Date: August 15-16, 2026
Venue: Arrow on Swanston, 488 Swanston Street, Carlton, VIC 3053
Times: Saturday 9.30am-6.00pm; Sunday 9.00am-5.30pm
Guests include Lucy Cavendish (keynote) and Kate Forsyth
Program: All the session times!
Our 2026 conference theme is ‘Witches in Fairy Tales: Wise Women or Evil Enchanters?‘
Conference art by Cassandra Kavanagh
Join us in Melbourne for two magical days exploring fairy tales from an Australian perspective. Our keynote speaker, internationally celebrated author, oracle deck creator and witch Lucy Cavendish, will make a rare appearance, and will be joined by acclaimed fairy tale writer Kate Forsyth and an eclectic selection of artists, authors, storytellers, musicians, psychologists, academics and fairy-tale lovers.
There will be fun performances, thought-provoking presentations, fascinating panels and creative workshops, and lots of time to chat with like-minded people from around the country.
Program: Coming! Presenters are being announced on Facebook and Instagram.
Queries to afts.conference<at>gmail.com
Prices (excluding Humanitix booking fee):
Full weekend: $200 (member), $250 (non-member)
Saturday only: $130 (member), $170 (non-member)
Sunday only: $130 (member), $170 (non-member)
Presenters
Please download the full program!
Lucy Cavendish (keynote)
Alys McLennan, seanchaidh (traditional Scottish storyteller), trauma counsellor
Arianne James, radio presenter, author (Daughters of the Tide)
Camille Booker
Christine della Vedova
Dr Emma Woods, mythologist, academic, author (Bite Me: The Myth of Vagina Dentata)
Isabel Shapcott, storyteller, wordsmith, professional fairy
Jo Henwood, storyteller, writer, museum guide, Ring Maiden, AFTS co-founder
Dr Kate Forsyth, storyteller, author (The Changeling, Bitter Greens)
Kathryn Gossow, author (Cassandra)
Laura Fulton, author
Lauren Keegan, psychologist, author (All the Bees, The Woman in the Seal Skin)
Leanbh Pearson, archaeology academic, author (Loki, Black Fox, Bitterbind)
Dr Lisa Ritchie, psychologist
Liz Locksley, storyteller
Dr Louise Phillips, storyteller, educator, academic
Mel Fox
Priti Modyiyer, storyteller
Serene Conneeley, author (The Swan Maiden, Oracle decks)
Tiffany Hastie
Bursary for AFTS Members
One AFTS Bursary is on offer to a current member to attend our 2026 conference. The bursary will cover: a) transport and accommodation costs to $400,
b) a ‘fairy godmother/father’ as conference mentor.
Registration costs are the responsibility of the attendee.
Applications closed at 10pm, July 21, 2026. Good luck!
Presenters’ Expressions of Interest have now closed.
As we encompass all disciplines and types of creativity, we invite you to submit presentations in a diversity of forms, as this is one of the delights of an AFTS conference. How will you weave a fairy-tale witch – male or female, wicked or wonderful – into your presentation? For more detail, visit our blog. Thank you – submissions closed April 30, 11pm.
Read more about the conference
- Our conference artist Cassandra Kavanagh has been painting since the age of two, and reading since the age of four. Visit our blog to learn why fairy tales remain a firm favourite, despite being traumatised by Bluebeard at age seven! And in Part 2, her thoughts on our theme, ‘Witches in Fairy Tales’.
- Our keynote speaker Lucy Cavendish is an author, oracle deck creator, podcaster, surfer, wildlife carer – and witch! Learn why she thinks our 2026 theme is ‘delicious’! In Part 2, Lucy reflects on the wisdom of fairy tales and on witchcraft.
- The favourite witches of our presenters revealed!
We’d like to thank …
- Conference artist: Cassandra Kavanagh
- Keynote speaker: Lucy Cavendish
Australian Fairy Tale Society 