Journalist Masha Gessen has written a damning biography of Vladimir Putin, leader of her native Russia, where she currently resides. In it, she reveals him as a corrupt dictator and charts his unlikely rise to power, as well as the dark deeds of his regime. Speaking in a Wheeler Centre event, she also talked about the new Russian revolution and predicted that Putin's reign will not last much longer.
Neil Gaiman recently addressed the students at Philadelphia's University of the Arts, where he gifted them a treasure trove of advice about a career in the arts, from accepting failure and embracing uncertainty to secret freelancer business. But his most important advice? Make good art, no matter what.
Do you judge a book by its cover? No, neither do we ... but we do appreciate a good-looking book cover nonetheless. We celebrate the winners of this year's Australian Publishers' Association Design Awards. With pictures, of course.
Jeanette Winterson concluded our Ten series with an electrifying talk that covered memoir (she prefers the term 'cover version'), identity, the consolations of literature, and being the hero of your own life.
It's Friday High Five time! This week, we share seriously silly photos of serious authors, Mark Dapin's reflections on life as a Good Weekend columnist, take a chilling look at childhood psychopaths, read an interview with the New Yorker's art director, and look at how the digital world is making authors work overtime.
Debut novelist Ruby J. Murray speaks to us about her writing career so far, the importance of having people to share your rejection letters with, and her favourite writing advice: you can't edit a blank page.
Masha Gessen is the author of a controversial new biography of Putin, The Man Without a Face. She has also written extensively on the lives and roles of women in contemporary Russia. Sheng Keyi’s…
When the Wheeler Centre's Michael Williams interviewed Jeffrey Eugeindes at the Comedy Theatre last night, they talked humour in fiction, dressing like James Joyce, becoming a writer, experiments with form ... and why you should never put a bandana on a character.
Some writers – and readers – like to play it safe. Others test the cutting edge of literature, defying conventional wisdom to invent new genres or dare to follow their obsessions. Chad Harbach has…
Clementine Ford attended Bettina Arndt's Lunchbox/Soapbox on Why Sex Matters So Much to Men at the Wheeler Centre last Thursday. Clementine tells why she vehemently disagrees with Arndt's views on men, sex – and whether women should say 'yes' to their partners even when they're not in the mood.
The Wheeler Centre's Jo Case reviews Joshua Cody's brilliant memoir of cancer, sex, mortality, art and New York. She calls it a virtuoso performance by the young composer; a brilliant meditation on the position of illness (and art) within a life and on the way we craft our own stories.
In this week's Friday High Five, we celebrate cutting-edge art, search for our other selves, water our creativity and farewell Maurice Sendak.
Hannah Kent, deputy editor of Kill Your Darlings, has spent time living and writing in Iceland, the setting for her forthcoming debut novel, over the past eight years. She provides a perfect introduction to Icelandic literature – and next week's Wheeler Centre guest Sjón in particular – in this passionate appreciation.
Do you speak on your mobile for 30 minutes a day or more? If so, a major study reports you have a 40% higher risk of some brain tumours. Leading neurosurgeon Charlie Teo has gone public with his concerns that mobile phones may be causing a rise in brain tumours; and that we need better research to find out what we're facing. Author and scientist Devra Davis has written about the dangers of mobile use in 'Disconnect'. She also has tips on how to use your mobile safely.
In our latest Working with Words, we talk to current Miles Franklin shortlistee Tony Birch about writing, teaching creative writing, finding your mentor on the page, and dreaming of being Atticus Finch's son.
Jodi Picoult is the author of 18 bestselling and widely acclaimed novels, the latest being *Lone Wolf*. She lives in New Hampshire with her husband and three children.
As a teenager, Christopher Paolini fell hard for fantasy. He read all he could find in his local library – and when that ran dry, he started to write his own stories. The tale of his first book…
Melbourne has a new kind of cultural institution, the Wheeler Centre. The Centre, and its website, are dedicated to the discussion and practice of writing and ideas.
Through a year-round programme of talks and lectures, readings and debates, and an evolving site featuring video and live blogging, we invite you to join the conversation.
176 Little Lonsdale Street
Melbourne
Victoria 3000
Telephone enquiries: (03) 9094 7800
