Melbourne Jewish Book Week

29/07/2026

MJBW Festival 2026 | August 2, 11:30am | The Pullman Hotel

The countdown is on! Only 4 days to go until MJBW kicks off!

ROMANCING THE NOVEL - From historical romance to romcoms to dark romance and ‘romantasy’, co-authors Ali Berg & Michelle Kalus, booktokking phenomenon, Charlotte Hayward, and trauma-romance expert, Alicia Leigh, take a romp down the romance path with playwright, arts educator and avid romance reader, Jessica Bellamy.

Last chance to get your tix!

Reserve your festival ticket today via links in our bio or on our website:

🔗 https://events.humanitix.com/mjbw-2026-festival-passes

28/07/2026

MJBW Festival 2026 | Pop Up Poetry | August 3, 7pm | Dawn & Mabel’s

Some nights are better than others...

This is one of them.

Winter in St Kilda. A glass of something good. A stacked lineup of poets doing what they do best. 🤌

Curated by Sharon Rockman , who joins forces with a stellar lineup of literary geniuses – Ewa Collins, Alan Fyfe, Barbara Kamler, Anita Lester, Milo Lincoln, Gal Iungman, Guido Melo, Alex Skovron, Isi Unikowski and Ann Shenfield.

Our pop-up poetry night is not to be missed - secure your tickets today!✨

Link in bio or visit:

🔗 mjbw.com.au/event/pop-up-poetry

melbournejewishbookweek

28/07/2026

MJBW Festival 2026 | August 2, 12:30pm | The Pullman Hotel

Don't miss this special Festival Sunday interactive session featuring a live reading of a reworked Galit Taylor Klas original!

Session 2 - PLAYREADING & INTERACTIVE SESSION - Performer Amy Hack will be reading a reworked version of Galit Klas’ award-nominated original play ‘DMG – Durch a Modneh Gloz’, followed by an interactive audience Q and A.

Reserve your festival ticket today via link in bio or on our website:

🔗 https://events.humanitix.com/mjbw-2026-festival-passes

28/07/2026

One week until MJBW Festival 2026 Closing Night: Out of the Depths, a Musical Soirée

From the darkest of times come songs that symbolise hope, brought to life here in Melbourne. The story of Holocaust survivors who carried melodies of their suffering, hope and tenacity, shared in the immediate aftermath of the war.

Twelve Yiddish songs never before performed.

Music and stories re-imagined by by the talented Joseph Toltz, Galit Klas, Adam Starr and other brilliant Melbourne klezmorim.

🗓️ Tuesday August 4, 2026

⏰ 7:00 pm

🎟️ Book your tickets via the link in our bio or visit:

🔗 https://events.humanitix.com/melbourne-jewish-book-week-2026-closing-night

28/07/2026

MJBW Festival 2026 | August 2, 12:30pm | The Pullman Hotel

Our 12:30pm Upstanders Not Bystanders panel is not to be missed!

Session 3 - SUNDAY SESSIONS - What inspires some people to stand up to hatred in the face of danger? Authors Erica Frydenberg, Lee Kofman, Kylie Moore-Gilbert and Michael Scott discuss Jewish bravery, non-Jewish allyship and being Jewish today. In conversation with acclaimed journalist, Rachelle Unreich.

Reserve your festival ticket today via our website 🔗 Link in bio

26/07/2026

MJBW Festival 2026 | Pop Up Poetry | August 3, 7pm | Dawn & Mabel’s

We’ll give you 12 reasons not to miss our special Pop Up Poetry event. 🎤

The first? Our curator, the edgy, raw and humourful poet Sharon Rockman , who joins forces with a stellar lineup of literary geniuses – Ewa Collins , Alan Fyfe , Barbara Kamler , Anita Lester , Milo Friedman , Gal Iungman, Guido Melo , Alex Skovron, Isi Unikowski and Ann Shenfield.

And reason number 12?
It’s a night of soul-soothing poetry, bringing together old favourites, interstate greats and courageous newbies for an immersive evening of words, imagery and rhythm. 🥂

🎟️ Book your tix now - Link in bio or via:

🔗 http://mjbw.com.au/event/pop-up-poetry

25/07/2026

ONE WEEK TO GO 👀

Be sure to secure your spot for Melbourne Jewish Book Week Opening Night Gala – Saturday, 1st August, 7:30pm - 9:30pm, Glen Eira Town Hall! 🎭

If You Don’t Laugh… is a magical evening of entertainment through humour, pathos, irony and reflection.

Curated and introduced by the amazing Jessica Bellamy , be enthralled by unique stories from authors , Yishay Ron , Ayelet Tsabari , Rachel Cockerell , Ali Berg & Michelle Kalus , Danny Ben-Moshe , Katia Ariel , Alan Fyfe and Billy Albert.

Have you got your tickets yet?

🎟️ Book now via the link in our bio or visit:

🔗https://mjbw.com.au/event/melbourne-jewish-book-week-2026-opening-night-if-you-dont-laugh/

There’s no singular definition for Jewish humour, but we know it when we hear it. It can be acidic, dark and uncomfortably honest. It can be silly or necessarily subtle. Sometimes we choose to laugh because we know that, otherwise, we will cry.

25/07/2026

Want a complimentary full-day pass to Melbourne Jewish Book Week 2026? 📚

Director of MJBW, Debbie Lee, shares why joining our wonderful volunteer team is a great way to get involved!

Help bring the festival to life, meet fellow book lovers and enjoy complimentary access to Sunday sessions when you’re not on shift.

Spots are filling up fast but we still need your help.

Check out which spots are still available and better yet bring a friend and do it together!

🗓️ Sunday, 2 August 2026

📩 Sign up via the link in our bio or visit:

🔗 http://mjbw.com.au/volunteering

24/07/2026

MJBW Festival 2026 | August 2, 5:45pm | The Pullman Hotel

Closing Conversation: Jonathan Freedland

Two extraordinary true stories. Two bestselling books. One unmissable closing conversation.

Melbourne poet and literary critic, Tali Lavi and award-winning journalist and author, Jonathan Freedland, will discuss his bestselling books –

📖 ‘The Traitors Circle: The Rebels Against the Nazis’ and the Spy Who Betrayed Them’, the compelling true story of a high-society, anti-Nazi resistance network in 1943 Berlin

📖 ‘The Escape Artist: The Man Who Broke Out of Auschwitz to Warn the World’, the remarkable account of the life of Rudolf Vrba, who together with fellow escapee Alfred Wetzler first revealed the full truth of the notorious death camp.

This special closing event is not to be missed.

Book your festival tickets today via our website 🔗 Links in bio

24/07/2026

MJBW Festival 2026 | August 2, 4:45pm | The Pullman Hotel

Our 4:45pm Sunday Sessions will have you up to date on the latest Jewish reads and clued in on the questions around AI.

Session 1 - The Big Book Balagan: Books We Love

📖 Join us for a riotous discussion of Jewish books as, Elise Esther Hearst, Sarah Krasnostein, Dani Valent, Alice Zaslavsky and moderator Bram Presser share their favourite recent reads, some hidden gems and all the books they can’t wait to read.

Session 2 - The Human Touch: Creativity In The Age of AI

💻 Artificial intelligence is transforming every aspect of the arts and publishing industries raising urgent questions about authenticity, authorship and trust. Alan Finkel, former Chief Scientist and founder of the international certification organisation ProudlyHuman™️, and esteemed academic publishing director Nathan Hollier tackle the risks of AI in conversation with John M Green, writer, entrepreneur and board member, Cyber Security Cooperative Research Centre.

Reserve your festival ticket today via our website:

🔗 Links in bio