Ms Strayed is best-known for her popular memoir Wild, a story of the loss of her mother and her subsequent three-month solo hike, which has been turned into a film starring Reese Witherspoon.

The festival’s artistic director Rosemary Sorensen said many people were amazed by Ms Strayed’s story.

“She’s one of those writers who’s so entertaining and so engaging for audiences, and we know people are fascinated by risk-taking… We find people love to read the books and love to meet the authors,” Ms Sorensen said.

The festival will officially open with a discussion on creative risk-taking with Ms Strayed, Australian writer Benjamin Law, who wrote the television series The Family Law, and writer and “word nerd” David Astle, led by leadership expert Chris Kotur.

Ms Sorensen said the opening event was shaping up to be a “really fun, entertaining night”.

Ms Strayed will also be interviewed by local woman Claire Flanagan-Smith in an in-conversation event the following day, where attendees will learn a little more about her life and writing from the woman herself.

Other speakers will be revealed when tickets and passes go on sale Wednesday, June 1.

Ms Sorensen said there would be about 10,000 seats available across the three-day program.

Demand for more sessions on a Friday afternoon will see the event expanded for the first time in the festival’s five-year history.

The festival will be held August 12 to 14.