By Susan Wyndham,  Sydney Morning  Herald
May 24, 2004

The festival, which attracted a record 45,000 book-lovers - an increase of 22 per cent on last year - mixed politics and comedy in a program of 250 writers at 175 events that stretched to Parramatta, Wollongong and the Blue Mountains.

Sellout crowds at the new 850-seat Sydney Theatre saw Harvey Pekar and Michael Leunig, Alain de Botton and David Sedaris. The Watergate
whistleblower John Dean packed 1500 into the
Sydney Town Hall.

Did you miss NSW Premier Bob Carr's discussion with Colleen McCullough at Sydney Town Hall? 

Booklovers across the globe will have free access to the final event of the 2004 Sydney Writers' Festival, via a webcast provided by Telstra on the world wide web.

Telstra  are broadcasting bestselling author Colleen McCullough's discussion on Roman History with NSW Premier, Bob Carr over the next month at  http://www.telstra.com.au/swf

Rachael Kohn interviewed the premier English dramatist of his generation, Alan Bennett live, via satellite at Sydney Theatre, for the opening night event, on Wednesday, 19 May following the world-premier of his new play The History Boys at the National Theatre in London’s West End.