Event Type: Salamanca Arts Curated

Tues 24 June, 2025
7pm – 9pm (Doors open at 6.30pm)
Live @ The Founders Room
Salamanca Arts Centre
65b Woobys Lane, or for lift access enter through The Courtyard

$39 +bf General Admission
$35 Concession

Welcome to the first of our Classical Salamanca 2025 series, live in the Long Gallery.
Salamanca Arts Centre presents ‘Two Octets’
The String Octet in C major, Op. 7 by George Enescu (1881-1955) and 
the Octet in E-Flat Major, Op. 20 for Strings by Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847).

Tuesday 24th June 2025
Doors & bar open at 6:30pm
Music commences at 7pm 

The Long Gallery
Level One, Salamanca Arts Centre
[ Enter via the main doors at 77 Salamanca Place, or take the Lift via the Courtyard ]

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In this concert of two of the most-loved string octets, Chamber music leader, Peter Tanfield, will direct an ensemble of some of the best and most highly-regarded musicians in Tasmania, including:
(Violins) Peter Tanfield, Phoebe Masel, Natalya Bing and Joshua Farner;
(Violas) Douglas Coghill and Damien Holloway,
(Celli) William Hewer and Kate Calwell.

You can read more about Enescu’s Octet here.

You can read more about Mendelssohn’s Octet here.

Tickets are only $39+BF, or $35+BF for concession card holders, and with a further discount offered to SAC Associate members.

Peter Tanfield was born in England in 1961 and started the violin aged four. He studied in Germany, Israel, Switzerland and Holland where his teachers were Igor Ozim, Felix Andrievski, Alberto Lysy, Herman Krebbers and Yehudi Menuhin.
He was a prize-winner at The Carl Flesch International Competition, International Mozart Competition, International Bach Competition amongst others.   As soloist and chamber musician he has played throughout Europe, China, Japan, India, Canada, the Middle East, Africa, USA, and USSR. He has recorded numerous solo and chamber works for television and radio as well as CD. He has played for Chairman Deng in China and the Sultan of Oman.

As soloist Peter has appeared with many major orchestras; the Philharmonia, City of London Sinfonia, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, West German Radio Orchestra, Radio Symphony Orchestra of the RAI in Rome, Scottish Chamber Orchestra.
As concertmaster, he has had extensive experience working with BBC Philharmonic, RSO RAI Roma, West German Radio Orchestra, London Sinfonietta, Scottish Chamber Orchestra. Some of the artists and composers he has worked and performed with: Astor Piazzolla, Charlie Watts, Pinchas Zukerman, Yehudi Menuhin, Charles Wuorinen, Arvo Paert, Graeme Koehne, Gary Carr, Itzhak Perlman.
Some of the conductors he has worked with are Carlo Maria Giulini, Claudio Abbado, Charles Dutoit, Louis Fremaux, Richard Hickox, Heinz Wallberg, Jun-Ichi Hirokami, John Adams, Oliver Knussen, Paavo Jaervi, Martin Brabbins, Gary Bertini, Georg Solti, Pierre Boulez, Simon Rattle.

Peter has been active as a teacher in Britain, Spain, Germany, Switzerland and Australia organizing, coordinating and delivering courses and chamber music programmes for festivals and youth organizations.
From 2002 to 2008 he was lecturer in violin and ensemble at the Tasmanian Conservatorium of Music, University of Tasmania. He was also Artistic Director of the Tasmanian Senior Youth Orchestra and the Derwent Symphony Orchestra, and has been Artistic Advisor to the Hobart Chamber Orchestra. Peter came to Australia in 1998 to lead the Australian String Quartet.  Until he left in November 2001 he dedicated himself to the quartet’s development and teaching at the university of Adelaide, expanding the ensemble’s national profile, making two films for the ABC and becoming the Artistic Director of the Adelaide Chamber Orchestra.

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Please note that the Courtyard Lift IS OPERATING!

Doors & Bar open at 6:30pm
Music begins at 7pm

The Long Gallery
Level One, Salamanca Arts Centre

77 Salamanca Place 
Hobart.
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This concert at Salamanca Arts Centre is supported by Arts Tasmania’s 2025 Arts Projects Fund.
Salamanca Arts Centre is grateful for this support via Arts Tasmania and the Minister for the Arts.

Fri 9 May, 2025
7:30pm – 10:00pm (Doors open at 7pm)
Live @ The Founders Room
Salamanca Arts Centre
65b Woobys Lane, or for lift access enter through The Courtyard

$19 + bf

Welcome to the Global Sounds Salamanca series, live in the Founders Room on Woobys Lane.

Berimbau

Friday 9th May 2025
Doors & bar open at 7pm
Music from 7:30pm 

The Founders Room on Woobys Lane
Salamanca Arts Centre 

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Berimbau is a half Brazilian  / half Australian band, specialising in Brazilian music.  From samba to bossa nova, choro to forró, let Berimbau take you on a whirlwind tour through the rich musical tapestry of the tropical nation which gave birth to so many infectious rhythms and searing melodies. 

Berimbau also performs in a traditional ‘roda de samba’, where the audience encircles the band which plays in the centre of the room and which allows the audience to experience the music a different way.

Berimabu’s ‘raucous’ sets with a big band and full percussion section, will have the whole audience up on the dance floor inspired by the passion of samba!

Berimbau comprises of:
Elijah Davies – guitar | Elisse Kleiner – flute | Jeremy Marcotte – percussion | Henrique Mariano – percussion | Dan McGill – percussion, vocals | Noah Rosenbloom – cavaquinho, vocals | Cissa Santos – vocals | Elias Solis – percussion

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Please note that the Courtyard Lift IS OPERATING!

Doors & Bar open at 7pm

Music begins at 7.30pm
The Founders Room on Woobys Lane
Salamanca Arts Centre.

Concession tickets are only $19 ea +BF

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This concert at Salamanca Arts Centre is supported by Arts Tasmania’s 2025 Arts Projects Fund.
Salamanca Arts Centre is grateful for this support via Arts Tasmania and the Minister for the Arts.

Sat 31 May, 2025
7:30pm – 10:00pm (Doors open at 7pm)
Live @ The Founders Room
Salamanca Arts Centre
65b Woobys Lane, or for lift access enter through The Courtyard

$28 +bf each
$52 +bf for 2 x tickets
$91 +bf for 4 x tickets

Salamanca Jazz is Live in the Founders Room on Woobys Lane, with 
We Got Rhythm: Ken Schroder’s Jazz Latin Sextet

Saturday 31st May 2025
Doors & bar open at 7pm
Music from 7:30pm 

The Founders Room on Woobys Lane
Salamanca Arts Centre 

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“A quick Internet search reveals that Latin America refers to the lands colonised by the French, Spanish and Portuguese during the maritime ‘Age of Discovery’ of the new World by Christopher Columbus and others around 1492.

The distinction from other American colonies of the Dutch and British was first made only in the 19th century, using the differences in the predominance of Latin in the languages of these powers, possibly to keep the distance between Protestant and Catholic countries nice and sharp.

Latin American music came about with the introduction of slavery, where Africans were brought against their will to work the plantations and elsewhere in the new colonies, and even if they were deprived of their drums, they brought with them the rhythms central to their cultures.

From these dismal beginnings of colonialism, many wonderful fusions emerged, where African rhythm fused with European languages and cultures to create many styles of so-called Latin American music. With the advent of freedom and independence this music kept developing, and with modern technologies, like the radio and recordings, spread back around the world creating dance crazes, pop music movements, even Herb Alpert and the Tijuana brass.  Famous amongst these are the cha cha, the tango, the conga, salsa, samba, bossa nova, and merengue.

This band comprises: Ken Schroder (sax/clarinet), Aaron Entresz (guitar), Louise Denson (piano), Ben Brinkhoff (double bass), Liam O’Leary (drum kit), Pablo Cadenas (percussion).

To me, Latin music is like a mountain, or even a mountain range, like the Himalayas, and I must walk around it, looking for footholds for a jazz mountaineer to attempt to climb some of the peaks. Jazz Latin is a fusion; often those who wrote famous Latin tunes had no idea that jazz saxophonists would attempt to play their songs.  What the jazz player looks for is a great tune, and Brazilian tunes possess that quality in spades; powerful rhythms, music which already bears the stamp of fusion with jazz, like Bossa Nova with Joao Gilberto, Astrid Gilberto and Stan Getz, or Dizzy Gillespie with Cuban conga genius, Chano Pozo. Drummers like Art Blakey, Roy Haynes, Art Taylor all had African roots to their drumming, even if it was swing or bebop or even cool jazz.

We Got Rhythm draws on all these influences, and we even indulge in a little swing, and, above all, we’d like to share our enthusiasm for this music with you, the audience.”
Ken Schroder

Please note that the Courtyard Lift IS OPERATING!

Doors & Bar open at 7pm

Music begins at 7.30pm
The Founders Room on Woobys Lane
Salamanca Arts Centre.

Tickets are only $28 ea +BF, or buy two tix for $52+BF, or buy four tix for only $91+BF.

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This concert at Salamanca Arts Centre is support by Arts Tasmania’s 2025 Arts Projects Fund.
Salamanca Arts Centre is grateful for this support via Arts Tasmania and the Minister for the Arts.

Fri 11 April, 2025
7:30pm – 10:00pm (Doors open at 7pm)
Live @ The Founders Room
Salamanca Arts Centre
65b Woobys Lane, or for lift access enter through The Courtyard

$19 + bf

Friday 11th April 2025
Doors & bar open at 7pm
Music from 7:30pm 

The Founders Room on Woobys Lane
Salamanca Arts Centre 

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Son del Sur, Tasmania’s own 10-piece salsa band has built a strong reputation, performing at Tasmania’s most popular venues and major music festivals and events, showcasing their vibrant sound across the state.  Son del Sur draws inspiration from the giants of salsa; think Celia Cruz, the rhythmic genius of Tito Puente, and the brilliance of Ruben Blades, while also adding the legendary beats of Buena Vista Social Club.  This influence has become the path the band has decided to follow. 

With Son del Sur, you’ll dive into the energetic salsa spirit of the barrio from the ’70s and ’80s.  The band brings a blend of salsa from the vibrant streets of New York, Puerto Rico, and Cuba, adding their own arrangements and original beats to give their salsa and Latin jazz a unique ‘Tassie’ flavour. Son del Sur is made up of local musicians. 

Its members are:

Franco Solis: The band leader, percussionist, and main vocalist from Chile, is well-known for his long music career and collaborations with the local Tassie music scene.

Elias Solis: Local Latin percussionist from Chile, Elias grew up in a musical family and studied in Chile, Peru, Brazil, and Cuba, performing Latin music, jazz, and contemporary styles.

Lea Palacios: The band’s newest lead singer from Colombia, she’s worked with diverse music groups, from Jazz to Rock and Latin fusion, blending styles with her deep, expressive voice.

Konrad Park: The band’s dynamite timbal player, is known for his long career as a percussionist in Tasmania. A brilliant drummer and teacher, he has inspired many with his skill and dedication.

Kelly Ottaway: Adds flavour to the band’s groove with his piano, montunos, and arrangements. Kelly is a brilliant arranger and music writer, he spices up every performance with his creative touch.

Simon Reid: Son del Sur’s bass man, Simon, is a Tasmanian multi-instrumentalist and teacher. He’s backed hundreds of bands locally and nationally, producing original music and salsa grooves that keep you dancing all night.

Scott David Cashion: Baritone and Tenor Saxophone player, and occasional hand percussionist, he’s enjoyed a 35-year music career across diverse Tasmanian settings and performance situations, enriching each with his talent.

Yoram Levy: Trumpeter and former Principal Trumpet of the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, is now a sought-after nationwide performer, educator, and ensemble leader since retiring from the TSO.

Les Johnston: a passionate trombonist, combines over a decade of performance and educational experience with technical skill and captivating stage presence, making him a top choice for jazz, classical, and contemporary ensembles.

Frances White: Is a powerful trombone player who makes the band stand out. She plays great solos, works with many different bands, and always adds something special to the music.

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Please note that the Courtyard Lift IS OPERATING!

Doors & Bar open at 7pm

Music begins at 7.30pm
The Founders Room on Woobys Lane
Salamanca Arts Centre.

Concession tickets are only $19 ea +BF

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This concert at Salamanca Arts Centre is supported by Arts Tasmania’s 2025 Arts Projects Fund.
Salamanca Arts Centre is grateful for this support via Arts Tasmania and the Minister for the Arts.

Sat 26 April, 2025
7:30pm – 10:00pm (Doors open at 7pm)
Live @ The Founders Room
Salamanca Arts Centre
65b Woobys Lane, or for lift access enter through The Courtyard

$28 +bf each
$52 +bf for 2 x tickets
$91 +bf for 4 x tickets

Welcome to the Salamanca Jazz 2025 series, live in the Founders Room on Woobys Lane.

Nadira & Friends’ Tribute to the Great Ladies of Jazz.

Saturday 26th April 2025
Doors & bar open at 7pm
Music from 7:30pm 

The Founders Room on Woobys Lane
Salamanca Arts Centre 

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If you haven’t seen or heard Nadira before, here’s what others say about her; Australianjazz.net – Nadira is this unstoppable person! Full of energy and enthusiasm. Nadira sings with the kind of pure joy that is totally contagious. Anyone who has been to her shows knows that this petite, yet commanding, performer has a punk-ish attitude and on-stage banter that could be a comedy act on its own!

Liz Carnovale (Paris Cat Jazz Club – Artistic and Programming Director) – Nadira is a dynamic, enthusiastic and forever playful Vocalist that brings joy into a room! Petit in size but robust with her punchy, articulate Jazz vocals and her quick wit…Nadira immediately gains your attention…make no mistake Nadira is the real Jazz deal! 

Bob Sedergreen (Australian legendary jazz pianist, Australian Jazz Hall of Fame 2018) – Nadira is a very capable and experienced vocalist with a comprehensive repertoire. She is a professional artist who communicates immediately with her audience and is a pleasure to work with. 

Nadira will be joined on stage by: Aaron Entresz – guitar; Konrad Park – drums; Lestyn Parry – piano; Seb Folvig – double bass; Jesse Bowden – sax; and Stevie McEntee – trombone. 

See for yourselves what the hype is all about! Nadira and Friends will be performing as a Septet showcasing a tribute to the Great Ladies of Jazz, with fresh renditions of jazz standards tunes and well-loved songs from The Great American Songbook.

Please note that the Courtyard Lift IS OPERATING!

Doors & Bar open at 7pm

Music begins at 7.30pm
The Founders Room on Woobys Lane
Salamanca Arts Centre.

Tickets are only $28 ea +BF, or buy two tix for $52+BF, or buy four tix for only $91+BF.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This concert at Salamanca Arts Centre is supported by Arts Tasmania’s 2025 Arts Projects Fund.
Salamanca Arts Centre is grateful for this support via Arts Tasmania and the Minister for the Arts.

Sat 29 March, 2025
7:30pm – 10:00pm (Doors open at 7pm)
Live @ The Founders Room
Salamanca Arts Centre
65b Woobys Lane, or for lift access enter through The Courtyard

$28 +bf each
$52 +bf for 2 x tickets
$91 +bf for 4 x tickets

Welcome to the Salamanca Jazz 2025 series, live in the Founders Room on Woobys Lane.
The Modern Operative presents ‘Ten Dags on the Island’

Saturday 29th March 2025
Doors & bar open at 7pm
Music from 7:30pm 

The Founders Room on Woobys Lane
Salamanca Arts Centre 

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In this big concert, The Modern Operative perform as a ten-piece band, featuring some of Tasmania’s finest jazz musicians, including:

Kelly Ottaway, Les Johnston, Al Dobson, Matt Boden, Hamish Houston, Mitch Ellis, Spike Mason, Damien Kingston, Simon Ramirez, Tom Robb.

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Please note that the Courtyard Lift IS OPERATING!

Doors & Bar open at 7pm

Music begins at 7.30pm
The Founders Room on Woobys Lane
Salamanca Arts Centre.

Tickets are only $28 ea +BF, or buy two tix for $52+BF, or buy four tix for only $91+BF.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This concert at Salamanca Arts Centre is supported by Arts Tasmania’s 2025 Arts Projects Fund.
Salamanca Arts Centre is grateful for this support via Arts Tasmania and the Minister for the Arts.

Celebrate Hobart’s designation as a UNESCO City of Literature at Hobart LitFest!

Join us for a dynamic program showcasing Tasmania’s finest writers, with engaging panels, book launches, interactive workshops, and intimate readings. This is an incredible opportunity to connect with the literary talent that makes Hobart unique. The festival will culminate in an exciting Independent Book Fair, where you can discover and support local independent authors and publishers. Don’t miss out on this celebration of words, culture, and creativity in the heart of Tasmania.

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Week Two Program

From Monday 7th – Saturday 12th April 2025

Monday 7th & Wednesday 9th April 2025 – 10AM
Via Booking Only

Young Writers High School Program
Presented by Tasmanian Indie Author Group & Salamanca Arts Centre
Salamanca Arts Centre are partnering with the Tasmanian Independent Author Group to present the Young Writers High School Program as a part of Hobart LitFest. This program offers high school students the opportunity to engage in three one-hour sessions led by independent authors from the Tasmanian Independent Author Group. During each session, students will participate in tailored writing workshops designed to inspire creativity, sharpen their writing skills, and explore new styles of expression. This interactive experience fosters a deeper connection to the writing process while encouraging self-expression and personal growth in a supportive, hands-on environment.
To find out more, please visit the school booking system below.

• – – –

Monday 7^th April 2025 – 5:30PM
Free Event

‘Pony Tales’ Book Launch and Children’s Picture Book Panel Discussion
Presented by Forty South Tasmania
Join us for the launch of “Pony Tales: For the Love of Shetland Ponies” by Jacqui Sinclair Dickson, a collection of spirited stories and vivid charcoal drawings from a life-long horse-lover, writer and vision-impaired artist. The book will be launched by award-winning author/illustrator Fiona Levings (co-regional co-ordinator of Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators), followed by a discussion with other Tasmanian author/illustrators on their creative process.

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Tuesday 8^th & Thursday 10th April 2025 – 10:30AM
Via Booking Only

Story Island Presents… ‘Mix, Match, Make!’

Collage and storytelling collide in this highly engaging and accessible creative workshop, brought to you by The Story Island Project.
In Mix, Match, Make!, students will experiment with text and images cut out from magazines, books and newspapers to create their very own stories or poems in collage form.
This dynamic workshop includes a mix of individual and group activities and, as students can engage with the materials at a variety of levels, it caters for a diverse range of abilities.
Each group will be led by one of Story Island’s expert Story Leaders, with additional student support from our trained team of volunteers.
To find out more, please visit the school booking system below.

About Story Island
The Story Island Project is a Hobart-based not-for-profit organisation that nurtures the creativity and writing skills of young Tasmanians and celebrates their diverse voices.
With the support of our enthusiastic volunteer tutors, Story Island runs free, dynamic storytelling workshops where young people are empowered to create their own stories.
Our vision is for young people to harness the power of their imaginations so they can grow to be resilient and creative shapers of their own lives.

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Wednesday 9^th April 2025 – 6:30PM
Free Event

Tassie Indies Read
Enjoy a showcase of Tasmanian Indie Authors reading their work. Ranging a number of genre styles of writing, come along and find your new favourite author!

• – – –

Saturday 12^th April – 10AM til 3PM
Free Event

2025 Tassie Indie Author Book Fair
Come along and check out Tassie’s best independent authors. Something for everyone with a range of genres on offer. Meet the authors! Buy the books! Book signings and giveaways! Find out more here.

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Our Sponsors

Salamanca Art Centre’s Hobart LitFest is supported by the City of Hobart’s Event Grants Program.

We would like to thank the following sponsors for their generous support.

Celebrate Hobart’s designation as a UNESCO City of Literature at Hobart LitFest!

Join us for a dynamic program showcasing Tasmania’s finest writers, with engaging panels, book launches, interactive workshops, and intimate readings. This is an incredible opportunity to connect with the literary talent that makes Hobart unique. The festival will culminate in an exciting Independent Book Fair, where you can discover and support local independent authors and publishers. Don’t miss out on this celebration of words, culture, and creativity in the heart of Tasmania.

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Sunday Program

Sunday 6^th April 2025 – 10:00AM
Sunday Ticket / Full Festival Ticket

Festival Hub Open
Welcome to the Hobart LitFest Hub – a cozy retreat for ticket holders! Enjoy complimentary tea and coffee as you unwind in a comfortable space designed for writer and readers alike. Whether you’re here to sit back with a good book, jot down your thoughts, or simply connect with fellow festivalgoers, our hub offers a perfect escape. Come in, recharge, and take a moment to enjoy the slightly quieter side of the festival.

• – – –

Sunday 6^th April 2025 – 12:30PM
Sunday Ticket / Full Festival Ticket

Creating Book Merch: Art and the Crowdfunding Author
Festival goers will be guided through how to create your own unique book merch using DIY craft, local resources, and creative partnerships to create extra value for your crowdfunding campaigns. The presenter, Tansy Rayner Roberts, will discuss her own experiences and take you through ways to boost book sales using art & craft in the digital age.

The Presenter : Tansy Rayner Roberts

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Sunday 6^th April 2025 – 1:45PM
Sunday Ticket / Festival Ticket

Tassie Fireside Chat – From Page To Screen with Belinda Bradley & Franz Docherty

Join us for From Page to Screen with screenwriters Belinda Bradley & Franz Docherty as they share the process of crafting a screenplay and bringing it to life on film. Get an insider’s look at what it truly takes to transform a written script into a dynamic film, with Belinda and Franz exploring the journey from the page to the screen. Whether you’re an aspiring screenwriter, filmmaker, or film enthusiast, this event will offer valuable lessons and insider knowledge on the magic of storytelling for the screen.

The Presenters : Belinda Bradley and Franz Docherty

• – – –
• Sunday 6^th April 2025 – 2:45PM
• Sunday Ticket / Full Festival Ticket

Tassie Fireside Chat – Get Published, Tasmania!
Produced by Forty South Tasmania & Island Magazine

Tasmania is producing some of the finest writing in the country, supported by a diverse and growing publishing industry. Join Island’s Jane Rawson and Forty South’s Rayne Allinson and Lucinda Sharp for a deep dive into what these publishing outlets are looking for, and how to kick-start your publishing career here in Tasmania.

The Presenters: Rayne Allinson (Forty South), Lucinda Sharp (Forty South), and Jane Rawson (Island Magazine)

– – –

Sunday 6^th April 2025 – 4:00PM
Sunday Ticket / Full Festival Ticket

Hobart as a UNESCO City of Literature: What It Means for Tasmania
Join us for an exciting panel event on Hobart as a UNESCO City of Literature: What It Means for Tasmania’s Future. This forward-looking discussion will explore the transformative potential of Hobart’s UNESCO recognition, focusing on how it will shape the state’s literary and cultural landscape in the years ahead. Local authors and experts will discuss the opportunities for growth in the local literary scene, fostering collaborations, and nurturing a new generation of writers and creatives. Don’t miss this chance to hear how Hobart’s designation is paving the way for a brighter, more dynamic cultural future for Tasmania.

The Presenters : Arianne James, Rayne Allinson, and Patrick Gregory

• – – –

Sunday 6^th April 2025 – 5:00PM
Sunday Ticket / Full Festival Ticket

LitFest Networking Event
Join us at the Hobart LitFest Festival Hub for an exclusive networking event! Connect with fellow book lovers, authors, and industry professionals in a relaxed and inspiring atmosphere. Enjoy a complimentary drink upon entry as you mingle and share your passion for literature. This is the perfect opportunity to make new connections, exchange ideas, and be part of a vibrant literary community. Don’t miss out on this exciting event – where creativity and conversation flow!

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Our Sponsors

Salamanca Art Centre’s Hobart LitFest is supported by the City of Hobart’s Event Grants Program.

We would like to thank the following sponsors for their generous support.

Celebrate Hobart’s designation as a UNESCO City of Literature at Hobart LitFest!

Join us for a dynamic program showcasing Tasmania’s finest writers, with engaging panels, book launches, interactive workshops, and intimate readings. This is an incredible opportunity to connect with the literary talent that makes Hobart unique. The festival will culminate in an exciting Independent Book Fair, where you can discover and support local independent authors and publishers. Don’t miss out on this celebration of words, culture, and creativity in the heart of Tasmania.

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Saturday Program

Saturday 5^th April 2025 – 12:00PM
Saturday Ticket / Full Festival Ticket

Opening Lines and Unresolved Issues: How to begin and how to end a really good story
Katherine Johnson, Kathryn Lomer and Robbie Arnott are all Award-winning Tasmanian authors, who will be sharing some insights as to how they set their opening scenes, what to say at the end, and what might be best left unsaid.

• – – –

Saturday 5^th April 2025 – 1:15PM
Saturday Ticket / Full Festival Ticket

People are so Gullible: Do Facts in History even matter anymore?
Our world is full of heavy words and grand proclamations hurled with such passion and force because someone wants us to believe them. But saying something does not make it so. Esteemed Tasmanian historians Hamish Maxwell-Stewart, Robert Cox and Alison Alexander remind us of the value of Fact and Evidence in Writing History.

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Saturday 5^th April 2025 – 2:30PM
Saturday Ticket / Full Festival Ticket

Short stories and Long shots: Weaving the improbable with the credible (in under 5,000 words)
The short story has been a valued and favoured form for writers and readers for hundreds of years. What art is there in fashioning an engaging tale without the freedom of unlimited length.  Cameron Hindrum, Leigh Swinbourne and Mallika Naguran have each published collections of short stories, and will share their thoughts on how to tame big ideas in order to reveal all that the reader needs to know, sometimes in only a few pages.

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Saturday 5^th April 2025 – 3:45PM
Saturday Ticket / Full Festival Ticket

Burning Bridges, Burning Books & Burning Issues
We have always lauded a writer’s courage to say what needs to be said. With subtlety and satire, history’s sacred cows have been subjected to scrutiny. Award-winning Tasmanian authors, including Adam Ouston, Gina Mercer, and Ben Walter ponder the rights and obligations of the contemporary writer to say what they wish to say in an increasingly complex world.

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Saturday 5^th April 2025 – 5PM
Saturday Ticket / Full Festival Ticket

A Distillation of the Language: Why Poetry is the highest form of writing.
In this provocation, Pete Hay, Anne Kellas, and Sarah Day; three of Tasmania’s most highly regarded poets, will share why Poetry is their chosen form, and how Poetry, alone, allows human concerns, both personal and universal, to co-exist, and to be articulated within the most economic use of the English language.

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Saturday 5^th April 2025 – 7:30PM
Saturday Ticket / Full Festival Ticket

The Great Literary Debate – Plotting vs Pantsing
“It’s better to fly by the seat of your pants than plan and plot your book in detail.”

Come and watch local Tasmanian authors battle out this contentious topic while their tongues remain firmly planted in their cheeks.

The Panelists

Lissa Bilyk, Ruth Amos, DK Girl, Lou Powers, David Webby, Simon Thiessen, and Cary Lenehan

Facilitated by Mark Mannock. Adjudicated by the audience!

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Our Sponsors

Salamanca Art Centre’s Hobart LitFest is supported by the City of Hobart’s Event Grants Program.

We would like to thank the following sponsors for their generous support.

Celebrate Hobart’s designation as a UNESCO City of Literature at Hobart LitFest!

Join us for a dynamic program showcasing Tasmania’s finest writers, with engaging panels, book launches, interactive workshops, and intimate readings. This is an incredible opportunity to connect with the literary talent that makes Hobart unique. The festival will culminate in an exciting Independent Book Fair, where you can discover and support local independent authors and publishers. Don’t miss out on this celebration of words, culture, and creativity in the heart of Tasmania.

---

Friday Program

Friday 4^th April 2025 – 4:00PM
Friday Ticket / Full Festival Ticket

Festival Hub Open
Welcome to the Hobart LitFest Hub – a cozy retreat for ticket holders! Enjoy complimentary tea and coffee as you unwind in a comfortable space designed for writer and readers alike. Whether you’re here to sit back with a good book, jot down your thoughts, or simply connect with fellow festivalgoers, our hub offers a perfect escape. Come in, recharge, and take a moment to enjoy the slightly quieter side of the festival.

– – –

Friday 4^th April 2025 – 5:30PM
Friday Ticket / Full Festival Ticket

Tasmanian Literary Prize Longlist Open Mic
Join us for a special Open Mic session featuring Tasmanian Literary Prize Longlist authors! This intimate event offers a chance to hear short snippets of their captivating works, as they share their stories and voices with Hobart audiences. Don’t miss the opportunity to experience firsthand the talent and creativity of these exciting authors.

Presenting Authors : Susan Austin, Ian Broinowski, and Leigh Swinbourne

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Friday 4^th April 2025 – 7:00PM
Friday Ticket / Full Festival Ticket

Scratch Night with Bad Company Theatre
Step into the creative world of Hobart’s emerging playwrights at our Scratch Night! Join us for an evening of play readings, showcasing new works by up-and-coming local writers. Facilitated by the talented team at Bad Company Theatre, this is a unique opportunity to experience raw, untapped stories in their early stages. Be part of the creative process, offer feedback, and witness the future of Hobart theatre unfold!

• – – –

Friday 4^th April 2025 – 8:15PM
Friday Ticket / Full Festival Ticket

JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER
Join PROTEA Impro as we perform a classic novel in JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER. Which book? Well that’s up to you! As a Hobart LitFest special treat we’ll be asking about your favourite romance novels, romantic characters and Tas literature and then we’ll see them come to life in a stunning (or bewildering) improvised stage adaptation. Will it be a faithful adaptation? Not even close: Just give us some titles, some plot points, maybe a couple of characters and we’ll do the rest.

See you on Friday April 4th for 
JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER 
‘Let’s build a romance novel!’

PROTEA Impro
PROTEA Impro is Tasmania’s leading improvised theatre company. Specialising in full length plays and narrative works which they have performed across the country and overseas. They also hold the Tasmanian licence for Theatresports™️ which they perform monthly at The Founders Room SAC. 

PROTEA Impro’s 2025 season is supported by Salamanca Arts Centre 

Tasmanian improvisation. Follow us on Insta @proteaimpro

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Our Sponsors

Salamanca Art Centre’s Hobart LitFest is supported by the City of Hobart’s Event Grants Program.

We would like to thank the following sponsors for their generous support.