We all knew that the Apple Isle tends to punch above its weight when it comes to food, wine and general “let’s just move here” energy. But now it’s official, because a bona fide global culinary icon is flying into Tassie just to talk about it.
Nigella Lawson – yes, she of midnight fridge raids, micro-wa-vay game, and the magical ability to make “clementine cake” sound like scripture – will headline the 2026 Tamar Valley Writers Festival, taking place in Launceston from 15-19 October.
She’ll sit down for an in-conversation session with Australian food writer and telly favourite Alice Zaslavsky, followed by a book signing for anyone hoping to get a scribble next to their dog-eared copy of How to Eat.
Nigella joins a line-up stacked with big local names too, including Shaun Micallef, Hannah Kent, Siang Lu, Karen Brooks and Tasmanian author Rebecca Armitage – whose debut novel got a serious glow-up last year courtesy of Reese Witherspoon’s book club. This year’s festival theme is “Feed the Soul,” which, subtlety aside, is exactly the vibe: books and food, served together, because apparently one nourishes the other.
For her part, Nigella said she looks forward to discussing food and food writing with readers at the festival and relishes the chance to do it somewhere as lovely as Tasmania. (Which – for anyone who has crossed the Bass Strait from mainland Aus – would have a shock value of exactly zero per cent).
Understandable – Launceston is a UNESCO City of Gastronomy, the Tamar Valley practically drips with good wine and fresher-than-fresh produce, and honestly, who wouldn’t want an excuse to visit.
The festival will be held from the 15th-19th October, at the River’s Edge building on the UTAS Inveresk campus, and tickets are up for grabs now, so lock yours in here.
