The alternative event to Adelaide Writers Week will include free events on the south coast in the first week of March.

The full program for Constellations: Not Writers’ Week has been announced, with over 100 authors participating across 50 events in 19 venues, including the Horseshoe Bay jetty, in Port Elliot and Victor Harbor library.

“When we set out to fill the void left by the cancellation of Writers’ Week, we did not expect such an incredible response,” says author Jennifer Mills, one of the Constellations organisers.

“It just goes to show how important books, writing and freedom of expression are to South Australians,” she says.

The umbrella festival is decentralised and made up of events of every scale, from major programming at the Adelaide Town Hall to early morning swimmers meeting informally to share poetry. 

The program is spread around Adelaide CBD, suburbs and regional areas. Most events are free, with donations supporting the fair payment of participating authors.

Wet Bathers at Port Elliot will be a daily event from Monday 2 March to Friday 5 March from 8am to 8.30am at Horseshoe Bay Jetty.

This is an invitation to join an early morning swimming community to share poetry, story and song. No registration is required for this event; look out for the blue flag.

Victor Harbor library will host two Constellations sessions on fantasy writing on Tuesday 3 March, in partnership with Squirrel and Sparrow Bookstore.

The first is a panel session – Why Fantasy Matters When the World feels Too Real, in conversation with authors Sarah Neilson, Nadine Abrahams, Barb Rosie, Lorelei Johnson and Wendy Noble, from 2pm to 3pm.

The second is a writing session – Micro-Stories: Writing Writing Fantasy for Uncertain Times, from 3.30pm to 4.30pm.

Both sessions are free to attend, but registration is required online. 

Constellations: Not Writers’ Week runs from today, Saturday 28 February to  Saturday 6 March. The full program is available on the website.