AI, art, and staying human - is creativity at a crossroad? Evelyn Araluen, Steve Tolz, Kirra Pendergast

In a world where AI rules, what will it mean to be creative? First Nations poet and author Evelyn Araluen (The Rot, Dropbear) is already self-censoring because of AI theft. The characters in Steve Tolz's new novel A Rising of the Lights find weird ways to sabotage the robots amongst them. Digital safety expert and educator Kirra Pendergast is seeing AI reshape childhood - for better or worse - with an important warning for parents, carers, and educators. This event was organised by the 2026 Byron Writers Festival on Bundjalung Country.

Speakers

Dr Evelyn Araluen

Goorie and Koori poet, editor, educator

Stella Prize winning author, Dropbear (2021) and The Rot (2025)

Co-editor, Overland literary journal

Senior lecturer of Indigenous arts and culture, Victorian College of the Arts, University of Melbourne

Steve Tolz

Booker Prize nominated author for A Fraction of Whole (2008)

Author, A Rising of the Lights (2026)

Screenwriter and producer

Kirra Pendergast