For The Love of Books

Join the annual conversation during the first weekend of May in the regional town of Clunes.

Festivals

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Stall Holders

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Visitors

Booktown on Sunday

ONLINE!

Next Session – 20th September 2020

Watch this space for announcements on our September conversations

Sundays Booktown online

How It Works

Book free tickets
You will receive an email (and a reminder email) with a link to the session
Once the session starts you can watch our chair and author in conversation
Recordings will be made available to session attendees

August Booktown on Sunday

In this online session of Booktown on Sunday, Keith Banks, author of the Drugs, Guns and Lies released in July 2020, provides a candid picture of life in the police force from 1975. The wide-ranging discussion includes the challenges of working undercover, dealing with PTSD and who could be trusted when there were corrupt police in Queensland who were later exposed in the Fitzgerald Inquiry.
The interviewer is Leslie Falkiner-Rose, from the Board of Creative Clunes, which runs the Clunes Booktown Festival in May each year. Questions are asked by Creative Clunes Treasurer, Chris O’Donnell.

These sessions are free to watch but not to produce – please consider donating – thank you!

Click on the image on your right to play the Booktown on Sunday August Session. Enjoy!

Book Clubs Hub is Live!

Booktown has built a Book Clubs Hub as an online space for all book clubs across the country to share stories, knowledge, resources and to connect with authors. To find out more click here.

In a book club? Please help us to find out much more about the reach and operations of Australia’s thousands of book clubs by participating in our National Book Club Survey (it only takes 10 minutes).

The first national symposium on books clubs, Book Clubs Friday, originally scheduled for 1 May 2020 in Clunes, Victoria, will be held when possible.

Since 2007

Clunes Booktown

In 2007 the first Booktown (Booktown for a Day) was held attracting over 6,000 visitors. Since then a two day festival, Clunes Booktown Festival has been held annually in May. Over 60 Book Traders from around Australia bring stock to the town and set up shop for the weekend. Street entertainment, food and wine, music and writer’s talks add to the festivities.

The first weekend in May

Festival Info

Turning the stereotype of rural towns on its head: from slow, dusty and dry to a hub of ideas and the arts.

Talk, Panels and Rare Books

Along with author talks and panel discussions, festival-goers can discover the largest collection of rare, out-of-print and collectible books in Australia, go inside heritage buildings, listen to live music, watch street performers, enjoy local wines and produce while meeting and interacting with literature lovers from far and wide.

Tickets

Ticket releases will be announced via our email newsletter (sign up above). Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for all the latest news and festival updates.

Conversation, Ideas and Art

The Clunes Booktown Festival is all about celebrating books and the great conversations and big ideas that come from them. The Festival is turning the stereotype of rural towns on its head: from slow, dusty and dry to a hub of ideas and the arts.

Stay Overnight

We strongly advise all guests intending to stay overnight to book their accommodation early. We’ve made it easy with a list of suggested accommodation options.

Workshops, Entertainment and Food

Author talks, workshops, live entertainment, a kids village, and good food.

The People of Booktown

Each year, an army of local volunteers and a small team of staff, host the annual Clunes Booktown Festival, which attracts 15,000 people to enjoy the most amazing whole town bookshop in the world.

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Stay in Touch with Creative Clunes events, such as our annual Booktown festival, our online booktown on sunday and the clunes bi-annual ceramic award

What People Say About Us

Booktown opinions

"Clunes was fantastic! Thank you for having me Clunes booktown. What a wonderful job the organisers & volunteers do"

Gabrielle WangAuthor

"I think you run an absolutely fantastic festival. Every year it gets better and better. You give attention to every detail, the music this year was brilliant, the quality and position of the food stalls was great, even down to the public toilets that were kept clean all weekend. Well done Guys, great job"

Book Trader

"Extremely enjoyable weekend. Great collection of books for browsing and purchase. Many more book stalls and activities to participate in than I would have imagined"

Festival Visitor

Acknowledgment

We respectfully acknowledge the Wadawurrung and Dja Dja Wurrung people – traditional custodians of the land on which we live and work.

Thanks To

SUPPORT

Creative Clunes Inc, the producers of the Clunes Booktown Festival, Booktown on Sunday, Book Clubs Hub and the Clunes Ceramic Award, is supported by the Victorian Government through Creative Victoria.