From taking on Dickens, Ned Kelly and Alexis de Tocqueville, Peter Carey has never shied away from big subjects in his writing. In this Melbourne appearance, he talks about the "lack of value we place on education" and the lessons the French Revolution holds for contemporary culture. He responds to his Sydney Writers' Festival appearance and accusations of snobbery with a call for better education. "We can teach people to read," Carey asserts. "We're just not committed to doing it."