July 2025 saw Penguin’s ‘Fantasy Fest’ arrive in Australian cities, readers enjoying exclusive previews of upcoming fantasy novel releases and extensive author panel discussions.
In 2023, Penguin Random House Australia, one of Australia’s ‘big five’ publishing companies, launched the Fantasy Fest, where fantasy genre readers came together to sip on popular trope-themed punch, hear discussions with local authors and view exclusive content.
Fantasy Fest 2025 expanded to Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Hobart. It proved popular in all four cities, and even sold out early in Melbourne.
‘Penguin Fantasy Fest was such a fun way to connect with Australian fantasy writers’, said Sydney audience member Jess Norman. ‘I loved hearing their reflections on how TikTok has reshaped the fantasy landscape — bringing exciting opportunities to reach new readers, but also creating challenges the genre is still navigating’.
The Sydney event was set to host authors Lauren Jackson, Lyndall Clipstone and Lynette Noni, as well as special guests Bronte Marie Wesson and Lily Crozier.
Lynette Noni, sick and unable to travel, missed both the Sydney and Hobart sessions, but sent exclusive character art prints from her upcoming series in her stead. Along with this print, each audience member received a free book, containing exclusive excerpts at multiple upcoming releases.
Exclusive Audience Gifts. Photo by Eleanor Cooper, 2025.
During the session, the audience received exclusive previews of the cover art for upcoming releases ‘The Ascension of Souls’ by Bronte Marie Wesson and ‘Vow of Eternal Night’ by Lily Crozier, the former still unreleased to the public.
Norman added, ‘getting special advance excerpts of books coming out next year felt like such a treat’.
