As one of the world’s only designated Book Towns, Clunes is a must-visit destination for book lovers all year round. This March, the bibliophilic bonanza that is the Clunes Booktown Festival will return, with book traders, workshops, author talks, food stalls and live entertainment descending upon the charming gold rush town from March 22–23.
Clunes Booktown Festival 2025
Since its first edition in 2007, Clunes Booktown Festival has established itself as one of Australia’s premier literary events, with the 2024 edition welcoming over 11,000 attendees. Whether you’re a fan of fiction, non-fiction or poetry, there’s truly something for everyone over the festival’s two jam-packed days, including the chance to hear from some of Australia’s most celebrated literary figures.
A massive outdoor book bazaar will take over Clunes’ heritage-lined streets for the duration of the festival, where you’ll be able to explore over 100 stalls selling everything from secondhand books to self-published works and book-related products. Stalls will be dotted throughout the town, providing the perfect excuse to amble through Clunes’ historic streets.
There’s also a wall-to-wall calendar of panels and workshops taking place across multiple venues all weekend long, featuring some of Australia’s most respected writers and thinkers. Among the headliners is novelist Helen Garner, who opens the Sunday programming in conversation with author Sean O’Beirne to discuss her latest book, The Season. Other highlights include a panel on truth telling headlined by Kate Grenville, the ABC’s Heather Ewart discussing her travels around Australia, and what promises to be a thought-provoking panel on the big business of media, featuring Crikey founder Eric Beecher, lawyer and author Josh Bornstein, and Stella Prize-winning writer Evelyn Araluen.
There’ll be a heap of ways to get involved beyond the panels, too, including live music all day, a dedicated kids’ village complete with hay bale maze, as well as food trucks and coffee carts near key festival locations to keep you fuelled.
To find out more and check out the full programme, head to the Clunes Booktown Festival website.