Clunes Booktown Festival

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Clunes, VIC
Clunes Booktown Festival

We are an annual celebration of every aspect of storytelling.

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Clunes Booktown is a member of the prestigious International Organisation of Booktowns - the only village in Australia to be recognised internationally. The town hosted its first Booktown festival in 2007 and now hosts activities that celebrate 'the book' year round under the auspices of the volunteers of Creative Clunes Inc.

15/06/2026

Thank you to all that joined us yesterday for our Clunes Booktown on Sunday with Mark Smith in Conversation with Jacqui Horwood.

Award-winning author, Mark Smith, discussed his new book 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘌𝘯𝘥𝘴, a taut, character-driven thriller about what happens when the fight for change becomes a fight for survival.

Mark shared his passion for writing, his career as an author, creative process and where he draws his inspiration from. A sensational Sunday afternoon to kick off a new week and immerse yourself in Clunes, from cover to cover!

Thank you Mark, and to Jacqui for the great conversation. Stay tuned for the details of our next Booktown on Sunday in July.

13/06/2026

Do you have plans for this afternoon at 2pm?

Join us for Clunes Booktown on Sunday | Mark Smith in Conversation with Jacqui Horwood!

Award-winning author, Mark Smith, will discuss his new book 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘌𝘯𝘥𝘴, a taut, character-driven thriller about what happens when the fight for change becomes a fight for survival.

📖 Mark Smith in Conversation with Jacqui Horwood
🗓 Sunday 14 June, 2pm
📍 Clunes Railway Station, 80 Service Street, Clunes
🎫 $5 https://thq.fyi/se/08680bfc7659

We look forward to welcoming you for a sensational Sunday afternoon.

Also, a reminder as we near end of financial year, please consider a donation to be part of our next chapter, and to keep our story alive 👉 creativeclunes.org.au/donate, thank you from all the team at Creative Clunes.

11/06/2026

Clunes Booktown on Sunday | Mark Smith in Conversation with Jacqui Horwood kicks off at 2pm this Sunday, are you joining us?

Award-winning author, Mark Smith, will discuss his new book 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘌𝘯𝘥𝘴, a taut, character-driven thriller about what happens when the fight for change becomes a fight for survival.

📖 Mark Smith in Conversation with Jacqui Horwood
🗓 Sunday 14 June, 2pm
📍 Clunes Railway Station, 80 Service Street, Clunes
🎫 $5 https://thq.fyi/se/08680bfc7659

Also don't forget that Booktown on Sunday coincides with the wonderful Clunes Farmers & Makers Market in the morning, so a super Sunday awaits you.

We look forward to welcoming you to our lovely historic home of the Clunes Railway Station, with our author talk at 2:00pm - explore the market and grab a bite of lunch before hand.

$5 admission. Drinks at bar prices, along with networking opportunities afterwards. Here's to a sensational Sunday afternoon.

07/06/2026

Are you joining us next Sunday for Clunes Booktown on Sunday | Mark Smith in Conversation with Jacqui Horwood?

For only $5 set yourself up for a sensational Sunday afternoon with award-winning author, Mark Smith, discussing his new book 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘌𝘯𝘥𝘴, a taut, character-driven thriller about what happens when the fight for change becomes a fight for survival.

📖 Mark Smith in Conversation with Jacqui Horwood
🗓 Sunday 14 June, 2pm
📍 Clunes Railway Station, 80 Service Street, Clunes
🎫 $5 https://thq.fyi/se/08680bfc7659

Make a day of it as our Booktown on Sunday also coincides with the wonderful Clunes Farmers & Makers Market in the morning, so plan for a lovely drive into town, catch the train, or stay the weekend! (https://www.clunesbooktown.org.au/stay-in-clunes/)

We throw open the doors of our lovely historic home of the Clunes Railway Station with our author talk at 2:00pm - so there is ample time to explore the market and grab a bite of lunch before hand.

$5 admission. Drinks at bar prices, along with networking opportunities afterwards. We look forward to welcoming you.

03/06/2026

The future of the Clunes Booktown Festival depends on more than a love of books - it relies on a community of supporters who believe in its long-term impact.

Each year, the festival brings thousands of visitors to our region, supports writers and booksellers, directs funding back to local organisations and traders, and creates opportunities for connection, creativity, and learning. However, to ensure its stability and sustainability for years to come, we need your help.

Philanthropic donations play a vital role in securing the festival’s future - helping us plan with confidence, invest in diverse programming, support emerging voices, and continue delivering a high-quality experience for audiences of all ages.

By giving your support, you’re not just supporting an event—you’re investing in regional culture, literacy, and community resilience.

As we near the End of Financial Year, please consider a donation to be part of our next chapter, and to keep our story alive 👉 creativeclunes.org.au/donate

Thank you from all the Team at Creative Clunes

31/05/2026

This time in two weeks, you will be thanking yourself that you secured a ticket(s) to Clunes Booktown on Sunday | Mark Smith in Conversation with Jacqui Horwood!

Join award-winning author, Mark Smith, discussing his new book 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘌𝘯𝘥𝘴, a taut, character-driven thriller about what happens when the fight for change becomes a fight for survival.

📖 Mark Smith in Conversation with Jacqui Horwood
🗓 Sunday 14 June, 2pm
📍 Clunes Railway Station, 80 Service Street, Clunes
🎫 $5 https://thq.fyi/se/08680bfc7659

Our Booktown on Sunday coincides with the wonderful Clunes Farmers & Makers Market in the morning, so plan for a lovely drive into town, catch the train, or stay the weekend! (https://www.clunesbooktown.org.au/stay-in-clunes/)

We throw open the doors of our lovely historic home of the Clunes Railway Station with an author talk at 2:00pm - so there is ample time to explore the market and grab a bite of lunch before hand.

$5 admission. Drinks at bar prices, along with networking opportunities afterwards.

26/05/2026

Creative Clunes is a vibrant rural hub that supports the making, telling and sharing of stories in all art forms.

We might be all about the Clunes Booktown Festival on this page, however one of our other core activities is the Clunes Ceramic Award.

Entries are open for the $10,000 national, acquisitive Clunes Ceramic Award 2026 exhibition, showcasing outstanding contemporary ceramic practice, in partnership with the Art Gallery of Ballarat and Castlemaine Art Museum, supported by the Hugh D. T Williamson Foundation.

Commendation Awards also presented alongside the major $10,000 prize at the opening event.

The successful Award is celebrated for its creativity and innovation, attracting ceramicists from across Australia.

▪Entries Close: 9 Aug
▪Finalists announced by: 21 Aug
▪Exhibition opening: 3 Oct
▪Exhibition: 4 Oct - 1 Nov

Exhibition: Esmond Gallery, The Warehouse, Clunes, Victoria.

For further info and terms & conditions please visit 👉 clunesceramicaward.org.au

Please spread the word far and wide to all Ceramic Artists.

20/05/2026

This National Volunteer Week and every week, we are incredibly thankful for our team of volunteers that bring their magic to Clunes Booktown Festival.

Our festival would not exist today, and could not happen each year, without our huge team of local and not-so-local volunteers.

You make our festival work seamlessly, warmly greeting our visitors, setting up and packing down infrastructure and contribute to Booktown in hundreds of ways every year. Without you this festival wouldn't be possible, thank you one and all.

Your time and talents create connection, purpose, and a stronger community.

📷 by Ash + Elm Studios

13/05/2026

Did you catch our panel 'How to Live and Die Well' at the 2026 Clunes Booktown Festival?

You can soon relive, or enjoy this beautiful and thought provoking conversation for the first time on Big Ideas on ABC Radio National.

All the action hits the radio waves tomorrow Thursday 14 May 2026 at 8pm, with a repeat episode at midday the following day.

Join Authors Hannah Gould and Antonia Pont with chair Marieke Hardy, to find out how to live and die well.

You can also listen to the program on the Big Ideas program website from 5pm via the 🔗👇

https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/bigideas/how-to-live-and-die-well/106602440

Happy listening, we look forward to sharing some of our own podcast episodes very soon.

📷 by Ash + Elm Studios

10/05/2026

As our friends over at Featherston Booktown bring their Featherston Booktown Karukatea Festival to a close.

We would like to congratulate them and share this article that resonates so strongly here in Clunes.

Inspired by Clunes Booktown and our incredible volunteering spirit that still holds strong 20 years on, Featherston Booktown also has volunteering at its heart. Here’s to “the crazy ones who give so generously of their time, energy and their personal money to make our region a better place”. Festivals both proudly run by our communities for our communities.

Address

70 Service Street
Clunes, VIC
3370

Telephone

+61353453947

Website

http://clunesbooktown.org.au/, https://linktr.ee/clunesbooktownfestival

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