The annual festival was due to be held at the Hotel Canobolas on Friday, July 30, and Saturday, July 31.

Organisers told the Central Western Daily that they are currently hoping to secure a new date in late September and "will let everyone know when all the details are confirmed".

The planned line-up of fiction and non-fiction authors for the event had included the former Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs Minister, Robert Tickner, crime writer Petronella McGovern, ABC journalist and thriller author Michael Brissenden, photography curator Helen Ennis and high-profile tree-changer Todd Alexander.

The Readers and Writers Festival was also forced to be cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic.

A number of events have been forced to be postponed across the city in recent weeks, including the Orange Winter Fire Festival and the Oriana's Winter in the Gardens, as well as the Stars of Orange Dance for Cancer gala night which was cancelled just a few hours ahead of the event as restrictions came into effect across regional NSW.

Organisers are now hoping to reschedule the charity night for October 16.

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