Melbourne Writers Festival

Your Own Kind of Girl is the wise, big-hearted and startlingly candid memoir from the multi-talented Clare Bowditch. Told with brutal honesty and playful humour, this book captures the triumphs and tragedies as well as the loves and losses that shaped her life and allowed her to find a sense of her own place in her story. Join one of Australia's best-loved storytellers as she discusses her memoir and writing journey. With Jess McGuire. Recorded for MWF Digital in 2020.

Crazy Rich Asians author Kevin Kwan is back with an intoxicating new story of love, lust, and the impossibly gilded lives of the elite, that flits from the sun-drenched isle of Capri to the grandeur of the Hamptons. Sex and Vanity is both escapist love story and a witty exploration of Asian-American identity. Join Kwan for a lively discussion on fame, fiction, and the Crazy Rich Asians phenomenon. With Beverley Wang. Recorded for MWF Digital in 2020.

In this propulsive and mesmerising debut, A Burning, a young Muslim woman’s Facebook post lands her in jail on terrorism charges—and the story that follows is a vivid portrait of contemporary India’s social and political complexities. Join author Megha Majumdar for a discussion of power, nationalism, corruption and justice in a work that is both gripping literary thriller and compassionate social commentary. With Roanna Gonsalves. Recorded for MWF Digital in 2020.

The Last Migration is a haunting love letter to the natural world, to the wild places and creatures threatened by climate change. It’s also a profoundly observed story of one young woman’s quest to bear witness to the migration of the world’s last remaining flock of Arctic terns.   Join author Charlotte McConaghy for an insight into what has been hailed as 'an astounding meditation on love, trauma, and the cost of survival'. With Nadia Bailey. Recorded for MWF Digital in 2020.  

Casey McQuiston loves stories with big, beating hearts. Her bestselling novel, Red, White & Royal Blue is a delicious, frothy, very queer romantic comedy, and also one of the sharpest books you’ll read all year. The US author sits down with Will Kostakis to talk about why we need escapism, the pure joy of the rom-com, and what it’s like when your debut novel goes viral. Recorded for MWF Digital in 2020.

‘Real feminism (if such a thing can be defined) isn't going to be found in replicating racist, transphobic, homophobic, ableist, or classist norms,’ writes Mikki Kendall in Hood Feminism. In this session, author and cultural critic Kendall discusses how mainstream feminism fails to consider how race, class, sexual orientation, and ability intersect with gender—and offers practical guidance on how we can do the work to enact meaningful change. With Santilla Chingaipe. Recorded for MWF Digital in 2020.

Lisa Fuller, a Wuilli Wuilli woman and descendent of Gooreng Gooreng and Wakka Wakka peoples, weaves her culture and spirituality into her storytelling. Her new book Ghost Bird is a page-turning thriller about a girl’s search for her missing twin, and was recently named the winner of the Readings YA Prize 2020.Fuller sits down to discuss her action-packed novel, her writing process, and the importance of First Nations Australian representation in YA stories. With Amie Kaufman. Recorded for MWF Digital in 2020.

No one observes the beauty of ordinary lives quite as astutely as Elizabeth Strout. Ten years after she won a Pulitzer Prize for Olive Kitteridge, she has returned to small-town Maine—and her flawed, cantankerous and much loved heroine—in the delightful Olive, Again.The master storyteller sits down to discuss her career, her craft, and what compelled her to revisit Olive after all these years. With Kate Torney. Recorded for MWF Digital in 2020.

Winner of the 2019 Victorian Premier’s Literary Award for an unpublished manuscript, Kokomo is the superbly written debut from Melbourne-based author Victoria Hannan.Described as ‘a disarmingly profound novel about the violence and the softness of navigating the world as a young woman’, Kokomo is both tender and fierce, heartbreaking and funny, and announces a brilliant new voice in Australian fiction. With Ronnie Scott. Recorded for MWF Digital in 2020.

What would happen if we could understand what animals were saying? Jean McKay (The Animals in That Country), Chris Flynn (Mammoth) and Erin Hortle (The Octopus and I) have each explored this question in their latest books—with fascinating results.Harnessing both the surreal and the serious, these works pose inventive and urgent questions about our place in the world and what it means to be human. With Elizabeth McCarthy. Recorded for MWF Digital in 2020.

At once an enthralling family mystery and a meticulously-researched exposé of a dark chapter of history, How We Disappeared bears unflinching testimony to the experience of Singaporean ‘comfort women’ during World War II.Join Jing-Jing Lee as she discusses her powerful and elegiac debut novel, which has been hailed as an ‘unforgettable image of how women were silenced and disappeared by both war and culture’. With Adolfo Aranjuez.Recorded for MWF Digital in 2020.  

Genealogy isn't a simple story,’ says Michael Christie. ‘In my own personal life and experience, families are built much more than they are born.‘ A novel that reckons with legacy, inheritance, nature and sacrifice, Greenwood reveals layer by layer one family’s secrets—and the forest that binds them across generations.Christie has constructed a time-hopping, world-spanning, page-turning family saga that’s as intricately constructed as the rings of a tree. With Sophie Cunningham.Recorded for MWF Digital in 2020.

Patrick Radden Keefe (Say Nothing) takes complicated histories and transforms them into riveting works of narrative journalism—whether a deep-dive podcast into the alleged CIA origins of a 90s power ballad or a sweeping, switchblade-sharp account of the 1972 disappearance of Jean McConville in Northern Ireland.    Join Radden Keefe as he reflects on a lifetime of following the evidence, and the fascinating, compelling, and sometimes outlandish stories he’s uncovered along the way. With Raf EpsteinRecorded for MWF Digital in 2020.

Anne Enright’s new novel Actress is a beguiling tale of fame, creativity, courage, survival, and the troubled love between a magnetic, capricious mother and the daughter who’s unable to escape her long shadow.Here, Enright sits down to discuss her funny, unsentimental and shrewdly observed new book—and delves into her craft, the writer’s life, and her brilliant career. With Gail Jones.Recorded for MWF Digital in 2020.

Stella and Desiree, identical twin sisters, run away from their small southern town in search of self-determined futures. Both light-skinned Black women, their lives take strikingly divergent paths as one passes as white, while the other marries ‘the darkest man she could find’. Brit Bennett sits down to discuss The Vanishing Half, an expansive, multi-generational saga that dramatically exposes racial inequality and the emotional stakes of identity. With Areej Nur. Recorded for MWF Digital in 2020.

Everywhere we look, we’re faced with dire predictions about the future of the planet. How can coming from a place of hope give us the tools we need to create a better, fairer and more equitable world?Join Damon Gameau (2040: A Handbook for the Regeneration) and Jess Scully (Glimpses of Utopia) as they discuss the importance of optimism in creating concrete solutions for a more sustainable future. With Connor Tomas O'Brien. Recorded for MWF Digital in 2020.

Written by Ngāi Tahu author and journalist Becky Manawatu, Auē is a work of gritty, social realist fiction centring on the lives of orphaned brothers: eight-year-old Arama and teenager Taukiri.Dealing with themes of domestic violence, gang culture, curdled masculinity and fractured families, this award-winning debut from a uniquely New Zealand voice captures remarkable insights into the minds of children and young men. Join Manawatu in conversation with Tara June Winch. Recorded for MWF Digital in 2020.

Books are often seen simply as a source of diversion and pleasure. But they are more than that. They can offer not an escape from real life, but a richer engagement with the business of living. Two great readers—Charlotte Wood (The Weekend) and Tegan Bennett Daylight (The Details)—sit down to discuss how they find comfort, refuge and power in both reading books and writing them. With Nicole Abadee.   Recorded for MWF Digital in 2020.

‘The universe is full of magical things patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper,’ Eden Phillpotts once wrote. Robbie Arnott and Jan Carson have both written novels that bring that magic to the fore—while still being grounded in the familiar world—in The Rain Heron and The Fire Starters respectively.The authors sit down to discuss magic, meaning, and why sometimes the only proper response to reality is to disregard it. With Angela Meyer. Recorded for MWF Digital in 2020.

Six of Australia’s most clear-eyed, insightful writers—2020 Stella Prize–winner Jess Hill; actor and screenwriter Michelle Law; writer and founding editor of Liminal magazine Leah Jing McIntosh; award-winning novelist Favel Parrett; Queensland Literary Award–winning poet Ellen van Neerven; and award-winning poet and scholar Alison Whittaker—deliver addresses that explore, interrogate and challenge what holds our attention, what fails to, and why. Join us for an unmissable gala event hosted by Jamila Rizvi. Funded by the Victorian Government through Women VictoriaContent Warning: Contains discussions about family violence.Recorded for MWF Digital in 2020.

In The 99 Percent Economy: How Democratic Socialism Can Overcome the Crises of Capitalism, Paul Adler argues that the only way to save society from catastrophic collapse is to adopt democratic socialism.Adler joins Sally Warhaft for a discussion that elucidates how our current economy serves about one per cent of the world population, why it barely works for the rest of us, and what we can do to change it—before it’s too late.In partnership with the Wheeler CentreRecorded for MWF Digital in 2020.

Former prime minister Julia Gillard and economist and international development expert Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala have some strong ideas about the impact of gender on the treatment of leaders—so they wrote a book about it.Join the former PM for a discussion of Women and Leadership: Real Lives, Real Lessons and broader issues of gender bias, politics, and the long road to equality. With Patricia Karvelas.In partnership with the Wheeler CentreRecorded for MWF Digital in 2020.

Jessie Tu’s debut novel explores love, sex, and female desire through the eyes of Jena Lin, a Taiwanese-Australian former child prodigy whose journey of self-discovery forms the heart of this book.A Lonely Girl is a Dangerous Thing has been hailed as ‘gutsy, bold and surprising’. Join Tu in conversation on writing complex characters, the model minority myth, and the intersections between power, sex and race. With Alice Pung.Recorded for MWF Digital in 2020.Content warning: This podcast contains references to sexual assault, which some listeners may find distressing. Audience discretion is advised. 

An extraordinary showcase of emerging and established voices, New Australian Fiction 2020 is the second anthology of its kind curated by literary journal Kill Your Darlings. These stories, by writers from all around Australia, explore some of the most intriguing and urgent issues of our time, including genetic experimentation, nuclear fallout and white-settler colonialism.In this showcase, contributors Elizabeth Flux, Laura McPhee-Browne and Mirandi Riwoe present readings from their work and discuss their craft with Kill Your Darlings editor Alan Vaarwerk.Recorded for MWF Digital in 2020.

As certain branches across politics and the media push mistruths, half-truths and lies about the cause and severity of the climate crisis in Australia, identifying reliable, science-backed information is increasingly a challenge.But how do we identify misinformation in the battle against climate change, and what can we do to counter it? Academic Judith Brett (The Coal Curse) joins renewable energy expert Ketan Joshi (Windfall) in conversation.Supported by the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning Recorded at MWF Digital in 2020.

In this daring collection of speculative fiction, 12 Indigenous writers and writers of colour offer up visions of Australia’s possible futures: after colonisation, after white supremacy, and after climate change.Authors Claire G Coleman and Omar Sakr sit down with After Australia editor Michael Mohammed Ahmad to discuss their contributions and the broader aims of this bold, provocative, and galvanising anthology. Recorded at MWF Digital in 2020.

As we struggle to recover after last summer’s devastating bushfires—and with the next fire season less than six months away—urgent questions must be addressed. What is missing from Australia's climate change response? How can First Nations’ knowledge and practices help us? And what must change in the way we talk about climate change?Join Ketan Joshi (Windfall), Rebecca Huntley (How to Talk About Climate Change In A Way That Makes A Difference), and Victor Steffensen (Fire Country) in conversation. With Adam Morton.Recorded at MWF Digital in 2020.Supported by the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning

The Uluru Statement, created in 2017, is a rallying cry to enshrine First Nations’ voices in the Australian Constitution. Torres Strait Islander writer Thomas Mayor spent 18 months travelling across the country to garner support for the Statement—now, with Finding the Heart of the Nation, Mayor brings that journey to all Australians.Mayor is joined by academic Megan Davis and lawyer Teela Reid to discuss what Black Lives Matter should mean in a land wrought by colonisation and in which First Nations’ sovereignty was never ceded, and the vital importance of the Uluru Statement in the fight for Indigenous rights.  Recorded at MWF Digital in 2020.Supported by Australian Communities Foundation  

Join Evelyn Araluen, Toby Fitch, Ursula Robinson-Shaw and Darlene Silva Soberano for poetic performances responding to the increasingly precarious state of the world, and a tribute to the late, radical poet, Sean Bonney (1969–2019), whose final book Our Death is a work of radiant fury, lament and refusal.Recorded at MWF Digital in 2020.In partnership with Australian Poetry

When Lawrence Wright wrote The End of October—in which a deadly virus works its way around the world, leaving economic meltdown, conspiracy theories, and mass death in its wake—he understood that such a disaster was a possibility. But he had no idea it would be realised so soon.Here, the author and The New Yorker staff writer sits down to discuss his brilliant and all-too-prescient novel. With Claire Nichols.Recorded at MWF Digital in 2020.

In the Festival's closing address, Jenny Odell (How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy) applies her framework of thinking beyond capitalist narratives to our current moment of historical urgency. Recorded for MWF Digital in 2020.

How can we attend to unheard truths and reach a more nuanced understanding of our past and the present?In the Festival’s opening address, acclaimed author Kate Grenville (A Room Made of Leaves) considers truth, fiction and the stories that urgently need our attention.Recorded for MWF Digital in 2020.

Activism is tireless, brave, beautiful, exhausting work. So how do those constantly at the battlefront ensure their own emotional wellbeing? Join activists Nic Holas, Tarang Chawla and Queenie Bon Bon as they discuss what forms of support and self-care they reach for in challenging times. Content Warning: This recording contains discussions about domestic violence, illness, and sex. Recorded live at the 2018 Melbourne Writers Festival.

Could an artificial neural network ever write Hamlet? Or Home and Away? With advancing technology, could AI replace artists altogether? Join theatre scholar Rachel Fensham and digital artist Chris Rodley for a performance of scripts authored by AI.  Recorded live at the 2018 Melbourne Writers Festival.

An insightful conversation between authors Jamila Rizvi (Not Just Lucky, The Motherhood) and Christian White (The Nowhere Child), and their longsuffering editors Cate Blake and Martin Hughes, exploring the often complex and always emotional journey of a novel from conception to publication. Recorded live at the 2018 Melbourne Writers Festival.

Giving voice to young black Americans and chronicling their experiences of racism, The Hate U Give is the year’s most outstanding YA novel. Hear from author Angie Thomas as she argues for writing that can turn the political into the deeply personal as a way to inspire action and speak truth to power. Recorded live at the 2017 Melbourne Writers Festival.

British journalist Reni Eddo-Lodge (Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race) explores the issues surrounding white supremacy, feminism, class and race through her lived experience as a black woman. How can those who’ve never personally experienced racism acknowledge and help fight it, while not speaking over marginalised voices? With Benjamin Law. Recorded live at the 2017 Melbourne Writers Festival.

White Tears/Brown Scars deconstructs archetypes including ‘damsel in distress’ and ‘angry brown woman’ to interrogate how race privilege allows white women to position women of colour as aggressors in times of conflict. Ruby Hamad discusses her searing debut with Amal Awad. Recorded live at Melbourne Writers Festival 2019.

Australia’s lauded reputation with regards to women’s voting rights belies the disenfranchisement many have faced on the basis of class and race. Activist Tarneen Onus Williams, former Greens MP Lidia Thorpe and historian Clare Wright discuss the bumpy road to the ballot box. With Amy Gray. Recorded live at Melbourne Writers Festival 2019.

Statistics show that romance remains a genre for – and populated by – those who are white, straight and able-bodied. Authors Daniel de Lorne and Maria Lewis, and sex columnist Maureen Matthews, discuss this lack of diversity. With Kate Cuthbert. Recorded live at Melbourne Writers Festival 2019. Contains discussion about sex.

What’s up with Mr Darcy? What a mansplainer. And don’t get us started on Romeo. Armed with a contemporary lens, authors Clare Connelly, Anne Gracie, and Toni Jordan inspect how the classics may not hold up to today’s standards. With The Guardian’s Calla Wahlquist. Recorded live at Melbourne Writers Festival 2019. Contains discussion about sex.

Consent, coercion, protection. Authors must navigate these issues when writing those steamy chapters. Angelita Biscotti, Maria Lewis and Melanie Milburne explore the responsibility writers have when writing about sex. With Kate Cuthbert. Recorded live at Melbourne Writers Festival 2019. Contains discussion about sex.

Engorged flesh is the beating pulse of many romance novels and it says a lot about the genre: the culmination of desire, virile masculinity, the creative euphemisms. Romance writers Clare Connelly, Daniel de Lorne, Leisl Leighton, and Maria Lewis unpack its role. Recorded live at Melbourne Writers Festival 2019. Contains discussion about sex.

Putting oneself on the line as an activist can be costly – not only in terms of career, family and romantic relationships, but emotional and mental health. So what does it feel like for those who have publicly gone into battle? Youth activist and poet Aretha Brown, HIV activist Nic Holas, ex-Greens MP Scott Ludlam and former race discrimination commissioner Tim Soutphommasane talk about how best to survive in the fray. Recorded live at Melbourne Writers Festival 2019.

We've all felt passionately about a novel from our past, but have we ever taken the time to write a heartfelt note to it directly, thanking it for the way it shaped and moved us? Hear Amal Awad, Ruby Hamad, Sarah Krasnostein and Daniel Mallory Ortberg do just this. Recorded live at Melbourne Writers Festival 2019.

Described as ‘one of the anointed saints of contemporary Australian art’, painter and activist Ben Quilty launched his solo survey exhibition, Quilty, at the Art Gallery of South Australia and will tour it nationally. The stunning self-titled book accompanying the exhibition documents his broad and brilliant career. Recorded live at Melbourne Writers Festival 2019.

Civil rights activist and author DeRay Mckesson is one of the leading voices in the Black Lives Matter movement. He speaks to Benjamin Law about his new book, millennial activism and the power of politics translated through social media, and why it's so important to keep hope alive. Recorded live at Melbourne Writers Festival 2019.

One of the major music influencers of our generation, American singer-songwriter Ben Folds has toured the world with his patented brand of heart-pop. He discusses his extraordinary career and memoir with Charlie Pickering, and plays live the songs that shaped him. Recorded live at Melbourne Writers Festival 2019.

Writer and prominent feminist Jane Caro's new book explores the trailblazing feminists of her generation – those whose lived experience and determination paved the way for future women. She celebrates wild political victories of the past and the women who made them happen with Denise Scott. Recorded live at Melbourne Writers Festival 2019. 

Writer and GP Melanie Cheng’s work explores widely varied subjects, while heart surgeon Samer Nashef’s The Angina Monologues recalls real-life experiences mending actual broken hearts. The writers talk about how their medical practice informs their creative life. Recorded live at Melbourne Writers Festival 2019.

Winner of the 2019 Women’s Prize for Fiction and a 2018 Oprah Book Club pick, An American Marriage has been widely lauded for its moving portrayal of love interrupted. Author Tayari Jones discusses her compelling work with author Eve L Ewing. Recorded live at Melbourne Writers Festival 2019.