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Byron Shire
June 18, 2026

The best new release books at Byron Writers Festival

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In loving memory of Dr Tony Parkes AO PhD (1929 – 2026)

Dr Tony Parkes AO PhD, one of Australia’s most visionary conservation leaders and a pioneering force in ecological restoration, passed away last Thursday at the age of 96. He spent his final months at Honey Bee Homes in Ewingsdale.

Other News

Man charged with murder in Tweed

A man and woman have been charged over their alleged involvement in the death of a man in Tweed Heads this morning, say NSW Police.

Investigation launched into assaults, torture of flotilla humanitarians

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Mandy Nolan’s Soapbox: Plastic Is Forever

Our family has been trying to give up plastic. And I’m not just talking single-use straws or takeaway cups or bottled water. Like most people we did that years ago. I’m talking about all the other plastic that we ingest either directly or through chemical leaching. In the period of time since I was a child, to a child born now, the fossil fuel industry has become implicated in nearly every part of our daily routine.

More comes out on Byron and Mullum pools saga

The problem with Byron Shire councillors making decisions in confidential sessions ‘behind closed doors’ is that no-one knows what really happened apart from those in the room.

Councillors silent

I spent some time preparing a submission regarding the draft DCP for the redevelopment of the Mullumbimby Hospital site. I...

Discovering Byron’s influence on Australian music

For a small regional area the Byron Shire and Northern Rivers have had an outsized impact on the culture and music in Australia.

From practical non-fiction on how to ditch fossil fuels in the home, to the best new crime, sci-fi, and spellbinding fiction from international guests, there is something for everyone at this year’s Byron Writers Festival.

British guest Esther Freud comes to the festival with her brand new release My Sister and Other Lovers (Bloomsbury). Renowned as the author of her phenomenal autobiographical debut Hideous Kinky, My Sister and Other Lovers is a captivating novel about sisterhood, secrets, betrayal and love. See Freud in conversation with ABC’s Natasha Mitchell on festival Friday.

ABC’s Elder in Residence Jackie Huggins also has a 1 July release, with Deep History: Country and Sovereignty (NewSouth), co-edited with Ann McGrath AM. In this collection, Huggins and McGrath have gathered leading historians and thinkers to explore Indigenous histories of caring for places and people over millennia. They will sit down with Indigenous journalist Rhianna Patrick on festival Saturday.

From much-loved Australian crime author Mark Brandi comes a gripping new story that answers old questions. In Eden (Hachette), Brandi has crafted a compelling literary thriller that shows we all have secrets, but some are deadlier than others. See him on the panels Literary Thrillers and Migration Stories on festival Saturday.

Miles Franklin-shortlisted speculative fiction author Jennifer Mills comes to Byron with her latest post-apocalyptic, dystopian novel Salvage (Pan Macmillan) that explores what it means to care for each other after the end of the world. Mills will speak on the panels People Power on Friday, AI at Work on Saturday, and New Worlds: Genre on festival Sunday.

Engineer and inventor Saul Griffith brings his expertise with a practical new book, Plug In!: The Electrification Handbook (Black Inc.). Bestselling author of The Big Switch, Griffith shows how we can ditch coal and gas in our own lives and homes and switch to renewable energy. Griffith appears on panels AI at Work on Saturday, and Green Solutions on Sunday.

 

 



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Caring for community

The Rotary Club of Mullumbimby presented a cheque for $10,000 to the Brunswick Surf Life Saving Club (BSLSC) in support of its ongoing operations.

Lismore shops enchanted for Lantern Parade

Winners of Lismore’s Enchanted Windows comp have been announced, with The Two Ravens taking top spot. The comp is part of the city's Lantern Parade, to be held this Saturday, 20 June.

AI: Artificial Intelligence, or Artificial Inflation?

It feels as if AI is everywhere – whether it’s those intrusive bots on every website or every headline about how it’s either going to be a boon for humanity, or end us.

Flood gauges installed in Ballina and Wardell 

Residents in Ballina and Wardell will have more more localised flood warnings, giving them time to prepare before floodwaters arrives, thanks to new flood forecast services along the Richmond River.