The Creator Of ‘Veronica Mars’ (And Other A+ People) Will Be At The Melbourne Writers Festival This Year

I’m gonna float the idea that it’s no mistake Melbourne Writers Festival chose today to publicly launch their huge 2015 program. Stacked with 500 of the nation’s best authors, international bestsellers and the most innovative minds from other creative industries, the program is the biggest yet and the events are suitably impressive for the already well-regarded festival as it celebrates its 30th anniversary. They’re a class act.

But, today is also the first day of the Labor National Conference — and right now, in the Melbourne Convention Centre, Bill Shorten has just finished delivering a grand speech about “Labor’s enduring values” and his vision for Australia. This city has a reputation to protect.

Much like when Sydney Writers’ Festival dropped Vince Gilligan on us last year, MWF have invited a cult screenwriter who’s sure to draw a big crowd. Creator of Veronica Mars Rob Thomas (sadly not the guy from Matchbox 20) will be joining the festival on August 20 to discuss his hugely popular series, its eventual film and books, and the world’s most successful crowdfunding campaign that got it there. Because life goes on after VA, he’ll also be talking about the new series he released earlier this year, iZombie, and presumably answering questions about why he gave it such a terrible name.

Running from August 20-30, the festival has a bunch more excellent people on board. British novelist Louis de Bernières will be delivering the opening night address right before Thomas and discussing his career, having Nicolas Cage star in an adaptation of your most critically-acclaimed book, and his new work ‘The Dust That Falls From Dreams’. (I have no proof he’ll actually mention Nic Cage). And, not for nothing, but Lemony freaking Snicket will be there. Your old fave goes by Daniel Handler now, and he’s just written a grown-up novel about pirates for you.

Many of the festival’s 531 sessions will be dealing with Big Ideas this year. Jon Ronson will be back in town talking with John Safran about public shaming on social media — that thing he literally wrote the book on. Naomi Klein (This Changes Everything) will lead a discussion on climate change, Nobel Prize winner Brian Schmidt and astrophysicist Katie Mack present “a multimedia guide to the universe”, and British author and journo Will Self will close out the festival with a discussion about why Australia’s a bit shit. “He’ll reflect on the repression and denial at our dark heart, and unpick his own vexed relationship with our country,” the program reads.

On the (apparently detestable) local front, Annabel Crabb and Kate Grenville are having what’s no doubt going to be a fascinating conversation about the changing roles of wives and mothers; author of The Rosie Project Graeme Simsion will be talking about his incredible success and the fact J-Law just signed up to play his lead character; and heavyweights like JM Coetzee, David Malouf and Cate Kennedy will be floating around.

Bonus #1: 150 of the events are free.

Bonus #2: Legendary New York storytelling group The Moth are also coming back. I saved that till the end so you could serenely drift into one of their amazing, interesting, and completely devastating stories while buying your tickets:

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Melbourne Writers Festival will run from August 20-30.