Melbourne Writers Festival
Melbourne Writers Festival 100 episodes Nov 13, 2026
The Melbourne Writers Festival podcast brings conversations, talks and readings from Australia's boldest literary festival. It features writers, thinkers and storytellers discussing their work and ideas. Episodes offer a taste of the festival's programme and its celebration of books and writing. The show is produced by the Melbourne Writers Festival.
Episodes
Opening Night Excerpt: Maria Reva
In this special recording from the Opening Night of the 2026 Melbourne Writers Festival, Maria Reva reads from her debut novel Endling. Drawing on lived experience and real events, this excerpt reflects on the surreal, frustrating and loaded experience of war from a distance, as diaspora. Recorded live at Melbourne Writers Festival 2026. Support MWF: https://mwf.com.au/donate/See omnys
Susan Choi: Flashlight
In this insightful conversation, Susan Choi joins Beejay Silcox to discuss her 2025 Booker Prize–shortlisted novel and the themes that animate it – from the immigrant experience, to the complicated bonds between parents and children, to questions of memory, language and identity. A father’s mysterious disappearance. A mother harbouring a secret. A daughter searching
Tareq Baconi: Fire in Every Direction
Telling the story of three generations of displacement, Fire in Every Direction recounts Baconi’s grandmother’s flight from Palestine as a child, his family’s escape from Lebanon in the midst of civil war, and his own awakening as a queer man within a culture of silence in Jordan. Balancing humour and loss, nostalgia and hope, this extraordinary book explores how queerness, shame
David Moscrop: Too Dumb for Democracy?
Why do we make irrational political decisions? Can our stone-age brains process democracy in the digital age? In an era overshadowed by income inequality, environmental catastrophes, terrorism, and the decline of democracy, the political decision-making process has never been more important. In fact, our survival may depend on it. Together with host Sally Warhaft, Canadian writer, podcaster and po
Breaking News: The Rise of Independent Media
In this panel, Antoun Issa (Deepcut News), Antoinette Lattouf (Ette Media) and Amy Remeikis (The Australia Institute) and host Osman Faruqi (Lamestream) discuss the rise of independent media in an era of mainstream media consolidation and declining public trust. Drawing on their own experiences, they consider the possibilities and challenges of alternative platforms such as podcasts, social media,
Making the Victorian Treaty
In this illuminating discussion, key figures involved in the creation of the Victorian Treaty – including 2023-26 Co-Chair of the First Peoples’ Assembly Ngarra Murray, and CEO of the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service, member of the First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria and Treaty Co-Convenor Nerita Waight – discuss this landmark event in our nation’s history. A documen
Political Year in Review
One year on from the Federal Election, four of the country's most incisive political minds take stock. What’s the state of our national political climate and of the major and minor parties? What does the Albanese government stand for? How should we approach our relationship with the USA and other global superpowers? How can we address inequality in Australia? Expect clear-eyed, frank and inf
First Knowledges First
Pioneering Noongar doctor and medical researcher Professor Sandra Eades (co-author of First Knowledges Health: Spirit, Country and Culture) and Darumbal and South Sea Islander journalist Amy McQuire (Black Witness: The Power of Indigenous Media) explore the enduring, transformative role of First Nations knowledge in the fields of healthcare and media. With host Cheryl Leavy, they'll draw on their
Emily Maguire and Josephine Rowe: Are You There, God?
In this stunning conversation, celebrated authors Emily Maguire (Rapture) and Josephine Rowe (Little World) cover the mundane, the miraculous and writing the ineffable. Hear them discuss their latest works exploring faith, fate and the nature of belief, with Jaclyn Crupi. Recorded live at Melbourne Writers Festival.Support MWF: https://mwf.com.au/donate/See omnystudio.com/listener for
The Past is a Foreign Country
Santilla Chingaipe (Black Convicts: How Slavery Shaped Australia), Sita Sargeant (She Shapes History) and Steve Vizard (Nation, Memory, Myth: Gallipoli and the Australian Imaginary) come together to bring to light misunderstood, mythologised or lesser-known dimensions of Australian history. From the global slave trade and Gallipoli to the women who shaped our country but were omitted from the
Hannah Kent: Always Home, Always Homesick
Hannah Kent has won legions of fans with works like Burial Rights, The Good People and Devotion. Now, she presents her debut work of non-fiction – a tender, diaristic love letter to her muse, Iceland.Always Home, Always Homesick is both a memoir of Kent’s experiences of living in Iceland, and a wider consideration of how literature forms the heart of the n
Cancelling Culture
When an artist does something that appals us – politically, legally or ethically – does that mean we should turn our backs on their art? Is it ever possible to separate the art from the artist? And more pressingly – is it right to?Journalist Osman Faruqi, philosopher A. C. Grayling and cultural critic Tara Kenny debate one of the most divisive issues of our time: how we should re
Jimmy Barnes: Highways and Byways
Award-winning author and musician Jimmy Barnes recounts the twists and turns of his larger-than-life adventures live on stage. With his trademark candour, humour, and distinctive voice, Barnes shares anecdotes, lessons, and cracking good yarns: from unearthing shattering family secrets in Glasgow to encountering charismatic and not-so-endearing superstars, to confronting his own mortality.Featurin
Someone Like Me: Autistic Writing and Belonging
The extraordinary writers and editors behind Someone Like Me: An Anthology of Non-fiction by Autistic Writers come together for this panel discussion exploring identity, creativity and culture.This expansive anthology of creative non-fiction, memoir, graphic storytelling and more features a stellar line-up of Autistic gender-diverse and women writers, exploring topics such as sex, religi
Samantha Harvey: Orbital
Samantha Harvey discusses her 2024 Booker Prize-winning novel, Orbital – a profound meditation on deep space, our environment, the meaning of life and the nature of humanity itself.Taking place over a single day – with sixteen sunrises and sixteen sunsets – Orbital tells the story of six astronauts as they observe the planet Earth from the vantage point of the International
The Writer as Witness
What does it mean for a writer to bear witness? How do writers reject or subvert the constraints of traditional structures and institutions, such as media and academia, to depict the stories of their families, their communities and themselves with autonomy and integrity?With host Evelyn Araluen, authors Hasib Hourani (rock flight), Amy McQuire (Black Witness: The Power of Indigenous
Kaliane Bradley: The Ministry of Time
Writer Kaliane Bradley discusses her debut novel, The Ministry of Time, a propulsive tale of time travel, spies and the potential for love to change it all. In the near future, a jaded civil servant is offered a job in a mysterious government ministry gathering ‘expats’ from across history to test the limits of time-travel. Tasked to work as a 'bridge’
Rumaan Alam: Entitlement
Rumaan Alam's latest novel, Entitlement, follows a 33-year-old Black woman named Brooke Orr, who lands a job as a program manager at 83-year-old white billionaire Asher Jaffee’s charitable foundation and quickly becomes his protégé.What follows is a searing portrait of need and worth, race and privilege, and the seductive, corrupting lure of extreme wealth. Alam sits
Jessica Townsend: Silverborn
Hear internationally bestselling author Jessica Townsend discuss the latest book in her phenomenally popular Nevermoor series, Silverborn: The Mystery of Morrigan Crow, with host Rachael King. Townsend’s book is an enchanting, page-turning adventure that takes readers deeper into the world of Nevermoor, where Morrigan Crow must untangle the mystery of who she is, uncover
Peter Steele Poetry Conversation: Pádraig Ó Tuama
Irish poet Pádraig Ó Tuama takes a deep dive into the state of poetry for the annual Peter Steele Conversation. He explores poetry’s power across mediums and provides a taste of his Poetry Unbound podcast. With host Izzy Roberts-Orr and an introduction by University of Melbourne Poet in Residence Maxine Beneba Clarke. Supported by the Faculty of Arts, University
We Sharpen Our Axes Against the Hardest Stone
Is adversity the key to making great art? Must we sink to rock bottom to write the perfect break-up album or a life-changing guidebook to recovery? Can hostile political conditions be a fulcrum for progressive social change? Is conservatism the kryptonite we need to stoke the fire in our bellies?In this special session curated and hosted by MWF First Nations Curator Daniel Browning, writers a
Jamila Rizvi and Rosie Waterland: Broken Brains
Writers, friends and co-authors Jamila Rizvi and Rosie Waterland discuss brain health – the physical and the mental – through their intertwined experiences. Together with host Clare Bowditch, they consider illness, resilience and friendship in this raw and insightful conversation on their new book, Broken Brains. Supported by Readings. Recorded live at Melbourne Wri
Horror, Hauntings and Monstrous Femmes
Argentine author Mariana Enríquez joins partners in writing and life Mikaella Clements and Onjuli Datta to discuss queer horror, monstrous femmes and the themes that haunt their writing. With host Maeve Marsden they unpack their works of fiction, delving into the macabre, the uncanny and the deeply political, exploring queerness, violence and horror.Support MWF
Sarah Wilson: Living Fully in an Age of Crisis
How do we live meaningfully in an era of unprecedented social, political and environmental collapse? Sarah Wilson discusses finding meaning, beauty and humanity amid global crises, with host Carody Culver. Having spent the past four years interviewing leading global thinkers on crisis and transformation, Wilson gives a brave, nuanced and ultimately hopeful guide for anyone who feels overwhelmed b
Yael van der Wouden: The Safekeep
Dutch author Yael van der Wouden unpacks her Booker Prize-shortlisted debut novel The Safekeep. Van der Wouden sits down to discuss her masterful, genre-defying work with Tali Lavi. Supported by ARA. Recorded live at Melbourne Writers Festival 2025.Support MWF: https://mwf.com.au/donate/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Paul Lynch: Prophet Song
Booker Prize-winning novelist Paul Lynch discusses his propulsive and lyrically rendered cautionary fable with Michael Williams. Prophet Song is a fearless portrait of Irish society on the brink of tyranny and a mother’s battle to save her family. Throwing into sharp relief the social and political anxieties of our times, it has been hailed as ‘a literary manifesto for empa
Bri Lee and Liam Pieper: Real Pieces of Work
Bri Lee and Liam Pieper discuss their scathingly funny novels that reveal the tensions of money, power and love in the arts, with Sarah L’Estrange. Lee's debut novel, The Work, delves into the volatile world of modern art, exposing it as a bedfellow to high finance. Pieper’s Appreciation is an outrageous satire that sets its sights on questions of authenticity in a tim
Viet Thanh Nguyen in Ghosts: An Evening of Storytelling
Ghost stories are everywhere. In fairytales, folklore, Gothic novels and modern fiction alike. There are the ghosts that plague our minds – old flames, past wrongs and regrets that come to us in the dead of night – and those that haunt history itself, restless spirits that refuse to rest in peace. Gather round our metaphorical campfire and hear Viet Thanh Nguyen (A Man of T
First Knowledges: Innovation with Ian J McNiven and Lynette Russell
First Nations peoples are some of the oldest innovators in the world. Hear from authors Ian J McNiven and Lynette Russell in conversation with Larissa Behrendt as they share insight into ingenuity that spans millennia, including body shaping, building artificial reefs for oyster farms, repurposing glass from Europeans into spearheads, and novel economic responses to colonisation.
Paul Murray and Bryan Washington: Familiar Haunts
Irish novelist Paul Murray and American author Bryan Washington have penned two of the best ghost stories, of sorts, in living memory. Murray’s The Bee Sting is a sprawling tragicomedy of a family haunted by the ghosts of past trauma. Washington’s tender exploration of lust, love and grief, Family Meal, features the spectre of a lost lover and the phantoms of opportunities ignored. Tog
Louise Milligan in Ghosts: An Evening of Storytelling
Ghost stories are everywhere. In fairytales, folklore, Gothic novels and modern fiction alike. There are the ghosts that plague our minds – old flames, past wrongs and regrets that come to us in the dead of night – and those that haunt history itself, restless spirits that refuse to rest in peace. Gather round our metaphorical campfire and hear Louise Milligan (Pheasant’s Nest), share her moving
Who's Afraid of Reading, Anyway?
It’s little wonder books have been censored, banned and burned throughout history, given their power to shape thought, challenge belief and open whole wide worlds inside us. Beloved novelists Tony Birch, Lauren Groff and Ann Patchett reveal the ‘inappropriate’ texts of their early reading lives and the books they’d encourage readers of all ages to pick up. Birch shares insight as a long-time a
Bruce Pascoe and Lyn Harwood: Black Duck
From bestselling Dark Emu author Bruce Pascoe and his partner, editor Lyn Harwood, comes Black Duck, a deeply personal story of the consequences for changing Australian history. Pascoe and Harwood speak with Paul Barclay about living in harmony with Country based on very old practices, and why 'sometimes you need to repeat something a hundred times before a bell rings in the colony'. Support
Leslie Jamison in Ghosts: An Evening of Storytelling
Ghost stories are everywhere. In fairytales, folklore, Gothic novels and modern fiction alike. There are the ghosts that plague our minds – old flames, past wrongs and regrets that come to us in the dead of night – and those that haunt history itself, restless spirits that refuse to rest in peace. Gather round our metaphorical campfire and hear Leslie Jamison (Splinters), share her moving and re
The Ghost in the Machines
As AI advances and outstrips our notions of its limits and potential, could it capture that essential, undefinable human quality of great art? And if so, how might we preserve the rights of artists? Leading AI experts Marek Kowalkiewicz (The Economy of Algorithms), Toby Walsh (Machines Behaving Badly) and Professor Margaret Cameron, Head of the School of Historical and Philosophical Studies at U
Sinéad Gleeson in Ghosts: An Evening of Storytelling
Ghost stories are everywhere. In fairytales, folklore, Gothic novels and modern fiction alike. There are the ghosts that plague our minds – old flames, past wrongs and regrets that come to us in the dead of night – and those that haunt history itself, restless spirits that refuse to rest in peace. Gather round our metaphorical campfire and hear Sinéad Gleeson (Hagstone), share her moving and revea
Tony Birch: Women and Children
The Boisbouvier Chair in Australian Literature Tony Birch discusses his award-winning novel, Women and Children, with Bec Kavanagh. With tender yet forthright prose, Birch unravels the trauma of violence and the power of family in 1960s Fitzroy, writing ‘convincingly on power and the blinding nature of its corruptive forces’ (Sydney Morning Herald). Supported by the Faculty of Arts, Universit
An Afternoon with Andrew O'Hagan
Following the runaway success of Mayflies, three-time Booker nominee Andrew O’Hagan penned another magnificent portrayal of male friendship in his latest book, Caledonian Road. He joins Michael Williams to discuss his biting portrait of British class, politics and money. Supported by ARA. Recorded live at Melbourne Writers Festival 2024. Support MWF: https://mwf.com.au/donate/See omnystudio.com/
AC Grayling: Philosophy and Life
Join eminent philosopher A.C. Grayling as he delivers an address that draws on a lifetime of thinking and writing about the biggest question of all: how should I live my life? Inspired by his work Philosophy and Life, he brings together the ideas of a fantastically eclectic range of writers and thinkers – including Confucius, Nietzsche, Shakespeare and Ursula Le Guin – to examine matters of love
David Marr: Killing for Country
David Marr was shocked to discover that members of his family were officers in the Queensland Native Police, an armed force believed to have massacred some 40,000 First Nations people during the 19th century. Killing for Country is his relentless exposé of those forebears and the greed, hatred and violence they let loose. Bringing together his experience as a former lawyer, Marr reveals the bru
Mykaela Saunders: Always Will Be
Resisting cynicism or despair, Festival Curator Mykaela Saunders celebrates the forward-thinking wisdom of ancestors in Always Will Be – a book that “writes Aboriginal people, dreams, radical hope and love into the future” (Natalie Harkin). Saunders speaks with Jeanine Leane about imagining a future of sovereignty and self-determination for Goori people in her brilliant collection of speculative
Paul Murray: The Bee Sting
Irish novelist Paul Murray discusses the buzziest word-of-mouth hit of the past year, The Bee Sting. Murray's dazzling tragicomedy charts the undoing of a once-prosperous Irish family haunted by the ghosts of the past through the perspective of multiple characters and has been hailed as ‘a 650-page soap opera with a clockwork plot whose delicate mechanism you can’t hear tick’ (Guardian). In c
Who Gets to be Human?
Content note: This episode contains discussion of suicide. After 235 years of colonisation, who truly gets to be human in so-called Australia? Join Wik and South Sea Islander rapper and 2024 Festival Curator Ziggy Ramo, Munanjahli and South Sea Islander author Chelsea Watego, and Egyptian-Australian writer Lamisse Hamouda, with host Osman Faruqi as they read original work, considering who ge
Ann Patchett: Spectres at the Feast
Internationally bestselling author Ann Patchett (Tom Lake) speaks with Ailsa Piper to lift the veil on the unwritten novels of her past, the manuscripts discarded at the bottom of a drawer and the books read long ago that have stayed as spectres in her literary imagination ever since. The United States Consulate Melbourne supported the appearances of US authors at MWF. Recorded live at Melbourne
Leslie Jamison and Nam Le: Forms of Life
Two of the most perceptive storytellers of our time, Leslie Jamison (Splinters) and Nam Le (36 Ways of Writing a Vietnamese Poem) became close friends after meeting at the storied Iowa Writers’ Workshop many years ago. In a fascinating conversation about their crafts, they come together with Sophie Black to compare genre-switching bodies of work that range from poetry to memoir and fiction in the
Viet Thanh Nguyen: A Man of Two Faces
With scorching wit and formal inventiveness, Viet Thanh Nguyen rewinds the story of his life in A Man of Two Faces, in conversation with André Dao. This triumphant and hugely entertaining memoir takes readers from his success as the author of novels including the Pulitzer Prize-winning The Sympathizer, to migrating to California as a young refugee from the Vietnam War. A Man of Two Faces reckons
John Button Oration: Off-course Discourse with Laura Tingle
Why have public conversations become so fraught? We seem to have lost the art not just of civil discourse but of having any semblance of a robust and nuanced debate. Over a career spanning nearly 40 years, journalist Laura Tingle has been in the unusual position of being both a reporter and a commentator. In the 2024 John Button Oration, she examines the quality of our national debate. Supported b
Christos Tsiolkas and Bryan Washington: Ghosted
Award-winning storytellers Christos Tsiolkas (The In-Between) and Bryan Washington (Family Meal) have each penned acclaimed new novels that tenderly depict the triumphs and obstacles of love. They join Maeve Marsden for an insightful conversation about putting romance to the page and love’s power to change us (for better or worse). Supported by the Faculty of Arts, University of Melbourne. Recorde
Lauren Groff and Charlotte Wood: Silence is Golden
In a special meeting of literary minds, bestselling American author Lauren Groff (The Vaster Wilds) and acclaimed Australian writer Charlotte Wood (Stone Yard Devotional) join Ailsa Piper to discuss their stories of solitude. How does a writer bring colour to the silence, contemplation, pleasure and melancholy of solitude? Groff’s thrilling The Vaster Wilds follows a spirited girl trying to sur
Alexis Wright: Sovereignty of the Imagination
Globally acclaimed, Miles Franklin–winning novelist Alexis Wright (Carpentaria, The Swan Book) discusses her influential body of work and newest masterwork, Praiseworthy, with 2024 Festival Curator Mykaela Saunders. Wright has long been recognised for the scale of her writing, which combines mythical, political, surreal and comic elements to forge a mode of Aboriginal epic entirely her own. She sp
My Name Is Grace Tame
[Content warning: Sensitive themes] Listen to former Australian of the Year Grace Tame as she talks about The Ninth Life of a Diamond Miner, her sharply intelligent, deeply felt and at times blisteringly funny memoir that shares her story – in her own words and on her own terms. In conversation with Abigail Ulman, Tame talks about the hard-won journey to finding her voice, what her experience reve
The John Button Oration: The Great American Lie
A world-renowned expert in American literature and culture, Sarah Churchwell (The Wrath to Come: Gone with the Wind and the Lies America Tells) delivers the 2023 John Button Oration. Examining one of the most popular stories of all time, Gone with the Wind, Churchwell shows how histories of mythmaking have informed America’s racial and gender politics, the resurgence of white nationalism, the Blac
Shehan Karunatilaka: The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida
"You can’t really interview a ghost." – Shehan Karunatilaka Sri Lankan author Shehan Karunatilaka won the 2022 Booker Prize for his dazzling magic-realist satire The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida. Set during his homeland’s long civil war, the story follows its title character, a self-described photographer, gambler and ‘closet queen’, who wakes up as a ghost with a week to discover who killed him
Plants: Past, Present and Future
For millennia, reciprocal relationships with plants have provided both sustenance to First Nations communities and many of the materials needed to produce a complex array of technologies. In this wide-ranging discussion, learn more about this fascinating relationship and how it forms the basis of everything – respect, connection and our future survival. Featuring co-authors of Plants: Past, Presen
Queering the Canon
Which stories made you 'different'? What makes writing queer? And what books brought about a break up with the gender binary? Join a stellar group of queer writers as they share heartfelt (and hilarious) insights into the stories that shaped how they think and write about sexuality and gender, from J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings to Adrienne Rich's The Dream of a Common Language to Ellen v
Writers on Writers: Readers of Australian Literature
The 2023 Boisbouvier Conversation The Writers on Writers series is an indispensable fixture in the literary calendar, with leading authors penning their reflections on Australian writers who have inspired and influenced them. In one of the most loved sessions of the festival, enjoy this discussion about the importance of having generous and compassionate conversations; what readers gain from havin
Like There's No Tomorrow
Enjoy listening to two of 2023's most talked about novelists – and possibly the only two people to have ever become friends over Zoom – Emma Straub (This Time Tomorrow) and Gabrielle Zevin (Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow). With Brodie Lancaster, they discuss their approaches to crafting fiction, writing a different kind of love story and the idea of wanting to hit restart. From the geeky co
Alison Roman: The Roman Empire
Hear from New York Times–bestselling author and millennial food icon Alison Roman as she joins Benjamin Law to discuss her career, recipes and latest cookbook, Sweet Enough. Roman shares her journey from working as a chef in professional kitchens and becoming a much-discussed food writer at Bon Appétit and The New York Times to eventually freeing her voice from mastheads in a creative move that wo
Labours of Love
Authors Tracey Lien (All That’s Left Unsaid) and Nina Wan (The Albatross) gripped readers across the country with their spectacular debut novels on family, love and identity. Listen in as ABC RN’s Sarah L’Estrange (The Book Show) joins Lien and Wan for a wide-ranging conversation on the craft of storytelling and power of representation. Together, they discuss early influences on their writing (The
Frontier Fictions
Casting fresh light on Australia's colonial past, the latest novels by award-winning journalist Paul Daley (Jesustown) and acclaimed author Fiona McFarlane (The Sun Walks Down) tell stories that upend the usual depictions in history books. Listen in as they speak to bestselling author and First Nations Curator Tony Birch about their approach to writing narratives that probe the enduring myths and
Bill Hayes: I've Been Away for a While
"A few months before he died at 82…Oliver [Sacks] looked up from his notepad one evening in our apartment and said to me: 'The most we can do is to write – intelligently, creatively, critically, evocatively – about what it is like living in the world at this time.' So, I did." – Bill Hayes The last few years have changed us all in profound ways. How have we been surprised, unsettled and enliven
Law: The Way of the Ancestors
“…There is nothing more important than communicating to the Australian public the truth about our world.” – Marcia Langton Sophisticated systems of law, cultivated over millennia, have enabled First Nations peoples to survive and thrive for more than 2,000 generations – laws that "haven't just survived colonisation but they've survived the last sea level rise of 10,000 years ago" (Aaron Corn).
Sarah Krasnostein: I've Been Away for a While
“It was, after all, a time of great noticing.” – Sarah Krasnostein The last few years have changed us all in profound ways. How have we been surprised, unsettled and enlivened as we return to once-familiar relationships, routines and realities? How are storytellers making sense of how life has changed? For our Opening Night event, some of the most remarkable writers in the world delivered their
Sam Neill: Did I Ever Tell You This?
"It's a very human thing to be an actor, a storyteller. It’s pre-historic." – Sam Neill By his own account, the career of celebrated actor Sam Neill has been a series of unpredictable turns of fortune. From discovering acting at boarding school in Christchurch, to treading the boards in amateur Shakespeare productions, to finding his lucky break and going on to star in films such as The Piano, J
Jazz Money: I've Been Away for a While
The last few years have changed us all in profound ways. How have we been surprised, unsettled and enlivened as we return to once-familiar relationships, routines and realities? How are storytellers making sense of how life has changed? For our Opening Night event, five of the most remarkable writers in the world delivered their unique takes on the 2023 Festival theme: ‘I’ve been away for a while’
Benjamin Dreyer: I’ve Been Away for a While
“Things happen, people leave us, the world shuts down and the world reopens. We realise over time, sooner or later, that we’re never going back to anything. We’re only going forward and finding a new way.” – Benjamin Dreyer The last few years have changed us all in profound ways. How have we been surprised, unsettled and enlivened as we return to once-familiar relationships, routines and realiti
Stan Grant: The Queen is Dead
Queen Elizabeth came to the throne at the height of the British Empire and died with the world at a tipping point. Stan Grant’s timely new book, The Queen is Dead, considers how, in the wake of her passing, we might more fully reckon with our colonial past and redefine our future. Listen to Grant in conversation with Anne Pattel-Gray about our place in the monarchy and the necessity of a just sett
Memory Work
How do First Nations writers work through the legacies of our histories to create new stories while honouring those we inherit? Stella Prize 2022 winner Evelyn Araluen (Dropbear) and Koori and Lebanese writer, teacher, community researcher and This All Come Back Now editor Mykaela Saunders come together to discuss their roles as both custodians and creators of meaning and memory, in this conversat
Sheila Heti: Pure Colour
Critically acclaimed Canadian author Sheila Heti has tackled some of modern day's greatest conundrums, including whether to have children (Motherhood) and how to live an authentic life (How Should a Person Be?). Hailed 'the most timely, urgent book of 2022' (Los Angeles Times), her latest novel, Pure Colour, considers how love and art can heal. Heti speaks with Sarah Krasnostein about a genre-defy
Hope vs the Climate Crisis
When it comes to the climate, how can we replace despair with optimism, ambition and purpose, even as experts warn that we are fast running out of time? A panel of the country's leading thinkers on the climate crisis consider how climate fatalism can be as harmful as denialism and why hope might be our greatest tool in mitigating environmental catastrophe. Featuring award-winning climate scientist
Ambitiously Un-Australian
[Content warning: Sensitive themes] From being booed off a football field to being booed out of the country, people of colour who take a stand against racism draw swift and severe censure in our public debate. Hear from a panel of speakers brought together by First Nations Curator Chelsea Watego as they explore the works of First Nations creatives who have ambitiously critiqued the construction o
Queerstories
[Content warning: Sensitive themes and mature content] Showcasing unexpected tales of pride, prejudice, love and resilience, Queerstories invites leading LGBTQI+ voices to share the story they’ve always wanted to tell, but have never been asked to. Hosted by Maeve Marsden, hear stories from drag artist Shane Jenek aka Courtney Act (Caught in the Act), Kamilaroi woman and astrophysicist Krystal De
Who Needs the ABC?
The ABC has survived numerous crises in recent times – funding cuts, internal tensions and attacks by commercial media rivals chief among them. As it enters its 90th year, a panel of experts discuss how our national broadcaster arrived at its current plight and what its future role will be in a shifting media, technology and political landscape. Featuring Emeritus Professor of Politics at La Trobe
How the War in Ukraine is Reshaping the World
[Content warning: Sensitive themes] The ripple effects of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine are reshaping the world. Hear from a panel of experts as they discuss the conflict and its ongoing repercussions, from the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine to the far-reaching economic fallout and a realignment of the world order. The Age's foreign affairs correspondent Anthony Galloway; who has recently reported
In Pursuit of Beauty
Beauty is a central theme in the latest novels of Australian author Christos Tsiolkas (Seven and a Half) and British author and actor Sarah Winman (Still Life). The award-winning, bestselling writers join The Monthly Editor Michael Williams to discuss their unique approaches to the topic, and what their stories reveal about the capacity of beauty to flourish – be it in art, nature or human connect
Helen Garner and Chloe Hooper
As a master of nonfiction, Helen Garner wields forensic scrutiny and trademark compassion to zero in on the humanity of her subjects, including herself. Described by the New Yorker as ‘a recording angel at life’s secular apocalypses’, Garner has drawn international acclaim for a body of work spanning books, long-form journalism and her recently published diaries. Hailed as ‘the antipodean Joan Did
Are We All OK?
[Content warning: Sensitive themes] How can we safeguard our mental wellbeing amidst incessant uncertainty, anxiety and isolation wrought by the pandemic, lockdowns and natural disasters? Is there ambition to reshape a mental health system in which out-of-pocket costs exclude so many? And what possibilities lie within First Nations methodologies for improving mental health in young people? Sarah K
Akala: The Dark Lady
The Dark Lady by author and hip-hop artist Akala tells the magic-laced adventure of teen orphan and thief, Henry, who makes his way through Shakespearean London’s toughest slum. Taking you to a time when boys like Henry relied on their wits and secret powers to survive, Akala tackles themes of identity and inequality familiar to readers of his bestselling book Natives. Join journalist and AB
Viet Thanh Nguyen: The Committed
The Committed is Viet Thanh Nguyen‘s keenly awaited follow-up to the Pulitzer Prize–winning The Sympathizer. A journey through the underworld of 1980s Paris, it shares the same narrator, a Vietnamese-French communist spy, as its predecessor and has drawn praise as ‘a treatise of global futurity in the aftermath of colonial conquest’ (Ocean Vuong) and ‘a
Brandon Taylor: Filthy Animals
One of the breakout literary stars of 2020 for his Booker Prize–shortlisted novel Real Life, American writer Brandon Taylor talks to Adolfo Aranjuez about his captivating new short story collection, Filthy Animals. Hailed as ‘a writer who wields his craft in absolutely unforgettable ways’ (Roxane Gay), he has produced a high-wire act of interlinked stories about young creatives n
