The Wheeler Centre
The Wheeler Centre podcast features full recordings of talks held at the Wheeler Centre in Melbourne, Australia. It showcases the best in books, writing, and ideas, with authors, thinkers, and speakers discussing literature and contemporary issues. Listeners can enjoy a variety of events covering fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and cultural commentary.
Episodes
Mick Herron: Slough House and Slow Horses
An unmissable episode for Slow Horses fans, writer Mick Herron unveils the next instalment in his phenomenally successful Slough House series with host Jason Steger. Originally presented on Thursday 21 May 2026 by The Wheeler Centre in partnership with RMIT University.Spies lie. They betray. It is what they do. Readers were first introduced to Jackson Lamb and his team of misbegotten secret s
Stan Grant: When Words Fail Us
Hear from acclaimed author and broadcaster Stan Grant in this special edition of The Fifth Estate as he reflects on the fragility of words and why contemplation and philosophy matter in an era of increasing division, with host Sally Warhaft. Originally presented on Tuesday 16 July 2026 by The Wheeler Centre in partnership with RMIT University. Drawing wisdom from an array of thinkers and artists,
Ed Coper: Angertainment
Ed Coper explains how angertainment has co-opted our social media feeds and taken over our lives, in conversation with Sushi Das.Originally presented on Wednesday 24 June 2026 by The Wheeler Centre and supported by RMIT University. Social media is no longer a platform for connection – it’s a gladiatorial arena powered by an addictive mix of anger and entertainment. As a result, we&rsqu
Amitav Ghosh in Conversation
Celebrated writer and thinker Amitav Ghosh explores rebirth, regeneration and the cycles of life with host Dr Sreedhevi Iyer. Originally presented on Wednesday 27 May by The Wheeler Centre in partnership with RMIT University. Amitav Ghosh is one of India’s most celebrated writers. With a career effortlessly spanning fiction, non-fiction and reportage, his work is characterised by big picture
Jimmy Wales: Founder of Wikipedia
Hear from Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales as he discusses the importance of trust in our online and offline communities and how Wikipedia evolved into one of the internet’s most reputable sources of information. With host Sally Warhaft. Originally presented on Wednesday 20 May 2026 by The Wheeler Centre in partnership with RMIT University.When Jimmy Wales founded Wikipedia more than two decade
Kathy Lette: The Sisterhood Rules
Beloved humourist Kathy Lette joins host Elizabeth McCarthy to discuss her big-hearted, cheeky and deeply relatable novel, The Sisterhood Rules. Originally presented on Wednesday 25th March 2026 by The Wheeler Centre.Full of laugh-out-loud humour and flashes of devastating pathos, Kathy Lette’s The Sisterhood Rules is a romp through secrets, scandal and the unbreakable – if occas
Emily Maitlis: From Headlines to a Fallen Prince
Acclaimed British journalist Emily Maitlis reflects on a remarkable career at the forefront of global news, sharing insights and behind-the-scenes stories from some of the world’s most explosive headlines. With host Sally Warhaft. Originally presented on Thursday 5 March 2026 by The Wheeler Centre.Over a decades-long career, Maitlis has covered everything from the Paris terror attacks and th
Shaun Micallef: De'Ath Takes a Holiday
Join national treasure Shaun Micallef as he takes the stage to delve into this bitingly funny Victorian Gothic tale for the modern age. With Jacinta Parsons. Originally presented on Tuesday 31 March 2026 by The Wheeler Centre in partnership with Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Move over, Dracula, and take a number, Nosferatu: there’s a new vampire in town, and after several thousand
Who's Afraid of a Joke?
A host of Melbourne International Comedy Festival comics gather to explore how comedy survives, thrives and occasionally lands a punch on authoritarianism. The powerful often say they have a sense of humour. This turns out to be true – provided the joke is about someone else. From public denunciations to legal action and intimidation, comedians across the world are increasingly require
Nell Zink: Sister Europe
Literary icon Nell Zink joins host Jaclyn Crupi to discuss her seventh much acclaimed novel, Sister Europe. In this dazzling satire of modern life, an eclectic cast of characters gathers at a tedious literary award ceremony in Berlin. Over the course of the evening, their assumptions, foibles and irrepressible humanity are slowly brought to light.A Guggenheim Fellowship recipient and the cele
Laila Lalami: The Dream Hotel
Longlisted for the 2025 Women’s Prize for Fiction, Laila Lalami’s The Dream Hotel is a chilling dissection of surveillance culture, technological overreach and the quiet, everyday ways people become complicit in their own monitoring. Set in a near-future America shaped by predictive surveillance, Lalami tells the story of a woman swept into a surreal dystopia where dreams are weaponise
Kate Reid: On Fast Cars and Croissants
At 13, Kate Reid already knew exactly where she was headed: a career in Formula 1 and a life lived at full throttle. But after earning a degree in aerospace engineering and taking up a coveted position at one of the top F1 teams in the UK, she discovered that the reality didn’t match what she’d dreamed. So, she made a swerve no one expected: to forge a career in pastry. With her
One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This
Hear Omar El Akkad discuss his searing work, 'One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This' with host Tasneem Chopra. Sparked by his viral tweet during the bombardment of Gaza – viewed over 10 million times – Omar El Akkad’s 'One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This' lays bare the fractures he has seen in the West’s empty promises of freedom and justice.
Sophie Gilbert: Girl on Girl
Hear from Atlantic culture critic and Pulitzer Prize-nominated writer Sophie Gilbert as she discusses her new book 'Girl on Girl' with host Kate Jinx. They dive into the pop cultural forces of the late 1990s and Y2K era that shaped and warped women's relationships with themselves and other women. Casting her eye across pop culture of the past 30 years, she tackles everything from Madonna, the Spic
Australian Story: Leigh Sales with Jelena Dokic
After arriving in Australia as a refugee, Jelena Dokic shot to fame when she made the semi-finals of Wimbledon at just 17 years of age. But off the court, there were even greater challenges: from her struggles with mental health to surviving the abuse of her tennis coach father. In this special live recording of Australian Story, Dokic opens up to Leigh Sales about the details of her
![[Podcast Exclusive] Eric Puchner: Dream State](https://www.omnycontent.com/d/clips/2d312401-c986-44c2-a568-ae6801731fd7/d4853af1-3101-4daa-9b16-ae860054d3d2/1e635bec-8bd5-4f2d-9d50-b375006151aa/image.jpg?t=1760398149&size=Large)
[Podcast Exclusive] Eric Puchner: Dream State
An exclusive Wheeler Centre live-recorded podcast featuring best-selling American author Eric Puchner, as he lifts the curtain on his latest novel 'Dream State', in conversation with host Ronnie Scott. Selected by Oprah for her book club in 2025 and an instant New York Times bestseller, 'Dream State' tells the story of Charlie, a gifted anaesthesiologist; his best friend Garrett, a brooding, intro
We Used to Be Journos: Live
Get your fix of honest and original media analysis from two insiders who’ve broken plenty of news and been broken by it, too. In this special live recording of We Used to be Journos, hosts Antoinette Lattouf and Jan Fran sit down to reveal the way the media works, from questionable editorial decisions that shape the weekly news to the stories that masquerade as unbiased reporting. They unpac
Liz Pelly: Mood Machine
In the age of algorithms, music is under constant pressure to respond to mood, brand and data.Hear from music journalist and cultural critic Liz Pelly with host Lauren Taylor in this sharp and insightful exploration into how streaming platforms have transformed our relationship with music. Pelly unpacks the shift from art to algorithm-driven content, where music is reduced to a commodified experie
You Are Here with David Nicholls
Beloved author David Nicholls takes to the stage with host Beverley Wang, to discuss his latest novel 'You Are Here'.This talk was originally presented on Tuesday 20 May 2025 by The Wheeler Centre.In 'You Are Here', David Nicholls weaves the stories of these two seemingly disconnected characters, bringing them together in a powerful, emotionally rich narrative brimming with his trademark blend of
Consuming Culture
Each year at the Melbourne International Film Festival, a panel of guests gather to dissect the highs and lows of the zeitgeist. Host Michael Sun, essayist and regular writer for the Guardian, is joined by actor and writer Maria Angelico, Chicago–based New York Magazine Vulture culture critic Angelica Jade Bastién and visiting Los Angeles Times film critic Amy Nicholson to discuss the
Jacinta Parsons at Montalto
What can ageing teach us? For broadcast and writer Jacinta Parsons, the answer is – perhaps everything. Inspired by many conversations with women across the country, A Wisdom of Age captures the brewing tone of revolution that sits in the hearts of women who are ready to tell a new kind of story about the experience of growing older. Set against the backdrop of an intim
Lauren Roberts: Fearless
Join New York Times bestselling author Lauren Roberts in her exclusive Melbourne appearance to celebrate Fearless, the highly anticipated third and final book in the Powerless series. Romance, fantasy and intrigue collide in this runaway BookTok success known for its fierce heroine, witty banter and deliciously fraught enemies-to-lovers plot. After the shocking cliff-hanger ending of R
Cheng Lei: A Memoir of Freedom
In 2020, Cheng Lei was working as a business reporter for China's state-run English language television station when she was arrested on charges of sharing state secrets. She was detained in China for over three years under harsh conditions, including prolonged solitary confinement and restricted access to her family, before finally being released. Now, back in Australia and free to write an
Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza
American Jewish journalist Peter Beinart reflects on the world around him – and his place within it – amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza offers a timely reflection, seeking to reimagine what it means to be Jewish in the wake of the horrors unfolding in the Middle East. Drawing on Jewish tradition and history, and global
Jeanette Winterson: 40 Years of Storytelling
In 1985, Jeanette Winterson published her debut novel – the groundbreaking and subversive Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit. Genre-bending and narratively bold, it garnered then-rare mainstream success for a story that was fiercely feminist and challenged traditional gender roles. Four decades on, Winterson remains one of our most distinguished writers, renowned for her singular voi
Back to Back Barries Live: Does Anthony Albanese have the guts for big reform?
Join Barrie Cassidy and Tony Barry, hosts of the Guardian’s political podcast Back to Back Barries, for a clear-eyed analysis of the 2025 Australian federal election. After five weeks of relentless campaigning, Australians have cast their votes – and political commentators and former major party insiders Barrie Cassidy and Tony Barry are here to offer a discerning examination of how, a
Jamila Rizvi and Rosie Waterland at Montalto
Over an intimate two-course dinner at Montalto, broadcaster and social policy expert Jamila Rizvi and comedian and podcaster Rosie Waterland come together with host Tracee Hutchison for a candid discussion about their deeply personal new book, Broken Brains. Drawing from their own experiences, Rizvi and Waterland reflect on their journeys with illness – Rizvi's rare brain tumour
Kara Swisher: Burn Book
Legendary tech journalist and podcaster Kara Swisher opens up about a lifetime of reporting on Silicon Valley with host Sophie Black. In a world where tech billionaires operate beyond the reach of government regulation and press scrutiny, Kara Swisher has devoted her career to holding them to account. Her new memoir Burn Book offers an insider’s history of some of Sil
Love, Loss and Ambition with Brooke Boney
Trailblazing journalist and proud Gamilaroi woman Brooke Boney opens up like never before in All of It, her powerful debut essay collection. Like many millennial women, Brooke Boney is navigating a society that expects her to chase it all – career, success and personal fulfillment – while doing so under an unforgiving public gaze. In her highly anticipated essay collection, All of It,
Pankaj Mishra: The World After Gaza
For the past 20 years, Pankaj Mishra has written incisive studies of a world marked by inequalities and the effects of globalisation. He has traced global histories of fascism, the impacts of rising nationalism and applied an astute lens to the fragility of our democratic institutions. Now, he sets his expert mind to the war in Gaza. Garnering praise from the likes of
Fit Check: Size, Price and Sustainability in Fashion
In this panel discussion journalist Emma Do, A Plus Market founder Sam van Zweden and writer and podcast host Maggie Zhou examine the barriers within the industry and discuss the evolving vision of an inclusive fashion future. Moderated by cultural commentator Sabina McKenna, these fashion experts and enthusiasts explore the most pressing issues in fashion, from size inclusivity and high price poi
Geraldine Brooks at Montalto
After spending their early years together in conflict zones as foreign correspondents, Geraldine Brooks and partner Tony Horwitz relocated from Australia to the idyllic Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts, USA, to raise their children. The life they built there was one of meaningful work, good humour and tenderness. But all this ended abruptly when, during the spring of 2019, Brooks received
Rachel Kushner: Creation Lake
Rachel Kushner’s new novel Creation Lake tells the story of Sadie Smith, an American spy-for-hire working in the secretive world of privately contracted surveillance. Tasked with infiltrating a commune of anarchists in rural France, she becomes entranced by a mysterious cult-leader-like figure named Bruno Lacombe who believes that freedom from the pain of the modern condition can only be ach
Ben Shewry is Going to Die
Ben Shewry knows obsession well. It’s what has propelled his innovative Melbourne restaurant, Attica, to national and global acclaim. His new memoir-meets-manifesto, Uses for Obsession: A (Chef’s) Memoir, is a reflection on leadership, hospitality and humanity, and an unforgettable look inside the sometimes-brutal world of cheffing. Shewry joins host Marieke Hardy for this specia
![Kasey Chambers in Conversation: Just Don't Be a D**khead [Geelong]](https://www.omnycontent.com/d/clips/2d312401-c986-44c2-a568-ae6801731fd7/d4853af1-3101-4daa-9b16-ae860054d3d2/b7f435a9-7aff-4e9a-83ed-b233007dd718/image.jpg?t=1732599830&size=Large)
Kasey Chambers in Conversation: Just Don't Be a D**khead [Geelong]
Content warning: This episode includes occasional course language. From her childhood in the Australian outback to the heights of her chart-topping international success as a singer-songwriter, country music icon Kasey Chambers has trusted her gut, stuck to her values and learned some hard truths, always while trying to live by the best advice she’s ever received: just don’t be a d**khead. At thi
Roxane Gay: Opinions
Unapologetic, sometimes controversial, and always unflinchingly honest, Roxane Gay has built a remarkable career using her powerful voice to articulate the nuances of our most pervasive issues. Body image, civil rights, feminism, popular culture, social etiquette – you name it, Gay has written about it. The esteemed writer, professor and cultural commentator was joined by host Jan Fran at Melbourn
Noni Hazelhurst in Conversation: Dropping the Mask
National treasure Noni Hazlehurst details her life on stage and screen and takes us behind-the-scenes of a brilliant career. Noni Hazlehurst’s versatility as a performer knows no bounds. A household name and a beloved actor, she's graced Australian screens and theatre stages for over forty years. From Playschool and Better Homes and Gardens, to Monkey Grip and her acclaimed theatrical career – Ha
Liminal Festival: Critical Limit
Critics Eda Gunaydin, Michael Sun and Cher Tan examine the present state and potential futures of literary criticism. Literary criticism seems to be in an endless state of decline. In so-called Australia, a particular flavour of cultural cringe is yoked to cultural hegemony: a critic might find themselves locked within the ivory tower, or self-censoring for fear of offence, or deliberately pursuin
Liminal Festival: Language Under Occupation
Content warning: This recording includes occasional course language.Evelyn Araluen, Hasib Hourani and Mykaela Saunders discuss the careful craft of shaping a language unsettled. Trace the contours of language, seek out its limits and push. Histories are cut up, struck through, misplaced, misremembered. Join Evelyn Araluen, Hasib Hourani and Mykaela Saunders as they discuss the careful craft of rip
Liminal Festival: The Novel
What is the future of the great Australian novel? Novelists Jessica Au, Brian Castro and André Dao contemplate the novel, the nation and its literature with Lynda Ng. Marking 30 years since Brian Castro considered the ‘new novel’, three of Australia’s most talented contemporary novelists discuss the future of the form. Is there such a thing as a ‘Great Australian Novel’, or have twentieth-century
Rebecca F. Kuang: Yellowface
International bestselling author Rebecca F. Kuang discusses her groundbreaking novel Yellowface and the future of storytelling at this exclusive Melbourne event. Investigating diversity, racism and cultural appropriation with the thrilling pace of a Twitter meltdown, Rebecca F. Kuang’s 2023 novel Yellowface captivated readers across literary and BookTok communities alike. In her only Melbourne e
Bonnie Garmus: Lessons in Chemistry
A runaway favourite of book clubs the world over, Bonnie Garmus’s debut novel Lessons in Chemistry transports readers to early 1960s California. Elizabeth Zott – single mother and brilliant chemist – unexpectedly finds herself hosting a television cooking show, and changes hearts and minds in the process. Inspired by Garmus’s mother’s generation of overlooked and under-acknowledged women, Lessons
Don Watson: On the US Election
On the 5 November this year, the American people will go to the polls to make a choice, the impact of which will be felt around the globe. Will Republican nominee and now convicted criminal, former President Donald Trump, topple Democratic Presidential nominee Kamala Harris?? How did America reach this point, and how will either candidate’s victory impact Australia’s relationship with the US and
![The Great Aussie Road Trip: Heather Ewart in conversation with Barrie Cassidy [Kyneton]](https://www.omnycontent.com/d/clips/2d312401-c986-44c2-a568-ae6801731fd7/d4853af1-3101-4daa-9b16-ae860054d3d2/2e1ff591-3674-462a-90a0-b1e9007287c1/image.jpg?t=1726124976&size=Large)
The Great Aussie Road Trip: Heather Ewart in conversation with Barrie Cassidy [Kyneton]
Award-winning journalist Heather Ewart hits the Back Roads to Kyneton to journey through her great Australian road trips. Over a career spanning four decades, Heather Ewart has been senior political reporter and a foreign correspondent posted to London, Washington and Brussels. Raised on a farm in country Victoria, her adventures have come full circle to see her hosting ABC TV’s popular program
Consuming Culture
Our annual panel of pop culture experts Brodie Lancaster, Alison Willmore, Hannah Diviney and Jared Richards gather for a dissection of the zeitgeist. Baby Reindeer, The Bear and hot rodent men: lt has been a ferocious (and sometimes feral) year for pop culture, and it seems that we’re not slowing down any time soon. On the occasion of the 2024 Melbourne International Film Festival, host Brodie La
The Garden Against Time: A Conversation with Olivia Laing
As part of The Wheeler Centre's 2024 Spring Fling program and in partnership with Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, listen to an exclusive podcast interview with celebrated writer Olivia Laing, interviewed by Sophie Cunningham. Olivia discusses her new book, The Garden Against Time: In Search of a Common Paradise, which moves between real and imagined gardens, exploring how new modes of living can
Boys to Men: Remodelling Masculinity
From ‘manfluencer’ culture and the rising popularity of Andrew Tate, to lists ranking teenage girls on their appearance, there’s an urgent need to address the widespread sexism and misogyny in our schools and wider society. Left unchecked, these harmful attitudes and behaviours will see rates of male violence against women continue to rise. In this panel discussion, three experts consider where th
![Blak, Loud and Proud: First Nations Classics 2024 [Tamala Shelton]](https://www.omnycontent.com/d/clips/2d312401-c986-44c2-a568-ae6801731fd7/d4853af1-3101-4daa-9b16-ae860054d3d2/36a0e03d-2ed1-4ca0-87eb-b1c000656722/image.jpg?t=1723788900&size=Large)
Blak, Loud and Proud: First Nations Classics 2024 [Tamala Shelton]
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander writers have been sharing stories on this continent for millennia. From best-selling and award-winning poetry, memoir and fiction to powerful works that defy categorisation, Blak writing depicts, challenges and honours culture, community and Country. Much-loved books by First Nations writers stand strong on shelves in homes, libraries, bookshops and classrooms
Global Game Changers: The Evolution of the Olympic Games
The Olympic Games have always been a site of soft diplomacy for participating nations. This has never been truer than in 2024, as athletes and countries prepare to compete from 26 July to 11 August at the Paris Olympic Games.Olympic champions Patrick Johnson and Kieren Perkins join award-winning sports reporter Tracey Holmes to discuss the future of the games and examine how Olympic competition is
Surveillance Technology and AI: Meredith Whittaker in Conversation
Meredith Whittaker is not afraid to take on tech giants. In 2018, she led the famous mass staff walkout at Google over the company’s laissez faire attitude towards sexual harassment allegations and the moral and ethical implications of its business practices. Now, as President of Signal, the not-for-profit encrypted and secure messaging app, Whittaker is one of the world’s most respected experts o
![[Podcast Exclusive]: Khin Myint in Conversation with Anna Krien](https://www.omnycontent.com/d/clips/2d312401-c986-44c2-a568-ae6801731fd7/d4853af1-3101-4daa-9b16-ae860054d3d2/3178d97e-d171-4e1f-b891-b196005ef0b6/image.jpg?t=1718952980&size=Large)
[Podcast Exclusive]: Khin Myint in Conversation with Anna Krien
In this Wheeler Centre podcast exclusive, hear former Next Chapter recipient Khin Myint in conversation with Anna Krien as they discuss Myint's Fragile Creatures. Khin Myint is an Australian-Burmese writer from Perth. His debut memoir, Fragile Creatures, is about how his family tackled his sister’s wish to die as she fought a non-terminal illness. Fragile Creatures, is a family story told with hum
Ma Thida: Myanmar's Struggle for Democracy
In 1993, Ma Thida was sentenced to 20 years in prison for her support of Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy and for ‘endangering public peace, having contact with illegal organisations, and distributing unlawful literature’. Released from prison in 1999, Thida’s advocacy for freedom of expression continues unabated as Chair of PEN International’s Writers in Prison Committee and as a
Cultural Catalysts: Creativity in the Sri Lankan Diaspora
S Shakthidharan’s debut play Counting and Cracking began with a shoebox of his great-grandfather’s letters. Working with his family and the wider Sri Lankan diaspora, he excavated his family’s history, weaving threads of culture and connection into a multi-award-winning theatrical epic following four generations over five decade. To celebrate the Melbourne debut of this global hit, Shakthidharan i
Sam Elkin: Detachable Penis
Sam Elkin’s Detachable Penis: A Queer Legal Saga, recounts his bumpy journey from lesbian to transgender lawyer in the aftermath of the 2017 marriage equality postal survey. Set against the backdrop of a growing moral panic about the ‘trans agenda’, Elkin’s debut book is part-love letter and part-cautionary tale. Honest and unflinching, it’s sure to spark many prickly and productive conversations.
![Dervla McTiernan: What Happened to Nina? [Geelong]](https://www.omnycontent.com/d/clips/2d312401-c986-44c2-a568-ae6801731fd7/d4853af1-3101-4daa-9b16-ae860054d3d2/d2bdbd06-c26d-46e6-a858-b17700a153b4/image.jpg?t=1717729032&size=Large)
Dervla McTiernan: What Happened to Nina? [Geelong]
Bestselling author Dervla McTiernan discusses her suspenseful new novel about two families at war with host J.P. Pomare at Geelong Library. Nina and Simon are the perfect couple. Young, fun and deeply in love. Until they leave for a weekend at his family’s cabin in Vermont, and only Simon comes home. Dervla McTiernan is the critically acclaimed author of five novels, including The Murder Rule, whi
Steve Albini
Steve Albini was a legendary audio engineer and musician. The frontman of Big Black and Shellac, Albini saw the machinations of the industry up close and from multiple vantage points, working with huge international acts including PJ Harvey, Nirvana and Pixies. Despite recording with some of the biggest names in the business Albini continued, throughout his career, to collaborate with countless ex
Paul Auster: Burning Boy
Paul Auster was a true giant of American literature. Acclaimed for his best-selling works of fiction, nonfiction and poetry, including The New York Trilogy, Invisible, and The Brooklyn Follies, Auster wrote complex and daring tales of humans experiencing, anticipating or searching for something lost, something they are struggling to comprehend. In his 2021 book, Burning Boy, he turned his eye to
In Conversation with Fern Brady: Strong Female Character
Fern Brady, one of the UK’s most exciting stand-ups, visited The Wheeler Centre to discuss her bestselling book Strong Female Character as part of the 2024 Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Hosted by Australian stand-up comedian and writer Laura Davis, Brady discussed her writing process, Catholic upbringing and late diagnosis of autism.This event was recorded on Wednesday 3 April 2024 at T
Chanel Contos: Consent Laid Bare
Chanel Contos has led a powerful movement to include consent education in the national curriculum, and was recently appointed by Julia Gillard to chair the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership’s Youth Advisory Committee. Her debut book, Consent Laid Bare: Sex, Entitlement & the Distortion of Desire, is a battle cry from a generation no longer prepared to stay silent. In it, Contos explores
Origin of You: Mindy Meng Wang 王萌 and Sui Zhen
Origin of You by Mindy Meng Wang 王萌 and Sui Zhen is a highly personal musical exploration of lived experiences of migration, motherhood, grief and reconnecting with identity. The album uses three central motifs: 空 (Kōng), or Emptiness; 疼 (Téng), or Pain; 气 (Chi), sometimes known as ‘Energy’ to explore these stories. Live at The Wheeler Centre, Wang and Zhen came together with host Eugenia Lim
Richard Flanagan: Question 7
Richard Flanagan’s masterful new novel Question 7 is his most personal book yet: a tribute to his parents and to his island home of Tasmania, and a hypnotic melding of dream, history, place and memory. Beginning with Flanagan’s father’s imprisonment near Hiroshima when the atom bomb was dropped, Question 7 traces a chain reaction of events, from the turbulent romance between literary giants H.G. W
Being Biracial Live at The Round with Aurelia St Clair and Darcy Vescio
Join co-hosts and co-creators Maria Birch-Morunga and Kate Robinson for a special live recording of their hit podcast Being Biracial, coinciding with International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. Along with special guests, comedian Aurelia St Clair and AFLW champion Darcy Vescio, they discuss navigating the world as a mixed-race person and the dualities of living across multiple
Patrick deWitt: The Librarianist
Known for literary masterpieces like The Sisters Brothers and French Exit, Canadian writer Patrick deWitt has been delighting readers for more than a decade. In his latest work, The Librarianist, deWitt’s distinctive verve and humour come to the fore. His exploration of the life of retired Oregon-based librarian Bob Comet masterfully blends melancholy and comedy. With host Marieke Hardy, deWitt de
Jane Harrison: The Visitors
Jane Harrison’s work has captivated audiences globally, earning her international acclaim for plays including Stolen and Rainbow’s End. With an impressive body of work and a deep commitment to promoting and developing First Nations perspectives – including as the Director of the Blak & Bright First Nations Literary Festival – Harrison has established herself as an essential voice in the Austra
Richard Ford in Conversation
Richard Ford is a true literary luminary. The author of eight novels and four short story collections, Ford’s illustrious career spans nearly five decades and numerous accolades, including the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for Independence Day.At this special Melbourne event hosted by journalist Jonathan Green, Ford discusses his exceptional career and examines his most famous protagonist: the enigma
Jane Smiley in Conversation
Author Jane Smiley has been hailed as one of the Great American Novelists of the 20th century. Her remarkable career spans more than 30 books, including the Pulitzer Prize-winning masterpiece A Thousand Acres and The Last Hundred Years trilogy.At this exclusive in-conversation event with host David Francis, Smiley looks back on her incredible life and career and gives audience members an exciting
Brittany Spanos: Swiftmania (Taylor's Version)
Taylor Swift’s concerts have shifted the economic climate of entire cities; she has prompted US Senate hearings about major ticketing reforms and industry-defining conversations about copyright and ownership; and her public and private life have driven tabloid fodder for decades (Kimye drama, anyone?). The pop icon’s genre-bending career and reputation have made waves across the globe, and her cul
Day of the Imprisoned Writer: Behrouz Boochani and Kylie Moore-Gilbert
Kurdish-Iranian journalist Behrouz Boochani was imprisoned on Manus Island for over six years, and during that time he became acutely aware that oppression takes root when people look away. He was determined to use his sharpest weapon – his words – to survive, and to expose Australia’s inhumane treatment of asylum seekers. Now, in 2023, not only is Boochani free, he’s also a multi-award-winning au
Trent Dalton: Lola in the Mirror
Before he found runaway success with his debut novel, Boy Swallows Universe, and follow-up All Our Shimmering Skies, Trent Dalton spent decades as a journalist investigating the real-life social inequities that underpin his third novel, Lola in the Mirror: poverty, violence, homelessness – and the power of hope. The result is a moving, darkly funny story about life and death that is by turns heart
Comedy Crystal Ball: What's in Store for 2024
For the Wheeler Centre’s 2023 end-of-year showcase, a host of the brightest names in Australian stand-up comedy – including Janty Blair, Scout Boxall, Nat Harris, Zoë Coombs Marr, Vidya Rajan, Dane Simpson and Alex Ward – came together to gaze into the Wheeler Centre’s crystal ball and answer some burning questions about what lies ahead. What will 2024 bring for pop culture, fashion and politics?
Everybody's Trying to Find Their Way Home
When acclaimed songwriter and performer Jen Cloher (Ngāti Kahu, Ngāpuhi) started to learn about their Māori heritage their whole outlook on life changed. In the new podcast series, Everybody’s Trying To Find Their Way Home, Cloher speaks with icons like Dr. Lou Bennett about Sovereign Language Rematriation and Emma Donovan about the lasting legacy of Aunty Ruby Hunter. At the heart of the podcast
Nazanin Boniadi: The 2023 Sydney Peace Prize Lecture
Acclaimed actor, activist and 2023 Sydney Peace Prize-winner Nazanin Boniadi shares her dream of a 'a free, prosperous and secular democratic Iran'. Iranian-born actress Nazanin Boniadi has had an impressive onscreen career, including leading roles in the Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and Homeland. But it’s her major role as a human rights advocate that has led to her most recent recognit
Leigh Sales at Montalto
Leigh Sales is one of Australia’s most beloved journalists. A veteran anchor of the ABC’s flagship current affairs program 7.30, the new presenter of Australian Story, co-host of hugely popular podcast Chat 10 Looks 3 with Annabel Crabb, and a bestselling author, Sales has been recognised with three Walkley Awards over the course of a career that has seen her interview countless political leaders,
Rebecca Makkai Has Some Questions
The author of The Great Believers and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, Rebecca Makkai is back with an explosive new work. Described by the New York Times as ‘spellbinding’, I Have Some Questions for You is part campus novel, part true-crime podcast investigation, all told through the lens of the #MeToo era.Join Makkai and host Rachael Brown as they reckon with the past and interrogate just how d
Ed Yong: An Immense World
In this episode, acclaimed science journalist Ed Yong takes us beyond the limits of human perception to uncover the world through the eyes of animals. An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us explores the boundless sensory environments animals occupy, offering a reminder of the intricacies of nature and how little we truly know about the planet we inhabit. In this rem
Caroline O'Donoghue: The Rachel Incident
In this episode, Caroline O’Donoghue, bestselling author and host of the award-winning podcast Sentimental Garbage discusses her new novel The Rachel Incident. Set in Ireland against the backdrop of the post-economic crash of 2009, The Rachel Incident delves into the realm of youthful yearnings, early adulthood, and the bittersweet transition from carefree student to responsible professional. O’Do
See Also: Live at the Wheeler Centre
Pop culture aficionados Kate Jinx and Brodie Lancaster join us for a special live recording of their hit podcast See Also. Each week on their pod, Brodie and Kate skip across the pop culture spectrum and dissect the TV shows, films and books everyone is talking about, forgotten cult classics they’ve been revisiting, and everything in between. Bookending each episode with recommendations for restau
Melissa Lucashenko: Torching the Colonial Myth
In her most ambitious work to date, acclaimed Goorie author and Miles Franklin Literary Award winner Melissa Lucashenko turns her hand to historical fiction. Edenglassie is a blazing epic set in colonial Queensland, spanning five generations to tell a story of legacy, love and resistance. At this exclusive Spring Fling event, Lucashenko discusses the hidden histories that shaped her extraordinary
Carly Findlay: A Perfectly Melbourne Day
To celebrate the Wheeler Centre’s Spring Fling, we asked six beloved Victorian writers to reflect on the theme Above and Beyond: considering what it means to look further, delve deeper, and ask big questions of ourselves and the world around us. The following is an audio recording from award winning writer, speaker and appearance activist, Carly Findlay, reading her original essay for the project.
Alice Pung: A Great Mischief
To celebrate the Wheeler Centre’s Spring Fling, we asked six beloved Victorian writers to reflect on the theme Above and Beyond: considering what it means to look further, delve deeper, and ask big questions of ourselves and the world around us. The following is an audio recording from award winning writer Alice Pung, reading her original essay for the project. This work was commissioned by the Me
