The pen is indeed mightier than the sword, as Supanova Comic Con & Gaming unveils its literary line-up for Gold Coast (17 – 18 April) and Melbourne (22 – 23 May).

Leading the announcements is a star experienced with both books and blades – Black Sails’ Luke Arnold. Best known for his portrayal of history’s most famous fictional pirate, John Silver, the Aussie actor received a Silver Logie for his turn as INXS front-man Michael Hutchence in the biographical mini-series, Never Tear Us Apart. When he’s not in front of the camera, Luke can be found writing, and will be promoting his novels, The Last Smile in Sunder City and Dead Man in a Ditch.

Supanova alumnus Dr Karl Kruszelnicki returns with his unique brand of scientific wonder. A National Living Treasure (literally – that’s a title that he holds), Dr Karl is a mainstay of Australian media, popularising science through his fun and fascinating non-fiction work. 

Another literary legend fans may have recently seen on The Project, award-winning author and film curator Maria Lewis is set to attend the week of her seventh hotly anticipated release, The Rose Daughter. She is joined by Amanda Bridgeman, whose ongoing Salvation series has recently been optioned for television.

The Gold Coast is also in for some exemplary exclusives, starting with the author of Evermore. One of the strongest voices in Australian speculative fiction, Isobelle Carmody is in good company, attending the Queensland event alongside bibliophile brothers James and Marc Lindsay, creators of the Plato Wyngard series.

Tickets to the Gold Coast event are on sale now via Moshtix, with Melbourne admission to be released closer to the event. 

Supanova Comic Con & Gaming began in Sydney in 2002 as a completely home-grown Australian production showcasing pop culture, sci-fi, fantasy, comic books, anime, manga, games, cosplay and much more. It takes place in six cities (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and the Gold Coast), and is Australia’s leading and largest event of its kind.