Literary star Christos Tsiolkas knows the feelings of doubt and shame well.
"It [shame] is a theme I've been trying to work on for a very long time," the 55-year-old said.
The theme runs through his work, including his books The Slap and Barracuda - both of which were made into TV series.
It's these books and his captivating depiction of Australian culture that attracted many to hear the award-winning author speak in Newcastle at the Playhouse on Thursday night.
Tsiolkas attended the launch of the Newcastle Writers Festival program, which was followed by a special event in which the author discussed his latest novel, Damascus.
It's a novel about the birth of the Christian church. Between the lines are echoes of the author's Greek-Australian upbringing in the Orthodox Church.
"Writing this book has been a way of dealing with doubt," he said.
"I abandoned God at 15 because I couldn't reconcile being gay and Christian. Seeing the religion that I grew up with saying I was condemned and outside God's love for eternity - I walked away and became an atheist."
This choice didn't stop him from thinking for years about the place of religion, faith and justice. He spent five years on Damascus, for example, considering "what's profound in Christianity".
This included the ethical commitment to "really care for your fellow person, even if they're a stranger".
"What still connects me ethically to Christianity, what I deeply and profoundly admire about it, is that moment of saying, God isn't with the rich or people with power. He's in a refugee, a person who is dying, a person homeless on the streets."
This, he says, is the "astonishingly profound moment of Christianity".
Even though he's now secular, he's still searching for meaning. In that sense, the road to Damascus is an apt metaphor.
"We all have those Damascan moments [turning points in our lives]," he said, adding that they could be related to personal and social lives, family, world affairs, politics or religious beliefs.
"The danger in those moments is when they become fundamentalism."
Newcastle Writers Festival director Rosemarie Milsom said 160 writers will attend this year's festival in April, including David Sinclair - author of the bestseller Lifespan.
The festival includes six international guests. Among them will be acclaimed poet Hera Lindsay Bird and Sinclair - a US-based Australian geneticist - whose book is about his work on anti-ageing and longevity.
Other guests include Behrouz Boochani, Clare Bowditch, Tim Costello, Helen Garner and Archie Roach.
Ms Milsom said this year's program was influenced by the catastrophic bushfires that plagued NSW for six months.
"I'm not alone in feeling as though we reached a tipping point this summer," she said.
"It's during times like these that you wonder about the role that writers and literature can play. I feel very strongly that they can have a profound impact on the way we explore issues as well as the healing process.
"This year's festival explores lessons in leadership, climate change, trust, tribalism, women's rage, resilience, and the role of artists in a crisis.
"There will also be poetry, a discussion about the power of the ocean on the creative process and music from Archie Roach and Clare Bowditch."
A highlight will be a session via Skype with award-winning Kurdish Iranian writer Behrouz Boochani, now based in New Zealand.
Boochani's autobiography No Friend but the Mountains tells of his journey from Indonesia to Australia by boat, and his subsequent imprisonment on Manus Island by the Australian government.
"Archie Roach is our opening night guest and we'll close the festival two days later with a special event with Behrouz," Ms Milsom said.
"These talented artists have shown incredible resilience throughout their lives and these events are perfect 'bookends' for a weekend of big ideas and conversation."
This year's program includes some of Australia's most respected fiction and non-fiction writers, including award-winning journalists Kate McClymont, Adele Ferguson, Virginia Trioli and Paddy Manning.
Also featured will be award-winning authors Helen Garner, Tony Birch, Charlotte Wood, Favel Parrett and activist Tim Costello, who will speak about his memoir A Lot with a Little with broadcaster Paul Bevan at a special event at Cessnock Performing Arts Centre on April 4.
The festival includes 90 free and ticketed events and is held in the Civic precinct. The program also features a literary trivia night fundraiser, panel discussions, readings, one-on-one interviews and book launches.
Festival tickets will be on sale on Friday. Visit newcastlewritersfestival.org.au.
