It's official: Queen of the kitchen Nigella Lawson is making her way to Tasmania this October as the headline guest of the 2026 Tamar Valley Writers Festival.

Of course, before we were glued to our screens watching her in the kitchen, Nigella Lawson was, first and foremost, a food writer. Later this year, she'll return to those roots, rounding out an acclaimed program of writers from across the country.

It's also not long since she was last in Australia, and took to documenting her favourite food experiences on Instagram. Naturally, we're hoping for much more of the same this time around.

This year's festival is themed 'Feed the Soul', exploring the intersection of food, storytelling and culture. It's a natural fit for Lawson, whose writing has always been as much about memory and pleasure as it has been about actual recipes.

"I'm hugely excited to be at the Tamar Valley Writers Festival this October," she said in a statement. "It's always a pleasure to be discussing food and food writing with readers and answering your questions, and how glorious to be in beautiful Tasmania to do so!"

Who else is on the lineup?

Lawson will join a program that includes Shaun Micallef, Hannah Kent, Siang Lu, Karen Brooks and Tasmanian novelist Rebecca Armitage.

Across five days, they'll take part in in-conversation events, panel discussions, writing workshops, readings, performances and book signings.

Festival co-presidents Georgie Todman and Lyndon Riggall say this year's theme was inspired by the natural overlap between literature and gastronomy.

"Launceston is a UNESCO City of Gastronomy and the Tamar Valley is renowned for its fresh produce, wines and restaurants," they said. "For literary lovers and bibliophiles, books feed the soul in much the same way as food does."

When and where is the Tamar Valley Writers Festival?

The 2026 iteration runs from 15–19 October at the River's Edge building on the UTAS Inveresk campus, with tickets available now.

Feature image via Instagram.