At a glance
- Who it’s for
- Families with children (the free Family Fun Day), and adult readers and writers (the ticketed author events), in Penrith and western Sydney
- What to do now
- The Family Fun Day is free; the council page asks for no booking. For every other event, register through the Penrith City Council event page, because bookings are essential
- When
- Wednesday 25 to Sunday 29 November 2026. Family Fun Day: Saturday 28 November, 10am to 2pm (Sydney time)
- Where
- The Mondo outside Penrith City Library, 601 High Street, Penrith, and the Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre, 597 High Street
- Price
- Family Fun Day free. Author events $5 per person; Illustration Workshop $5 per child; Writing Crime workshop $20 per person
- Last checked
- Saturday 31 October 2026, against the Penrith City Council event pages
- Not yet confirmed
- Whether each ticketed event still has seats, and any parking or transport advice for the festival, which the council pages do not give
The Write Out West Family Fun Day in Penrith is free and runs from 10am to 2pm on Saturday 28 November 2026 on The Mondo, between Penrith City Library, Westfield and the Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre. It is part of Write Out West: Western Sydney Libraries and Literature Festival, which Penrith City Council lists with seven ticketed author events across the same week, from $5. This guide covers the free day, then each ticketed event by date, based on the council’s Family Fun Day page and its pages for the other events, checked on 31 October.
What is on at the free Family Fun Day?
The council describes the day as a family day out full of free activities for all ages, where kids and teens will find a whole world of events and activities. It takes place on The Mondo, and the council suggests visiting the library inside for exhibitions and more events on the day. The listed activities are:
- A Story Tent running throughout the day, featuring children’s authors and illustrators Jodie McLeod, Eloise Short, Cheryl Orsini and Sharon Baldwin
- Messy play activities with Messy Makers
- Book bedazzling, a creative craft activity
- Drumming with Hands, Heart and Feet
The council says the day is free. The page does not give a session timetable for the Story Tent, so check with the library on the day for individual times. If you need an accommodation to attend, the council gives the number 4732 7891.
Which ticketed events are on, and what do they cost?
| Date and time | Event | Where | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wed 25 Nov, 6:30pm to 7:30pm | Stories from the West (opening night panel) | Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre | $5 per person |
| Thu 26 Nov, 4pm to 5pm | Illustration Workshop with Bill Hope (best for ages 6 to 12) | Penrith City Library | $5 per child |
| Thu 26 Nov, 6:30pm to 7:30pm | A Rural Romance (best for ages 16 and over) | Penrith City Library | $5 per person |
| Fri 27 Nov, 2pm to 4pm | Writing Crime with Ashley Kalagian Blunt (workshop) | Penrith City Library | $20 per person |
| Fri 27 Nov, 6:30pm to 7:30pm | Crime Stories author panel | Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre | $5 per person |
| Sat 28 Nov, 6:30pm to 7:30pm | Belinda Alexandra in Conversation with Jane Tara | Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre | $5 per person |
| Sun 29 Nov, 2pm to 3pm | An Afternoon with James O’Loghlin | Penrith City Library | $5 per person |
Prices are as of October 2026. For every ticketed event the council says bookings are essential, you must show your email booking confirmation with a valid ticket to gain entry, and there are no refunds, exchanges or make-ups if you miss the event.
What happens at the opening night?
Stories from the West opens the festival on Wednesday 25 November at 6:30pm. The council describes a panel with Kirsty Jagger, Shirley Le and Michael Mohammed Ahmad in conversation with Sarah Ayoub, exploring place, identity and the power of stories to shape culture and connection in Western Sydney. Books by the authors are for sale from a pop-up QBD Books store, with signing opportunities after the session.
What is on for children and teens?
Besides the Family Fun Day, the Illustration Workshop with Bill Hope runs on Thursday 26 November from 4pm to 5pm at the library. The council says it is best suited to 6 to 12 year olds and costs $5 per child. Bill will help kids work through creative exercises developed with Andy Griffiths for their book Let’s Go, with live drawing from Bill. A book signing with QBD Books follows.
What is on for crime fiction readers?
Two events sit on Friday 27 November. In the afternoon, bestselling thriller author Ashley Kalagian Blunt runs a practical Writing Crime workshop from 2pm to 4pm at the library, covering crime writing conventions, hooking your reader and crafting suspense and tension. The council says to come prepared for writing exercises, and it costs $20 per person. In the evening the Crime Stories author panel brings Ashley Kalagian Blunt, Tim Ayliffe and Natalie Conyer together in conversation with Hayley Scrivenor at the Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre, and books are for sale from the pop-up QBD Books store, with personal signing.
What is on for novel readers on the weekend?
On Saturday 28 November at 6:30pm, internationally bestselling author Belinda Alexandra sits down with Jane Tara to discuss her new novel, set in postwar Rome, which the council says follows war correspondent Veronica Gold into a web of romance, murder and espionage at the dawn of the nuclear age. The council lists audience Q&A and a book signing with QBD Books. On Sunday 29 November at 2pm, comedian, broadcaster and author James O’Loghlin talks about his career across law, comedy, broadcasting and writing, with book sales and signing, and tea, coffee and light refreshments provided.
The Rural Romance event on Thursday 26 November at 6:30pm features best-selling authors Penelope Janu, Stella Quinn and Fiona McArthur in conversation with Sandie Docker. Tea, coffee and light refreshments are provided, and books are sold from the pop-up QBD Books store.
Who are the authors on the programme?
The council pages carry short biographies, and these are the facts they give. Belinda Alexandra’s historical fiction has been published around the world, including in the United States, Spain, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Turkey, Hungary and Poland. Jane Tara has published over a hundred children’s books, several plays and five novels. James O’Loghlin began as a corporate lawyer, became a criminal lawyer and a comedian, has hosted four television shows including The New Inventors on ABC-TV for eight years, and presents The Afternoon Show on ABC Local Radio in NSW.
On the crime side, Natalie Conyer’s first novel Present Tense won a Ned Kelly Award, and Hayley Scrivenor’s novels Dirt Town and Girl Falling have won major awards in Australia, the UK and USA. Ashley Kalagian Blunt wrote Dark Mode, which was shortlisted for the 2024 ABIA General Fiction Book of the Year, the Ned Kelly Awards for Best Crime Fiction and the Danger Awards for Debut Fiction. Sarah Ayoub, who is in conversation with the opening night panel, is a freelance journalist, author and academic based in Sydney and the author of three teen novels and four children’s picture books.
Does the council say how to get there?
The event pages give the street addresses but no parking, train or bus advice, and we found no Transport for NSW page for the festival. Use the Transport for NSW trip planner with the venue address for your route. The Family Fun Day is held outdoors on The Mondo, so check the forecast on the morning; the council pages do not say what happens in wet weather.
Sources
- Penrith City Council — Write Out West Family Fun Day (free, 10am to 2pm, activities; checked 31 October 2026)
- Penrith City Council — Stories from the West
- Penrith City Council — Illustration Workshop with Bill Hope
- Penrith City Council — A Rural Romance
- Penrith City Council — Writing Crime with Ashley Kalagian Blunt
- Penrith City Council — Crime Stories author panel
- Penrith City Council — Belinda Alexandra in Conversation with Jane Tara
- Penrith City Council — An Afternoon with James O’Loghlin
Featured image: Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre, Penrith, 2015 (photo: Sardaka / CC BY-SA 3.0) (text added)
OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with Penrith City Council or Write Out West. Event details can change; check the council’s event pages before you go.