things to happen in the book industry for ages. Support each other! Writing is hard enough, and everything about publishing is better when you’re not doing it alone.
Debut Author Josh Hortinela is part of the Debut Crew for 2026 and he, along with the other authors, all have books being released this year. In fact, he has an Event at Gertrude and Alice on 16/9 so be sure to Save the Date.
FESTIVAL: One of the big problems with established literary festivals is the terrible snobbishness. They hardly ever give crime and romance writers a break, and don’t get us started on so-called “women’s fiction”, which gets shoved to the back of the room, even though the books are great and readers love them.
One clear exception is the spectacular Northern Beaches Readers Festival (NBRF) to be held on 25–27 September, which says it’s the only literary festival in Australia* with a 100 per cent focus on fiction and 100 per cent on Australian authors. The focus is on reading for pleasure, and books that people love. It’s held in Avalon, and they go for a warm, inclusive vibe, where readers can connect with their favourite writers. This year, they will have more than 50 writers from around Australia. They include household names like Michael Robotham, Natasha Lester, Chris Hammer, Tara Moss, Matt Nable, Eleanor Limprecht and Sue Williams, but they have also included nine authors who have just published their first book, putting them on panels with big-name authors to raise their profile. Glenn Orgias, a local author will also be part of the festival this year. The festival was established in 2022 by a group of local authors wanting to provide a platform for crime, romance, historical fiction and women’s fiction. Earlybird ticket sales start on 31 July. Jump on it!
ART: Bondi local David Liston is currently running the world-famous “Incognito Art Show” where works of art are put up for sale for a flat $100, and you don’t find out who the artist was until you’ve purchased. He was looking over this year’s collection and noticed a lot of works had a book theme (see below), so if you’re thinking of adding a lovely piece of art to your home, and you like books, this show may well be for you!
Loneliness is a Molecule by Helena Fox: 18-year-old Miri, as she navigates the death of a former friend, by a writer based in sunny Wollongong.
The Bridge by Colm Tóibín: a new beauty from the author of The Master, Brooklyn and its sequel Long Island.
The Whitechapel Full Moon Society by Elizabeth DeLozier: Jack the Ripper. Victorian London. A beastly mystery. This novel will have you howling at the full moon.
What the Flora? by Vanessa Fuchs: explore the amazing world of plants with an author from the Botanic Gardens of Sydney.
We have some amazing books up for discussion this week, so please do join us for any of these wonderful events. Many are in our actual bookshop, which is a cosy space in winter, and you just may make a few new friends. All are welcome!
Hannah Richell, An Evening with the Author, Tuesday 21st of July: Hannah Richell will be in conversation with Vashti Whitfield as they discuss her book ‘An Ocean and a Day’ at Gertrude & Alice. Click here for tickets. Last tickets on sale now.
On The Calculation of Volume Bookclub, Bondi Literary Salon, Wednesday 22nd of July: On the Calculation of Volume (1) by Solvej Balle, at Gertrude & Alice Cafe Bookstore. Click here for tickets.
Shannon Kelly-White, An Evening with the Author, Thursday 23rd of July: Join author Shannon Kelly-White for an author event at Gertrude & Alice. We’ll be celebrating the launch day of her debut novel, ‘Billie King’. Click here for tickets. Akubra Bondi have donated a prize of a $400 hat and fitting, and there will be prizes for the best “double-denim” outfit.
Dr Lucy Hone, An Evening with the Author, Wednesday 26th of August: an evening of insight and inspiration as bestselling author Charlotte Ree sits down with resilience expert Dr Lucy Hone at Paddington Uniting Church. Click here for tickets.
Holly Ringland, An Evening with the Author, Monday 7th of September: join Holly Ringland, in conversation with Michaela Kalowski, to celebrate the release of her new novel 'The World Beneath Her Feet' at Paddington Uniting Church. Click here for tickets.
Pip Williams, An Evening with the Author, Thursday 1st of October: join author Pip Williams for an author event at the NSW Teachers Federation Conference Centre. Pip will be in conversation with Nicole Abadee. We'll be celebrating the release of her new book, 'The German Ward'. Click here for tickets.
And that’s all for today, folks! Thank you for reading, and please do forward our newsletter to your friends so that we can build our community here. We have over 2,000 subscribers, and we would love to welcome more!
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Thanks so much for shouting out the Debut Crew! I'm running the 2026 crew and we have a private Discord where we meet online as well as IRL. Open to anyone publishing in Australia in 2026 (and we have one from NZ!) - just send me or anyone in the crew a message and we can invite you to the Discord.
Marking the calendar for many of these now. Thank you!!!!