Explore words, prose, performance and the best in literature at the Far North's premiere writers festival this weekend.

A smorgasbord of literary delights awaits the Far North this week, as the third annual Tropical Writers Festival lands from Friday to Sunday at venues across the city.

Hot on the heels of some of the biggest literary festivals around Australia in the capital cities, Tropical Writers Festival unites the region’s passionate writers with a series of workshops, symposiums and events hosted by some of the country’s premiere authors, poets and literature professionals.

Irish novelist John Boyne is a big coup for the event, the author behind award-winning 2006 novel The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas, which was adapted into a Hollywood movie by director Mark Herman.

At the festival, he will  read and discuss his new adult’s publication The Absolutist at John Boyne In Conversation on Saturday from noon as part of the public arena events.

The big Australian drawcard is bestselling author Matthew Reilly, the author behind international hits Ice Station, Temple, Contest, Area 7, Scarecrow, Hover Car Racer, Seven Ancient Wonders, The Six Sacred Stones, The Five Greatest Warriors and Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves.

Matthew’s books are published in more than 20 languages and have sold more than 3.5 million books worldwide, along with their rights picked up by premiere production companies such as Walt Disney Pictures, the US ABC television network and Paramount Pictures.

He hosts the gala Literary Dinner at the Rydges Tradewinds on Saturday night, alongside a talk and book signing on Sunday in the Public Arena.

Those wanting to learn how to add a bit of comic flair to their writing won’t want to miss comedian, producer, director and screenwriter Tim Ferguson, who made his career as a member of the Doug Anthony Allstars before going on to appear regularly on Australian and British television, a busy stand-up career and production and writing credits for many popular Australian comedies.

Ferguson hosts a comedy writing workshop on Saturday from 9am at Rydges Tradewinds, promising to “unlock the code” to making people laugh, as well as playing MC at the Poetic Twists, Comedic Turns show at Centre of Contemporary Arts on Friday from 7.30pm.

Also part of Poetic Twists, Comedic Turns is David “Ghostboy” Stavanger, one of Queensland’s leading poets and champion of the concept of the poetry slam.

Stavanger will also host his own workshop, From Stage To Page at Centre Of Contemporary Arts on Friday from 10am.

Other events worth checking out include presentations by Australian author Katherine Battersby, digital storytelling and social media with June Perkins, songwriting with Trish Molloy and a series of events in the Public Arena all weekend.

Cairns Tropical Writers Festival extends from Friday to Sunday at Rydges Tradewinds, Centre of Contemporary Arts and Cairns City Library. For a full list of presenters, events and ticketing details, Visit cairnstropicalwritersfestival.com or festivalsupnorth.com

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