Page Break: VATE Reading Retreat
Artwork © 2025 Chloe Blades: ‘Why Don’t You Tell Me The Story Of Your Life?’.
Reproduced with the full permission of the artist. All rights reserved.

 

Join us for a Page Break at the inaugural VATE Reading Retreat.

Through a blend of quiet reflection, lively discussion and collegial connection, participants will consider their own habits as readers, explore how they engage with stories and ideas, and deepen their sense of belonging to a vibrant community of fellow book lovers. Guided by thoughtfully curated literary experiences with guest authors, the Page Break Reading Retreat offers a space to not only appreciate the personal dimensions of engaging with texts, but also to share insights, swap perspectives, and celebrate the collective joy that emerges when we experience literature alongside others. Register for the Reading Retreat here!

  • Friday 29 May – Sunday 31 May 2026
  • The Trawool Estate, 8150 Goulburn Valley Highway, Trawool, on the lands of the Taungurung People
  • $850 (inc. GST) per person (2026 VATE members only)
  • Want to share a room with your VATE mate? Shared rooms (2-3 people) are available at a reduced rate of $650 (inc. GST) per person. Registrations for this option must be made through the VATE office. Please email events@vate.org.au to discuss this option.
  • Please contact The Trawool Estate if you have specific accessibility requirements.

Download a copy of the flyer for the Page Break Reading Retreat here.

About the venue: Where nature and luxury meet

The Traditional Custodians of the land of The Trawool Estate are the Taungurung People. The 'First People of the Rivers and Mountains' have celebrated and come together in this place, as we do today.

Overlooking the National Trust listed Trawool Valley, The Trawool Estate is an iconic property where locals gather and visitors experience a unique escape among nature. Acquired in 2019 by a local family passionate about breathing new life into this historic building, every space has undergone significant beautification. Foodies and wine-lovers will be delighted by the stunning view in Wild Water restaurant, which serves beautiful food in a relaxed, elevated space, with a  focus on highlighting the best locally sourced produce, in a place where friends and family can come together.

Trawool is located just over an hour north-east of Melbourne. An easy drive up the Hume Freeway and taking the Tallarook turnoff, the Trawool district is a spectacular natural playground and is dominated by the Great Dividing Range and its magnificent scenery.

What's included?

  • Great conversation and new and old connections with your VATE colleagues from across the state
  • Thoughtfully curated program with literary touches including conversation prompts, suggested reading lists and listening suggestions to accompany your reading experience
  • Two nights luxe accommodation at The Trawool Estate
  • Welcome social hour (from 5pm)
  • Sessions with Sarah L'Estrange, Karys McEwen and Nova Weetman
  • Two course vegetarian dinner on Friday and Saturday night
  • Breakfast on Saturday and Sunday morning
  • Ample time for individual reading - it's a reading retreat after all
  • Access to the amenities at The Trawool Estate including tennis and squash courts, reading room and expansive grounds on the doorstep of the Great Victorian Rail Trail
  • While alcohol is not included, it will be available to purchase.

     

  

Sarah L'Estrange is a producer and broadcaster at ABC Radio National and has been steeped in books and writing for almost 20 years. As producer of The Book Show she has interviewed many Australian and international authors including Helen Garner, Christos Tsiolkas, Min Jin Lee and Salman Rushdie. She has also produced and presented special series for Radio National including ‘Fakes and Frauds’ about Australian literary scandals and ‘Banned Books’ which looks at the forces driving book bans worldwide. She also produced ‘The Books that Changed Us’ short series which takes a fresh look at five influential books of the 20th century. She is a regular host and facilitator at writers' festivals and is hosting the inaugural Book Club at Adelaide Writer's Week 2026.

 

Karys McEwen is a school librarian, education advisor for the Melbourne Writers Festival, and project officer for VATE. She is a member of the Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Victorian Branch committee, and the Committee on Standards for the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA). She is passionate about the role libraries and books can play in the wellbeing of young people, and she writes the substack ‘I Read A Lot’. Her two middle grade novels, All the Little Tricky Things and The Paperbark Tree Committee, were published by Text Publishing.

 

Since leaving the world of screenwriting, Nova Weetman has published 21 books for children and young adults, including: Sonny & Tess, Sick Bay, Outlaw Girls and The Edge of Thirteen. Nova’s books have been CBCA Notables, shortlisted for the Readings Children’s Prize, Japan’s Sakura Medal, the NSW Premier’s History Prize and more. She won the ABIA Award for Best Children’s Book Small Publisher in 2021. Her books have been published widely overseas. Nova’s adult memoir, Love, Death & Other Scenes was published in April 2024 through University of Queensland Press and won the AJA Award in 2025. Nova has published short fiction in Overland, Mslexia, Kill Your Darlings, Wet Ink and Island. Nova writes regularly for The Guardian and The Age and appears fortnightly on ABC Radio Melbourne talking about children’s books.