Staff share what they’re planning to see at the Melbourne Writers Festival this year. (You can find the full program here).

Nina Kenwood is excited about Rob Thomas, Sarah Waters, Jon Ronson and more

The first name that jumped out at me was Rob Thomas, creator of my beloved TV series Veronica Mars, (among other things). I cannot wait to see him. Definitely my stand-out highlight, in terms of immediate excitement.

Other internationals I want to see: I really enjoyed Dietland, so I am looking forward to hearing Sarai Walker discuss her debut novel. Likewise, I love Sarah Waters, and I loved her most recent novel The Paying Guests, so she is big highlight on the program for me. I haven’t read Laurie Penny’s book Unspeakable Things, but her session on feminism looks fascinating. Finally, I am a long-time fan of Jon Ronson, who is a terrific speaker, and his keynote discussing his book So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed is a must.

In terms of local authors, I’m interested in seeing Liane Moriaty talk about becoming a bestselling author, Fiona Wood discuss how virginity is treated in YA novels, Liam Pieper and Rebecca Starford (and more) picking up where their memoirs left off and discussing what happened next, Tim Flannery and Clive Hamilton on climate change and Rebecca Huntley giving the John Button Oration on inequality in Australia.

Emily Harms’s schedule is packed

I am excited to hear words of wisdom from activist Naomi Klein, who will lead one of a series of important discussions about climate change. She’ll be speaking at two events on the program but I am planning to attend the one that’s part of the Festival of Dangerous Ideas line-up. At this event, she’ll discuss whether capitalism is at war with our planet. Staying with non-fiction, I also can’t wait to hear Annabel Crabb speaking with Kate Grenville about the changing role of wives and mothers.

Looking to fiction now, I am looking forward to the long-awaited launch of Miles Allinson’s debut novel, Fever of Animals. I am also intrigued to hear Will Self talk about his love and hate of Australia at the closing address, Eleanor Catton talk about her literary influences for The Luminaries and Sarai Walker speak about her debut novel Dietland, which explores the treatment of women in our society and the battleground over their bodies.

And… I will, of course, also make sure to take my kids to some of the many free children’s book events on the weekends.

So between MIFF and MWF, that’s my social life looked after for the next month!

Chris Gordon can’t wait to hear Naomi Klein

There is something breathtaking, literally, about Naomi Klein. Her books – which are full of research, passion and politics – have always hit the global mark at exactly the right time. She is a researcher that takes on the good, the bad and the ugly, allowing us, the tourists, to re-examine our lifestyle without leaving the comfort of our reading chair. She has made films, given lectures, edited, taught. She’s written for Rolling Stone. She is young and fearless and her visit to Melbourne will be inspiring. She will talk, I’m sure, about her latest examination of the environment movement and hopefully she will enthuse us all to want solutions, to question the status quo and to be involved completely with humankind.

Stella Charls declares August the best time of the year here in Melbourne

August is the best time of the year to live in Melbourne, no question. First we have Melbourne International Film Festival, then straight on the coattails the Melbourne Writers Festival – traditionally when the sun comes back into town, shining over the action in Fed Square.

This year my two international picks are Rob Thomas and Jon Ronson.

Thomas is the creator of two exceptionally good TV shows – Veronica Mars, a hyper-intelligent teen-noir drama series that fuelled one of the most successful Kickstarter fundraising campaigns (resulting in a feature film) and Party Down, which might’ve made me laugh harder than anything else on TV. I’m looking forward to hearing from Thomas himself on Opening Night.

Jon Ronson’s is on tour to talk about his new book So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed, which is sitting on my ‘to read’ pile since I read this fascinating excerpt earlier this year. The topic of public shaming via social media is a timely one, and while disturbing, Ronson manages to lend considerable doses of humour and empathy to his journalism. He’ll be in conversation with John Safran, a perfect fit!

I’m also looking forward to Friday 21 August, where the program centres around Women in Media, featuring a range of local writers and editors who’s work I greatly admire: Rebecca Harkins-Cross, Brodie Lancaster and Ellena Savage, to name a few. These talented women also fall under MWF’s 30 under 30 initiative, promoting the next generation of writers as a means of celebrating MWF’s 30th anniversary.

Finally, I love to hear authors read their own work, and talk about what they read. Booker Prize-winning author Eleanor Catton is an exceptionally engaging and articulate speaker (check out the recording of her her 2014 Wheeler Centre event for proof!) and I’m keen to hear her talk about the value of reading. And here’s another opportunity not to be missed – literary giants J.M. Coetzee, Cate Kennedy and David Malouf each reading one of their short stories in entirety! Where do I queue up? (Eds. note: Right )

Bronte Coates is partial to a night of readings

Like Stella, I love hearing writers perform their own work, and this year MWF delivers the goods. There’s another Queer Literary Salon (with Jack Andraka, Rebecca Starford, Sam Wallman and Sarah Waters), a YA salon about Alice in Wonderland (with Bernard Beckett, Justine Larbalestier, Andrew McDonald, Allyse Near and Alice Pung) and a night of readings from three of Australia’s biggest authors (with J.M. Coetzee, Cate Kennedy and David Malouf) – to name a few.

In terms of panel discussions (and at first glance), I’m intrigued by Losing It, which proposes to look at romance writing across genres, and how virginity is treated in both YA and romance novels. I still remember the first time I ever read a sex scene in a book (thank you John Marsden). I’m also looking forward to Voicing Race, in which Adolfo Aranjuez, Jessica Yu and Maxine Beneba Clarke explore the space where their cultural backgrounds intersect with their writing.

I also heard Eleanor Catton speak a while ago and thought she was fantastic talking about her Man Booker Prize-winning novel, The Luminaries. This time, she’ll be talking about a prize she funded that allows writers time to read and why this matters.