IT'S all there in glorious black and white- the full list of 130 local and international writers heading our way from August 4-6 for the 21st annual Byron Writers Festival based in the grounds of Elements of Byron resort.

The just released program has full details of events including the writers writers' workshops, satellite events and literary dinners that will unfold across six stages at the festival site and venues around the town.

"We are especially proud of this year's Program- for its cultural diversity, scope and probing amalgamation of important topics and different writing genres," said Festival Director, Edwina Johnson.

Acclaimed Australian novelists include Kate Grenville, Ashley Hay, Anita Heiss, Hannah Kent, A.S. Patric, Nicolas Rothwell and Kim Scott with Byron Bay based Rob Drewe launching his new novel Whipbird at the Festival. They join a best-selling line-up of Australian crime writers, including David Free, Mirandi Riwoe (M.J. Tjia), Michael Robotham and Jock Serong.

Australian Book Industry Award (ABIA) winner and rock icon Jimmy Barnes will discuss his current best selling memoir and singer and songwriter Tex Perkins will reveal his newly released autobiography.

They will come together for a special ABC Radio National session with presenter Sarah Kanowski. Sarah Blasko will feature in a one-on-one conversation with The Saturday Paper's Erik Jensen as well as a Music Makers session with musician and novelist Holly Throsby.

Richard Roxburgh and Andrew Knight take us behind the scenes of the hugely popular TV-series Rake. Roxburgh will also entertain at Kids Big Day Out with his first children's book Artie and The Grime Wave. In his startlingly honest memoir My Idol Years seventies pop star, barrister and Australian Idol judge Mark Holden spins the chair for us on the TV and music industries.

Sudanese refugee Deng Adut will recount his journey from child soldier to lawyer and 2017 NSW Australian of the Year.

Politics will also get an airing when Peter FitzSimons argues The Case for a Republic in the annual Thea Astley Lecture; satirist John Safran and respected journalist David Marr unravel the second coming of Pauline Hanson and the rise of Trump and Susan Carland makes the case that feminism and Islam can be complementary in Fighting Hislam.

The popular Best of Insiders event will return to Byron Theatre with host Barrie Cassidy and panelists Malcolm Farr, David Marr and Laura Tingle taking us through all the big political developments of 2017. The Festival also pays tribute one of our greats, John Clarke, with an evening event at Elements of Byron featuring Bryan Dawe and Andrew Knight.

Following her recent Australia Council trip to India, Festival Director Edwina Johnson has decided to feature three Indian writers at this year's festival- novelist and poet Kunal Basu, novelist and performance storyteller Vayu Naidu and celebrated Gond artist and now published author Venkat Shyam.

Kids Big Day Out on Festival Sunday offers a fun-filled program for the whole family.

The Festival will also partner with local arts organisations to present additional Feature Events outside Byron Bay. These include Jimmy Barnes in conversation with Matt Condon at Lennox Head Cultural & Community Centre; John Safran in conversation with Bec Mac at Lismore City Hall; and Joshua Yeldham who will open his exhibition Endurance at the Tweed Regional Gallery.

The festival will be preceded by a series of skills development writing workshops commencing on 31 July and the annual Festival Schools Programs across the region.

For more: byronwriters festival.com or call 66855115