What if we told you that we have an author who has sold more than seven million books. Whose work has been translated into 42 languages. And who has created worlds that readers have been returning to for decades.
This October, Garth Nix OAM joins us at the Dandenong Ranges Literary Festival for two events: a special In Conversation with Declan Fry on Sunday, October 11, and our Speculative Fiction Panel on Saturday, October 10.
With the Festival program now released and tickets on sale, here’s a closer look at why you’ll want these conversations in your diary.
The Extraordinary Worlds of Garth Nix
For many readers, it began with Sabriel: a young woman, a set of bells and the perilous responsibility of keeping the dead where they belong. With Lirael and Abhorsen, Garth expanded the world of the Old Kingdom, creating a series that has earned a devoted international following.
Then there’s The Left-Handed Booksellers of London, where bookselling comes with rather more supernatural danger than most job descriptions allow. Or Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz: Stories of the Witch Knight and the Puppet Sorcerer, bringing together nine god-slaying adventures featuring an unlikely partnership.
You might have grown up reading The Ragwitch and then slept with the light on. You might now be introducing a younger reader to We Do Not Welcome Our Ten-Year-Old Overlord. Garth’s work spans generations, with stories for children, young adults and adults, and an imagination that shows no signs of slowing down.
His achievements include multiple Aurealis Awards, alongside Ditmar, Mythopoeic and Australian Book Industry awards and bestseller status on The New York Times, Publishers Weekly and The Bookseller lists. In 2025, he received the Medal of the Order of Australia for services to literature.
Before becoming a full-time writer in 2001, Garth worked as a literary agent, editor, publicist, sales representative, bookseller and marketing consultant. Somewhere in there, he also found time to serve as a part-time soldier in the Australian Army Reserve.
His new science fiction novel, Massif, takes his imagination into another remarkable setting: a universe where humans travel between the stars aboard vast, living mountain ranges. These beings carry our people, our colonies and our wars. But why are they helping us? And what might they want in return?
Want to find out more?
Join Garth in a special In Conversation with Declan Fry.
Sunday, October 11, 12pm-1pm Belgrave Community Hub