"What if?"
David Pocock
We live in a time of big, era-defining questions. What if Trump wins the US election - again? What if deepfakes kill the news? What if AI kills the arts? What if tech bros kill democracy? What if another pandemic hits? What if we miss our climate targets? And the biggest question of all: What if we refuse to learn from our mistakes?
Join a stellar panel of thinkers for a night of reflection and reckoning. Featuring: Mark Kenny, David Lindenmayer, John Lyons, Katherine Manstead, Amy Remeikis, Vanessa Turnbull-Roberts and Senator David Pocock.
Hosted by Emma Shortis.
"My Life in Stories"
Fran Kelly
Fran Kelly has spent her career telling other people’s stories. Now - for one night only - she’ll be telling her own; and Fran has stories to tell. From her early days as a political correspondent to her time as host of ABC Radio National's Breakfast program, Fran has been at the forefront of Australian media for decades. How do you become one of the nation’s most beloved and trusted storytellers? What a joy it will be to find out. Hosted by Karen Middleton.
Battlers, Billionaires and Banks
Andrew Leigh
Australia is experiencing its first serious outbreak of inflation in decades, global inequality is sky-rocketing, there is a cost of living crisis, and the big banks are posting record profits. Join award-winning historian Stuart Kells and Canberra’s own Andrew Leigh MP as they untangle some of the big knots of our economic moment, and uncover a scandal or two. In Conversation with ABC Canberra's Adam Shirley.
Democracy on a Precipice
Barrie Cassidy
In July, the US Supreme Court ruled that Donald J. Trump - convicted felon and Republican presidential nominee - is entitled to broad immunity from criminal prosecution for efforts to undo his 2020 election loss to Joe Biden. The Biden administration labelled the decision “a dangerous precedent” and the implications for US democracy are chilling. But in an age of disinformation and civic decline, there are signs of democratic fragility all over the globe, and Australia is no exception. Barrie Cassidy leads an expert panel of thinkers – Bruce Wolpe, Nick Bryant and Emma Shortis – to discuss our perilous geo-politics.
Myths and Misrememberings
Peter Stanley
Australia’s war tales could be said to be the closest thing we have to sacred national stories, but did they actually happen? With sharp wits and clear eyes, Mark Dapin and Peter Stanley question our grand, martial myths and suggest some heroic alternatives. In conversation with Allan Behm.
History Repeating
Catherine McKinnon has woven her new book around Robert Oppenheimer and his wife Kitty - the ultimate nuclear family; Emily Maguire’s new novel is an audacious portrait of an audacious woman - a mystery from the Middle Ages. Rebecca Harkins-Cross joins these dauntless storytellers to discuss the narrative lure of historical legends, and what the past can tell us about our present.
Postcards from the Edge
Carly Jay Metcalfe
What can we learn about life by coming to terms with death? After decades of caring for others, Dr Peter Goldsworthy is now grappling with his own cancer diagnosis; C.J. Metcalfe has been defying death since the day she was born. These two remarkable writers have stories to tell and wisdom to share. Join them for a big-hearted and life-affirming conversation. Hosted by Ginger Gorman.
A Night With Tim Winton
Tim Winton
Tim Winton’s literary career spans 40 years of writing and 29 books for adults and younger readers. His books have been translated into 29 languages and won numerous awards including the Miles Franklin Literary Award four times (for Shallows, Cloudstreet, Dirt Music and Breath) and twice been shortlisted for the Booker Prize (for The Riders and Dirt Music).Tim is also the writer, narrator, and executive producer of the nature documentary series Ningaloo Nyinggulu screening around the world in 2023. Tim lives in Western Australia.
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The Power of Quiet
Robbie Arnott
Novels don’t need to make a noise to make an impact. The books that touch us most deeply are often unassuming - potent in their quiet. Join Robbie Arnott, and Booker Prize nominee Charlotte Wood, and as they talk about their favourite hushed and gentle books, and the art of less is more. In conversation with local author Kaya Wilson.
Young Hawke
Frank Bongiorno
Before he was the Silver Bodgie, Robert J. Hawke was a scrawny kid from Border Town with a prophetic belief in his own grand destiny. Historians David Day and Frank Bongiorno consider the man behind the myth, and the myth behind the man. In conversation with Western Australian Labor Senator Varun Ghosh.
Your Favourites, Melissa Lucashenko
Melissa Lucashenko
Melissa Lucashenko has created some of the most memorable characters in Australian fiction. Her latest novel, Edenglassie, is a masterclass in people watching. How does she build such human - and humane - depth into her work? Come and find out. Melissa talks to award winning historian Shannyn Palmer.
Family Legacies and Literary Vandals
Michael Visontay
One hundred years ago, a New York bookseller committed a crime against history - he broke up the world’s grandest book, the Gutenberg Bible, and sold it off in individual pages. This is the story of an Australian man’s hunt for those fragments, and his family’s debt to an act of literary vandalism. Join author Michael Visontay and Richard Fidler for a bookish detective story (recorded for ABC Radio's Conversations).
Ghost Stories
Dylin Hardcastle
There are many ways to be haunted. Local author Kaaron Warren was inspired by Old Parliament House and the archival treasures of Canberra; Dylin Hardcastle has written a love story - a tale of alternative lives and spectral futures. Join them for a discussion about the ghosts we cannot quiet. In conversation with Yves Rees.
BOOK LAUNCH - The Thinning
Inga Simpson
Inga Simpson’s last novel, Willowman, was a total joy - a tale of craftsmen and cricket bats. Now, she has a new story to tell, and Canberra readers will be first to get their hands on it! Join Inga as she launches The Thinning, a powerful literary page-turner about two young people in a race against time to reach a monumental solar eclipse. In conversation with Kate Mildenhall.
Earning The Risk
Emily Maguire’s new novel, Rapture, is her most daring - and dazzling - work to date, a tale of gender, power and the making of a legend. A book like this doesn’t happen by accident, it is the culmination of years of learning and experience - a career-long commitment to big thinking, deep research and craft mastery. Join Emily and passionate fan, Bri Lee, for a discussion of literary risk taking
My Life With Dogs
Markus Zusak
Every dog owner thinks they have the best dog. Nobody is wrong. Markus Zusak - the beloved author of The Book Thief - returns to the page for the first time in seven years with a true-life tale of his three big, wild, pound-hardened dogs. There are street fights, park brawls, public shamings, property trashing, bodily injuries, stomach pumping, purest comedy, shocking tragedy, and carnage that needs to be seen to be believed. There is also a great deal of love. Markus talks to Sally Pryor about the three hounds of chaos who changed him forever. A night for anyone with a dog in their life, or the memory of a dog in their heart.
Inside the Maxwell Trial
Lucia Osborne-Crowley
The criminal trial of Ghislaine Maxwell - Jeffrey Epstein’s long-time confidant and facilitator of his horrific crimes - made international headlines, but only four reporters were admitted into the courtroom in New York. Lucia Osborne-Crowley was one of them. Karen Middleton joins Lucia to discuss her explosive, behind-the-scenes account of that trial, The Lasting Harm. A conversation not to be missed.
Coming Up Trumps: A Memoir with Fred C. Trump III
Every family has a weird uncle. Just ask Fred C. Trump III about his Uncle Donald. Fred never asked for any of this. The divisive politics. The endless headlines. A hijacked last name. But as Donald Trump slouches towards the White House – again – Fred is breaking his decades-long silence. His story is as nuanced as it is revealing: a tale of money, dynastic American power, and the unshakeable bonds of family. Fred advocates on behalf of people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, like his 25 year-old son William. In a Canberra Writers Festival exclusive Fred joins us live from the US to discuss his complex family legacy and the cause that gives him strength. An unmissable conversation, hosted by Fran Kelly.
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Black Witness
Amy McQuire
Amy McQuire has been writing on Indigenous affairs since she was a teenager. Over the past two decades, she has reported on most of the key events involving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, including numerous deaths in custody, the Palm Island uprising, the Bowraville murders and the Northern Territory Intervention. She knows the power of storytelling and the cruelty of silence. Her new book shows how Black journalism can pave the way for equality and justice. Join Amy for a potent and necessary conversation.
Being Peter Dutton
Lech Blaine
From rookie Queensland cop to leader of the opposition, Peter Dutton’s trajectory is more than a political origin story, it’s a cultural mirror. His fears, furies and preoccupations tell us something important about ourselves. Lech Blaine and Niki Savva take a deep dive into the mind of the opposition leader, and consider where he might lead us.
What Would A Real Progressive Agenda Look Like?
David Lindemeyer
Australian political debates are often rhetoric-heavy and policy-light - full of bluster and point scoring. Terms like ‘progressive’ and ‘conservative’ can seem hollow at best, and misleading at worst. What does it mean to be a political progressive in our current conversation? And what could it mean if we ditched the populist shibboleths and went back to basics? Join Richard Denniss, Veronica Gorrie and David Lindenmayer as they consider the kind of Australia a progressive government could build. Hosted by Amy Remeikis.
Doing the Work
Bri Lee
Bri Lee’s new book, The Work, is about the biggest intersections of life: of art and commerce, of intimacy and distance, of talent and entitlement, and of labour and privilege. It’s also her first novel. Bri is joined by local author Qin Qin for a discussion of ambition, on and off the page.
The Democracy Trilogy
Clare Wright
How did Australians come to have a political voice? Stella Prize-winning historian, Clare Wright, has spent more than two decades tracing this question through artefacts and archives. The result is a groundbreaking, three-volume masterpiece - The Democracy Trilogy - a milestone in Australian political storytelling. Join Clare and Barrie Cassidy, as they discuss the latest and final volume of the trilogy - Näku Dhäruk - the tale of the Yirrkala Bark Petitions, founding documents in Australian democracy.
Continuity and Connection
Nardi Simpson
Singer, songwriter, storyteller: Nardi Simpson is a glorious polymath. She wowed Australian readers with her debut novel, Song of the Crocodile. Now she is back with an exquisite new story, The Belburd, which braids together past, present and future. Melissa Lucashenko joins Nardi to discuss the craft and power of interwoven narratives. Hosted by Julieanne Lamond.
Let's Queer Up a Few Things
Sam Elkin
Trans and gender diverse people have always been present in Australian life, whether they have lived quiet lives in the country, performed in cabaret shows, or run for parliament. Join Noah Riseman, Sam Elkin, Leigh Boucher and Michelle Arrow as they honour the resilience, courage, and political achievements of Australia's LGBTQI+ community, while reflecting on the ongoing journey towards equality and inclusion. Hosted by Venus Mantrap.
What Would A Real Conservative Agenda Look Like?
Niki Sava
Our political parties are often focused on saying who they aren’t, and what they won’t do. Terms like ‘progressive’ and ‘conservative’ can seem hollow at best, and misleading at worst. What does it mean to be a political conservative in our current conversation? And what could it mean if we ditched the populist shibboleths and went back to basics? Join journalists Mark Kenny, Paul Sakkal and Niki Savva as they consider the kind of Australia a conservative government could build.
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Your Favourites, Robbie Arnott
Robbie Arnott
Robbie Arnott’s fiction is steeped in the wild: women return from the dead as walking ecosystems; mythic birds circle the skies; the water calls to us. In writing these sumptuous, near-sentient landscapes, he grapples with our most wrenching and necessary questions: eco-grief, stolen land and human frailty. He joins local author Karen Viggers to talk about his new novel, Dusk, a tale of a feral creature loose in the Tasmanian highlands.
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Law Breakers
Suzie Miller
Shankari Chandran and Suzie Miller are two of the most talented writers in the country. One is a Miles Franklin award-winning novelist, the other a globally-celebrated playwright. Both explore important social justice issues in their work. They each have a background as human rights lawyers. Is that a coincidence? Nicole Abadee uses her own legal training to investigate how writing can bring about social change.
Status Anxiety
Carody Culver
Status affords some of us power and wealth and others empty promises. But why does status so often go unnoticed? How does it influence everything from social inequality to personal relationships? And what changing forces have come to bear on the high or low status we have ascribed ourselves and others over the centuries? Lucia Osborne-Crowley, Sam Elkin, Rick Morton, Rebecca Harkins-Cross and Qin Qin investigate our hidden hierarchies. Hosted by Carody Culver.
Adapting Murder
Chris Hammer
Local crime-writing superstar, Chris Hammer, has a brand new novel to share with Canberra readers. Meanwhile, his Aussie noir classic, Scrublands, has been adapted into a hit TV series, with another season on the way. Join Chris and his screenwriter, Felicity Packard, as they discuss how a murderous idea makes the journey from page to screen. In conversation with Zoya Patel.
Slutdom
Hilary Caldwell
Despite decades of activism, women are still burdened with the effects of slut shaming in everyday life. Finally, there is a book that argues convincingly and passionately for women’s enjoyment of sex as a force to advance gender equality. Join sexologist and sex worker Dr. Hilary Caldwell, and memoirist C.J. Metcalfe, as they talk about bodies, pleasure and the power of speaking up.
The Edge of Forgetting
Tess Schofield-Peters
What debt do we owe to the past and its secrets? Andra Putnis and Tess Scholfield-Peters have both grappled with this question in their family memoirs - twin tales of extraordinary grandparents. History devotee, Kate Evans, joins Andra and Tess for a discussion of loss, resilience, secrecy, occupation, migration and the slippery ethics of storytelling (recorded for Radio National’s The Bookshelf).
Queerstories
Maeve Marsden
Vulnerable and fierce, hilarious and heartbreaking, Queerstories celebrates the culture and creativity of the LGBTQI+ community one true story at a time. Queerstories has played to crowds big and small, from Mudgee to Murwillumbah, Albury to Adelaide, Brisbane and beyond. Now, the beloved storytelling phenomenon arrives in Kamberri. Each guest is invited to share the story they want to tell, but are never asked to; unexpected tales of pride, prejudice, resilience and resistance. Featuring Sam Elkin, Dylin Hardcastle, David Owen Kelly, Cheryl Leavy and Alistair Ott. Curated and hosted by Maeve Marsden.
My Life on the Page
Christos Tsiolkas
Christos Tsiolkas is one of Australia’s most beloved and provocative novelists, and he is beloved because of his provocations. That’s a rare form of admiration in this tall poppy chopping country. Christos’s latest book, The In Between, is a love story; a tender tale of mid-life solace. It’s his most gentle, earnest book to date, and it may be his best. In this special event, Christos reflects on his life on - and off - the page with friend, and fellow Melburnian, Clare Wright.
BOOK LAUNCH - Working for the Brand
Josh Bornstein
When you go to work, you agree to exchange your labour in exchange for your pay, right? But what you may not realise, is you are also selling your rights to free speech and to participate in democracy. Welcome to corporate cancel culture. Josh Bornstein and Amy Remeikis explore a phenomenon that is routinely ignored in debates about free speech.
Book Tales
Pip Williams
It’s a morning for book lovers at the National Library: twin tales of book collectors and book binders. Gail Holmes’s debut novel, In the Margins, is drawn from the life of Frances Wolfreston, the woman who preserved the earliest part of Shakespeare’s legacy. She joins Pip Williams, whose latest novel, The Bookbinder of Jericho, explores another little-known slice of bookish history - the bindery at Oxford University Press. In conversation with Nicole Abadee.
The Women Time Forgot
Yves Rees
A celebrity decorator with blue hair. A single mother who advised JFK in the Oval Office. A Christian nudist with a passion for almond milk. Yves Rees and Western Australian Labor Senator Varun Ghosh consider the extraordinary women who reoriented Australia towards the United States years before politicians began to lumber down the same path.
Australian Gospel
Lech Blaine
Which inheritances can we escape and which will haunt us forever? From one of Australia's most brilliant writers comes a gripping true story about the tangled fates of two couples and the foster children trapped between them. Join Lech Blaine as he discusses his new family memoir with Michael Williams (recorded for The Monthly’s weekly podcast, Read This).
Your Favourites, Anita Heiss
Anita Heiss
This year marks the 200th anniversary of the Bathurst Wars. Anita Heiss’s thrilling new novel, Dirrayawadha, takes its title from the Wiradyuri command ‘to rise up’ and is set during these pivotal frontier conflicts. Join Anita in conversation with Astrid Edwards (recorded for The Garret podcast).
Anthropocene of the Crime
Michael Brissenden
Michael Brissenden’s latest novel is a propulsive thriller; Royce Kurmelovs’ new book is a corporate exposé - true crime at its best. Both are also tales of the climate crisis. David Lindenmayer joins them to consider the novel ways our writers are helping us understand our planetary calamity and chart a way forward.
The Men Who Killed The News
Eric Beecher
Crikey owner and ex-News Corp and Fairfax editor, Eric Beecher, lifts the lid on the abuse of power by media moguls – from William Randolph Hearst to Elon Musk – and on his own unique experience of working for (and being sued by) the Murdochs. Hosted by Karen Middleton.
Your Favourites, Michelle de Kretser
Michelle de Kretser
What happens when life smashes through the boundaries of art? Join the magnificent Michelle de Kretser – one of Australia’s most celebrated writers – for a discussion of her new book, Theory and Practice, which bends fiction, essay and memoir into exhilarating new shapes. In conversation with Bernadette Brennan.
The Case for Critics
Christos Tsiolkas
Derided, disparaged and cursed to the heavens, book critics are depicted as literature’s grand villains – as frustrated creators and gleeful wreckers. But what do critics really do? And why are they necessary for a healthy literary ecosystem? James Jiang, Beejay Silcox and Christos Tsiolkas - a trio of Aussie critics - make the case for criticism. In conversation with Kate Evans and Cassie McCullagh (recorded for Radio National’s The Bookshelf).
American Reckoning
Nick Bryant
As we approach the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, many argue the American experiment is failing. Division, mistrust and misinformation are now its defining characteristics. It is easy to blame new societal pressures, but there is a much older story to tell here. Join Nick Bryant and Emma Shortis, as they trace America’s fractures back to the beginning.
Reading Praiseworthy
Alexis Wright
Alexis Wright’s fourth novel has been described as “mighty in every conceivable way”. A decade in the making, it is the first book to win both the Stella Prize and the Miles Franklin Literary Award, and that is just the beginning of the acclaim. But the book is imposing and demanding - a 740-page monolith. Join passionate readers Cheryl Leavy, Astrid Edwards, Julieanne Lamond and Jeanine Leane for a guide into the extraordinary world of Praiseworthy and Wright’s singular genius. Bring your copy of Praiseworthy and get ready to get reading!
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Back in the USSR
Malcolm Knox
Malcolm Knox’s new novel is a black comedy about Soviet-era autocrats. It arrives at the same time as a posthumous memoir from Alexei Navalny, the Russian opposition leader - and vocal critic of Russia’s modern-day tsar, Vladimir Putin - who paid the ultimate price for his beliefs. Michael Brissenden joins Malcolm to draw out the connections.
Mean Streak: Reckoning with Robodebt
Rick Morton
It was mathematically wrong, ethically rotten, and just plain illegal. So how did a dodgy debt collection algorithm lead to one of the most shocking, large-scale failures in Australian government history? Join Rick Morton as he tells the sordid story of Robodebt. In conversation with Michael Williams (recorded for The Monthly’s weekly podcast, Read This).
Lebanon Days
Theodore Ell
From 2018 to 2021, writer and researcher Theodore Ell accompanied his wife on her diplomatic posting to Lebanon and unexpectedly found himself witness to a country on the brink of collapse. Theo talks to Richard Fidler about his insightful new memoir: an outsider’s account of Beirut, and a survivor’s account of the 2020 port explosion (recorded for ABC Radio’s Conversations).
Drongos, Drop bears and Dictionairies
Amanda Laugesen
Grab your budgie smugglers and hop aboard the mateship, it is time to talk Aussie argot. Words underpin the myths and stereotypes of our national identity; they have also obscured harsh realities and inequalities. Join Australian National Dictionary Centre Director, Dr Amanda Laugesen, and beloved novelist Pip Williams, author of The Dictionary of Lost Words, for a linguistic feast. In conversation with Terri-Ann White.
Your Favourites, Jessica Tu
Jessica Tu
Jessie Tu's sensational first novel featured a violin prodigy navigating her twenties - a tale of sex and expectation. Join Jessie as she discusses her second novel - The Honeyeater - set in the deeply competitive world of literary translation and academia where she returns to the themes she writes best: power, control and the effects of intense pressure. In conversation with Alice Grundy.
A Long March
Kim Carr
In 1975, as Gough Whitlam’s government hurtled towards its demise, a nineteen-year-old arts student at the University of Melbourne, Kim Carr, began a long march. Join the former Victorian senator and Labor cabinet minister as he discusses his memoir with Frank Bongiorno, and ponders a vital political question: How should Labor argue the case for a workable, appealing, durable version of social democracy for twenty-first-century Australia?
Memories and Fables
Yumna Kassab
Yumna Kassab and Abbas El-Zein have both written extraordinary stories of life in a warzone: one is fictional - a potent allegory - the other an award-winning memoir. In a special conversation, the two writers join forces to consider the limits and possibilities of their forms with local author Zoya Patel, who has written one of each. In conversation with Kate Evans (recorded for Radio National’s The Bookshelf).
Sex, Power, and Truth Telling
Veronica Gorrie
The scripts we have about sex, gender and power are deeply ingrained: they shape our families, communities and institutions; our bodies, minds and relationships. But what happens when we dare to rip them up? Join Hilary Caldwell, Veronica Gorrie, and Katrina Marson as they shake the status quo and ask big, necessary questions about shame, pleasure, silence and who we trust. Virginia Haussegger leads this vital and empowering conversation.
Language as Archive
Yves Rees
Before British colonisation, there were more than 250 languages spoken on this continent. Less than half survive today, and most of them are under threat. In a live episode of their hit podcast, Archive Fever, historians Yves Rees and Clare Wright are joined by special guests Cheryl Leavy and Paul Girrawah House to discuss orality as archive: how language helps us know the past and why the work of language revitalisation – bringing languages back to life – is so vital to the future.
Your Favourites, Louise Milligan
Louise Milligan
Louise Milligan’s first novel is a taut and pacy thriller about a young investigative reporter who finds herself on the other side of a news story. It is as clever as you would expect, but also a great big romp. Louise is joined by fellow multi-award winning journalist Samantha Maiden, who knows the turf and gets all the jokes.
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The Words They Leave Behind with Kaaron Warren
Kaaron Warren
Have you ever found a photo in an old book? A shopping list in a drawer, a recipe on the back of a notebook, a box of old postcards at a school fete, an inscription in a book that broke your heart? Kaaron Warren has found these and more, always wondering about the person behind the items. Who were they, and what did these things mean to them? We can tell stories around found postcards, telegrams, menus from cruise ships and more, things that were once important to strangers. These are clues to be built on, lives to be imagined. We’ll examine this ephemera in detail, developing character profiles around them. We’ll write the stories of these forgotten pieces of people’s lives. We’ll make those pages live again.
Life Writing with Samah Sabawi
Samah Sabawi
‘Whoever writes his story will inherit the land of words, and possess meaning, entirely!’ - Mahmoud Darwish How would you write your story? Where would it begin? Where will it end? What compels you to write it? How do you navigate the emotional landscape of your story? Are you writing to heal, to confess, or to educate? Are you driven by vanity or some greater cause? How do you own your truth in the land of words? In this workshop we will consider these questions and more as we grapple with the rich and revelatory genre of memoir.
Ask Markus Zusak
Markus Zusak
Markus Zusak tried to write his first novel when he was sixteen (it didn’t go well), which makes it thirty-three years now in writing. As well as experiencing great highs with books like The Book Thief and Three Wild Dogs (and the Truth), he has also encountered just about every challenge any writer faces each day, each month, each year, whether published or not. This session aims to share that knowledge, whether you’re deep into a project, or even just contemplating a life of writing.
Tackling True Crime with Mark Dapin
Mark Dapin
Whether you're crafting a chilling tale of mystery or a harrowing account of justice, this masterclass will equip you with the foundational skills to turn real-life crimes into unforgettable stories. Mark Dapin addresses the practical questions faced by first-time true-crime writers: How do I find inquest reports? How do I find court transcripts? How do I approach lawyers? How do I visit prisons? How do I interview criminals? How do I interview detectives? How do I figure out who is telling the truth? And, perhaps most importantly, how much danger am I letting myself in for? Mark will then discuss how to structure a story and ensure that the narrative grips the reader. In true crime more than any other genre, it’s vital to keep the reader guessing and not give away too much too soon.
Charlotte Wood Takes Your Questions
Charlotte Wood
The path to a finished book is a shadowy one, and the way ahead is not often clear. While every writer must find their own way, sometimes a friendly guide can help lead you through some of the more treacherous stretches. In this two-hour session Charlotte will share what she’s learned over a ten-book career, answering your questions on any aspect of the writer’s life, including where to start, how not to panic when the track splits or disappears, how to pace yourself and other creative dilemmas. There’s an option for participants to submit questions in advance to allow the most considered answers.
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The Power of Play with Kate Mildenhall
Kate Mildenhall
As a teacher and writer, Kate Mildenhall - the Stella Prize longlisted author of The Hummingbird Effect - knows the energetic buzz of a good writing prompt and the creative high of leaving a writing session with pages of new words. She now includes timed writing exercises into her own writing practice to increase energy and output and work around creative blocks. In this 2 hour intensive for writers at any stage of their career or project, participants will work through generative prompts to inspire different aspects of their writing work including landscape, memory, desire, structure, language and theme. Kate will ensure everyone walks away with a pocketful of new prompts to keep the momentum going.
Facing the Dragon in Memoir with Qin Qin
Qin QIn
Our stories can both imprison and liberate us. Beliefs about who we are, or how we write, can shackle the creative spirit. But it’s never too late to resist the constraints of inherited narratives. This workshop explores how memoir can be a path to freedom. Whether you’re starting out, mired in the messy middle, or struggling with fear in finishing, you’re invited to confront the stories imposed on you and see how or where you can transform them. With reflective exercises and discussion, you’ll be equipped with deeper awareness and courage to ‘face the dragon’ towards the truth within.
So You Want To Start a Podcast? With Astrid Edwards
Astrid Edwards
Podcasts abound in the book world. They can have significant benefits for literary careers and profiles. But they are also hard work, and more fail than succeed. Join Astrid Edwards - host of the lauded literary interview series, The Garret - for a behind-the-scenes look at producing a podcast. This masterclass will take you through the art and craft of podcasting - from that initial spark of an idea to the nuts and bolts of broadcasting - and help you determine if a podcast is the right form for you. While we will focus on podcasts related to writing, editing, reading and publishing, all ideas - from any industry - are welcome.
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Writing Lives with Bernadette Brennan
Bernadette Brennan
For a biography to sing it needs to be written with energy and passion. The biographer, driven by curiosity and the desire to understand what makes their subject tick, or in Helen Vendler’s words, ‘the inner dynamic of the life’, must be open to all sorts of discoveries and challenges. So how do you write such a story? Who do you write about, and why? What practical, ethical and personal complications arise? In this masterclass, the award-winning biographer Bernadette Brennan shares her insights and experience into the often fraught, always fascinating, art of biography.
Preparing for Publication with Carody Culver & Terri Ann White
Carody Culver
Carody Culver, editor of Griffith Review, and Terri-ann White, Publisher at Upswell, will take you through the steps of pitching your work to publishers. How do you effectively approach a publisher and when? Do you send short works to literary journals and then progress to a book-length manuscript, or can you stay in the world of short-form writing? What’s the difference between pitching a short work and pitching a manuscript? What should you expect after you submit your proposal? And what actually happens to your precious work once it’s been accepted, from the different stages of the editing process to book cover design and beyond? We’ll endeavour to answer all these questions and more. We’ll take you through the responsibilities of both parties – writer and publisher – in the remarkable adventure of going from pitch to print.
Documentary Poetry with Jeanine Leane
Jeanine Leane
Documentary poetry provokes readers to think critically about issues relevant to society while appreciating the poet’s use of poetic form, language, and imagery. Crafting documentary poetry is experimental and involves responding to visual art (film, photography, paintings, political cartoons, mixed-media art), music lyrics, content from historical archives, print media (newspapers, magazines), official documents (legal records, written correspondence, medical records, testimonials), and/or resource materials (advertisements, pamphlets). Join Wiradjuri poet and critic Jeanine Leane for a masterclass in crafting nonfiction documentary poetry.
Reinvigorating Creativity with Alice Grundy
Alice Grundy
Has it been a while since you last wrote, or are you stuck in a creative rut? Do you feel as though writing has turned into a chore? In this workshop we cover how to unblock and revive your creativity through playful exercises and practices. You will leave with an armful of tools to pull out the next time you face a blinking cursor or blank page. Last year’s masterclass with Alice Grundy was a festival favourite - one of the first events to sell out. Don’t wait to book your place!
Masterclass: Transforming Character with Catherine McKinnon
Catherine Mckinnon
Characters need to transform. At the start of a story they are in one emotional state, they act, react, and most often (although not always) end the story in a different emotional state. They are changed in some way. Scenes within stories can be shaped around character transformation; the transformation may be small or large, depending on the circumstances. This workshop will focus on character transformation. It asks: how do characters transform? How do you, the writer, ‘escalate’ a scene, develop a character’s internal world, using the senses? How might you explore place to reveal the unique changes your protagonist undergoes, so that you examine emotions in a nuanced way, without the need to signpost every thought or feeling?
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The Most Interesting Man in Ozlit
Rodney Hall
Rodney Hall has stories to tell: he walked across Europe, harboured Salman Rushdie during the fatwa years, and has won the Miles Franklin Literary Award - twice. At 89, Rodney has a new novel to share, Vortex, and it just might be his best. Join Rodney and his devoted publisher, Geordie Williamson, as they discuss his magnificent life on and off the page.
The Chairman’s Lounge
Joe Aston
From the must-read journalist on how power, money and influence work in this country, the full story of how one of the nation’s favourite brands brought itself to ground.
Before Covid, both Qantas and its CEO Alan Joyce were flying high, the darlings of customers, staff and investors. After Covid hit, only money seemed to mattered – in particular, the company’s share price and extraordinary executive bonuses.
How did things go so badly wrong? Why were customers at the end of the queue? Drawing on his incendiary reporting for the Australian Financial Review, Joe Aston’s new book, The Chairman’s Lounge, tells the full story of how one of the nation’s favourite brands brought itself to ground. This is more than the tale of an airline, it is a story about money, power, corporate influence and the vital importance of investigative journalism. In conversation with Ronald Mizen.