Writers festival lines up roster

The Mildura Writers Festival has started rolling out its July 2026 program, with new artistic director Finley Japp saying he was “very excited” and “really honoured” by the latest roster announcement. (sunraysiadaily.com.au) The festival is scheduled to run in Mildura from July 16 to 19, 2026, according to Books+Publishing, after Sunraysia Daily reported the lineup had been building for the past three months. (booksandpublishing.com.au) (sunraysiadaily.com.au) Japp took over as festival director in January, replacing co-founder Donata Carrazza after five years in the role. Books+Publishing said Japp was born in Mildura, co-directed the 2025 program, worked as a bookseller and studied Australian literature. (booksandpublishing.com.au) The 2026 festival is the first full edition under that leadership change and comes just months after the event separated from Arts Mildura and registered as a standalone charity. Sunraysia Daily reported the festival had already appointed its inaugural board by January 20. (sunraysiadaily.com.au) (booksandpublishing.com.au) That governance shift follows a transition flagged in 2025, when Carrazza said that year’s event would be the last delivered under the Arts Mildura umbrella. Sunraysia Daily also reported the 2025 festival marked 30 years since the event began. (sunraysiadaily.com.au 1) (sunraysiadaily.com.au 2) Regional identity remains central to the festival’s pitch. Writers Victoria describes the event as an annual four-day gathering of words, food, wine and music aimed at providing cultural programming for remote and regional audiences. (writersvictoria.org.au) The board named in January includes chair Nicolas Brasch, alongside Domenico de Pieri and Katie Clements. That structure puts the 2026 lineup announcement inside a broader rebuild of the festival’s leadership and operations, not just its guest list. (booksandpublishing.com.au) For now, the clearest public marker is timing: a July 16 to 19 festival in Mildura, a new director in place since January, and a program that is still being revealed in stages through April. (booksandpublishing.com.au) (sunraysiadaily.com.au)