A Gala Night of Storytelling

On the anniversary of the Federal Government’s apology to the Stolen Generations, the Wheeler Centre presents a night of celebration and reflection, sharing the common and different experiences that define our past and our present.

Twelve of Australia’s best writers come together for an intimate night of storytelling, each reflecting on those tales that have been handed down to them through the generations, each giving voice to an inheritance of wisdom, of understanding, of identity.

With contributions from Chloe Hooper, Paul Kelly, Cate Kennedy, Judith Lucy, Shane Maloney, David Malouf, John Marsden, Alex Miller, John Safran, Christos Tsiolkas, Tara June Winch and Alexis Wright this will be a literary event like no other.

Join us as we reflect on the stories that make us who we are and mark the arrival of The Wheeler Centre.

All proceeds from the event will go to the Indigenous Literacy Project.

Presenters

Chloe Hooper

Chloe Hooper’s The Tall Man, has been published widely abroad to much success and is one of the most awarded books of 2009. The Tall Man has won the NSW Premier's Literary Award for Non-Fiction, QLD Premier's Literary Award for Non-Fiction, Victorian Premier's Literary Award for Non-Fiction, and the ABIA Non-Fiction winner among many others.

Paul Kelly

From very early on in his career, Paul Kelly has been recognised as one of the most significant singer/songwriters in the country.

As well as issuing an enduring body of work with his own bands, Kelly has written film scores (Lantana and the Cannes 2006 highlight, Jindabyne), and produced albums for and written songs with some of Australia and New Zealand's finest artists.

Cate Kennedy

Cate Kennedy is the author of the highly acclaimed novel The World Beneath and an award-winning short-story writer, who has twice won The Age short story competition.

Judith Lucy

Judith Lucy is one of Australia’s most popular comedians. Her work in radio, television, film and her sell out national tours have made her a household name.

Shane Maloney

Shane Maloney is one of Australia’s most popular novelists. His award-winning and much loved Murray Whelan series — Stiff, The Brush-Off, Nice Try, The Big Ask, Something Fishy and Sucked In — is characterised by a strong sense of humour and an acute sense of Melbourne’s political and cultural nuances.

David Malouf

David Malouf is the author of short story collections The Complete Stories (winner of the Australia Asia Literary Award), Dream Stuff and Every Move You Make, and of acclaimed novels including The Great World (winner of the Commonwealth Writers’ and Miles Franklin Prizes) and Remembering Babylon (shortlisted for the Booker Prize and winner of the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award).

John Marsden

John Marsden's books have sold more than four million copies around the world. He is the author of 30 novels including the highly acclaimed series Tomorrow, When the War Began and The Ellie Chronicles.

Alex Miller

Alex Miller is one of Australia's best loved writers. He is twice winner of the prestigious Miles Franklin Literary Award, Australia's premier literary prize, the first occasion in 1993 for The Ancestor Game, and again in 2003 for Journey to the Stone Country.

John Safran

John Safran first hit TV screens in 1997, shooting and presenting 10 hilarious mini-documentaries for Race Around the World (ABC).

Christos Tsiolkas

Christos Tsiolkas is the author of four novels, winning the 2009 Commonwealth Writer's Prize for the Best Book for South East Asia and the Pacific region and the 2009 ALS Gold Medal for his latest novel, The Slap.

Tara June Winch

Tara June Winch is a 25-year-old writer of Wiradjuri, Afghan and English descent. Her work has won many awards including the International Rolex Mentor and Protégé Award, which saw her work under the guidance of Nobel Laureate and UNESCO ambassador Wole Soyinka.

She is published widely in anthologies and is due to release a second novel following 2006’s Swallow the Air.

Alexis Wright

Alexis Wright is a member of the Waanyi nation of the southern highlands of the Gulf of Carpentaria. She is the author of the novel Carpentaria, which won the Miles Franklin Award in 2007.