ABOUT
INTERNATIONAL CRIME AND MYSTERY LITERARY FESTIVAL
Founded in 2019, Terror Australis Readers and Writers Festival (TARWF) is Australia's southern-most literary festival, a celebration of books, writing and community in the glorious Huon Valley.
Just 30 minutes from Hobart's CBD, and a world away, we offer a range of live, live-streamed and virtual programming throughout the year.
Our aim is to build the Huon Valley literary sector - including writers of all ages - and by extension contribute to the wider Tasmanian sector, through our activities, partnerships and digitisation of our events.
Our annual program includes three days of livestreamed sessions for southern Tasmania from the Sydney Writers’ Festival, workshops for young writers, and professional development events for adult writers.
Every odd year, at the end of October/beginning of November, we also present a biennial crime and mystery literary festival that attracts international and national guest writers, and offers panel discussions, bespoke festival events, book launches and celebrations alongside our professional development program.
Our program’s focus is connecting people and books, celebrating Tasmanian stories and fostering creativity and imagination. This brings value, profile and opportunity to our local literary, arts and culture sector.
TARWF is a non-profit organisation led by a Board. Our annual and biennial programs are led by the festival’s Founder/Director and events delivered by a team of dedicated volunteers. We work closely with our regional community – engaging with a broad cross-section of our residents – and partner with local, state and national businesses and non-profit organisations to deliver our programs.
Our activities support the economic recovery of our region by attracting visitors to the Huon Valley in the shoulder seasons. We attract 1200+ bednights to the region in full, live festival years and around half that in other years. In a community with less than 50% adult literacy, we also support activities for emerging adult readers working to improve their reading skills.
FESTIVAL MATRON
Festival Matron
Dr Alison Alexander
A NOTE FROM DR ALEXANDER: Festivals have been proven to have a beneficial effect on communities, encouraging participation, celebrating the arts, stimulating artistic output which improves community morale and togetherness, and bringing in outsiders who provide extra cash. Such activities are particularly important for rural centres. They are encouraged to see themselves not as some distant area remote from the excitement of the city, but as a vibrant centre humming with creativity and excitement.
The Terror Australia Readers and Writers Festival is of huge benefit to writers in the community, who are encouraged and given opportunities to promote their work. The Festival is also committed to an easily accessible program throughout the Huon Valley, thus benefiting not only one centre.
The Festival is exceeding expectations in its scope and the number of invested participants. This is a great achievement for a relatively small festival, and indicates excellent planning and organisation. I highly commend the festival, it’s leaders, and all who choose to participate in this wonderful event celebrating both readers and writers.
TARWF BOARD
Chairperson
Dr Angela Meyer
DR ANGELA MEYER has worked in the book industry for almost two decades, including as a bookseller, book journalist, Books+Publishing editor, commissioning editor and publisher, freelance editor, literary award judge and author.
She is currently a lecturer in the Master of Writing and Publishing at RMIT.
Her debut novel, A Superior Spectre, was shortlisted for an Aurealis Award, the MUD Literary Prize, an ABIA, the Readings Prize and a Saltire Literary Society Award. She is the author of a novella, Joan Smokes, which won the inaugural Mslexia Novella Award (UK), and a book of flash fiction, Captives. Her second novel, Moon Sugar, was released in October 2022.
Originally from Coffs Harbour, with a particular awareness of the challenges faced by regional arts, Angela was a key presenter and interviewer at TARWF from 2019 to 2023, and joined the Board as inaugural Chair in 2023.
Festival Founder and Director
(ex-officio)
Dr L.J.M. Owen
In 2019, DR L.J.M. OWEN founded TARWF as a brand new long weekend crime and mystery festival in Tasmania’s Huon Valley—a celebration of reading, writing and books. The festival grew to offer more than four weeks’ programming in 2023. With her trademark disregard for sleep, L.J. is the current Director of TARWF, the Convenor of TARWF’s annual Children’s Mystery Short Story Competition, and the Convenor of the Tasmanian branch of Sisters in Crime Australia.
L.J. previously escaped dark days as a public servant for a sunnier profession—inventing murder. A multi-award winning writer, L.J.’s novels include the chilling The Great Divide, longlisted for the 2020 Ngaio Marsh Award, and three books in the Dr Pimms archaeological mystery series. Most recently, she was the editor of the internationally acclaimed novel anthology, Murder You Wrote: An Interactive Mystery.
Following a childhood in a variety of towns and rural areas of NZ, NSW and QLD, L.J. moved to Canberra to study archaeology and human genetics. After several stints overseas, she left the ACT to settle in Tasmania. She is a passionate supporter of regional writers and literacy for adults. Her guiding principles are kindness, integrity and finding joy in the unexpected.
Board Member
Marion Stoneman
After studying Professional Writing and Editing, MARION STONEMAN worked at the Tasmanian Writers Centre for nine years as membership and program coordinator, as well as helping to present the biennial Tasmanian Readers and Writers Festival (2013-2017).
In 2019 she joined the team presenting the inaugural Terror Australis Readers and Writers Festival in the Huon Valley, and continued as deputy Director from 2020 to 2023, joining the inaugural Board in 2023. In 2006 she founded the Eastern Shore Writers Group with poet Lyn Reeves and continues to convene the group, having co-edited two group anthologies: I Want You to be the Victim (2019) and Corrosion (2022).
Marion also enjoys writing herself, especially poetry. Marion is a keen sailor and soon plans to cast off into the wide blue yonder in search of more great stories.
Board Member
Jony Berry
A proud Palawa (Tasmanian Aboriginal) man from Melukerdee (Huon Valley) country, JONY BERRY is a talented artist and passionate advocate for greater representation of First Nations and LGBTQI+ communities in all art forms, showcasing the richness of Australian First Nations culture.
In 2024, Jony was crowned Mr Universe, an historic milestone as the first Indigenous Australian to win the Mr Universe title, and the first Australian to win the title of Mr or Miss Universe since Jennifer Hawkins two decades ago. He previously won Indigenous Mr World Australia, and has worked as the Palawa representative for Sydney World Pride and the Indigenous representative for the National Stroke Foundation.
A core member of the TARWF team in 2022 and 2023, and a key Melukerdee community representative, Jony joined the TARWF Board in 2024.
Board Member
Poppy Gee
POPPY GEE spent the first eighteen years of her life in Tasmania on a small farm outside of Launceston. She moved to Brisbane to attend the University of Queensland where she received a BA in English.
Her first novel, Bay of Fires, was written as part of a Master of Philosophy in Creative Writing, at the University of Queensland, for which she received the Dean’s Award for Excellence. Her second novel, Vanishing Falls, is set in a fictional rainforest near an enchanting three-tiered waterfall n northern Tasmania, where Poppy’s parents often took their four children for bushwalking picnics on weekends.
Poppy has worked as a journalist, an editor and a university lecturer. She now lives in Brisbane in an 1875 Queenslander cottage with her husband, three children and three cats.
A key presenter and leading light at Terror Australis Readers and Writers Festival in 2021 and 2023, Poppy joined the TARWF Board in 2024.
Board Member
Sarah E.C. Byrne
SARAH E.C. BYRNE is a long-term supporter of crime and mystery writing, with experience in literary award judging and international mystery festival organisation.
As a lawyer, Sarah has worked in the fields of intellectual property and ethics for more than 25 years. She has served as in-house counsel for State and Commonwealth Government departments, and is an accredited mediator with particular experience in the resolution of workplace disputes. Sarah is also recognised for her considerable expertise in information and privacy law, having headed the Information Law practice of a national law firm and produced an award-winning manual for the Commonwealth Department of Health.
Sarah to the TARWF Board in 2023.
Board Member
Meg Keneally
After working as a reporter, radio producer and scuba diver instructor, MEG KENEALLY is now a novelist.
Author of two historical novels, Fled and The Wreck (Echo Publishing), and co-author with Tom Keneally of the Monsarrat series (Penguin) of historical murder mysteries, Meg is also a co-editor of the Animals Make Us Human anthology (Penguin).
Meg grew up visiting Tasmania, is now a part-time resident, and joined the Board in 2023.
Please email any queries to: felicity.lemon.tarwf @ gmail.com
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Terror Australis Readers and Writers Festival would like to acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which our festival is held, the Melukerdee People of the South East Nation, and pay our respects to Elders past and present.
