Fantastical Worlds

When

Duration

Location

Ross Family Studio

Glasshouse Port Macquarie and Mid North Coast Co-operative Library Service present:

Fantastical Worlds

The masters, myths and magic that keep readers hooked

Fantasy is fiction at its escapist best.

Imagining new worlds, memorable characters and compelling plots, fantasy writers are the extreme jugglers of the writing craft. In this panel discussion, hear from three of the biggest names in fantasy for adults and young adults alike. Lev Grossman, author of The Bright Sword and the hit Magicians trilogy; R.F. Kuang, international sensation and author of The Poppy War trilogy, Babel and Katabasis; and Garth Nix, bestselling author of the Old Kingdom series, share their enthusiasm for the genre and its devoted readership.

Hear Lev, R.F. and Garth in conversation with Carody Culver.

Relax, Refuel, Connect

Relax in our SWF Lounge between sessions and take the opportunity to chat and meet like-mined people. Tea, coffee, alcoholic beverages and light refreshments will be available for purchase.

Exclusive Offer

Present your Sydney Writers’ Festival ticket or VIP Festival Pass at Book Face in Port Central or Collins Booksellers Port Macquarie to receive a 10% discount* on books by featured authors in the Live & Local Program. This exclusive offer is valid from 10am Thursday 21 May to 4pm Sunday 24 May, 2026.

*Final discount and qualifying books at the discretion of Book Face and Collins Booksellers management.

Full Program Here(PDF, 3MB)  Book Day & Festival Passes Here

Part of Glasshouse SELECT 2026 Theatre Program

Part of Education @ Glasshouse 2026 Theatre Program   

Lev Grossman

Lev Grossman is the author of the bestselling novel The Bright Sword, which was a New York Times Notable Book of 2024, and the #1 bestselling Magicians trilogy, which has been published in 30 countries and was adapted as a TV show that ran for five seasons. The New York Times has called him "a master storyteller." Lev is also a screenwriter and served as Time Magazine's book critic for 15 years. He lives in Sydney with his wife and kids.

R.F. Kuang

Rebecca F. Kuang is the award-winning, #1 New York Times and #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of the Poppy War trilogy, Babel: An Arcane History, Yellowface and Katabasis. She has a Master of Philosophy in Chinese Studies from Cambridge and a Master of Science in Contemporary Chinese Studies from Oxford; she is now pursuing a PhD in East Asian Languages and Literatures at Yale.

Garth Nix

Garth Nix has been a full-time writer since 2001, but has worked in many parts of the publishing industry. His books include the Old Kingdom fantasy series, Newt’s Emerald, A Confusion of Princes and the Keys to the Kingdom series. More than five million copies of his books have been sold around the world. Garth’s work has appeared on the bestseller lists of The New York Times, Publishers Weekly and USA Today and has been translated into 42 languages. His most recent book is The Sinister Booksellers of Bath.

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