BAD Sydney Crime Writers Festival 2025: Returns with a Twist
The BAD Sydney Crime Writers Festival 2025 is back from 11–13 September at The Sydney Mechanics’ School of Arts, bringing together the best in crime fiction, true crime, and storytelling craft — from page-turning novels to real-world justice.
This year introduces Young Adult (YA) crime writing to the festival, with award-winners Amy Doak (Eleanor Jones is Not a Murderer) and Troy Hunter (Gus and the Missing Boy) hosting a crime-writing workshop for high school students.
The program also features top names like Michael Robotham, Candice Fox, Jane Caro, and Gary Jubelin, alongside panels on major criminal cases, historical mysteries, and new voices reshaping the genre.
Writers can access pitching sessions, manuscript feedback, and craft workshops with acclaimed authors like Dinuka McKenzie, Michael Burge, and Ashley Kalagian Blunt. Literary agent Alex Adsett joins forces with psychologist-author Georgia Harper to lift the lid on the publishing industry.
Catherine du Peloux Menage, the festival’s Artistic Director, joined us to talk about this year’s program, from the Fresh Blood debut panels, to social justice discussions, and even the darkly funny world of comedic metafiction.
View the full program and get tickets at www.badsydney.com
