Following the extension of Melbourne’s lockdown, and with the safety of staff, artists and audiences front of mind, Melbourne Writers Festival has made the difficult decision to cancel its live events as part of this year’s program, planned to be delivered from Friday 3 to Sunday 12 September.

All tickets to in-person events will automatically be refunded in full, and anyone who wishes to donate the value of their ticket or make a tax-deductible donation to support MWF is welcome to do so.

The MWF Digital program will be brought forward to give you access to online events from home, streaming for an extended period from 3–15 September. Read further details here.

Maggie Nelson’s wonderfully unclassifiable The Argonauts confirmed her status as one of the most intellectually fascinating writers of our time. Exploring love, motherhood, and queer family-making, she blended memoir, humour and literary analysis into a bestselling examination of personal liberty. Her eagerly welcomed follow-up, On Freedom, carries the theme further, exploring the concept of freedom in four distinct spheres: art, sex, drugs, and climate. The author of nine other poetry and prose works, Nelson is one of the most influential writers working today.

Appearing live via video from Los Angeles, she sheds light on an invigorating and essential book for challenging times, in conversation with on-stage interviewer Rebecca Harkins-Cross.

Presented in partnership with RMIT University – Learning Partner for Melbourne Writers Festival.