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A Global History of Genocide Event · Mon, 29 Jul 2013

Professor Ben Kiernan is the multi-award-winning author of Blood and Soil: A World History of Genocide and Extermination from Sparta to Darfur, recipient of a 2008 Gold Medal for the Best Book in…

 

I lived for art, I lived for love: the magic of libretto Event · Wed, 24 Jul 2013

David Mitchell found it ‘addictive and gratifying – not unlike sudoku’. Anna Goldsworthy has written one for children’s classic The Magic Pudding. And Ian Rankin wrote one for Scottish Opera.What is …

 

Lunchbox / Soapbox: Jon Rose on The Music of Place: Reclaiming a Practice Event · Thu, 18 Jul 2013

How do you maintain live music in a culture that does not value it? Jon Rose, acclaimed improvising violinist and instrument-maker, examines Australia’s history of improvised music and musicians and …

 

Literary Speed Dating: Same-Sex Edition Event · Wed, 17 Jul 2013

Lovers of Sappho and pals of Armistead Maupin alike, it’s time to grab your favourite book, don your most flattering get-up and head to the Wheeler Centre to meet your next mate (or playmate).Yes…

 

Treading the Boards: Creative Writing For Beginners Event · Wed, 10 Jul 2013

Join the cream of Australia’s theatre crop for this very special event to celebrate the publication of Colin Batrouney’s second novel, Creative Writing for Beginners.Actor Geoffrey Rush, director…

 

Annalee Newitz: Scatter, Adapt and Remember Event · Thu, 04 Jul 2013

Climate change. Pandemics. Peak oil.These days, many of us have grimly accepted the fact that the human species is hurtling towards oblivion – if not in our lifetime, in that of our children or…

 

Quarterly Essay: On Women, Freedom and Misogyny: Anna Goldsworthy Event · Fri, 28 Jun 2013

Western women today enjoy unprecedented freedom and power – but it can sometimes seem to be a game of two steps forward, one step back.Yes, Julia Gillard is our first female prime minister … but her …

 

The Breakfast Club: Nurture over nature? How does your family shape your relationship with art? Event · Wed, 19 Jun 2013

Breakfast Club is a platform that interrogates how the world and art collide.Following a highly successful series at the Wheeler Centre during the 2012 Next Wave Festival, your early morning shot of …

 

Australian Literature 102: Amy Witting's I For Isobel Event · Mon, 17 Jun 2013

Born to a world without welcome, Isobel observes it warily – an alien trying to pass for a native. She’s more at ease with imaginary friends than the flesh-and-blood people she meets.Cate Kennedy…

 

Australian Democracy in 2013 Event · Wed, 12 Jun 2013

It’s been a tumultuous term in the federal government – and now it’s time for us voters to decide if we’re ready for change. And as we prepare to exercise our democratic duty to vote our government i…

 

Melbourne International Jazz Festival: Jamire Williams Event · Fri, 07 Jun 2013

Don’t miss this rare opportunity to enter the minds of the world’s greatest jazz masters. Thesefree masterclasses, hosted by Fem Belling, see the festival’s headline artists discuss and explore…

 

On the Road: Wodonga: Tara Moss Event · Thu, 30 May 2013

Tara Moss is famous for her kickass crime-fighting creations. First came model turned forensicpsychologist Mak Vanderwall – and her latest is the supernaturally gifted Pandora English, a…

 

Tash Aw Event · Mon, 27 May 2013

Tash Aw’s third – and ‘most personal’ – novel, Five Star Billionaire, follows four Malaysian characters trying to make it in the new China, where the megacity of Shanghai is the new New York.Aw’s…

 

May Blockbusters: Sylvia Nasar and Kate Atkinson Event · Fri, 24 May 2013

Our fabulous double bills are back – bringing you three big nights of international writers, presented back-to-back.From genre-bending fiction bestsellers to young adult authors with cult…

 

May Blockbusters: Anita Desai and William Dalrymple Event · Tue, 21 May 2013

Our fabulous double bills are back – bringing you three big nights of international writers, presented back-to-back.From genre-bending fiction bestsellers to young adult authors with cult…

 

May Blockbusters: Patrick Ness and Carlos Ruiz Zafón Event · Mon, 20 May 2013

Our fabulous double bills are back – bringing you three big nights of international writers, presented back-to-back.From genre-bending fiction bestsellers to young adult authors with cult…

 

Friday High Five: Gatsby, Novelist De... Dailies · Fri, 17 May 2013

We share our favourite finds from the internet this week.Jon Stewart and comedy in ChinaJon Stewart has recently discovered that he’s a hit in China, from the millions of viewers who see his show in …

 

Lunchbox/Soapbox: Hugh de Kretser: All Right For Us But Not for Them: Selectivity in Australia's Human Rights Protection Video · Thu, 16 May 2013

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Apathy towards rights protections. An underdeveloped rights culture. Opposition to the equal sharing of rights. All these things undermine Australia’s (otherwise good) record on human rights…

 

Lunchbox / Soapbox: Hugh de Kretser: All Right For Us But Not for Them: Selectivity in Australia's Human Rights Protection Event · Thu, 16 May 2013

Apathy towards rights protections. An underdeveloped rights culture. Opposition to the equal sharing of rights. All these things undermine Australia’s (otherwise good) record on human rights…

 

Communists, Welfare Queens, and Entre... Dailies · Thu, 16 May 2013

Sylvia Nasar is best known as the author of A Beautiful Mind, which the New York Times called ‘perhaps the best economics-related book of the past quarter-century’. In her latest book, Grand…

 

Working with Words: Colin Batrouney Dailies · Wed, 15 May 2013

Colin Batrouney is a Melbourne-based writer. His second novel, Creative Writing for Beginners, was published by Affirm Press this month. He has occasionally worked in professional theatre as both…

 

Aussie Strugglers or Privileged Poor? Dailies · Tue, 14 May 2013

The front page of today’s Age pictures a newlywed Altona couple, aged 25 and 27, as examples of the typical Australian, worried about rising costs of living.They earn $130,000 a year between them…

 

Patrick Ness: In Defence of Teenagers Dailies · Mon, 13 May 2013

Last year, Patrick Ness won the prestigious Carnegie Medal for the second time, for his YA novel A Monster Calls, a heartbreaking story about cancer and loss, told through the metaphor of a yew tree …

 

Friday High Five: Paid maternity leav... Dailies · Fri, 10 May 2013

We share some of our favourite finds from around the internet this week.30 abandoned places that look beautifulTake a coffee break and have a long look at these eerily stunning images of 30…

 

Working with Words: Tom Doig Dailies · Thu, 09 May 2013

Tom Doig is a writer, performer and editor who has been published in the Big Issue, The Lifted Brow, Sleepers Almanac and Voiceworks magazine (where he was once editor). His plays include Survival o…

 

Fruitful Anxiety and Grey Areas: Hele... Dailies · Wed, 08 May 2013

Due to a technical failure, there will be no video of last night’s session with Anna Krien and Helen Garner. Luckily, we were there with a notebook and pen … please enjoy our account of last night’s…

 

Anna Krien and Helen Garner: Night Games Event · Tue, 07 May 2013

In this very special event, two generations of Australian reportage royalty come together, as the world- renowned Helen Garner interviews Anna Krien, one of the brightest writers of her generation…

 

Why 'Sausage Fests' Should Be Reserve... Dailies · Tue, 07 May 2013

By Paul Mitchell There’s been a lot of talk about ‘sausage fests’ over the past few weeks, with the first all-female Miles Franklin shortlist sparking memories of the all-male lists of the recent…

 

Shutting Them Out: One Parent's Story... Dailies · Mon, 06 May 2013

By Joel Deane People with disabilities – and the everyday challenges they face – have been in the spotlight over the past week, as the national Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) has dominated…

 

Friday High Five: Sonya Harnett on fi... Dailies · Fri, 03 May 2013

We bring you some of our favourite finds from around the internet this week.Why Steven Soderbergh quit making moviesSteven Soderbergh (Traffic, Magic Mike, the Oceans Eleven series) has recently…

 

A Treasury of Melbourne Comics Dailies · Thu, 02 May 2013

By Pepi RonaldsPepi Ronalds takes us on a tour of Melbourne’s locally-made comic book scene – up alleyways, behind hidden doors and down in the tunnels below Flinders Street Station.I am yet to ride …

 

Working with Words: Kylie Ladd Dailies · Wed, 01 May 2013

Kylie Ladd is a Melbourne writer and novelist whose essays and articles have appeared in the Age, Griffith Review, Sydney’s Child and O magazine, among others. She works part-time as a…

 

Intelligence Squared Debates: Anzac Day is More Puff Than Substance Event · Tue, 30 Apr 2013

The plucky bravery of the Anzacs is one of our great national stories – it plays into our idea of who we are. But why is one of the touchstones of our identity based on a historic defeat?Some are…

 

Intelligence Squared Debate: Anzac Day is More Puff Than Substance Video · Tue, 30 Apr 2013

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The plucky bravery of the Anzacs is one of our great national stories – it plays into our idea of who we are. But why is one of the touchstones of our identity based on a historic defeat?Some are…

 

2013 Miles Franklin Shortlist: All Wo... Dailies · Tue, 30 Apr 2013

The Miles Franklin shortlist for 2013 has been announced – and in a reverse of the much-talked-about ‘sausagefests’ of 2009 and 2011, all five of the shortlisted authors are women.This is the first …

 

Meet the Hot Desk Fellows: Round Two,... Dailies · Mon, 29 Apr 2013

It’s that time of year again, where we welcome a new batch of writers to our Wheeler Centre hot-desks. And a wonderfully varied crowd it is.There’s a singer–songwriter venturing into memoir, a poet …

 

Working with Words: Anna Goldsworthy Dailies · Fri, 26 Apr 2013

Anna Goldsworthy’s first book, the memoir Piano Lessons, has been released in the US and Korea, adapted for the stage, and is currently in development as a film. Anna’s writing has appeared in the…

 

'Knowledge Dispels Fear': On Aborigin... Dailies · Wed, 24 Apr 2013

By Shauna Bostock-SmithShauna Bostock-Smith reflects on her family’s past, and the way personal stories are shaped and interpreted – and the importance of acknowledging both the bad and the good in…

 

Literary Speed Dating Event · Tue, 23 Apr 2013

Are you still looking for the Mr Darcy to your Elizabeth Bennett? Cathy to your Heathcliff? Or even a playboy millionaire for a little B&D, if that’s your thing. What better way for bookish sorts to …

 

Basically Silly, But Deadly Serious: ... Dailies · Tue, 23 Apr 2013

By Anthony Morris Game of Thrones is the hit show of the moment – and holds the dubious honour of producing some of the most pirated television episodes ever. It’s rare to hear a bad word about it…

 

The Holocaust and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Jay Winter Video · Mon, 22 Apr 2013

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The passage of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in December 1948 was the last act of World War II – and the first act of the post-war human rights movement. In the first in a three-part…

 

The Holocaust and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Jay Winter Event · Mon, 22 Apr 2013

Presented with the Australian Centre for Jewish Civilisation at Monash UniversityThe passage of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in December 1948 was the last act of World War II – and the f…

 

Debut Mondays: April: Chris Somerville, Andrew Morgan, Sue Williams and Ainslee Meredith Event · Mon, 22 Apr 2013

Our first ever event was a Debut Monday. Three years on, it’s still going strong, introducing new Australian talent each month.Whether it’s meeting Australia’s latest wunderkind or hearing an…

 

Textbooks, Biscuits, Poppies: What Do... Dailies · Mon, 22 Apr 2013

By Billie TumarkinWe asked Year Eleven student Billie Tumarkin to explore what Anzac Day means to her generation. She dabbled in some amateur psychology with friends and reflected on Anzac Days…

 

Neil Armfield Presenter · Fri, 19 Apr 2013

Neil’s notable productions include Cloudstreet (toured to London twice, Dublin, Zurich, New York), Hamlet (toured Australia starring Richard Roxburgh), Diary of a Madman (with Geoffrey Rush, toured t…

 

Against Advertising: The new and impr... Dailies · Fri, 19 Apr 2013

By Greg Foyster In the midst of a stellar advertising career, Greg Foyster came to the realisation that the work he was doing had grave consequences for the health of the planet. He became a walking…

 

Geoffrey Rush Presenter · Thu, 18 Apr 2013

 

Working with Words: Krissy Kneen Dailies · Thu, 18 Apr 2013

Krissy Kneen is a Brisbane-based writer and bookseller. Her memoir, Affection, was published in 2009 and shortlisted for the Queensland Premier’s Literary Award and the ABIA Award in 2010. Krissy…

 

Emerging Writers' Festival Program Launch: The Discomfort Zone Event · Wed, 17 Apr 2013

The Emerging Writers' Festival brings writers together – with each other and new audiences – to inspire, create and entertain. It just keeps getting bigger and better … and this year, it gets a new d…

 

Laura Jean McKay Presenter · Wed, 17 Apr 2013

Laura has been shortlisted for national and international awards; in 2011 she won the Alan Marshall Short Story Award. She lives in Melbourne.

 

Virginia Murdoch Presenter · Wed, 17 Apr 2013

Virginia has worked extensively with booksellers, publishers, literary agents, authors and others in the book industry, in roles as various as manuscript assessment, illustration, cover design…

 

Annalee Newitz Presenter · Wed, 17 Apr 2013

Analee’s latest book is Scatter, Adapt, and Remember: How Humans Will Survive a Mass Extinction. She is the editor of the anthology She’s Such a Geek: Women Write About Science, Technology, and…

 

Carrie Tiffany wins first-ever Stella... Dailies · Wed, 17 Apr 2013

The first ever Stella Prize for a work by an Australian woman writer was awarded last night, to Carrie Tiffany for her novel Mateship with Birds. Carrie Tiffany: ‘The Stella is…

 

The Fifth Estate: Incredible India Event · Tue, 16 Apr 2013

India is booming: everyone says so. The economy is growing to match its massive population, and new industries like IT are creating a thriving middle class. Yet millions of Indians, especially…

 

The Shadow of Lost Children: An Inter... Dailies · Tue, 16 Apr 2013

Kristina Olsson’s mother married aged sixteen, madly in love with a too-charming older man. After they moved far from her Brisbane family, he turned abusive, starving and badly beating her. As she…

 

On the Road: Warrnambool: Raimond Gaita Event · Mon, 15 Apr 2013

We can’t wait to get back on the road again – bringing some of our favourite writers to regional Victoria. We’ll be packing up the car with books and authors, travelling from country to coast … and m…

 

Australian Literature 102: Tirra Lirra by the River Event · Mon, 15 Apr 2013

We’ve created an Australian Classics book club, just for you – with special writerly guests each month.Last year’s hugely popular Australian Literature 101 set the scene by introducing ten texts our …

 

Mike Stern Presenter · Mon, 15 Apr 2013

With a solo career spanning nearly 30 years, the six-time Grammy nominee and recipient of Guitar Player magazine’s Certified Legend Award for 2012 is not afraid to bring numerous styles and ideas – h…

 

Naomi Armstrong Presenter · Mon, 15 Apr 2013

 

'The War! I Am Talking About the War!... Dailies · Mon, 15 Apr 2013

By John Martinkus John Martinkus has been a war reporter for a decade, covering East Timor, Iraq (where he was abducted, and released) and Afghanistan. He defends the continued celebration of Anzac…

 

Comedy Festival: Web Comedy: The New Joke? Event · Sat, 13 Apr 2013

Presented by the Melbourne International Comedy FestivalWebsites, blogs, social media, YouTube, iTunes, live streaming and podcasts…The worldwide web has put a worldwide audience directly into the…

 

Sylvia Nasar Presenter · Fri, 12 Apr 2013

She was an economics correspondent for The New York Times and is the John S. and James L. Knight Professor of Business Journalism at Columbia University. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker…

 

Sylvia Nasar Presenter · Fri, 12 Apr 2013

She was an economics correspondent for The New York Times and is the John S. and James L. Knight Professor of Business Journalism at Columbia University. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker…

 

Friday High Five: Russell Brand, Hann... Dailies · Fri, 12 Apr 2013

Our picks of the internet this week.Hannah Kent on her path to publicationThe lead article in the current Kill Your Darlings is by its deputy editor, Hannah Kent … who shot to worldwide fame last…

 

Erotic Fan Fiction Event · Thu, 11 Apr 2013

What’s funnier (and sexier) than 50 Shades of Grey? Long before E.L. James turned her Twilight fantasies into a cash cow, there was Erotic Fan Fiction – a crowd favourite and unstoppable cultural…

 

Awards Season: Shortlists for the CBC... Dailies · Thu, 11 Apr 2013

It’s been quite a week for Australian literary award shortlists (and a pair of longlists). We share them with you here – along with a reminder about the inaugural Stella Prize, with the winner…

 

Christopher Kremmer Presenter · Wed, 10 Apr 2013

His other books include The Carpet Wars: A Journey Across the Islamic Heartlands, Bamboo Palace: Discovering the Lost Dynasty of Laos, and a historical novel, The Chase, set in Australia in the…

 

Working with Words: Kerryn Goldsworthy Dailies · Wed, 10 Apr 2013

Kerryn Goldsworthy is a freelance writer and critic with a long and illustrious career on the Australian literary scene. She is a former editor of Australian Book Review and a member of the…

 

Margaret Thatcher: A Divisive Life, a... Dailies · Tue, 09 Apr 2013

Last night, the news broke that Margaret Thatcher – Britain’s first female prime minister (and the twentieth century’s longest serving one) – had died, aged 87, of a stroke.‘Margaret Thatcher…

 

Unsuitable for Publication: Editing Q... Dailies · Mon, 08 Apr 2013

by Yvonne Ward When Yvonne Ward began researching Queen Victoria’s Letters, she found that key aspects of her life were deemed unsuitable for public consumption: her experience of motherhood, her…

 

Zoey Louise Moonbeam Dawson Presenter · Fri, 05 Apr 2013

She writes and performs with the female theatre collective I’m Trying To Kiss You – in fact, a return season of their acclaimed show I Know There’s A Lot Of Noise Outside But You Have To Close Your…

 

Working with Words: Rebecca Starford Dailies · Fri, 05 Apr 2013

Rebecca Starford is a Melbourne-based writer, reviewer, editor and publisher. She is editor of Kill Your Darlings, associate publisher at Affirm Press, and has been deputy editor at Australian Book…

 

Abha Dawesar Video · Thu, 04 Apr 2013

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In a special web-only interview, award-winning Indian-born American writer Abha Dawesar (Miniplanner, Babyji, That Summer in Paris, Family Values) drops by to chat to us about the beginnings of…

 

Lunchbox/Soapbox: Yvonne Ward: Unsuitable for Publication: Editing Queen Victoria Video · Thu, 04 Apr 2013

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When Queen Victoria died in 1901, two literary gentlemen took on a monumental task: selecting and editing her vast correspondence. The book they produced would influence perceptions of Victoria for g…

 

My Year Without Booze: Why we need to... Dailies · Thu, 04 Apr 2013

By Jill Stark What’s the place of alcohol in our lives? When does fun become a habit too hard to break? And how are the culture, alcohol companies, Australian sports and even our friends lined up to…

 

Victoria's Climate Adaptation Plan: T... Dailies · Wed, 03 Apr 2013

By Michael Green Michael Green lifts the lid on the Victorian government’s ‘good news’ approach to climate change. ‘Gradual changes in temperature potentially enable industries to transition and…

 

'Like Being a Detective': An intervie... Dailies · Tue, 02 Apr 2013

Madeleine St John was the first Australian woman shortlisted for the Booker Prize (in 1997, for The Essence of the Thing) – but until Text Publishing published her first novel, The Women in Black…

 

Southeast Asian Women's Rights in a Developing and Developed World Event · Thu, 28 Mar 2013

This year, PEN Melbourne’s annual International Women’s Day event features a conversation with the bestselling author Alice Pung, the celebrated author of Her Father’s Daughter and Unpolished Gem…

 

Lunchbox/Soapbox: Sean Faircloth: Attack of the Theocrats: How the Religious Right Harms Us All Video · Thu, 28 Mar 2013

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Visiting from the United States for the Rationalist Society of Australia, Sean Faircloth speaks to the issues raised in his book Attack of the Theocrats: How the Religious Right Harms Us All – and…

 

Working with Words: Chris Somerville Dailies · Thu, 28 Mar 2013

Chris Somerville’s stories have appeared in literary journals including Voiceworks, The Lifted Brow, Paper Radio, Islet and Stilts. In 2003, he won the State Library of Queensland Young Writers…

 

Oslo Davis: Children's Book Festival ... Dailies · Wed, 27 Mar 2013

Last Sunday, we held our annual Children’s Book Festival (in partnership with the State Library of Victoria). From 10am until 4pm, the State Library Lawns, our Performance Space, Little Lonsdale…

 

John Martinkus Presenter · Tue, 26 Mar 2013

Since 2009 he has lectured in Journalism, Media and Communications at UTAS in Hobart. In 2011 he was commissioned by the Australian War Memorial to travel to Afghanistan as The Official Australian…

 

Texts in the City: Summer of the Seventeenth Doll Video · Tue, 26 Mar 2013

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Studying a book or film can be a short-cut to consigning it to boredom. But our Texts in the City series – a gift to students, their teachers and lifelong learners – brings the VCE English and…

 

Miles Franklin Longlist 2013: Ten boo... Dailies · Tue, 26 Mar 2013

This year’s Miles Franklin longllist was announced in an unusual – but thoroughly contemporary – way.The covers of the nine longlisted books were revealed, one by one, on Twitter, in what Crikey

 

J.M. Coetzee: A Reading Event · Mon, 25 Mar 2013

J.M. Coetzee is one of the world’s most prized literary treasures – and we’re lucky enough to have him living right here in Australia.The first author to win the Booker Prize twice, he won the Nobel …

 

J.M. Coetzee: A Reading Video · Mon, 25 Mar 2013

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J.M. Coetzee is one of the world’s most prized literary treasures – and we’re lucky enough to have him living right here in Australia.The first author to win the Booker Prize twice, he won the Nobel …

 

A Tale of Two Editors Dailies · Mon, 25 Mar 2013

Two editors describe what it’s like to work between the lines.By Melissa CranenburghIt’s hard to imagine now, but when F. Scott Fitzgerald first submitted a manuscript to New York publisher…

 

Children's Book Festival 2013: Freya Blackwood Video · Sun, 24 Mar 2013

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Celebrated children’s book illustrator Freya Blackwood has a diverse creative background – extending from working on special effects for the Lord of the Rings films to her many collaborative books…

 

Children's Book Festival 2013: Bronwyn Bancroft Video · Sun, 24 Mar 2013

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Bronwyn Bancroft is a Bundjalung woman, fashion designer and artist, whose credits include being one of the first Australian designers to be invited to show their work in Paris. Her career in…

 

Friday High Five: iPad babies and cla... Dailies · Fri, 22 Mar 2013

Our pick of the news and articles from around the internet this week.The Stella Prize shortlist announcedThe shortlist has been announced for the very first Stella Prize, awarded to the best book of …

 

Australian Literature 102: The Watch Tower Event · Thu, 21 Mar 2013

We’ve created an Australian Classics book club, just for you – with special writerly guests each month.Last year’s hugely popular Australian Literature 101 set the scene by introducing ten texts our …

 

Lunchbox/Soapbox: Kirstie Clements: Inside the Fashion Juggernaut: The good, the bad and the really ugly Video · Thu, 21 Mar 2013

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In May 2012 Kirstie Clements was sacked after more than a decade in the editor’s chair at Vogue Australia. In her book The Vogue Factor (and this edition of Lunchbox/Soapbox) Clements tells the…

 

Alison Anderson Presenter · Thu, 21 Mar 2013

She is among Australia’s most senior indigenous politicians, and has been a prominent indigenous activist, including as an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) Central Zone…

 

Working with Words: Simmone Howell Dailies · Thu, 21 Mar 2013

Simmone Howell spent her teen years writing love odes to eighties pop stars and English essays for her friends. Her novel Notes from the Teenage Underground was awarded the 2007 Victorian Premier’s…

 

Brendan Nelson Presenter · Wed, 20 Mar 2013

Dr Nelson is a former federal minister for defence. During his time as minister, troops were deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan, East Timor and the Solomon Islands. In November 2007, he was elected…

 

Room to Read: John Wood Video · Wed, 20 Mar 2013

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John Wood left a lucrative career at Microsoft to found Room to Read, a global charity that has helped more than six million children in developing countries to become literate in their native…

 

'Don't Be Boring': An interview with ... Dailies · Wed, 20 Mar 2013

Matthew Lamb, the new editor of Island magazine, is also the editor and co-founder of the digital short-story publication Review of Australian Fiction. This makes for an interesting and varied…

 

The Fifth Estate: The Ambassadors Video · Tue, 19 Mar 2013

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What is the role of the modern ambassador? How much influence do they really have? While the days of Argo are probably long gone, so too is a life of garden parties, cups of tea and private clubs…

 

Texts in the City: Persuasion Event · Tue, 19 Mar 2013

Studying a book or film can be a short-cut to consigning it to boredom. But our Texts in the City series – a gift to students, their teachers and lifelong learners – brings the VCE English and…

 

Texts in the City: Persuasion Video · Tue, 19 Mar 2013

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Studying a book or film can be a short-cut to consigning it to boredom. But our Texts in the City series – a gift to students, their teachers and lifelong learners – brings the VCE English and…

 

Naughty Girls, Dirty Dogs and Faraway... Dailies · Tue, 19 Mar 2013

What were your favourite childhood reads? The books that formed and nurtured your childhood imagination?In honour of the Children’s Book Festival this weekend, Wheeler Centre staff have shared their …

 

Brilliant Book Covers You'll Want to ... Dailies · Mon, 18 Mar 2013

Monday mornings can be tough. If you’re suffering Mondayitis and could use a little pick-me-up, take time out to browse these particularly good-looking book covers we’ve sourced from around the…

 

Tips for Writers: The Dos and Don'ts ... Dailies · Fri, 15 Mar 2013

We’ve been talking to tech-savvy writers and publishers this week, finding out how they navigate the brave new world of promoting books online.Today, we share some dos and don’t for writers, from

 

Working with Words: Michelle Dicinoski Dailies · Thu, 14 Mar 2013

Michelle Dicinoski’s memoir, Ghost Wife, about love, secrets, and same-sex marriage, was published by Black Inc. this month. It’s her second book; her first was the poetry collection Electricity for …

 

'Fatness Outside of Morality': On The... Dailies · Wed, 13 Mar 2013

By Mel Campbell The obesity debate is everywhere at the moment – along with an accompanying moral panic focused on overweight bodies. Karen Hitchcock’s controversial essay in the current Monthly

 

Brave New World: Marketing Books Online Dailies · Tue, 12 Mar 2013

With the rise of e-publishing, online bookstores and social media, mastering the web has become increasingly important for authors and publishers when it comes to selling books. But how do they…

 

Friday High Five: Celebrating IWD and... Dailies · Fri, 08 Mar 2013

We bring you our favourite findings from around the internet this week.International Women’s Day: Media voices & the ‘glass ceiling index’It’s International Women’s Day today – and there’s a slew of …

 

Every Grain of Rice: Fuchsia Dunlop Event · Thu, 07 Mar 2013

From her studies as the only foreign apprentice in a prestigious Chengdu cooking school to her storied career as an award-winning food writer, there are fewer better guides to a Sichuan kitchen…

 

'The Ultimate Technofix': Playing God... Dailies · Thu, 07 Mar 2013

Spraying sulphur compounds into the upper atmosphere to reduce the amount of sunlight reaching the planet? Transforming the chemistry of the world’s oceans so they soak up more carbon? These ideas…

 

Intelligence Squared Debate: Our Food Obsession Has Gone Too Far Video · Wed, 06 Mar 2013

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We live in the foodie age – where celebrity chefs are the new rock stars. But while organic food is a must-have fashion accessory, obesity and food intolerances are on the rise.But there are good…

 

Working with Words: Lesley Jørgensen Dailies · Wed, 06 Mar 2013

Lesley Jørgensen won the 2011 CAL Scribe Fiction Prize for an unpublished manuscript for what is now her debut novel, Cat & Fiddle.We spoke to Lesley about her first forays into writing, the buzz of…

 

‘I’ll Show You a Bad Mother, Bitch!’:... Dailies · Tue, 05 Mar 2013

By Monica Dux Mothers' groups attract strong feelings – they’re either loved or loathed by their members, as strongholds of sisterhood and support, or arenas of judgement and one-upmanship. Why are…

 

His Dark Materials: An Evening with E... Dailies · Mon, 04 Mar 2013

Edward St Aubyn’s semi-autobiographical Patrick Melrose novels have been called ‘some of the most perceptive, elegantly written and hilarious novels of our era’. The fourth, Mother’s Milk, was…

 

Ian Rankin Video · Fri, 01 Mar 2013

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When bestselling Scottish crime writer Ian Rankin swept through Australia to promote his book Standing in Another Man’s Grave, he dropped into the Wheeler Centre to chat about the return of Rebus…

 

Introducing Inkerman & Blunt: A new M... Dailies · Fri, 01 Mar 2013

Most of the news we hear about publishing these days is pretty grim, to say the least … it’s all about bookshops closing, sales plummeting and jobs being lost. So, it’s especially nice to hear the…

 

Working with Words: Jill Stark Dailies · Thu, 28 Feb 2013

Jill Stark is a senior writer for the Sunday Age who has worked for the Age since 2006, where she has predominantly covered health, specialising in alcohol and drug issues, mental health, and…

 

Planning for Disaster: Melbourne's Fu... Dailies · Wed, 27 Feb 2013

When we think about cities of the future, we think about edgy architecture and technological breakthroughs. But what we should be thinking about is how to plan for a Melbourne that seems likely to…

 

Edward St Aubyn Event · Tue, 26 Feb 2013

Edward St Aubyn’s novels are like black diamonds: dark, glittering jewels.His dark-witted books about the misdeeds of the privileged upper classes have been compared to Evelyn Waugh and Oscar Wilde. …

 

Out of Control?: Pigging out on food ... Dailies · Tue, 26 Feb 2013

Late last year, the Wheeler Centre hosted a Fifth Estate discussion of food culture. ‘It seems to me it’s become out of control,’ said host Sally Warhaft, of our current obsession with food.‘I’m…

 

Nelly Thomas Presenter · Mon, 25 Feb 2013

Nelly recently released her latest comedy DVD, The Talk (a sexual health and ethics DVD for teens) and released her first book What Women Want with Random House in 2012 to popular and critical…

 

'Weird Interests and Vague Qualificat... Dailies · Mon, 25 Feb 2013

Zora Sanders recently became the new editor of Meanjin, aged just 25 – quite an achievement. But maybe not surprising, given that her grandmother worked on the magazine in the 1970s, with original…

 

The School of Life Melbourne Secular Sermon Series: John Safran ON UNREST Video · Sun, 24 Feb 2013

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Popular comedian and contrarian John Safran is known as a seeker of awkward and unusual truths. He infiltrates a secret world of madness, agitation and unrest. In this event, he’ll present his…

 

Friday High Five: Wells Tower, Author... Dailies · Fri, 22 Feb 2013

We bring you our favourite findings from around the internet this week.Wells Tower takes his dad to Burning ManWells Tower reports on his father-son trip to Burning Man, the world’s largest…

 

The World Until Yesterday: Jared Diamond Event · Thu, 21 Feb 2013

The Wall Street Journal calls Jared Diamond ‘a star among public intellectuals’.The big-brained anthropologist built his own brand of intellectual blockbuster with the Pulitzer Prize-winning Guns…

 

Lunchbox/Soapbox: Sarah Marland on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and their Homelands Video · Thu, 21 Feb 2013

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Sarah Marland is a human rights campaigner, researcher and author. Since 2006, she has worked as Amnesty International’s Campaign Coordinator and Researcher on Indigenous Rights.Using participatory m…

 

Tasmania's Tipping Point Video · Thu, 21 Feb 2013

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Once the Apple Isle, Tasmania’s size and isolation made it the butt of mainland jokes. But those qualities – and its stunning natural environment – are now seen as major advantages. And the buzz…

 

Working with Words: Favel Parrett Dailies · Thu, 21 Feb 2013

Favel Parrett’s debut novel, Past the Shallows, was shortlisted for the Miles Franklin Award in 2012. She won Newcomer of the Year in the Australian Book Industry Awards and the Dobbie Literary…

 

Joyful Strains Video · Wed, 20 Feb 2013

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Joyful Strains, as the title suggests, is a new anthology exploring the sometimes bittersweet experiences of new migrants to Australia. From the relief of being welcomed to a new homeland, to…

 

'Changing a Whole System': Racialised... Dailies · Wed, 20 Feb 2013

Our Ideas for Melbourne events web series, by journalist Michael Green, explores three topics that loom large in local debates, each Wednesday for three weeks. Last week he explored homelessness

 

Texts in the City: Will You Please Be Quiet, Please? Video · Tue, 19 Feb 2013

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In this edition of our Texts in the City series, focussing on VCE English texts, join Tony Birch and Josephine Rowe explore the secrets and tensions in Raymond Carver’s 1976 short story collection…

 

The Fifth Estate: Diplomacy, Disasters and Deals: Foreign Policy 2013 Video · Tue, 19 Feb 2013

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2013 is an election year and we know that domestic issues will dominate the campaign and decide our next prime minister. But, at a time when the world is confronting major changes, our foreign…

 

Weird and Wonderful Bookshops of the ... Dailies · Tue, 19 Feb 2013

We travel vicariously to some of the world’s most unusual – and beautiful – bookshops.The Book Barge, UKThe Guardian has called The Book Barge ‘quite possibly the coolest bookshop in the UK’…

 

Australian Literature 102: Henry Lawson: The Drover's Wife Video · Mon, 18 Feb 2013

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Last year’s hugely popular Australian Literature 101 set the scene by introducing ten texts our experts deemed unmissable Australian reading. This year, we invite you on a brand new, leisurely…

 

Chaos, Comedy and Romance: An intervi... Dailies · Mon, 18 Feb 2013

Graeme Simsion’s The Rosie Project is one of the most awaited books of 2013. Since winning the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award for an Unpublished Manuscript last year, it’s been a whirlwind…

 

Friday High Five: New York lunch, Gro... Dailies · Fri, 15 Feb 2013

We bring you our favourite findings from around the internet this week.It’s … Groundhog Day! 20 years onGroundhog Dog is one of those quietly classic films – it’s not showily clever, it didn’t win…

 

Lunchbox/Soapbox: Adam Smith: Where is the Love: Are Our Public Institutions Failing Our Young People? Video · Thu, 14 Feb 2013

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Once upon a time, older generations could berate young people for not realising their relative good fortune. But these days, it seems that opportunities for young people are dwindling … along with…

 

Ideas for Melbourne: Making Racism History Video · Thu, 14 Feb 2013

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Melbourne is famously multicultural – but the past year has proven that racism is also rife.For instance, a VicHealth survey reported 97% of Aboriginal Victorians had experienced racism in the past 1…

 

Working with Words: Alan Attwood Dailies · Thu, 14 Feb 2013

Alan Attwood has been the editor of the Big Issue Australia since 2006. He is a Walkley award winner and former New York correspondent for the Age and Sydney Morning Herald. He has also been a…

 

Ideas for Melbourne: The City of the Future Event · Wed, 13 Feb 2013

In 30 years, Melbourne’s CBD will have another 220,000 new residents. A ‘second CBD’ has been proposed for Melbourne’s west, along with a third runway for Tullamarine airport – and more green wedge l…

 

Ideas for Melbourne: The City of the Future Video · Wed, 13 Feb 2013

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In 30 years, Melbourne’s CBD will have another 220,000 new residents. A ‘second CBD’ has been proposed for Melbourne’s west, along with a third runway for Tullamarine airport – and more green wedge l…

 

Rob and Dee (and Me): 'He is Making m... Dailies · Wed, 13 Feb 2013

Our Ideas for Melbourne events series explores three topics that loom large in local debates: city planning, homelessness, and racism. Over the next three Wednesdays, we’re running a series of…

 

Sam Twyford-Moore Presenter · Tue, 12 Feb 2013

He also hosts The Rereaders podcast (www.therereaders.com).

 

Texts in the City: Brooklyn Video · Tue, 12 Feb 2013

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Studying a book or film can be a short-cut to consigning it to boredom. But our Texts in the City series – a gift to students, their teachers and lifelong learners – brings the VCE English and…

 

Meet the Hot Desk Fellows: Round One ... Dailies · Tue, 12 Feb 2013

Leonard Cohen at his desk in Montreal, Canada, 1963 Yesterday, we welcomed our first round of Hot Desk Fellows to the Wheeler Centre, where they’ll work on their writing…

 

'Intelligence and Readability': The S... Dailies · Mon, 11 Feb 2013

James Ley is the editor of Australia’s newest literary publication, the Sydney Review of Books, our (online-only) answer to the London Review of Books and New York Review of Books.We spoke to him…

 

The Wheeler Centre Gala 2013: Where the Wild Things Are Event · Sat, 09 Feb 2013

Let the wild rumpus start!The Wheeler Centre kicks off our first season of events with a celebration of storytelling that revels in the deepest recesses of the imagination. This year, we dedicate…

 

Friday High Five: Jennifer Egan, Paul... Dailies · Fri, 08 Feb 2013

We bring you our favourite findings from around the internet this week.Using the internet to market books in AustraliaCrikey’s Amber Jamieson has interviewed digital marketing staff at a number of…

 

The Book Thief on Film: Will Star Geo... Dailies · Thu, 07 Feb 2013

When The First Tuesday Book Club asked Australians to vote for their favourite Aussie books of all time, Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief was ranked number two, beaten only by Tim Winton’s…

 

Working with Words: Monica Dux Dailies · Wed, 06 Feb 2013

Monica Dux is a writer, social commentator and co-author of The Great Feminist Denial. Her new book, *Things I Didn’t Expect (when I was expecting) will be published by MUP in March. Monica is…

 

Literary Travel: From Hobbit Motels t... Dailies · Tue, 05 Feb 2013

When you travel, you don’t become a whole new person – you carry your interests with you. That’s why some people plunge themselves into daredevil adventure travel and others plan their trips around w…

 

Cover Girls: Why 'women's' novels get... Dailies · Mon, 04 Feb 2013

There’s an uproar on the internet right now about the recent makeover of Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar. While the original cover was a concentric ring of mesmerising circles, the fiftieth anniversary e…

 

The School of Life Melbourne Secular Sermon Series: David Woods ON HUMOUR Video · Sun, 03 Feb 2013

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You are funny. We are funny. Everyone is funny. Some celebrate the use of humour; others merely come across it. Some are completely unaware of it. But all of us can develop it if we choose.Writer…

 

The School of Life Melbourne Secular Sermon Series: David Woods ON HUMOUR Event · Sun, 03 Feb 2013

A co-presentation with Melbourne Conversations.You are funny. We are funny. Everyone is funny. Some celebrate the use of humour; others merely come across it. Some are completely unaware of it. But a…

 

Friday High Five: Lizzie Bennett, Lou... Dailies · Fri, 01 Feb 2013

We bring you our favourite findings from around the internet this week.Lizzie Bennett: Looking good at 200 years oldIt was the two-hundredth birthday of Pride and Prejudice this week – and the New…

 

A.M. Homes Presenter · Thu, 31 Jan 2013

She is a contributing editor to Vanity Fair and writes frequently on arts and culture for numerous magazines and newspapers. She is currently writing for a new major US TV series. She lives in New…

 

Aviva Tuffield Presenter · Thu, 31 Jan 2013

 

Catriona Rowntree Presenter · Thu, 31 Jan 2013

Catriona began her television career on Wonder World!, and has worked on radio, television and print since. In addition to her media roles, Catriona is always involved in community work and is…

 

J.M. Coetzee Presenter · Thu, 31 Jan 2013

His work includes Waiting for the Barbarians, Life and Times of Michael K, The Master of Petersburg, Disgrace and Diary of a Bad Year. He lives in Adelaide.

 

Working with Words: Lili Wilkinson Dailies · Thu, 31 Jan 2013

Lili Wilkinson is a reader and writer of young adult literature; she has written five books for teenagers. The most recent is Love Shy (Allen & Unwin). Lili worked at the State Library of…

 

Johannes Jakob Presenter · Wed, 30 Jan 2013

His short stories and non-fiction have appeared in Voiceworks, The Lifted Brow, The Emerging Writer and elsewhere.

 

Chika Unigwe Presenter · Wed, 30 Jan 2013

The first tells the story of African prostitutes working in Belgium; the second is the about the relationships between mothers and daughters.Unigwe’s stories have been broadcast on BBC World…

 

Entertainment in a Hurry: On art, imp... Dailies · Wed, 30 Jan 2013

By Andie FoxMiddle age can make you a more savvy audience for art … but also a lazier one, as it must be squeezed into an ever-more time-poor life. Andie Fox realises that she’s become so risk…

 

The Beast, The Accent: On being a 'Po... Dailies · Tue, 29 Jan 2013

By Maria TumarkinMaria Tumarkin emigrated to Australia from the former Soviet Union in 1989. She reflects on her memories of ‘being new’, of compulsively doing ‘compare and contrast’ with the old…

 

Kutcha Edwards Presenter · Fri, 25 Jan 2013

Kutcha has toured, performed and forged connections both nationally and internationally. He has recorded several albums with others and, since going solo and forming The Kutcha Edwards Band in 2002, …

 

Friday High Five: Bad journalism, the... Dailies · Fri, 25 Jan 2013

We bring you our favourite findings from around the internet this week.Men’s magazine culture and the worst celebrity profile everThe internet has been aflame this week over what’s been described as …

 

The Ocean at the End of the Lane: Neil Gaiman Video · Thu, 24 Jan 2013

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Rock star writer Neil Gaiman has a reputation for reinventing genres – and for following his imagination wherever it leads. He’s written everything from journalism to episodes of Doctor Who, fantasy …

 

Working with Words: Josephine Rowe Dailies · Thu, 24 Jan 2013

Josephine Rowe’s second collection of short stories, Tarcutta’s Wake (UQP), was published last year – and was one of Michael Williams' best books of 2012. Her non-fiction, short stories and poems…

 

Wheeler Centre Hot Desk Fellows 2013 ... Dailies · Wed, 23 Jan 2013

It’s always nice to have new neighbours. And we’re especially thrilled to welcome the ten new writers who’ll be moving into the Wheeler Centre Hot Desks in the first half of 2013. With the generous s…

 

Charlotte Wood on The Writer's Room I... Dailies · Tue, 22 Jan 2013

Novelist Charlotte Wood launched a new publication this week, The Writer’s Room Interviews, taking its inspiration from the famed Paris Review interviews with writers, by writers. We spoke to…

 

David Sedaris on Film for the First T... Dailies · Mon, 21 Jan 2013

David Sedaris has long been opposed to seeing his work adapted for the screen. He told the New York Times that a decade ago, he began work on a movie adaptation of his essay collection Me Talk…

 

Andrea Durbach Presenter · Mon, 21 Jan 2013

Born and educated in South Africa, Durbach practised as a political trial lawyer and human rights advocate, representing victims and opponents of apartheid laws. In 1988 she was appointed solicitor t…

 

Friday High Five: Overrating Orwell, ... Dailies · Fri, 18 Jan 2013

Christopher Tolkien on why he hates the Peter Jackson moviesThe whole world may be in love with Peter Jackson’s adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy (though less so with The…

 

Working with Words: Pip Smith Dailies · Thu, 17 Jan 2013

Pip Smith is currently poet-in-residence at The Lifted Brow. She has had her poems and stories published in HEAT, Meanjin, Voiceworks, Going Down Swinging, Island and Pan Magazine, and also runs…

 

Guardian to launch Australian (digita... Dailies · Wed, 16 Jan 2013

2012 was a bad year for the print media. What Queen Elizabeth might call an annus horribilis. So, after a year packed with announcements of staff layoffs at Australia’s major newspapers, it’s nice…

 

Gary Shteyngart and the Art of Blurbing Dailies · Tue, 15 Jan 2013

Comic literary novelist Gary Shteyngart is almost as well known for his prolific blurbing of his fellow authors' work as he is for his critically acclaimed books, Absurdistan and Super Sad True Love…

 

Reading and Recycling: Brotherhood Books Dailies · Mon, 14 Jan 2013

The digital revolution has hit the book business in a big way over the past couple of years, with the rise of e-books, e-readers and online bookshops.The Brotherhood of St Laurence was an early…

 

Friday High Five: David Sedaris, hatc... Dailies · Fri, 11 Jan 2013

We share five of our favourite links, articles and issues from around the internet this week.George Monbiot on climate change and Australia’s heatwave‘Climate change denial is almost a national…

 

Working with Words: Damon Young Dailies · Thu, 10 Jan 2013

Damon Young is a philosopher, author and commentator. He is regularly published in the Age, the Australian, by the BBC and elsewhere. His first book, Distraction, has been published in the UK, the…

 

Marquez, Merit and the VCE Scandal: A... Dailies · Wed, 09 Jan 2013

By Billie TumarkinFollowing Christopher Bantick’s article arguing that Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s Love in the Time of Cholera is inappropriate for students due to an incident of sex with a minor, the…

 

Books of the Future: What publishing ... Dailies · Tue, 08 Jan 2013

It’s a whole new year in publishing and reading – and if you’re already making up your ‘to read’ list, we can help. A plethora of publications have just published their lists of books to look out…

 

'Sick-lit' for Teens: Moral Catastrop... Dailies · Mon, 07 Jan 2013

What’s the next big thing in YA fiction?According to tabloid UK publication The Daily Mail, it’s ‘sick-lit’ – ‘a raft of morbid novels, which all too often inadvertently glamorise shocking…

 

Friday High Five: Dalkey Intern, Newt... Dailies · Fri, 21 Dec 2012

In our last Friday High FIve for 2012, we collect five of our favourite articles and items of interest from the internet this week.Adam Mansbach’s F_ _ king Weird Year on the Bestseller ListsAdam…

 

Working with Words: Paddy O'Reilly Dailies · Thu, 20 Dec 2012

Paddy O'Reilly’s latest novel, The Fine Colour of Rust, was published in the US, UK and Australia this year; it was selected as one of the Wheeler Centre staff picks in our Best Books of 2012…

 

Weird Retail: Tales from the other si... Dailies · Wed, 19 Dec 2012

When we think twenty-first-century Christmas, we also think shopping. And if you think Christmas shopping is its own special squashy, noisy hell for you, just imagine (or remember) what it’s like…

 

Best Books of 2012: As chosen by Aust... Dailies · Tue, 18 Dec 2012

Yesterday, Wheeler Centre staff shared our favourite books of 2012. Today, some of the writers who’ve been part of the Wheeler Centre programme this year – whether as presenters, website…

 

Bruce Pascoe Presenter · Mon, 17 Dec 2012

His most recent books are Bloke (Penguin), Fog (Magabala) – a book for children, The Chainsaw File (Oxford) – for teenagers, and Convincing Ground (ASP) – a non-fiction book.He is of…

 

Best Books of 2012: As chosen by Whee... Dailies · Mon, 17 Dec 2012

Michael Williams DirectorMy top 13 are:Gone Girl – Gillian Flynn Behind the Beautiful Forevers – Katherine Boo The Australian…

 

The Wheeler Centre's End of Year Double Bill Event · Fri, 14 Dec 2012

The courtroom: the ultimate arena for dramatising issues of justice and morality, and a stage where the most admirable and most despicable elements of human nature are performed in equal measure…

 

Friday High Five: No, Actually, Writi... Dailies · Fri, 14 Dec 2012

We share five of our favourite links, videos and articles from around the internet this week.No, Actually: Debunking a Christmas film favouriteLove, Actually, Richard Curtis’s celebrity-packed…

 

Working with Words: Gideon Haigh Dailies · Thu, 13 Dec 2012

Gideon Haigh has been a journalist for over 30 years, writing on subjects as diverse as business, literary criticism – and cricket, for which he is especially renowned. (The Australian has called…

 

Why Doesn’t Hollywood Make Movies for... Dailies · Tue, 11 Dec 2012

By Rochelle Siemienowicz Go to your local cinema on any given day, and more likely than not, the screens are dominated by recycled superheroes in suits, animated animals voiced by celebrities, and…

 

Why Is It (Still) the Mother's Fault?... Dailies · Mon, 10 Dec 2012

By Jessie ColeLast week, we had an impassioned response to Catherine Deveny’s Lunchbox/Soapbox decrying ‘helicopter parents’ in favour of ‘70s parenting’. Here, novelist and mum Jessie Cole gives…

 

On the Road: Geelong Event · Fri, 07 Dec 2012

Acclaimed novelist Charlotte Wood is also a passionate home cook – and her latest book, Love and Hunger, is a warm and lovely celebration of the pleasures of simple food, well made. It’s the perfect …

 

Friday High Five: Weird Christmas Spe... Dailies · Fri, 07 Dec 2012

It’s December – and the holiday season has kicked into full gear, tinsel decorations and all. Any day now, we’ll be hearing carols broadcast in the shopping centres. Holiday decorations are festive…

 

Working with Words: Tim Richards Dailies · Thu, 06 Dec 2012

Tim Richards' writing has appeared in newspapers, magazines and websites around the world. While he writes on a range of subjects, from lifestyle and the arts to science, he specialises in travel…

 

Pernickety Parents: Catherine Deveny ... Dailies · Wed, 05 Dec 2012

By Catherine DevenyCatherine Deveny decries helicopter parents, attachment parenting, yummy mummies, kids in cafes and trampolines with fences around them – in favour of 1970s-style ‘blimp…

 

Interview with Adam Zwar: On 12 Angry... Dailies · Tue, 04 Dec 2012

Adam Zwar, creator of Wilfred and Lowdown, will direct a dramatic live reading of the classic film 12 Angry Men for the Wheeler Centre this month. We spoke to Adam in advance of the event about the…

 

A Totally Hip Tribute to E.L. James, ... Dailies · Tue, 04 Dec 2012

It’s been a weird year for publishing, with bad news about plummeting advances, disappearing bookshops and dwindling sales everywhere you turn.But there’s been the occasional good news too. A couple …

 

Twelve Mad Men Dailies · Mon, 03 Dec 2012

By Adrian MartinIn the lead-up to 12 Angry People, our dramatic live reading directed by Adam Zwar, film critic Adrian Martin takes a fond look at the Oscar-nominated 1957 film 12 Angry Men. He…

 

Friday High Five: Technology fails, B... Dailies · Fri, 30 Nov 2012

We share five of our favourite links and articles from around the internet this week.Why your passwords don’t protect youWired senior writer Mat Horan was famously targeted by cyberhackers earlier…

 

Lunchbox/Soapbox: Catherine Deveny on Pernickety Parents Video · Thu, 29 Nov 2012

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There has never been more time, energy and thought spent on the raising of babies, toddlers and children – and it is detrimental, counterproductive and narcissistic, argues 1970s parent Catherine…

 

Working with Words: Karen Andrews Dailies · Thu, 29 Nov 2012

Karen Andrews is program manager of the Emerging Writers' Festival. She is also an author and publisher at Miscellaneous Press, with two books under her belt – the picture book Surprise! and most…

 

Michael Leunig Video · Wed, 28 Nov 2012

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Michael Leunig is best loved as our wizard of whimsy, creator of quirky characters like Mr Curly, the duck and Vasco Pyjama. Asked how those creations were born, he says, ‘I felt maybe society…

 

Making the News Video · Wed, 28 Nov 2012

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The online age has heralded the rise of the celebrity journalist: ‘personalities’ with headshots, Twitter accounts and guest spots on Q&A. How does this impact on the quality of our journalism? What …

 

Environmental Vandalism and Spent Bul... Dailies · Wed, 28 Nov 2012

By Sam CooneyThe publishing industry is a tough arena, and never more so than now. Sam Cooney looks at the weird, annoying and sometimes puzzling things publishers (and writers) do to promote their…

 

The Fifth Estate: The World's Largest Party: China Video · Tue, 27 Nov 2012

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As the Communist Party of China’s 18th National Congress oversees the biggest leadership transition in decades, Sally Warhaft catches up with China watcher and correspondent John Garnaut to examine t…

 

Helen Garner: Ethics, Erotics and Hau... Dailies · Tue, 27 Nov 2012

A packed (and somewhat awed) crowd gathered at RMIT’s Storey Hall last week to hear Helen Garner deliver the keynote address of the NonFictioNow conference.She spoke generously about her struggles…

 

Michael Leunig: Five Favourite Cartoons Dailies · Mon, 26 Nov 2012

Michael Leunig is an undisputed national treasure. His particular blend of whimsy and wit, provocation and pure magic, has been bewitching Melburnians since his first cartoon in 1965.He’ll be

 

David Shields in Conversation Video · Sat, 24 Nov 2012

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David Shields has been hailed as a writing revolutionary. His wildly inventive ‘manifesto’ Reality Hunger, a broadside against the contemporary novel, has been welcomed with open arms by novelists…

 

NonfictioNow Melbourne 2012: Nonfiction: The Art of Truth - Writerly Perspectives Event · Fri, 23 Nov 2012

There’s a huge public appetite for non-fiction storytelling in all its forms, from literary and political essays to the shelf-filling genre of memoir, and the much-maligned reality TV.This is a…

 

NonfictioNow Melbourne 2012: Nonfiction: The Art of Truth - Writerly Perspectives Video · Fri, 23 Nov 2012

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There’s a huge public appetite for non-fiction storytelling in all its forms, from literary and political essays to the shelf-filling genre of memoir, and the much-maligned reality TV.This is a…

 

Friday High Five: Carver's Internet D... Dailies · Fri, 23 Nov 2012

We collect five of our favourite links and articles from around the internet this week.Carver’s OK Cupid profile, edited by Gordon LishWhat if Raymond Carver wanted to hook up, and turned to the…

 

Lunchbox/Soapbox: Adam Kerezsy: Desert Fishing Lessons: Saving Species from Extinction Video · Thu, 22 Nov 2012

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Dr Adam Kerezsy is a freshwater ecologist who works in some of the driest rivers and springs of inland Australia. Working with Bush Heritage Australia, he focuses on recovering populations of the…

 

NonfictioNow Melbourne 2012: An Evening with Helen Garner Video · Thu, 22 Nov 2012

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Helen Garner’s narrative non-fiction is practically its own genre, attracting international acclaim. Her landmark The First Stone, a controversial bestseller, broke new ground for Australian…

 

Working with Words: Margaret Simons Dailies · Thu, 22 Nov 2012

Margaret Simons is an award-winning freelance journalist and author. She is also the director of the Centre for Advanced Journalism and coordinator of the new Masters in Journalism at the…

 

A Night at the Zoo Event · Wed, 21 Nov 2012

We’ve partnered with one of Melbourne’s oldest institutions to create the Wheeler Centre Zoo Fellowships – a unique opportunity for Melbourne artists to soak up the zoo’s surrounds and create work…

 

A Night at the Zoo Video · Wed, 21 Nov 2012

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In 2012, we partnered with one of Melbourne’s oldest institutions to create the Wheeler Centre Zoo Fellowships – a unique opportunity for Melbourne artists to soak up the zoo’s surrounds and create w…

 

Saving Native Species and Our Moral C... Dailies · Wed, 21 Nov 2012

Tim Flannery spoke to a passionate crowd at the Wheeler Centre last night about the crisis in biodiversity. He was urgent about the need for immediate, informed and ‘businesslike’ action on the…

 

Quarterly Essay: On Politics and Conservation: Tim Flannery Video · Tue, 20 Nov 2012

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In the clash between money and conservation, money usually wins – with devastating results in a land that tolerates few mistakes. Tim Flannery delivers a wake-up call about the consequences of…

 

Rock Journalism and Holocaust Shadows... Dailies · Tue, 20 Nov 2012

Interview by Jo Case, for the Wheeler CentreLily Brett is one of Australia’s most-loved writers, best known for the blackly comic novels (like her masterpiece Too Many Men and most recently, You…

 

Confessions of a Celebrity Interviewe... Dailies · Mon, 19 Nov 2012

By Anthony MorrisFilm writer Anthony Morris has interviewed your average wish-list of Hollywood celebrities, from Matt Damon to Sarah Jessica Parker. But, he warns, it’s not as fun as you might…

 

Travelling with Intent Event · Fri, 16 Nov 2012

One of the most exhilarating things about travel is the way it takes you outside yourself – to discover new people, places and ideas. It also shifts your perspective: from the outside, everything…

 

Travelling With Intent Video · Fri, 16 Nov 2012

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One of the most exhilarating things about travel is the way it takes you outside yourself – to discover new people, places and ideas. It also shifts your perspective: from the outside, everything…

 

Friday High Five: Climate Change Dailies · Fri, 16 Nov 2012

We’ve been sharing some amazing/horrifying/telling photos of the effects of climate change on social media over the past week, and judging from the response, we’re not the only ones who find it…

 

Leah Vandenburg Presenter · Thu, 15 Nov 2012

She has recently appeared on the ABC’s Agony Aunts, Southern Star Production’s Tangle as Elle, and prior to this, was seen as Annie Blythe on Sleuth 101 and as Lara in the ABC series East of…

 

Nadine Garner Presenter · Thu, 15 Nov 2012

Her other television credits include The Henderson Kids, G.P., The Flying Doctors, Class Act, Boys From the Bush, Blue Water High and Raw FM for which she was nominated for an AFI Award for Best…

 

Ashley Zukerman Presenter · Thu, 15 Nov 2012

Theatre credits include The History Boys and The Hypocrite for MTC, This Is Our Youth for Inside Job Productions, of which Ashley is a founding member, and BC for The Hayloft Project for which he…

 

Beth Buchanan Presenter · Thu, 15 Nov 2012

Beth has worked for Playbox (now The Malthouse Theatre), MTC and La Mama theatres in Melbourne.Beth has performed the role of Rita in series I & II of Lowdown other TV credits include the…

 

Patrick Brammall Presenter · Thu, 15 Nov 2012

He has appeared in numerous stage productions including Bruce Beresford’s acclaimed season of Moonlight and Magnolias, Clybourne Park, The Importance of Being Earnest, Peter Evans’ The Ugly One by…

 

Geoffrey Robertson Presenter · Thu, 15 Nov 2012

He served as the first president of the Special Court for Sierra Leone (which indicted Charles Taylor) and as a ‘distinguished jurist’ member of the UN’s Internal Justice Council. He has argued…

 

Experimenta: Wired Up World Video · Thu, 15 Nov 2012

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In today’s wired-up world, we can be with anyone, anywhere at any time. We have hundreds of ‘friends’, habitually ‘follow’ strangers and work from virtual offices. What does all this mean for…

 

John Garnaut Presenter · Thu, 15 Nov 2012

John lived in Beijing for two years in the 1980s, while his father was posted as the Australian ambassador, and returned there with his wife and children in 2007. He is author of the new Penguin…

 

Working with Words: Cate Kennedy Dailies · Thu, 15 Nov 2012

The multi-talented Cate Kennedy (short-story writer, novelist and poet) is one of Australia’s most loved writers. Her books include the acclaimed short-story collection Dark Roots and the…

 

Ramona Koval: By the Book Event · Wed, 14 Nov 2012

Ramona Koval has long entered the lounge rooms and accompanied the car journeys of book lovers around Australia with ABC Radio National’s The Book Show. In By the Book, she shares the authors who…

 

Reviving the Novella: What is Old is ... Dailies · Wed, 14 Nov 2012

By Julianne SchultzIn this edited version of the introduction to Griffith Review 38: The Novella Project, editor Julianne Schultz tells us what’s so special about the novella as a literary art form…

 

What Next for the Australian Publishi... Dailies · Tue, 13 Nov 2012

By Tim Coronel Tim Coronel, former publisher of Bookseller and Publisher magazine, looks at the dramatic changes in ways of doing business over the past five years in the Australian book trade – and…

 

The Romance of Editing Dailies · Mon, 12 Nov 2012

By Aden Rolfe Aden Rolfe is not your average fiction editor. His job is to fix the mechanics of writing, like any good editor … but editing romance novels comes with its own specific set of…

 

Michael Palin Video · Fri, 09 Nov 2012

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Michael Palin was first famous as ‘the nice one’ in the Monty Python team (despite fraudulently selling John Cleese a dead parrot), then as an actor in films from Brazil to A Fish Called Wanda. He’s …

 

Friday High Five: Cereal Art, Hitchco... Dailies · Fri, 09 Nov 2012

We bring you our five favourite links and articles from around the internet this week.Playing with your foodErnie Button really, really loves cereal. He’s spent the past decade working on a series…

 

Truth is Stranger than Fiction: A Great Literary Debate Event · Thu, 08 Nov 2012

It’s the ultimate writing championship! Come see Australian authors go head-to-head in a fearsome battle of wits, words and waggery. Jeff Sparrow, Amy Espeseth, Shane Maloney and Wayne Macauley will …

 

Lunchbox/Soapbox: Tim Coronel: What Next for the Australian Publishing Industry? Video · Thu, 08 Nov 2012

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Five years ago, the tone of discussion about the book industry shifted from ‘confidence’ to ‘crisis’, as online shopping and the emergence of e-books shook up the established ways of doing business.I…

 

Working with Words: Jacinta Halloran Dailies · Thu, 08 Nov 2012

Melbourne GP Jacinta Halloran discovered a second career when she was shortlisted for the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award for an Unpublished Manuscript in 2007, leading to the publication of her…

 

Intelligence Squared Debate: Euthanasia Should be Legalised Video · Wed, 07 Nov 2012

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Death is the most personal of matters, but it’s also a political hot potato.Most of us don’t choose (or even expect) the way in which we die, but for the terminally ill, death is a looming certainty …

 

Nate Silver and the 'Moneyball Election' Dailies · Wed, 07 Nov 2012

Nate Silver’s New York Times blog, FiveThirtyEight, was responsible for 20 per cent of visits to the NYT site this week – that is, one in five visits to the sixth most trafficked US news site.He’s…

 

The Melbourne Cup: Don't Bet On It Dailies · Tue, 06 Nov 2012

On the occasion of Victoria’s public holiday in honour of gambling … we mean, a horse race … we thought it was timely to share an advertisement made for ABC1’s Gruen Planet that aims to make…

 

Reverend Death: 'A Midwife to the Dying' Dailies · Mon, 05 Nov 2012

Reverend George Exoo has helped over 102 people to die. He’s the euthanasia activist people are referred to when the mainstream organisations won’t take their cases – many of his clients were not…

 

Friday High Five: Joss Whedon, Chuck ... Dailies · Fri, 02 Nov 2012

With the US presidential election held next week, we thought we’d share five of the most amusing, clever or simply interesting celebrity endorsements for the two presidential candidates. (Not…

 

Lunchbox/Soapbox: Susan Harris Rimmer on Why Refugee Law is Difficult... Even Without the Politics Video · Thu, 01 Nov 2012

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What is ‘forced people movement’, or ‘mixed flow migration’ – and where do refugees fit? We use many terms for those people who feel compelled to leave their home country and relocate.Forced…

 

Geordie Williamson: The Burning Library Video · Thu, 01 Nov 2012

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Geordie Williamson, one of our leading literary critics, approaches books and writing with the ardour of an enthusiast – though he’s also alarmed at the way classic Australian literature is falling o…

 

Watching the Circus: Don Watson, Elea... Dailies · Thu, 01 Nov 2012

With the US presidential election just a week away, some of Australia’s savviest political writers and commentators gathered at the Wheeler Centre – with a packed and engaged crowd – to talk about…

 

Evicting the Body-snatchers: An Argum... Dailies · Wed, 31 Oct 2012

Shakira Hussein is no stranger to pain that, on a scale of 1 to 10, goes all the way to 11. She writes that one day her multiple scelorosis may usher in ‘the body-snatchers’ for good. This would…

 

Meet the Hot Desk Fellows: Round Three Dailies · Tue, 30 Oct 2012

The Wheeler Centre has become home to 20 writers this year, thanks to our Hot Desk Fellowships, supported by the Readings Foundation.Each writer has received a $1000 stipend and a desk at the…

 

Friday High Five: Animals: Hitchcock,... Dailies · Fri, 26 Oct 2012

This week’s selection of articles and links from around the internet is animal-themed. Just because!How a Hitchcock heroine lived, filmed and slept with lionsA recent New York Times Q&A with Tippi…

 

Lunchbox/Soapbox: Paul Ham on the Atrocities of Sandakan Video · Thu, 25 Oct 2012

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In the fight against the Japanese during World War II, the most disturbing events endured by the Australian soldiers occurred at Sandakan, in North Borneo.Join Sydney-based historian Paul Ham, as he …

 

Working with Words: Tom Trumble Dailies · Thu, 25 Oct 2012

Tom Trumble is the author of the travel book Unholy Pilgrims (Penguin) and is currently working on his second book, as a recipient of a Wheeler Centre Hot Desk Fellowship, supported by the Readings…

 

Foxtel/AWF Screenwriter's Address: Andrew Bovell Video · Wed, 24 Oct 2012

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This video contains some strong language.The annual Foxtel Screenwriter’s Address, presented by the Australian Writers’ Foundation, recognises the ways in which writers shape our society and…

 

Writing Alice Springs: An interview w... Dailies · Wed, 24 Oct 2012

Eleanor Hogan lived and worked in Alice Springs for several years. She came back to urban life with a book, recently published in the New South Cities series, a nuanced understanding of issues like…

 

Richard Gill: Give Me Excess Of It Video · Tue, 23 Oct 2012

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Richard Gill has worked in music and education for 50 years – and has never missed a chance to sing the praises of both. In a frank and fearless new memoir that will get tongues wagging, he shares…

 

Epic Rap Battle: Obama versus Romney Dailies · Tue, 23 Oct 2012

As we gear up for the final showdown between presidential candidates Mitt Romney and Barack Obama, in the form of the final debate, you might like to distract yourself with this less conventional…

 

Stella!: Australian Prize for Women's... Dailies · Mon, 22 Oct 2012

Australia’s first major literary prize for women’s writing, The Stella Prize, will be officially launched in 2013. One woman with a book published in 2012 will receive $50,000 in prize money.The…

 

Pyjama Party Event · Sun, 21 Oct 2012

Bedtime stories are a treasured ritual for parents and children everywhere – and not just because they’re the best recipe invented for a good night’s sleep.Mem Fox and Judy Horacek, the much-loved…

 

William Silvester Presenter · Fri, 19 Oct 2012

His current professional areas of interest include advance care planning, end of life care and organ donation. He undertook his training in Perth and London and has been at the Austin Hospital since …

 

Friday High Five: Binders Full of Women Dailies · Fri, 19 Oct 2012

During this week’s presidential debate, Mitt Romney answered an audience question about creating opportunities for women in an unfortunate way.‘We took a concerted effort to go out and find women…

 

Lunchbox/Soapbox: Nouria Salehi on Basic Health and Education in Afghanistan Video · Thu, 18 Oct 2012

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Dr Nouria Salehi OAM is executive director of the Afghan Australian Development Organisation. A voluntary, non-profit, non-government, member organisation, its primary purpose is to implement…

 

Red Rock and Roll Video · Thu, 18 Oct 2012

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The revolutionary potential of rock and roll has long been a worn-out cliché in the West, where the Rolling Stones do commercials and rappers hang with royalty. But in contemporary China, rock (or…

 

Working with Words: Mikey Cahill Dailies · Thu, 18 Oct 2012

Mikey Cahill writes the ‘Rock City’ column for News Ltd. He reviews and writes about music for Hit, jmag and Inpress, and has twice been a judge for the Australian Music Prize. We spoke to him for…

 

A Question of Identity: The Australian Moment: What Does it Mean to be Aussie Right Now? Event · Wed, 17 Oct 2012

Step into a time capsule and go back 20 years … Paul Keating is prime minister of Australia. The Twin Towers dominate New York’s skyline and September 11 is the date of a Chilean coup. Pauline…

 

Song, Speeches and Interpretative Dan... Dailies · Wed, 17 Oct 2012

There was a suitably festive atmosphere at the Regent Ballroom for the Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards dinner last night, as writers swapped their standard work wear of tracksuit pants and…

 

Hilary Mantel wins Man Booker Prize -... Dailies · Wed, 17 Oct 2012

Hilary Mantel has won the 2012 Man Booker Prize for Bring up the Bodies, making her the first woman – and the first British person – to win it twice. (The only other writers to win the prize twice…

 

Victorian Premier's Literary Award Wi... Dailies · Tue, 16 Oct 2012

The winners have been announced for the Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards 2012.Victorian Prize for LiteratureThe Victorian Prize for Literature, Australia’s richest literary prize (worth $100,000) …

 

The Fifth Estate: Good Lord Video · Tue, 16 Oct 2012

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What does it mean to be Lord Mayor of one of the world’s most liveable cities? And how can we keep that ‘liveable’ status – and the relaxed lifestyle we enjoy ­– in the face of pressures like a…

 

The Fifth Estate: Good Lord Event · Tue, 16 Oct 2012

What does it mean to be Lord Mayor of one of the world’s most liveable cities? And how can we keep that ‘liveable’ status – and the relaxed lifestyle we enjoy ­– in the face of pressures like a…

 

Reading, Memoir and 'The Big C': An i... Dailies · Tue, 16 Oct 2012

Melinda Harvey is one of our current Wheeler Centre Hot Desk fellows, supported by the Readings Foundation. She’s working on a creative non-fiction essay called ‘Lip Service’ (part memoir, part…

 

Books on Film: Cloud Atlas, Les Miser... Dailies · Mon, 15 Oct 2012

Scriptwriting professor John Glavin told the Washington Post recently that turning a book into a film works best when the writer is willing to reinvent the book to suit the film medium, rather than a…

 

Destroying the Joint Video · Fri, 12 Oct 2012

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The Alan Jones affair. The Brunswick peace march for Jill Meagher. Margie Abbott and the Downton Abbey Defence. Peter Slipper’s texts and Julia Gillard’s speech. All of these events sparked debates o…

 

Friday High Five: From Big Bird to Ba... Dailies · Fri, 12 Oct 2012

We share some of our favourite links and articles found on the internet this week.Mitt Romney versus Big Bird versus ObamaThe US presidential campaign has taken another bizarre pop culture twist in t…

 

Lunchbox/Soapbox: Richard Broinowski: Fallout from Fukushima Video · Thu, 11 Oct 2012

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Following the tsunami and ensuing nuclear disaster at Fukushima last year, former diplomat and ambassador Richard Broinowski travelled to the irradiated zone, to look at all aspects of nuclear power …

 

Playing the Gender Card: Gillard, Abb... Dailies · Thu, 11 Oct 2012

We look at the aftermath of an extraordinary week in politics, talking to Ben Eltham, national affairs correspondent of New Matilda, Stephanie Convery of Overland, feminist writer Alison Croggon and…

 

Universities, Challenged Video · Thu, 11 Oct 2012

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What do we expect from a 21st-century university? Which ideals have survived the transition to our brave new education world? And what does it mean when students become customers? Moral philosopher R…

 

Working with Words: Richard Broinowski Dailies · Thu, 11 Oct 2012

Richard Broinowski is a former Australian diplomat. He was Australian ambassador to Vietnam, South Korea, Mexico, the Central American republics, and Cuba. He became general manager of Radio…

 

From Prim to Poledance: Girls, Sex an... Dailies · Wed, 10 Oct 2012

By Michelle Smith In this edited version of her Lunchbox Soapbox address, Michelle Smith looks at why girls’ bottoms are a major problem for the nation’s media and celebrity women, how today’s moral…

 

Booksellers' Picks: The Best of (the ... Dailies · Tue, 09 Oct 2012

Christmas is here! Yes, we know it’s October … but in bookselling, October marks the beginning of the Christmas period, with publishers releasing their under-the-tree hopefuls onto the shelves. It’s …

 

Philip Nitschke Presenter · Mon, 08 Oct 2012

 

An Australian Accent: An Interview wi... Dailies · Mon, 08 Oct 2012

Charlotte Wood is an Australian novelist whose fourth novel, Animal People, set in inner-urban Sydney, was longlisted for the Miles Franklin Literary Award this year. It featured a character who had…

 

Friday High Five: Mad and Apple maps,... Dailies · Fri, 05 Oct 2012

We bring you our favourite links and articles we’ve found around the internet this week.Mad spoof of Apple mapsApple maps has to be the most embarrassing product launch in Apple history (and a…

 

Erotic Fan Fiction Event · Thu, 04 Oct 2012

Sex, sex, sex … and celebrity. Not all storytelling is about boarding schools, bloodsuckers and bow-slinging lady killers. In this adults-only night of fantastical tales, anything goes.Four writers s…

 

Lunchbox/Soapbox: Michelle Smith: From Prim to Poledance: Girls, Sex and Popular Culture Video · Thu, 04 Oct 2012

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Today’s consumer culture persistently uses girls as icons of sexual attractiveness in advertising, film and television. In the nineteenth century, print media did not dare positively associate girls …

 

John Leary Presenter · Thu, 04 Oct 2012

 

Working with Words: Hannie Rayson Dailies · Thu, 04 Oct 2012

Hannie Rayson is a playwright and screenwriter best known for Hotel Sorrento, which was also produced as a feature film. She made history when her play Life After George was the first play to be…

 

Why Writing for Free Can Pay Off Dailies · Wed, 03 Oct 2012

By Helen RazerLast week, Karen Pickering asked, why should writers work for free? She wasn’t stuck for reasons why they shouldn’t. But long-time professional writer (and fellow freelancer) Helen…

 

The Fifth Estate: He Said/He Said Video · Tue, 02 Oct 2012

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Conversations about sex and sexual identity are constant in our times: from the debate about gay marriage to the intense discussions and disagreements about consumerism and commercialisation of sex. …

 

Great Australian Moments ... in Lego Dailies · Tue, 02 Oct 2012

It’s the fiftieth anniversary of Lego being sold in Australia – and to celebrate, Lego has commissioned British photographer Mike Stimpson to put together scenes of ten great Australian moments, in L…

 

We’re All Equal Now, So We Should Shu... Dailies · Mon, 01 Oct 2012

By Clementine Ford In this edited version of her Lunchbox/Soapbox address, Clementine Ford asks why men like Alan Jones think women are ‘destroying the joint’, exposes how Hollywood contributes to…

 

Unexpected Passions: Tony Moclair and Jess McGuire Video · Fri, 28 Sep 2012

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In this instalment of Sam Pang’s series – focussing on the odd obsessions and unlikely fascinations of familiar faces – broadcaster Jess McGuire spills the beans about her love for British reality…

 

Friday High Five: Why Nana Needs a Gu... Dailies · Fri, 28 Sep 2012

Hey Girl, it’s Paul RyanIn the tradition of the Ryan Gosling ‘Hey Girl’ meme, lovestruck conservative ladies have started a tribute Tumblr dedicated to blue-eyed Catholic boy Paul Ryan, aka the…

 

Lunchbox/Soapbox: Tim Soutphommasane: Don't Go Back to Where You Came From: Why Multiculturalism Works Video · Thu, 27 Sep 2012

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For many, multiculturalism has come to mean a flawed approach to integrating migrants. But has it been a failure? Political philosopher and commentator Tim Soutphommasane puts forward his case for…

 

AMERICA: The 2012 Elections: Has America Finally Gone Mad? Video · Thu, 27 Sep 2012

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James Fallows has been writing politics, global and national, for the Atlantic (where he is national correspondent) for over 30 years. Just prior to the presidential debate series, he joined us to…

 

Working with Words: Elmo Keep Dailies · Thu, 27 Sep 2012

Elmo Keep is a writer and broadcaster whose non-fiction work has appeared in places like The Awl, the Age, Meanjin, the Big Issue and The Rumpus. She was a writer/producer on three series of ABC…

 

Lunchbox / Soapbox: Tim Soutphommasane: Don't Go Back to Where You Came From: Why Multiculturalism Works Event · Thu, 27 Sep 2012

For many, multiculturalism has come to mean a flawed approach to integrating migrants. But has it been a failure? Political philosopher and commentator Tim Soutphommasane puts forward his case for…

 

Paying for It: Why You Shouldn't Writ... Dailies · Wed, 26 Sep 2012

by Karen Pickering Freelance writer and editor Karen Pickering had a ‘learning experience’ recently when she was commissioned to write a piece for a national publication – then wasn’t paid for it…

 

Emily Sexton Presenter · Tue, 25 Sep 2012

Her experiments with the form of the 2012 Next Wave Festival demonstrated an ongoing interest in new contexts that bring people together; in the live experience, and how this is changing. From…

 

Briohny Doyle Presenter · Tue, 25 Sep 2012

Her novel, The Island Will Sink (forthcoming through Hunter Publishers) is a combination of the two. Most recently she wrote an essay on maternity from the perspective of a robotic birth simulator…

 

Intelligence Squared Debates: Western Civilisation is in Terminal Decline Event · Tue, 25 Sep 2012

China is fast becoming the next world superpower, while India – with its vast young population, booming jobs market and burgeoning economy – is on the march. Meanwhile, Wall Street has plunged the…

 

Intelligence Squared Debates: Western Civilisation is in Terminal Decline (Audio Only) Video · Tue, 25 Sep 2012

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China is fast becoming the next world superpower, while India – with its vast young population, booming jobs market and burgeoning economy – is on the march. Meanwhile, Wall Street has plunged the…

 

Nobody Wants to Hear About Your Dream... Dailies · Tue, 25 Sep 2012

by Mel Campbell Mel Campbell is currently writing her first (non-fiction) book. She responds to Rebecca Giggs' Overland essay on women’s non-fiction writing, subjectivity, bias and writing the…

 

Michael Kirby: Law, Love and Life Video · Mon, 24 Sep 2012

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When Michael Kirby retired from the High Court in 2009, he was Australia’s longest-serving judge. But it’s not his time on the bench that makes him so beloved; rather it’s his long record of human…

 

Martin Amis on the Republican Campaig... Dailies · Mon, 24 Sep 2012

Here’s a novel literary take on the American elections – Martin Amis talks to Daily Beast TV about the Republican National Convention.‘Conventions have been the scenes of incredible dramas and power …

 

Friday High Five: From US politics to... Dailies · Fri, 21 Sep 2012

Romney’s Responsibility MapRepublican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is negotiating a major campaign obstacle, after a secret video was released of his candid remarks to a donor gathering, who…

 

Media in the Land of Stars and Stripes Video · Thu, 20 Sep 2012

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Today’s American media is sharply divided along left and right political lines, with little room in the middle for the objective news and current affairs that was once the norm. From Fox News to The…

 

Lunchbox/Soapbox: Michael Shuman on Going Local: Creating Self-Reliant Communities in the Global Age Video · Thu, 20 Sep 2012

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Michael H. Shuman argues that there are a number of initiatives communities must take to support local economies and small business – and that the knock-on effects of local investment are vast…

 

First Look: Williamstown's New Library Dailies · Thu, 20 Sep 2012

Earlier today, Williamstown – in Melbourne’s inner Western suburbs – welcomed its new library. The project, which cost $8.1 million, offers 18 computers, iPads, gaming consoles, a gallery, meeting…

 

Working with Words: Ronnie Scott Dailies · Thu, 20 Sep 2012

Former The Lifted Brow editor Ronnie Scott is also contributor to The Believer, Lucky Peach, Meanjin, the Big Issue, Australian Book Review and ABC Radio. He is currently a Hot Desk Fellow here at…

 

AMERICA: What's So Great About American TV? Video · Wed, 19 Sep 2012

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From the old days of The Brady Bunch and Bewitched to today’s ‘golden age of television’, where screenwriters and show-runners like Joss Whedon and Matthew Weiner have become household names –…

 

What's Wrong with the News?: The News... Dailies · Wed, 19 Sep 2012

Aaron Sorkin’s new HBO series, The Newsroom, is politely labelled ‘critically contested’. While it’s been lambasted for sexism, general awkwardness, smugness (and dodgy use of Coldplay), it also has …

 

The Fifth Estate: Food for Thought Video · Tue, 18 Sep 2012

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When President Obama was welcomed for his ‘night of friendship’ dinner with Prime Minister Gillard in Canberra last year, he feasted on ‘a macadamia and thyme encrusted lamb canon with avocado cream …

 

Mitt Romney: 47% of Americans are ent... Dailies · Tue, 18 Sep 2012

Private remarks made by Mitt Romney to a small group of wealthy campaign donors have been made public today, in a secret video that commentators are already saying may cost him the presidency.He…

 

Margaret Gardner Presenter · Mon, 17 Sep 2012

Margaret has provided strategic advice on educational pathways, human resource management, equity and employment and industrial relations to governments, industry and a broad range of institutions…

 

The Advance of the Sock Puppet Army Dailies · Mon, 17 Sep 2012

by Stephanie Honor ConveryIn the wake of the book-reviewers-for-hire furore, Stephanie Honor Convery examines the scandal’s context: a proliferation of ‘consumer review spaces’ and a shift from the…

 

Ishiguro's Robots Event · Fri, 14 Sep 2012

Hiroshi Ishiguro is one of the top 100 geniuses alive in the world today – and the creator of some of the most life-like robots ever made.Ishiguro’s shockingly human androids (including his own…

 

Friday High Five: Psychopathic Presid... Dailies · Fri, 14 Sep 2012

First ads for famous booksA new book, Read Me: A Century of Classic American Book Advertisements, gives a fascinating peek at how famous writers were packaged and pitched to the reading public –…

 

Ishiguro's Robots Video · Fri, 14 Sep 2012

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Hiroshi Ishiguro is one of the top 100 geniuses alive in the world today – and the creator of some of the most life-like robots ever made. Ishiguro’s shockingly human androids (including his own…

 

Lunchbox/Soapbox: Clementine Ford: We're All Equal Now, So We Should Shut Up and Go Home Video · Thu, 13 Sep 2012

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In a passionate attack on the idea that gender equality has been reached and feminism is irrelevant, Clementine Ford explains why there is much left to be achieved – and presents a slew of…

 

McSweeney's 41: Australian Aboriginal Fiction Edition Video · Thu, 13 Sep 2012

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Q: What’s as Australian as Vegemite and as American as apple pie? A: The new issue of McSweeney’s, the US literary journal so hip it should be wearing black-framed glasses and riding a bicycle.…

 

Working with Words: Jordan Bass Dailies · Thu, 13 Sep 2012

Jordan Bass is the managing editor of McSweeney’s. He’s in Melbourne this week for two events with the Wheeler Centre, including tonight’s launch of McSweeney’s 41, a special Australian Aboriginal…

 

Quarterly Essay - Political Animal: The Making of Tony Abbott: David Marr Event · Wed, 12 Sep 2012

David Marr’s Quarterly Essay on former PM Kevin Rudd marked the beginning of the end. Was it a well-timed coincidence, or a body blow he never recovered from? Now, Marr turns his pen to…

 

Beautiful and Funny and Weird: A Nigh... Dailies · Wed, 12 Sep 2012

When Dave Eggers first started McSweeney’s Quarterly, the iconic US literary magazine, he sold lifetime subscriptions for $100 – the same price as a two-year subscription.‘That was as long as the…

 

Quarterly Essay - Political Animal: The Making of Tony Abbott: David Marr Video · Wed, 12 Sep 2012

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David Marr’s Quarterly Essay on former PM Kevin Rudd marked the beginning of the end. Was it a well-timed coincidence, or a body blow he never recovered from? Now, Marr turns his pen to…

 

AMERICA: McSweeney's Guide to America Event · Tue, 11 Sep 2012

If you look up ‘literary hipster’ in the dictionary, you just might find a picture of McSweeney’s, the San Francisco-based publishing company started by rule-bending writer Dave Eggers.Jordan Bass…

 

500 Best Graphic Designs Dailies · Tue, 11 Sep 2012

A new book from Phaidon gathers 500 of the best graphic designs created since mechanical reproduction began. The images span magazine covers, advertising logos and images, film graphics, book covers …

 

Meet Our Second Round of Hot Desk Fel... Dailies · Mon, 10 Sep 2012

We’ve recently welcomed our second round of Hot Desk Fellowships, supported by the Readings Foundation, to the Wheeler Centre.We bid a sad farewell to our first round of fellows: Luke Ryan, Mel…

 

Friday High Five: America Special Dailies · Fri, 07 Sep 2012

This month, our AMERICA series features a whole host of great events focusing on the US, just as the world watches the ailing superpower as it heads into a presidential election. This week, we…

 

Working with Words: Chris Flynn Dailies · Thu, 06 Sep 2012

Chris Flynn is the books editor of the Big Issue and published his debut novel, A Tiger in Eden, this year. He was also guest editor for McSweeney’s 41, the Australian Aboriginal fiction edition…

 

Micheal Leunig Presenter · Wed, 05 Sep 2012

Leunig’s many books include The Penguin Leunig, Ramming the Shears, Everyday Devils and Angels, Short Notes from the Long History of Happiness, Why Dogs Sniff Each Other’s Tails, Goatperson and…

 

Katia Pase Presenter · Wed, 05 Sep 2012

 

David Shields Presenter · Wed, 05 Sep 2012

His other books include The Thing About Life is That One Day You’ll Be Dead, a New York Times bestseller, Black Planet: Facing Race during an NBA Season, Remote: Reflections on Life in the Shadow of…

 

Margo Jefferson Presenter · Wed, 05 Sep 2012

 

Ben Elton Presenter · Wed, 05 Sep 2012

Ben has written 12 major bestsellers, including Stark, Popcorn, Inconceivable (filmed as Maybe Baby, which he also directed), Dead Famous, High Society (which won the WH Smith People’s Choice Award 2…

 

Tim Coronel Presenter · Wed, 05 Sep 2012

Tim oversaw the publication of the University of Melbourne Book Industry Study in 2009. He has been published internationally in Publishing Research Quarterly, Publishers Weekly, Publishing…

 

Victorian Premier's Literary Award fo... Dailies · Wed, 05 Sep 2012

Today is Indigenous Literacy Day – and time to announce the winner and shortlist for the biennal Victorian Premier’s Literary Award for Indigenous Writing.Anita Heiss was announced as the winner…

 

Bindi Cole Presenter · Tue, 04 Sep 2012

Mixing photography, installation, collage, text, film, sound and projections, Cole’s work exposes the latent and unspoken power dynamics of Australian culture in the here and now. She subtly but…

 

Mary Lou Jelbart Presenter · Tue, 04 Sep 2012

Mary Lou was a member of the former St Kilda Council for nine years, and is the founder of the St Kilda Festival and St Kilda Film Festival.She has been a board member of Artbank, Craft Victoria…

 

Weird and Wonderful Libraries Dailies · Tue, 04 Sep 2012

Looking for a literary rest-stop on today’s tour of the internet? Sit back and have a browse at these weird and wonderful libraries from around the world, from the Michaelangelo-designed Laurentian…

 

Eastwooding: Clint Becomes a Verb Dailies · Mon, 03 Sep 2012

Hollywood icon Clint Eastwood gave a memorable performance at the Republican convention last Thursday. But he was thoroughly upstaged by his co-star: an empty chair.Eastwood spoke to the chair – and …

 

Friday High Five: Book Forests, Femin... Dailies · Fri, 31 Aug 2012

We share our favourite links and articles from around the internet this week.Hey Girl, It’s Feminist ObamaFans of Ryan Gosling (does this exclude anyone?) have long been following the many tumblrs…

 

Working with Words: Kristy Chambers Dailies · Thu, 30 Aug 2012

In this week’s Working with Words, debut author Kristy Chambers speaks to us about writing her memoir, finding the humour in nursing (via Sedaris) and why being offered a contract was like winning…

 

On the Road: Wangaratta Event · Wed, 29 Aug 2012

Why should Melbourne get all the fun? It’s not like if you live east of the Dandenongs or west of Bacchus Marsh you’re not interested in Books, Writing and Ideas. So in 2012, we’re getting in the…

 

Critical Danger: Book Reviewing, Priz... Dailies · Tue, 28 Aug 2012

Is Australia’s literary culture too nice? Too clubbish? Is our critical culture based too much on who you know, and not enough on what you know? Writer and lecturer Emmett Stinson argues that it is…

 

Why Private Education Shouldn't Get a... Dailies · Mon, 27 Aug 2012

By Catherine Deveny The public/private schooling debate hit the news again last week, sparking debate over government funding of those schools – and how the Australian government will respond to the…

 

Friday High Five: From Tony Abbott to... Dailies · Fri, 24 Aug 2012

This week’s Friday High Five brings together a selection of our favourite recent links and stories from around the internet.‘Loose with the Truth’: Leigh Sales vs Tony AbbottThis spectacular…

 

Sex, Money and Bali's Gay Scene Dailies · Thu, 23 Aug 2012

By Benjamin LawIn Benjamin Law’s new book, Gaysia: Adventures in the Queer East, he goes on a journey to find out how different his life might have been if he’d grown up in Asia. He goes backstage…

 

Bali and Me: Lisa Dempster on the Ubu... Dailies · Wed, 22 Aug 2012

Lisa Dempster is the director of the Emerging Writers Festival – and the new director of the Melbourne Writers Festival. She’s currently in Bali, working on the Ubud Readers and Writers Festival, as…

 

Rejecting the Sexual Revolution: In t... Dailies · Tue, 21 Aug 2012

By Jeff SparrowIn Jeff Sparrow’s new book, Money Shot, he explores the relationship between porn and censorship, and what it reveals about our social values. Along the way, he journeys from the…

 

I, Robots: Androids so Real, They're ... Dailies · Mon, 20 Aug 2012

Robots that look like people, programmed to have their own emotions and facial expressions and to react to human interaction?It sounds like science fiction, but within the past decade, it’s also…

 

Ellen van Neerven Presenter · Fri, 17 Aug 2012

She is a graduate of a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Creative Writing Production at the Queensland University of Technology. This year Ellen completed a two year editing mentorship under Sue Abbey as…

 

Friday High Five: Dickens Special Dailies · Fri, 17 Aug 2012

In this week’s Friday High Five, we celebrate what would have been Dickens' 200th year with a look at five pieces from around the web that look at Dickens' legacy, or use it as a springboard for…

 

Working with Words: Sam Cooney Dailies · Thu, 16 Aug 2012

Sam Cooney is a writer and editor who has recently become the editor of The Lifted Brow. He is also one of our crack team of VPLA reviewers; you can read his review of Wayne Macauley’s The Cook

 

Breaking Ice and Epic Operas: Brett S... Dailies · Tue, 14 Aug 2012

Over the past week or so, we’ve been celebrating Melbourne’s arts festivals at the Wheeler Centre Dailies.Today, we interview Brett Sheehy, artistic director of the Melbourne International Arts…

 

Life on Mars and Space Superstitions Dailies · Mon, 13 Aug 2012

We’ve long wondered about Mars and the question of whether the red planet can support life – so much so that the shorthand for alien life forms is ‘Martian’ (as in, citizen of Mars).This month’s…

 

Friday High Five: Dr Seuss in Adverti... Dailies · Fri, 10 Aug 2012

Most people know that children’s author Dr Seuss used a pseudonym: his real name was Theodor Geisel. But did you know that his day job was in advertising?In this week’s Friday High Five, we share

 

Victorian Premier's Literary Awards S... Dailies · Thu, 09 Aug 2012

Premier Ted Baillieu this morning announced the shortlisted titles; pictured, with some of the works' authors. The Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards shortlists have been …

 

Working with Words: Emily Perkins Dailies · Wed, 08 Aug 2012

New Zealand writer Emily Perkins has received international acclaim for her fiction. Her last book, Novel About My Wife, won the Believer Book Award (US) and the Montana Award, New Zealand’s top…

 

On Festivals and Philosophy Dailies · Tue, 07 Aug 2012

Stephanie Honor Convery is one of the Melbourne Writers Festival’s official bloggers. In a special guest post for us in the lead-up to MWF 2012, she reflects on the relationship between readers and…

 

Sapphires, Sweden and Dead Europe: MI... Dailies · Mon, 06 Aug 2012

This week, we’ll be celebrating Melbourne’s arts festivals at the Wheeler Centre Dailies.Today, we interview Michelle Carey, artistic director of the Melbourne International Film Festival, finding…

 

Friday High Five: Guns and Japan, Dro... Dailies · Fri, 03 Aug 2012

We collect our favourite links and articles from around the internet this week.Olympic art: an athletic London busHere’s an eye-catching example of Olympic art, via the Atlantic: a London bus that…

 

Working with Words: Mel Campbell Dailies · Thu, 02 Aug 2012

Mel Campbell is a freelance journalist specialising in cultural criticism. She co-founded the award-winning publishing project Is Not Magazine and culture website The Enthusiast and is currently…

 

From Dickens' London to the New Yorke... Dailies · Wed, 01 Aug 2012

In the lead-up to this year’s Melbourne Writers Festival, we spoke to new program manager Mike Shuttleworth about what this year has to offer, how the festival came together, and what he’s most…

 

Katherine Boo Video · Tue, 31 Jul 2012

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India observers, devotees of immersion journalism and lovers of good writing agree: New Yorker staffer Katherine Boo’s account of life in a Mumbai slum is the best book about India in decades. The…

 

Katherine Boo Event · Tue, 31 Jul 2012

India observers, devotees of immersion journalism and lovers of good writing agree: New Yorker staffer Katherine Boo’s account of life in a Mumbai slum is the best book about India in decades. The…

 

'I'm Not a Murderous Lunatic': A Film... Dailies · Tue, 31 Jul 2012

Film reviewer Anthony Morris responds to Bruce Guthrie’s recent suggestion that violent films might cause real-life violence. He argues that if you’re looking for answers to the Colorado killings in…

 

Why Global Warming is a Moral Issue Dailies · Mon, 30 Jul 2012

What does global warming look like? We’re beginning to have a pretty good idea. It looks like catastrophic floods in Queensland and New South Wales, like the Victorian bushfires. It looks like the…

 

Fiction for Young Readers: Jodi Picoult: Between the Lines Event · Fri, 27 Jul 2012

Jodi Picoult has created her own genre. She writes edge-of-your-seat stories about everyday people facing extraordinary situations, inviting her readers to wonder: what would I do?Between the Lines, …

 

Jodi Picoult and Samantha Van Leer: Between the Lines Video · Fri, 27 Jul 2012

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Between the Lines – Jodi Picoult’s first book for young readers, co-written with her daughter Samantha Van Leer – is for every girl who’s believed, however whimsically, that her one true soulmate…

 

Unexpected Passions: Dave O'Neil and Kick Gurry Video · Fri, 27 Jul 2012

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Always diverse, occasionally devilish, the one thing you can always expect from Unexpected Passions is an evening of laid-back laughs, with wizard of wit Sam Pang at helm. Who’s next?Well… it’s…

 

Friday High Five: Book Art Edition Dailies · Fri, 27 Jul 2012

This week’s Friday High Five is a visual spectacular, as we bring you five fabulous sculptures, all made out of books. Enjoy!By Robert The.By Nick Georgiou.‘A wonderfully crafted and cleverly folded …

 

On the Road: Ballarat Event · Thu, 26 Jul 2012

Join the Wheeler Centre and Ballarat Art Gallery for a special event with writer Anna Funder, as she discusses her Miles Franklin Award-winning novel All That I Am.Anna Funder is an internationally a…

 

Working with Words: Mark McKenna Dailies · Thu, 26 Jul 2012

Mark McKenna won the Prime Minister’s Award for Non-Fiction this week for his biography, An Eye For Eternity: The Life of Manning Clark. The judges said, ‘This is a masterful biography, a deeply…

 

Lunchbox/Soapbox: Ian Lowe: Bigger or Better? Australia's Population Debate Video · Thu, 26 Jul 2012

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Australia’s population has become a political hot potato. With forecasts of 30–40 million people by 2050 and up to 60 million by 2100, Australians are becoming increasingly concerned about the…

 

50 Shades of Bad (And Good) by Cather... Dailies · Wed, 25 Jul 2012

Catherine Deveny explains why 50 Shades of Grey is one of the worst books she’s ever read, with terrible writing and sexual politics alike – but she’s still really glad that people are reading…

 

The Fifth Estate: End of Growth? Video · Tue, 24 Jul 2012

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In this heated discussion about the benefit and sustainability of economic growth, host Sally Warhaft is joined by risk analyst and author Satyajit Das, and economist, author, and former senior…

 

We Need to Talk About the Aurora Movi... Dailies · Tue, 24 Jul 2012

The media coverage of the weekend’s mass shooting at a Colorado movie theatre continues to roll out, dominating front pages and news headlines. Myriad questions are being asked, with blame laid in…

 

The Most Powerful Pregnant Woman on ... Dailies · Mon, 23 Jul 2012

Mother, feminist and blogger Andie Fox unpicks the controversy surrounding the appointment of pregnant 37-year-old Marissa Mayer as CEO of ailing internet giant Yahoo – all focused on how she’ll…

 

Friday High Five: The Wire as Lego, K... Dailies · Fri, 20 Jul 2012

The Wire: As Told in Lego AnimationJust when you thought you’d seen and read everything you could possibly handle about The Wire (aka The Best TV Show Ever Made), here comes something you need to…

 

Lunchbox/Soapbox: Roscoe Howell on Australians and Modern Slavery Video · Thu, 19 Jul 2012

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Join Roscoe Howell of Slavery Links Australia as he outlines the forms of modern slavery – discussing how it intersects with our daily lives more than we might imagine – and explains how we can…

 

Working with Words: Estelle Tang Dailies · Thu, 19 Jul 2012

Estelle Tang is online editor of Kill Your Darlings and a freelance writer and reviewer. She has been published in the Australian’s Review of Books, Australian Book Review and The Lifted Brow, and…

 

Unexpected Passions: Days of Our Lives Dailies · Wed, 18 Jul 2012

The Wheeler Centre’s Shannon Hick confesses her unexpected passion for the daytime soap Days of Our Lives – and how she once shaped her uni schedule around it, so as not to miss the antics of Devil…

 

Debut Australian Novelist Makes World... Dailies · Tue, 17 Jul 2012

In the midst of the general gloom and doom about the state of the worldwide publishing industry, it’s a welcome relief to celebrate some good news.Burial Rites, the debut novel from 27-year-old…

 

Top Five Literary Cat Videos Dailies · Mon, 16 Jul 2012

What do literary ladies (and men?) love more than their books? Their cats. At least, that’s the stereotype. And it’s kind of backed up by the frequency with which LOLcats seem to pop up on literary…

 

Friday High Five: Critical misunderst... Dailies · Fri, 13 Jul 2012

The author strikes backPatrick Somerville’s account of his new book being panned in the New York Times seems, at first glance, like another authorial whinge about being misunderstood by entitled…

 

Richard Ford Video · Thu, 12 Jul 2012

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Insightful and empathic, witty and graceful, Richard Ford has proven himself both a master stylist and a master storyteller. Here, discussing Canada and writing with Sean Condon, he is as warm and…

 

Lunchbox/Soapbox: Janine Burke on Artful Nesting Video · Thu, 12 Jul 2012

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In our ecologically-threatened world, birds have a vitally important place in the human psyche. At a more intimate level their wondrous nests – exquisite, painstakingly-constructed creations that…

 

Working with Words: Richard Ford Dailies · Thu, 12 Jul 2012

In this special Working with Words, we talk to Great American Novelist Richard Ford about his first piece of writing, bad advice from Gordon Lish and why writing will probably make you ‘really…

 

'Greatest Literary Show on Earth': Th... Dailies · Wed, 11 Jul 2012

Kabita Dhara, of Melbourne-based, Indian-focussed publisher Brass Monkey Books, reflects on her love affair with the Jaipur Literature Festival. Publisher Kabita Dhara Afte…

 

The Fifth Estate: Media Meltdown Event · Tue, 10 Jul 2012

The Fifth Estate is the Wheeler Centre’s new series of fortnightly forums: a more measured approach to news and current affairs. Provocative and studied, authoritative and unhurried, this is real…

 

The Highs and Lows of Writing a Book:... Dailies · Tue, 10 Jul 2012

Gideon Haigh tells it like it really is: from falling in love with your subject to the long, hard (yet fascinating) slog of actually writing a book. He talks about the reality of shutting yourself…

 

The Fifth Estate: Media Meltdown Video · Tue, 10 Jul 2012

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What is the future for media in Australia? How can newspapers adapt and survive in the digital age? And what is the role of the national broadcaster in a rapidly changing media landscape? As Gina…

 

If You Meet Me You Might End Up in a ... Dailies · Mon, 09 Jul 2012

Comedian Lawrence Leung shares his dirty little writing secret – his habit of filing away life moments for use in his work, even while he’s living them.I was trying to write – or to put it another…

 

Michael Pollan Event · Sun, 08 Jul 2012

In all the complex contemporary debates around food, Michael Pollan’s advice is as simple as it is revolutionary: ‘Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants’. In his bestselling calls-to-arms, In…

 

Friday High Five: Book Hipsters, Enid... Dailies · Fri, 06 Jul 2012

Ten signs you’re a book hipsterTake this quiz to find out if you’re a book hipster. (Clue: If you’re reading this post, the signs are that you just may be one.) Here’s a sample:1) You don’t want an…

 

Lunchbox / Soapbox: How Not to Get An Agent Event · Thu, 05 Jul 2012

For many years Sean Condon was represented by the most respected and influential agent in Europe. But when she died suddenly he had to find a new one. It wasn’t easy.

 

Working with Words: Nicholas Jose Dailies · Thu, 05 Jul 2012

Nicholas Jose is general editor of the Macquarie PEN Anthology of Australian Literature. He is the author of several novels, most recently Original Face. His work has appeared in Asian Literary…

 

Ita: Paper Giants, Taking Risks and D... Dailies · Wed, 04 Jul 2012

Ita Buttrose is, as she says, experiencing something of a renaissance, in the wake of the ABC TV biopic Paper Giants.‘A lot of the things I’ve done through Paper Giants are now back in the public…

 

Intelligence Squared Debate: Foreign Aid is a Waste of Money Video · Wed, 04 Jul 2012

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From child soldiers in Sudan to gang violence in Papua New Guinea; tsunamis in the Pacific to earthquakes in New Zealand, we’re confronted with communities in need every day. Who should we help? How …

 

Kim Haworth Presenter · Tue, 03 Jul 2012

Kim Haworth is in her early twenties and has called Melbourne home since relocating for university studies five years ago. She is a recent honours graduate from the University of Melbourne, where…

 

Science!: It's A Girl Thing Dailies · Tue, 03 Jul 2012

It’s not often that a government public information campaign video goes viral. But the European Commission’s teaser video for their new campaign, Science: It’s a girl thing!‘ has been viewed and…

 

'Mummy Bloggers': Taking Control or B... Dailies · Mon, 02 Jul 2012

Two weeks ago, prime minister Julia Gillard hosted a morning tea. Fairfax parliamentary sketch writer Jacqueline Maley wrote:Australia’s most popular ‘mummy bloggers’ – mothers and wives who write…

 

Unexpected Passions: George McEncroe and Dave Graney Video · Fri, 29 Jun 2012

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In Unexpected Passions, host Sam Pang invites familiar faces to share their less familiar obsessions. This time around, Dave Graney drops by to tell us about his passion for explorer Sir Richard…

 

Friday High Five: Food: From old appl... Dailies · Fri, 29 Jun 2012

This week’s Friday High Five is food-themed, in honour of our event with ‘liberal foodie intellectual’ Michael Pollan, next Sunday 8 July.The school lunches seen around the worldHere’s a story to…

 

Working with Words: Fiona McGregor Dailies · Thu, 28 Jun 2012

Fiona McGregor is the author of four works of fiction. Her most recent, Indelible Ink, won the Age Book of the Year 2011. She has also written a travel memoir, Strange Museums and is a performance…

 

Lunchbox/Soapbox: Jenny Gray on Fighting Extinctions Video · Thu, 28 Jun 2012

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Jenny Gray, CEO of Zoos Victoria, speaks passionately about the role of zoos in fighting extinction, in preserving species at risk, and in engaging communities to take action to help animals. In the …

 

Walter Lippmann Memorial Lecture: Lindsay Tanner Video · Wed, 27 Jun 2012

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In 2012’s instalment of the annual Walter Lippmann Memorial Lecture, hear former Federal Minister for Finance and Deregulation, Lindsay Tanner argue that while the mechanical effects of immigration o…

 

Wheeler Centre Hot Desk Fellowships 2012 Dailies · Wed, 27 Jun 2012

We’re pleased to announce the awarding of this year’s Hot Desk Fellowships, supported by the Readings Foundation.Twenty lucky writers were selected from a whopping 85 applications – and have been…

 

Why Women Are 'Real' Writers Too: Spe... Dailies · Tue, 26 Jun 2012

Clementine Ford speaks back to a recent column by Sydney Morning Herald regular Elizabeth Farrelly, who prefers ‘writing with a higher IQ and lower pH than most women can manage’. Citing Jeanette…

 

Inappropriate Golden Books: From The ... Dailies · Mon, 25 Jun 2012

In his spare time, Pixar story artist Josh Cooley likes to sketch wildly inappropriate cartoon images of classic movie scenes, in the style of the iconic Golden Book children’s series.After two…

 

Friday High Five: French bookshops, W... Dailies · Fri, 22 Jun 2012

We share our favourite internet reads and discoveries over the past weekWhy French Bookshops Don’t Get AxedThe New York Times has reported that the French are doing things differently (as is their…

 

Lunchbox/Soapbox: Natasha Yacoub on Sex as a Weapon of War Video · Thu, 21 Jun 2012

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Sexual violence against civilians is a common feature in modern wars. The impact on survivors, primarily women and girls, and their communities is devastating. There have been strong moves by the…

 

Christopher Paolini Video · Thu, 21 Jun 2012

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On the back of the release of Inheritance – his fourth book – bestselling fantasy sensation Christopher Paolini joined us (in partnership with Melbourne Writers' Festival) for an hour of lively…

 

Working with Words: Chris Womersley Dailies · Thu, 21 Jun 2012

Chris Womersley is the author of the novels The Low Road and Bereft; the latter was shortlisted for the Miles Franklin last year. It won the Indie Award for Best Fiction and the ABIA Literary…

 

The Army Wants You! (If You're a Woman) Dailies · Wed, 20 Jun 2012

The Australian army needs more women, said Lieutenant General David Morrison, chief of the Australian army, in a Wheeler Centre event last week. He’s committed himself to increasing the quota of…

 

World's Worst Book Covers: Our Top 10 Dailies · Tue, 19 Jun 2012

We’ve toured the web and found some of the world’s worst book covers, for your amusement. Some are the victims of bad design, some of unfortunate titles, and others were just plain bad (or weird…

 

Manic Monday at Fairfax: Job Losses, ... Dailies · Mon, 18 Jun 2012

It’s a manic Monday indeed for all Australians interested – or invested – in the future of local journalism, with Fairfax announcing sweeping changes to its business model. Nineteen hundred jobs…

 

Faith and Culture: The Politics of Belief: The Voice of Faith in Islam's Challenge to Europe: Asma Barlas Event · Sat, 16 Jun 2012

Over four days, our 20 plus speakers – philosophers and theologians, historians and writers, believers and non-believers – will consider what it means to be religious, and what role the voice of…

 

Friday High Five: Azaria Chamberlian,... Dailies · Fri, 15 Jun 2012

We take a look at five features from around the internet that caught our eye this week. Enjoy!John Bryson on Azaria ChamberlainThis week, a Northern Territory coroner has found that a dingo was…

 

Lunchbox/Soapbox: Judge John Smallwood on An Old Take on Justice: County Koori Court Video · Thu, 14 Jun 2012

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Judge John Smallwood is currently the Judge in charge of the County Koori Court which sits in the regional area of the Latrobe Valley. In this presentation, he discusses the concept of the court…

 

Faith and Culture: The Voice of Faith and Public Reason: Discussion Video · Thu, 14 Jun 2012

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In this panel discussion (which opened our Faith and Culture lectures), series curator Raimond Gaita, Asma Barlas, Susan Neiman, Bernadette Tobin and Scott Stephens examine and expand on the ideas…

 

Faith and Culture: The Voice of Faith and Public Reason: Keynote Address Video · Thu, 14 Jun 2012

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In his address to open the Wheeler Centre’s Faith and Culture program, series curator Raimond Gaita makes the case for why, in a world beset by religious conflict on the one hand and ‘the new…

 

Working with Words: Jeff Sparrow Dailies · Thu, 14 Jun 2012

Jeff Sparrow is the editor of Overland literary magazine, and has authored and co-edited several books. His latest book is Left Turn: Political Essays for the New Left, co-edited with Antony…

 

American Faith: Stanley Hauerwas Dailies · Wed, 13 Jun 2012

Stanley Hauerwas, often described as America’s leading theologian, was promised to God from an early age: before birth, in fact.His mother, who was having trouble conceiving, made a bargain with…

 

Texts in the City: The Rugmaker of Mazar-e-Sharif Video · Tue, 12 Jun 2012

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In this instalment of our Texts in the City series, host Ruby Murray discusses The Rugmaker of Mazar-e-Sharif with co-authors Robert Hillman and Najaf Mazari. They discuss the facts behind the…

 

The Fifth Estate: Chief of Army Video · Tue, 12 Jun 2012

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What is the role of Australia’s Defence Force in the 21st century? In the recent federal budget, defence spending was cut to the smallest proportion of national wealth since 1938. Does Australia…

 

Bob Katter: An Incredible Race of People Video · Thu, 07 Jun 2012

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An Incredible Race of People is a highly personal and at times challenging investigation of our politics and industry over many decades: heroes are applauded and pretenders dismissed, urgent issues a…

 

Quarterly Essay - The Big Whinge: Laura Tingle Video · Wed, 06 Jun 2012

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Leading political journalist Laura Tingle argues that something deep in our culture now amplifies antagonism and complaint. She’s joined in discussion by veteran ABC political correspondent Fran…

 

Lunchbox/Soapbox: Jim Davidson on Australia and the Monarchy Video · Wed, 06 Jun 2012

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Expanding on his recent essay for Griffith Review, historian and biographer Jim Davidson examines the complex history of Australia’s relationship with the British monarchy, and the various attempts t…

 

Texts in the City: Paradise Road Video · Tue, 05 Jun 2012

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No matter how compelling a novel or a film might be, if you have to study it, there’s always the risk you’ll end up hating it. Not any more! A gift to VCE students, their teachers (and of course…

 

Why Happiness is a Moral Issue: Susan... Dailies · Tue, 05 Jun 2012

Susan Neiman is an optimist; and a progressive. Hope is at the core of her quest to take back words like ‘moral clarity’ and ‘moral values’ from conservatives.Her book Moral Clarity (2008) is the…

 

Tipping Points and Transgressions: Ri... Dailies · Mon, 04 Jun 2012

Novelist Kylie Ladd reviews Richard Ford’s eagerly awaited new novel, Canada, a rich, nuanced study of tipping points and transgressions.‘First, I’ll tell you about the robbery our parents…

 

The Emerging Writer Event · Fri, 01 Jun 2012

Join the Emerging Writers' Festival and editor Karen Pickering for the book launch of The Emerging Writer, an insider’s guide to navigating the writing world. This event will include the…

 

Lunchbox/Soapbox: Anita Sethi on the Human Experience in the Digital Age: Conversation, Relationships and Social Connection Video · Thu, 31 May 2012

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‘Only connect,’ said E M Forster. Could Mr Forster have envisaged a world in which one person connected with another, thousands of miles away, through free video and voice calls, instant messages…

 

Texts in the City: Two Brothers Video · Tue, 29 May 2012

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In this instalment of Texts in the City, we look at Hannie Rayson’s Two Brothers. Host Ruby Murray and guest speaker Stephen Armstrong examine the text’s themes of political and social justice…

 

The Fifth Estate: Regional Partnerships and Diplomatic Deals Video · Tue, 29 May 2012

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How does the relationship between Australia and Indonesia work? In the past week Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced that three Indonesian nationals accused of people smuggling – who claimed to…

 

Lunchbox/Soapbox: Siobhan O'Sullivan on Animals, Equality and Democracy Video · Thu, 24 May 2012

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While it may be true that nature is red in tooth and claw, it seems that for animals subject to human law – rather than the law of nature – life is much more like a lottery. In this presentation…

 

The Breakfast Club: Revolution at the Dinner Table: Fresh Feminisms, Open for Discussion Event · Wed, 23 May 2012

The arts aren’t immune to their own kind of sexism. So let’s talk about it. What can current generations of feminists learn? What’s different and what sticks? How are our public and media figures…

 

Masha Gessen and Sheng Keyi Video · Tue, 22 May 2012

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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…

 

Jeanette Winterson and the Gospel of ... Dailies · Mon, 21 May 2012

In person, Jeanette Winterson has a somehow otherworldly appearance. Small and lithe, her short hair curling over her ears and at the nape of her neck, she resembles an elf or a pixie.Light-footed…

 

Jeff Kinney: Diary of a Wimpy Kid Video · Sun, 20 May 2012

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When Jeff Kinney created Diary of a Wimpy Kid, he thought he was telling stories for adults who like cartoons. Instead, the eccentric everyday comic adventures of middle-class middle child Greg…

 

Chad Harbach Video · Fri, 18 May 2012

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Literary young man Chad Harbach (a founding editor of Brooklyn lit-mag n+1) has hit a home-run with his first novel, The Art of Fielding. Ostensibly about an unlikely baseball star in a liberal arts …

 

Friday High Five: Seriously silly aut... Dailies · Fri, 18 May 2012

When serious authors wear silly outfitsLooking for an end-of-week giggle? Flavorwire has published a selection of photos of writers looking silly. There’s Susan Sontag sitting at her typewriter in a …

 

Lunchbox/Soapbox: Tamsin Roberts on Art for Everyone Video · Thu, 17 May 2012

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Tamsin Roberts opened her first gallery in 2005 in Beijing. Now the director of Art Melbourne, previously known as the Affordable Art Fair, she discusses the rise of art within communities…

 

Australian Literature 101: Kim Scott: That Deadman Dance Video · Thu, 17 May 2012

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Who tells the story of a country? What story does a country’s national literature tell about its people and its identity? Is there such a thing as Australian literature at all?With major…

 

Texts in the City: Collected Poems of Gwen Harwood Video · Thu, 17 May 2012

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In this special video-only edition of Texts in the City, the Wheeler Centre’s Jenny Niven looks at Collected Poems of Gwen Harwood with Chris Wallace-Crabbe – writer, Australian Poetry chair and…

 

Dava Sobel Video · Thu, 17 May 2012

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Dava Sobel is the author of Longitude, Galileo’s Daughter, The Planets, and A More Perfect Heaven: How Copernicus Revolutionized the Cosmos. In this appearance, she speaks with ABC Radio National’s R…

 

Barbara Arrowsmith-Young Video · Thu, 17 May 2012

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Barbara Arrowsmith-Young turned her life-defining learning disabilities into an unlikely asset. Unable to process language or decode symbols, she compensated with her fierce determination to learn…

 

Working with Words: Ruby J. Murray Dailies · Thu, 17 May 2012

Running Dogs author Ruby J. Murray (Photo: Brad Dunn) Ruby J. Murray’s first novel, Running Dogs, was published (to a warm critical reception) this month. Ruby has written…

 

Stella Rimington Video · Wed, 16 May 2012

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Stella Rimington is the latest in a literary club that boasts the likes of Graeme Greene and John Le Carre as members: spooks turned spy novelists. Dubbed ‘housewife superspy’ when she was appointed …

 

Hisham Matar Video · Wed, 16 May 2012

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Born to Libyan parents in New York, growing up between Tripoli and Cairo, Hisham Matar is perfectly placed to translate the tumult behind the Arab Spring to western readers. His perceptive…

 

Modernist Romantic: Jeffrey Eugenides... Dailies · Wed, 16 May 2012

The Marriage Plot, Jeffrey Eugenides’ third novel, opens with a look at the bookshelves of his heroine, English literature major Madeleine. It’s stacked with nineteenth-century romantic novels…

 

Joshua Cody Video · Tue, 15 May 2012

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Composer Joshua Cody says he’s not really a writer – but his raw, cerebral cancer memoir, [sic], suggests otherwise. The New York Times called it ‘the memoir of the year’ and praised the way its…

 

The Fifth Estate: Boom Time Budget Video · Tue, 15 May 2012

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Bad for business, good for ‘struggle street’, sharing the resource boom, hampering overseas investment. This is just some of what’s being said about Labor’s 2012-13 budget.One week on from budget…

 

Texts in the City: Moral Disorder Video · Tue, 15 May 2012

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In this instalment of our Texts in the City series, we turn our attention to Moral Disorder by Margaret Atwood. Hosted by Ruby J Murray, with guest Carmel Bird (Child of the Twilight, The Fabulous…

 

Jeffrey Eugenides Video · Tue, 15 May 2012

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Jeffrey Eugenides is one of the most celebrated names in contemporary American literature. From the darkly hip, deceptively slender The Virgin Suicides to the sprawling, eccentric gender adventure…

 

Not in the Mood: Clementine Ford on B... Dailies · Tue, 15 May 2012

Clementine Ford attended Bettina Arndt’s Lunchbox/Soapbox on Why Sex Matters So Much to Men at the Wheeler Centre last Thursday. She tells us why she vehemently disagrees with Arndt’s views on men…

 

Roddy Doyle Video · Mon, 14 May 2012

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When Roddy Doyle self-published his first novel, The Commitments, in 1987, he was told he’d struggle to attract readers beyond Dublin. Decades later – after a Booker Prize (for Paddy Clarke Ha Ha…

 

Sjón Video · Mon, 14 May 2012

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Icelandic author Sjón is a rock ‘n’ roll renaissance man. He writes poetry, pens lyrics for Björk, wrote a whale-watching ‘splatter film’, and won the Nordic equivalent of the Man Booker for his…

 

Cancer, Sex, Art and Mortality: Joshu... Dailies · Mon, 14 May 2012

Some memoirs are less about the subject than about meeting the writer on the page. New York composer Joshua Cody’s [sic], ostensibly about being a young cancer patient, is one of those memoirs. Cody …

 

Lunchbox/Soapbox: Bettina Arndt on Why Sex Matters So Much to Men Video · Thu, 10 May 2012

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Across the world, the story is the same. Sex scandal. Media frenzy. Another prominent man caught with his pants down. Sex therapist and social commentator Bettina Arndt talks about why men take such …

 

Kathy Lette Video · Wed, 09 May 2012

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Kathy Lette pioneered smart, funny fiction with a frivolous edge (and a feminist flavour). In 2012’s The Boy Who Fell to Earth, Lette’s character Lucy has more to manage than most: she’s trying to…

 

Intelligence Squared Debates: Freedom of Speech is Over-Rated Event · Tue, 08 May 2012

Too often, the big issues feel ill-served by parliamentary question time or the 24-hour news cycle. Big issues and bigger ideas deserve informed and passionate consideration. Beyond the soundbites…

 

Texts in the City: A Streetcar Named Desire Video · Tue, 08 May 2012

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In this session of Texts in the City, Andrew McDonald is joined by Josh Nelson to discuss Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire. (For dedicated students, Tony Wilson and Hannie Rayson…

 

Intelligence Squared: Freedom of Speech is Over-Rated Video · Tue, 08 May 2012

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Too often, the big issues feel ill-served by parliamentary question time or the 24-hour news cycle. Big issues and bigger ideas deserve informed and passionate consideration. Beyond the soundbites…

 

Australian Literature 101: Tim Winton: Cloudstreet Event · Thu, 03 May 2012

Who tells the story of a country? What story does a country’s national literature tell about its people and its identity? Is there such a thing as Australian literature at all?Australians are…

 

Australian Literature 101: Tim Winton: Cloudstreet Video · Thu, 03 May 2012

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Who tells the story of a country? What story does a country’s national literature tell about its people and its identity? Is there such a thing as Australian literature at all? If there is, Hilary…

 

Page to Screen: Franzen, Hemingway an... Dailies · Wed, 02 May 2012

The talk of Twitter today is the surprising announcement that HBO rejected the pilot for the planned series of Jonathan Franzen’s The Corrections. Not only does The Corrrections have that rare…

 

Estelle Tang Presenter · Wed, 02 May 2012

Estelle sits on the board of SPUNC, the programming advisory committee of the Melbourne Writers’ Festival and the editorial advisory committee of the Paper Radio podcast.

 

Texts in the City: A Christmas Carol Video · Tue, 01 May 2012

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In this instalment of Texts in the City, Ruby J Murray and Dickens scholar Dr Grace Moore look at Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol and its complex political undertones.

 

Housewife Superspy: Stella Rimington Dailies · Tue, 01 May 2012

Stella Rimington, former director-general of MI5, has been called Britain’s most famous spy. She’s also rumoured to be the inspiration for Judi Dench’s character M, in the James Bond franchise. But R…

 

Paul D. Carter Presenter · Fri, 27 Apr 2012

Paul D. Carter spent much of his youth going to Collingwood football matches with his Dad and brother, Marcus. In 2001, Paul completed a Bachelor of Arts with honours from Deakin University and in…

 

Texts in the City: Growing Up Asian in Australia

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For our brand new season of Texts in the City, we’ve asked schools to nominate which texts on the curriculum they’d most like to see discussed. By presenting speakers who are intimately familiar…

 

Erotic Fan Fiction Event · Thu, 26 Apr 2012

Sex, sex, sex…and celebrity. Not all storytelling is about charming fables and whimsical yarns. This is an adults-only night of fantastical tales where anything goes. Four writers each write a short …

 

Australian Literature 101: Helen Garner: Monkey Grip Video · Thu, 26 Apr 2012

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In our series of lectures and discussions on the classics of Australian literature, Ramona Koval and critic Kerryn Goldsworthy bring Helen Garner’s classic book (later a successful film), Monkey…

 

Lunchbox / Soapbox: Mikey Cahill on Waxing Lyrical: The Good, The Bad and The Gaga Event · Thu, 26 Apr 2012

Are modern lyrics dropping the ball? Can we blame the iPod generation’s short attention cocker spaniels for a lack of intelligence in pop or does this just make songwriters try harder to be heard…

 

Lunchbox/Soapbox: Mikey Cahill on Waxing Lyrical: The Good, The Bad and The Gaga Video · Thu, 26 Apr 2012

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Are modern lyrics dropping the ball? Can we blame the iPod generation’s short attention cocker spaniels for a lack of intelligence in pop or does this just make songwriters try harder to be heard…

 

WikiLeaks, Assange and Defending Democracy Event · Thu, 19 Apr 2012

WikiLeaks – the rise, the backlash, the perilous fate of its Australian founder, Julian Assange – is one of the biggest news stories of the new millennium. WikiLeaks’ revelations have exposed…

 

Faith and Culture: The Politics of Belief Event series · Thu, 19 Apr 2012

For full transcripts of all lectures plus audio and video of the events, visit our series archive.A four-day lecture series from Thursday 14 to Sunday 17 June at BMW Edge, Federation Square.A day or …

 

WikiLeaks, Assange and Defending Democracy Video · Thu, 19 Apr 2012

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Join Lizzie O'Shea, Greg Barns, Bernard Keane, Scott Ludlam and Suelette Dreyfus for a discussion about the facts of the case against Julian Assange – founder of WikiLeaks – the role of media and…

 

Australian Literature 101: Patrick White: Voss Video · Thu, 19 Apr 2012

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In this major new weekly series hosted by Ramona Koval, running in parallel with the university calendar, contemporary writers speak on seminal Australian texts, giving context, sharing their…

 

Lunchbox/Soapbox: Ken Haley on Why Everyone Should Be in a Wheelchair Video · Thu, 19 Apr 2012

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Ken Haley speaks about the advantages of wheeled mobility, and asks what disability grips those bipeds who can’t see they should be in envy of wheelchair users — those lucky souls on a thrill ride…

 

Lunchbox / Soapbox: Ken Haley on Why Everyone Should Be in a Wheelchair Event · Thu, 19 Apr 2012

Ken Haley speaks about the advantages of wheeled mobility, and asks what disability grips those bipeds who can’t see they should be in envy of wheelchair users — those lucky souls on a thrill ride…

 

Jodi Picoult Presenter · Wed, 18 Apr 2012

Jodi studied creative writing with at Princeton, and had two short stories published in Seventeen magazine while still a student.She has worked as a technical writer for a Wall Street brokerage…

 

Anita Sethi Presenter · Wed, 18 Apr 2012

Her writing has appeared in publications such as the Guardian, Observer, Independent, Independent on Sunday, Daily Telegraph, Sunday Telegraph, Sunday Times, The National, New Statesman, Granta…

 

The Fifth Estate: A Foreign Affair Video · Tue, 17 Apr 2012

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Join two heavyweights of Foreign Affairs, Gareth Evans and Alexander Downer, in conversation with host Sally Warhaft about the history and nature of the portfolio and its importance in government.How…

 

Texts in the City: The Quiet American Event · Tue, 17 Apr 2012

No matter how compelling a novel or a film might be, if you have to study it, there’s always the risk you’ll end up hating it. Not any more! A gift to VCE students, their teachers (and of course…

 

Richard Ford Presenter · Tue, 17 Apr 2012

Independence Day was awarded the Pulitzer Prize, and the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction, the first time the same book had won both prizes.

 

Bob Katter Presenter · Tue, 17 Apr 2012

Katter follows in his father’s footsteps as the Member for Kennedy, with Hon. R.C. Katter Sr. holding the seat for 24 years. Originally a National Party member for most of his parliamentary career…

 

Josephine Rowe Presenter · Tue, 17 Apr 2012

Josephine’s fiction, poetry and non-fiction have appeared in Meanjin, Overland, Best Australian Stories, Best Australian Poems, The Iowa Review, Griffith Review, Australian Book Review, the Age, and …

 

It's Raining Books Dailies · Tue, 17 Apr 2012

Wondering what to do with your old books? It can be hard to get much (or any) cash from your local second-hand bookshop these days. If you’re a dab hand with scissors and a glue-gun, you might like t…

 

Lunchbox/Soapbox: Chris Stedman: Faithiest: How an Atheist Found Common Ground with the Religious Video · Thu, 12 Apr 2012

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Chris Stedman is an atheist working to foster positive and productive dialogue between faith communities and the non-religious. Visiting from the States in advance of his new book, he charts his…

 

Lunchbox / Soapbox: Chris Stedman: Faithiest: How an Atheist Found Common Ground with the Religious Event · Thu, 12 Apr 2012

Chris Stedman is an atheist working to foster positive and productive dialogue between faith communities and the non-religious. Visiting from the States in advance of his new book, he charts his…

 

Children's Book Festival 2012: In Conversation with Boori Monty Pryor and Alison Lester Video · Thu, 05 Apr 2012

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For the Children’s Book Festival, co-presented with the State Library of Victoria, 2012-2013 Australian Children’s Laureates Boori Monty Pryor and Alison Lester join Paula Kelly to discuss their…

 

Australian Literature 101: Ray Lawler: Summer of the Seventeenth Doll Video · Thu, 05 Apr 2012

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In this major new weekly series hosted by Ramona Koval, running in parallel with the university calendar, contemporary writers speak on seminal Australian texts, giving context, sharing their…

 

Lunchbox/Soapbox: Glyn Davis: Leader of The Gang: How Political Parties Choose Numero Uno Video · Thu, 05 Apr 2012

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Speculation about a change in political leadership seems almost perpetual in Australia—it is a tenuous bargain, with more similarities to street gangs than business enterprises. Glyn Davis…

 

Quarterly Essay - Us and Them: Anna Krien Video · Wed, 04 Apr 2012

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For the first time in history, humans sit unchallenged at the top of the food chain. To coincide with the publication of the latest Quarterly Essay, Us and Them, Anna Krien investigates the…

 

The Fifth Estate: Do We Care About Childcare? Video · Tue, 03 Apr 2012

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In light of Tony Abbott’s newly proposed policy aspiration to extend the childcare rebate to nannies, host Sally Warhaft discusses childcare and family/work life in Australia with Catherine Deveny…

 

Michael Pollan Presenter · Tue, 03 Apr 2012

 

Debating Rural Writing: A Response to... Dailies · Tue, 03 Apr 2012

Rebecca Starford, managing editor of Kill Your Darlings, writes back to Geordie Williamson’s Long View essay on Australian rural writing and wonders: what does this trend of privileging the rural…

 

Elmo Keep Presenter · Mon, 02 Apr 2012

Her writing has been published in The Rumpus, The Awl, Meanjin, The Big Rock’s Back Pages, The Hairpin, and elsewhere where she covers music, webculture and travel, and profiles musicians…

 

Robyn Davidson Presenter · Mon, 02 Apr 2012

Robyn was born on a cattle property in Queensland. She went to Sydney in the late sixties, then returned to study in Brisbane before going to Alice Springs where the events of this book began. Since …

 

Unexpected Passions Event · Fri, 30 Mar 2012

We all know Jonathan Franzen is a twitcher. But did you know Tom Hanks likes to collect 1940s typewriters? Or that Johnny Depp likes to play with dolls?Sadly, Tom and the two Johnnies couldn’t be…

 

Australian Literature 101: Christina Stead: The Man Who Loved Children Video · Thu, 29 Mar 2012

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Who tells the story of a country? What story does a country’s national literature tell about its people and its identity? Is there such a thing as Australian literature at all? In this major new…

 

Australian Literature 101: Christina Stead: The Man Who Loved Children Event · Thu, 29 Mar 2012

Who tells the story of a country? What story does a country’s national literature tell about its people and its identity? Is there such a thing as Australian literature at all?Australians are…

 

Lunchbox/Soapbox: Michael Shmith: Away with Cliché Video · Thu, 29 Mar 2012

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Join Michael Shmith, Age Senior Writer and Opera Critic, for hi-jinks and hilarity, as he runs through his A-Z hitlist of terrible words and phrases he never again wishes to see in print or hear in n…

 

Robert Dessaix: As I Was Saying Video · Thu, 29 Mar 2012

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Robert Dessaix has long been one of Australia’s foremost essayists. Also a compelling public speaker, Dessaix brings his trademark eloquence to this leisurely guided tour of his chamber of…

 

AWG 50th Anniversary: David Williamson State of the Industry Address Video · Wed, 28 Mar 2012

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To celebrate the 50th anniversary of The Australian Writers’ Guild, David Williamson AO – president of the AWG and acclaimed playwright and screenwriter – presents a major State of the Industry…

 

Texts in the City: Cosí Video · Tue, 27 Mar 2012

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No matter how compelling a novel or a film might be, if you have to study it, there’s always the risk you’ll end up hating it. Not any more! A gift to VCE students, their teachers (and of course…

 

George Megalogenis: The Australian Moment Video · Tue, 27 Mar 2012

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Brilliant in a bust and selfish in a boom – that’s the assessment of ‘the Australian moment’ by one of our most authoritative and independent political commentators. George Megalogenis speaks on…

 

Intelligence Squared: Should Animals ... Dailies · Thu, 22 Mar 2012

Most audience members for Tuesday night’s Intelligence Squared debate, Animals Should Be Off the Menu, murmured to each other that they were clearly in the majority company of vegetarians, vegans…

 

Australian Literature 101: Judith Wright: Poems Video · Thu, 22 Mar 2012

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In this weekly series hosted by Ramona Koval, running in parallel with the university calendar, contemporary writers speak on seminal Australian texts, giving context, sharing their responses and…

 

David Bridie Presenter · Thu, 22 Mar 2012

His repertoire as a recording artist, soundtrack composer, producer, lyricist, expert in the music of Melanesia, and as a uniquely Australian songwriter, singer and social commentator, Bridie has…

 

Texts in the City: Interpreter of Maladies Video · Tue, 20 Mar 2012

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No matter how compelling a novel or a film might be, if you have to study it, there’s always the risk you’ll end up hating it. Not any more! A gift to VCE students, their teachers (and of course…

 

Intelligence Squared: Animals Should Be Off the Menu Video · Tue, 20 Mar 2012

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Intelligence Squared’s 2012 series of debates kicks off with a look at the ethics of eating meat. Six speakers are divided into two teams for lively and insightful arguments for and against the…

 

The Fifth Estate: Educational Principles Video · Tue, 20 Mar 2012

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The Fifth Estate is the Wheeler Centre’s new series of fortnightly forums: a more measured approach to news and current affairs. Provocative and studied, authoritative and unhurried, this is real…

 

Slow Awakening with Tracey Rigney: International Women's Day PEN Event Video · Sun, 18 Mar 2012

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This year, PEN Melbourne’s annual International Women’s Day event features a conversation with the playwright Tracey Rigney, a Wotjobaluk and Ngarrindjeri woman from Victoria and South Australia…

 

Australian Literature 101: Henry Handel Richardson: The Getting of Wisdom Video · Thu, 15 Mar 2012

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Who tells the story of a country? What story does a country’s national literature tell about its people and its identity? Is there such a thing as Australian literature at all? In this major new

 

The Hazel Rowley Legacy Video · Wed, 14 Mar 2012

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Novelist Alex Miller and historian Jim Davidson mark the first anniversary of the untimely passing of their friend Hazel Rowley. In the space of just four books, Rowley established herself as one of …

 

Texts in the City: Ransom Video · Tue, 13 Mar 2012

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No matter how compelling a novel or a film might be, if you have to study it, there’s always the risk you’ll end up hating it. Not any more! A gift to VCE students, their teachers (and of course…

 

Taking The Long View on Criticism Dailies · Fri, 09 Mar 2012

Today, we launch our new long-form review series, The Long View. Wheeler Centre director Michael Williams explains the thinking behind the series.One of the most frustrating things about working at t…

 

Australian Literature 101: Watkin Tench: A Narrative of the Expedition to Botany Bay Video · Thu, 08 Mar 2012

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Who tells the story of a country? What story does a country’s national literature tell about its people and its identity? Is there such a thing as Australian literature at all? In the debut event of …

 

Eliza Griswold: The Tenth Parallel Video · Thu, 08 Mar 2012

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More than half of the world’s 1.3 billion Muslims, and 60% of the world’s Christians, live along the ‘tenth parallel’. This latitudinal line, spanning the globe ten degrees north of the equator, is t…

 

Jamie Oliver Video · Tue, 06 Mar 2012

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For over a decade, Jamie Oliver’s books and TV series have inspired millions across the world to cook from scratch using fresh ingredients, and to enjoy the pleasure of eating great food. In recent y…

 

The Fifth Estate: The Numbers Game Video · Tue, 06 Mar 2012

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In The Fifth Estate’s debut event, and in the wake of Kevin Rudd’s challenge to Julia Gillard’s leadership, Lindsay Tanner, former Finance minister and ALP heavyweight, talks with Sally Warhaft…

 

Lunchbox/Soapbox: Michael Gawenda on The Journalist as Betrayer Video · Thu, 01 Mar 2012

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In her book The Journalist and the Murderer, Janet Malcolm argued that if they are honest with themselves, most journalists know that ultimately, they betray the people they cover. What did she…

 

Janette Turner Hospital: Turbulent Voices Video · Thu, 01 Mar 2012

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Janette Turner Hospital, one of Australia’s most admired writers, speaks on a lifetime of writing – and teaching – literature. She notes similarities between America’s South and Australia’s…

 

David Rieff: The Ethics of Intervention Video · Tue, 28 Feb 2012

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When should the international community intervene in civil conflict? What made last year’s Libyan conflict suitable for intervention, while Syrians continued to struggle against despotism alone? In t…

 

Anna Walker Presenter · Tue, 28 Feb 2012

Her books are published both in Australia and overseas. She likes to draw, knit woolly animals and create small worlds.

 

Alom Shaha: The Young Atheist's Handbook Video · Mon, 27 Feb 2012

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Alom Shaha is a British–Bangladeshi film-maker, science writer and unabashed atheist. In The Young Atheist’s Handbook, he argues that regardless of the strictness of the traditions you are raised…

 

Hilary McPhee: Memoirs of a Young Bastard Video · Thu, 23 Feb 2012

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Publisher Hilary McPhee, editor of celebrated film-maker Tim Burstall’s diaries, explores the impetus to diarise and the appeal of diaries as windows to the past. Burstall’s diaries in particular…

 

An Evening with Alain de Botton Video · Tue, 21 Feb 2012

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Few thinkers have succeeded in bringing the world of ideas beyond the ivory tower with such clarity and grace as Alain de Botton. In an event that extends one of the Wheeler Centre chief themes for t…

 

Texts in the City: The Crucible Video · Tue, 21 Feb 2012

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A gift to VCE students, their teachers (and of course life-long learners) Texts in the City is a weekly exploration of the classic texts – both old and new – that appear on the VCE English reading…

 

Karen Middleton Presenter · Tue, 14 Feb 2012

A former president of the Federal Parliamentary Press Gallery and a Churchill Fellow, she is chief political correspondent with SBS TV, a long-time newspaper columnist and radio commentator, and a…

 

The Wheeler Centre Gala 2012: Stories to Believe In Video · Sat, 04 Feb 2012

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Taking the lead from George Bernard Shaw, who claimed ‘It is not disbelief that is dangerous to our society; it is belief’, we opened our brand new year of programming by dedicating our annual…

 

Ideas for Melbourne Event series · Thu, 02 Feb 2012

We’re kicking off 2013 with a series of public forums that take a closer look at the city wecall home – and the problems and challenges facing Melbourne right now. What better way tobegin than by…

 

Eliza Baker Presenter · Wed, 01 Feb 2012

The first chapter of her piece South Spirit: The Locket Heart won the 2011 John Marsden Prize in the Under 18 Short Story/First Chapter of a Novel category; it is published in the most recent…

 

Emmett Stinson Presenter · Wed, 01 Feb 2012

He has been fiction editor for Wet Ink: The Magazine of New Writing, book reviewer for Triple R’s Breakfasters, and a panellist on the Australian Department of Innovation’s federal Book Industry…

 

Anita Heiss Presenter · Wed, 01 Feb 2012

She is the author of Yirra and her Deadly Dog, Demon, I’m Not Racist, But… , My Story: The Diary of Mary Talence, Sydney 1937, and a series of chick-lit novels, including Not Meeting Mr Right and…

 

Tanya Goldberg Presenter · Wed, 01 Feb 2012

Tanya has directed classic and contemporary theatre works for companies including Sydney Theatre Company, Malthouse Theatre, NIDA WAAPA and Griffin Theatre Company. She recently received a Mike…

 

Romy Ash Presenter · Mon, 30 Jan 2012

Her first novel Floundering is long-listed for the Miles Franklin Award. She has been anthologised in Best Australian Stories and Best Australian Essays, Voracious: The Best New Australian Food…

 

Best of 2011: Australian Politics, Le... Dailies · Wed, 14 Dec 2011

The year in Australian politics was one characterised by tumult, indifference and a degree of soul searching – but there were big changes, too. Julia Gillard succeeded in introducing the

 

Fates Worse Than Death Dailies · Mon, 05 Dec 2011

A new biography of Kurt Vonnegut has invoked a ill-tempered man consumed by bitterness and loneliness, a shadow of the avuncular persona well known to his adoring fans. The biography alleges that

 

Show Biz's Ugly Past Dailies · Wed, 30 Nov 2011

A new exhibition at Paris' new-ish Quai Branly museum has become the most talked-about exhibition of the season, according to the Guardian. The exhibition, ‘Human Zoos: The Invention of the Savage’, …

 

The Life of a Century Dailies · Tue, 29 Nov 2011

She was the only daughter of one of the most famous and ruthless tyrants in history. She said she was doted upon, and only once did her father threaten to hit her, but when at 16 she fell in love…

 

Bad Sex Nominees Announced Dailies · Mon, 28 Nov 2011

Christos Tsiolkas, author of The Slap, has been nominated for a Bad Sex Award by the Literary Review. It’s the 19th year the awards have been held to celebrate the worst depictions of sexual…

 

Lunchbox/Soapbox: Thomas Keneally on Australians from Eureka to the Diggers Video · Thu, 24 Nov 2011

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In the last Lunchbox/Soapbox event for 2011, Thomas Keneally spins a tale hatched in his Campsie yard as a child of seven — of racial anxiety, wartime politics and the life and death of White…

 

Quarterly Essay - Man-Made World: Choosing Between Progress and Planet Video · Wed, 23 Nov 2011

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Is the world split between those who want to save the planet and those who want to save themselves? In Quarterly Essay 44, Andrew Charlton exposes the rift that will shape our future: progress…

 

History's Quantum Dimension Dailies · Tue, 22 Nov 2011

It’s the 48th anniversary of the assassination of US President John F. Kennedy in 1963. The New York Times has published a short film by noted documentarian Errol Morris called The Umbrella Man, in w…

 

A Look Into the Hive Dailies · Tue, 22 Nov 2011

The State Library of Victoria’s reading room Library-lovers will go weak in the knees for this list of the world’s 35 most amazing libraries, but Victorians have an added p…

 

Opening of The Moat Dailies · Mon, 21 Nov 2011

If the Wheeler Centre was a bar and café, what would it look like? We like to think it would look just like The Moat, a bar and café located in the basement level underneath the Wheeler Centre…

 

Paul Keating, Master Storyteller Dailies · Wed, 09 Nov 2011

(Click to watch video.) “This year two thirds of all world growth has come out of the developing economies. And we think we can have a debate about the…

 

If You Can't Stand the Heat... Dailies · Wed, 09 Nov 2011

In the week the Senate finally passed the carbon tax legislation, new research indicates that the amount of carbon emissions being released into the atmosphere grew by a record amount in 2010. The…

 

Melbourne in 1835 Dailies · Tue, 08 Nov 2011

(Click to watch video.) Historian Bill Gammage’s recent Lunchbox/Soapbox event was subtitled ‘How Aborigines made Australia’. In the course of his address, …

 

Paul Keating Video · Sun, 06 Nov 2011

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It was the prime ministerial event we had to have. On this special Sunday evening presentation, Paul Keating joined Robert Manne for a conversational marathon, coinciding with the publication of his …

 

Rome Pulls the Trigger Dailies · Fri, 04 Nov 2011

A push by parishioners of Father Bob Maguire to have his retirement delayed a second time has failed. The Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne Denis Hart has written to the popular priest that his…

 

Mixed Results Dailies · Wed, 02 Nov 2011

While Palestinian attempts to secure full membership of the United Nations are still pending, signs have abounded that they will ultimately prove futile. Representatives of the Palestinian…

 

Halloween Traditions, Old & New Dailies · Mon, 31 Oct 2011

“This Halloween, give someone a scary book to read.” That’s the message Neil Gaiman is spreading this Halloween in a clip promoting All Hallow’s Read, an attempt to inaugurate a tradition in the UK o…

 

Bill Gammage on the Biggest Estate on Earth: How Aborigines Made Australia Video · Thu, 27 Oct 2011

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Bill Gammage AM is an Australian academic historian. In this Lunchbox/Soapbox presentation, he discusses the mistaken belief that Aboriginal Australians were passive occupiers of the land before…

 

Seven Billion & Counting Dailies · Thu, 27 Oct 2011

Today is the day the United Nations Population Fund has deemed the day most likely the world’s population hits the seven billion mark. We’ve just uploaded the video/podcast of our recent event…

 

What's a Catholic to Do? Dailies · Tue, 25 Oct 2011

“If you allow this toxic combination of religion and politics to become too closely entwined, then you’re in trouble.” In her recent Lunchbox/Soapbox, Dr Susan Mitchell spoke on the topic of her…

 

Too Big to Fail Dailies · Tue, 25 Oct 2011

New Scientist magazine has reported on the results of a study into who runs the global economy. The study was conducted by three complex systems theorists at the Swiss Federal Institute of…

 

For Richer, For Poorer Dailies · Tue, 25 Oct 2011

Why should we worry about poverty? The answer might seem obvious, so let’s try it another way: is the justification for worrying about poverty based solely on compassionate grounds or is there an…

 

The Resurrected Psychopath Dailies · Mon, 24 Oct 2011

The words ‘psychopath’ and ‘psychopathy’ have a chequered history in psychiatry. Widely used in the mid-20th century, they’ve become more contested in recent decades as the psychiatric community…

 

You Say You Want a Revolution: The Arab Spring Video · Thu, 20 Oct 2011

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Since December of last year, across the Middle East, dictatorial regimes have toppled and people power has triumphed. But what does this much-heralded wave of revolutionary fervour mean in the…

 

Susan Mitchell on Tony Abbott: Too Dangerous to Lead Video · Thu, 20 Oct 2011

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Ever since Tony Abbott assumed the leadership of the Liberal Party, bipartisanship has all but disappeared. The opposition leader’s combativeness seems to have helped create a national political…

 

Julian Barnes' Happy Ending Dailies · Wed, 19 Oct 2011

“[A]lthough the Man Booker can change a writer’s life, a prize is only a prize,” Booker Prize judge Gaby Wood has written in the Telegraph. “It’s not an investigation, it’s not a work of criticism…

 

Writers Pre-Occupied by Occupy Movement Dailies · Wed, 19 Oct 2011

“We, the undersigned writers and all who will join us, support Occupy Wall Street and the Occupy Movement around the world.” Hundreds of writers have lent their names to the website Occupy Writers

 

Tintin Hits the Silver Screen Dailies · Tue, 18 Oct 2011

The reviews are starting to come in on the film adaptation, by Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson, of The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn, the classic detective-adventure hero whose…

 

Self-Help Original Gets a Makeover Dailies · Wed, 12 Oct 2011

Its title is now a stock-standard phrase of the English language. It’s sold some 30 million copies since it was first published some 75 years ago. It single-handedly invented a new kind of book, one …

 

Seven Billion & Counting Dailies · Wed, 12 Oct 2011

According to most estimates the world’s population has just hit – or is just about to hit – the seven billion mark. A United Nations estimate has the world’s population peaking at about 9.3 billion i…

 

Arabic Spring or Winter of Discontent? Dailies · Tue, 11 Oct 2011

In recent days, tragic events in Cairo’s Tahrir Square have overshadowed the previous gains of the Arabic Spring. The violence claimed the lives of 26 and injured some 300 more – all unarmed – after …

 

Occupy Wall Street Movement Goes Global Dailies · Tue, 11 Oct 2011

It’s Anti-Poverty Week and, coincidentally, the Occupy Wall Street movement, having mushroomed across North America, has now jumped the Pacific and is set to reach Melbourne this Saturday. Having…

 

New Laureate to Accept Prize Musically Dailies · Mon, 10 Oct 2011

Last week we reported on the betting frenzy surrounding the lead-up to the announcement of the Nobel Prize for Literature. The frontrunner was the Syrian poet Adonis, although there were serious…

 

The Accidental Writer Dailies · Fri, 07 Oct 2011

(Click to watch video.) One of the most fascinating of the many fascinating topics Jonathan Safran Foer discussed with Michael Williams during his recent…

 

Collins Releases New Words List Dailies · Thu, 06 Oct 2011

We recently reported on how the next edition Oxford Dictionary is to incorporate words such as sexting and woot. Now comes news that another major English-language dictionary, Collins, has announced …

 

Ignoble Speculation on Nobel Winner Dailies · Tue, 04 Oct 2011

The annual game of shadows and mirrors that accompanies the October announcement of the Nobel Prize for Literature is in full swing. The Millions, a US online literary magazine, has published ‘An…

 

Jon Ronson Video · Mon, 03 Oct 2011

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In his latest book, The Psychopath Test, British sleuth and documentary maker Jon Ronson comes across the influential psychologist who developed the industry standard ‘psychopath test’ and who is…

 

No One Understands Me: Teen Diary Readings Video · Fri, 30 Sep 2011

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Join Nick Coyle (Pig Island, Me Pregnant!), Justin Heazlewood (aka the Bedroom Philosopher) and host Virginia Gay as our guests read excerpts from their own personal archives of angst and ecstasy –

 

The Psychology of Dictators Dailies · Thu, 29 Sep 2011

The UK arm of Amnesty International has launched a series of weekly vodcasts called Amnesty TV. In a preview of this week’s vodcast published by the Guardian online, psychiatrist Dr Philip Hodson…

 

Emotional Rescue Dailies · Tue, 27 Sep 2011

By Mark MordueThe Rolling Stones song ‘Emotional Rescue’ is a seduction song thinly veiled in romance. The urgency and strut that it exudes, Mick Jagger’s startling use of falsetto – it’s all about g…

 

Who's in Charge Here? Dailies · Tue, 27 Sep 2011

Today’s edition of Crikey features a link to a YouTube video of a BBC interview with London-based independent trader Alessio Rastani speaking with unusual forthrightness, if not downright nihilism…

 

Samah Hadid Presenter · Thu, 22 Sep 2011

Samah was selected as the 2010 Australian Youth Representative to the United Nations, and completed a fellowship with the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Her…

 

Liao Yiwu on His Flight Into Exile Dailies · Wed, 21 Sep 2011

Dissident Chinese writer Liao Yiwu has published an account of how he escaped China in the New York Times. We have previously reported on the writer’s travails on several occasions. Earlier this…

 

Paul Cleary Warns of "Generational Th... Dailies · Tue, 20 Sep 2011

Detail of an image of Kalgoorlie’s super-pit gold mine (the biggest man-made hole in the world) courtesy Kate Raynes-Goldie/Flickr Journalist Paul Cleary has warned that…

 

Talking Like Real Pirates Dailies · Mon, 19 Sep 2011

Yesterday was Talk Like a Pirate Day. Coincidentally, it was also the day we uploaded the video/podcast of a Wheeler Centre event last week featuring Canadian journalist Jay Bahadur. Bahadur is the a…

 

Psychiatry's Links to Welfare Dailies · Fri, 16 Sep 2011

No longer is alarmism about modern-day psychiatry the preserve of conspiracy theorists and Scientologists. That a forthcoming appearance at the Wheeler Centre by Jon Ronson, author of The Psychopath…

 

Leah Chishugi on the Rwandan Genocide Dailies · Fri, 16 Sep 2011

The French colonialists dubbed the central African nation of Rwanda ‘the country of a thousand hills’. At around 6pm on 6 April, 1994, on a day she describes as a perfect day, Leah Chishugi, working …

 

Andrew Charlton Presenter · Tue, 13 Sep 2011

During that time, Andrew served as Australia’s senior official to the G20 summits and the Prime Minister’s representative to the Copenhagen Climate Conference. He previously worked for the London…

 

New Report Casts Doubt on Local Afgha... Dailies · Mon, 12 Sep 2011

Just as we’ve uploaded the video/podcast of our recent Intelligence Squared debate on Australia’s war in Afghanistan (see below), the broader public debate on the topic has reignited. A…

 

Kim Scott Takes Out the Victorian Pri... Dailies · Tue, 06 Sep 2011

Kim Scott’s novel That Deadman Dance took out the inaugural Victorian Prize for Literature last night at the Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards dinner. All five category VPLA category winners &ndash…

 

Celebrating Poetry All Week Dailies · Mon, 05 Sep 2011

Image of a Lego WB Yeats via Dunechaser/Flickr Poetry – even poets don’t always like it. Marianne Moore, a major 20th-century American poet, wrote a poem, appropriately…

 

No One Writes Like the Colonel Dailies · Mon, 05 Sep 2011

A bookshop in the Libyan capital Tripoli was among many businesses to reopen last week following the fall of the Gaddafi regime. But more than most, the owner is hoping that the inauguration of a…

 

Strawberry Milk Forever Dailies · Fri, 02 Sep 2011

Image credit: Ingvar Kenne Mark Mordue on why modern-day fatherhood is all about eating breakfast standing up.It’s Father’s Day morning, the year 2011. No Glad Wrap in the …

 

Melbourne Tops Liveability Index Dailies · Wed, 31 Aug 2011

“[V]ibrant and living and edgy and cool and urbane.” Lord Mayor Robert Doyle was dispensing the adjectives liberally yesterday following news Melbourne has edged out perennial winner Vancouver in…

 

Former Oligarch Pens Prison Sketches Dailies · Wed, 31 Aug 2011

“Prison is a place where one can meet the most extraordinary people,” according to Russian tycoon and billionaire jailbird Mikhail Khodorkovsky. According to an Agence France Presse report published …

 

Spoilers Have More Fun Dailies · Wed, 24 Aug 2011

Screenshot from the trailer of Alfred Hitchcock’s Notorious [1946], via WikiCommons There are two kinds of people in this world: those who read the last page or two of a…

 

You Say You Want a Revolution Dailies · Tue, 23 Aug 2011

Perhaps no journalist can match Polish writer Ryszard Kapuściński’s reporting on revolutions around the world. His analyses of political change remain as relevant now as they did in his lifetime. As…

 

Memories of Redfern Dailies · Mon, 22 Aug 2011

Poster of a Queensland production of the Casey Bennetto musical, Keating!, via Jiggs Images/Flickr In a recent Wheeler Centre event celebrating great speeches, a variety…

 

All the President's Books Dailies · Mon, 22 Aug 2011

A Newsweek infographic listing every book US President Barack Obama has read since he ran for president in 2008 makes for interesting, er, reading. In September 2008, for example, Obama was reading…

 

The Arrival of 'The Arrival' Dailies · Mon, 22 Aug 2011

The Melbourne Writers Festival begins this week and the Wheeler Centre is pleased to be presenting an adaptation of Shaun Tan’s award-winning ‘The Arrival’ in partnership with the Festival. On…

 

Oh, How We Love a Good Bookshop! Dailies · Fri, 19 Aug 2011

Detail of San Francisco’s City Lights bookstore from the linocut, ‘Remarkable Collection of Angels’, from the blog Fiji Island Mermaid Press Saturday was National Bookshop…

 

Future Directions for the Book Dailies · Thu, 18 Aug 2011

Pioneering publications are giving us a glimpse of what the book of the future might look like – and that future can best be summarised as augmentation.1. The Hybrid BookIn the US, the New York…

 

Carbon Tax Debate Gets Paradoxical Dailies · Tue, 16 Aug 2011

In recent weeks, in the light of the stock market’s schizoid behaviour, a new argument has been added to the arsenal of opponents of the carbon tax. With stock markets around the world in chaos…

 

Hackgate Letter Could Be Smoking Gun Dailies · Tue, 16 Aug 2011

Among our favourite moments during the televised parliamentary inquiry into phone hacking at News International was when James Murdoch was asked if he was familiar with the legal term ‘wilful…

 

For Everyone Else, There's WikiLeaks Dailies · Mon, 15 Aug 2011

“There are some people who don’t like change. For everyone else, there’s WikiLeaks.” A viral YouTube ad produced by WikiLeaks and featuring Julian Assange is using guerrilla advertising techniques…

 

Argentinian Mischief-Maker Explodes N... Dailies · Thu, 11 Aug 2011

Imagine you are a publisher of serious literature and you receive a submission for a novel that goes something like this:“Cesar is a translator who’s fallen on very hard times due to the global…

 

Why the World Needs More Lies Dailies · Wed, 10 Aug 2011

This is a cross-post of a piece published on the blog ‘Alephantine’ by Alex Landragin.The ABC Radio National’s ‘Book Show’ yesterday broadcast a panel discussion called ‘The fact versus fiction…

 

Reverting to Type Dailies · Mon, 08 Aug 2011

1. The Politics of Helvetica“Anyone who used a computer in the late twentieth-century,” writes Edward Mendelson on the 2007 documentary Helvetica in the New York Review of Books blog, “remembers…

 

Iceland's Epic Literary Heritage Reco... Dailies · Mon, 08 Aug 2011

Image of Icelandic sulphur pools courtesy Stuck in Customs/Flickr Iceland’s capital city Reykjavik has been designated a City of Literature by the United Nations…

 

High Drama Among the Librarians Dailies · Fri, 05 Aug 2011

Today we finish our week-long series of reviews written by Victorian librarians of books shortlisted for the Premier’s 21. There are five categories, and we’ve published a different category every…

 

The DIY Guide to Self-Publishing Dailies · Thu, 04 Aug 2011

Sophie Marozeau is a French journalist based in Melbourne. She is the founder of Emue Books, an innovative publishing house which promotes French books around the world. Emue books are available in…

 

The End of a Short-Lived American Cen... Dailies · Tue, 02 Aug 2011

Image courtesy Robert Scarth/Flickr Click on the ‘What’s New’ page on the website of the Project for the New American Century and you’ll notice that the Washington…

 

Burning the Mass Media to the Ground Dailies · Tue, 02 Aug 2011

The Sydney Opera House’s Festival of Dangerous Ideas released its program today, and for many Melbournians, the festival’s most dangerous idea is that we would have to skip the AFL Grand Final to…

 

Librarians' Fictions Dailies · Tue, 02 Aug 2011

All week we’re publishing reviews by Victorian librarians of titles shortlisted for the Premier’s 21. The reviews will be published by category, and today we publish reviews of titles shortlisted to …

 

Librarians Review the Premier's 21: P... Dailies · Mon, 01 Aug 2011

Every day this week we’ll be publishing reviews of each of the Premier’s 21 titles shortlisted for the Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards. These reviews are not written by professional reviewers…

 

The Killer at the Door Dailies · Fri, 29 Jul 2011

(Click to watch video.) The Wheeler Centre recently hosted an event in our series, ‘The Late, Great…’, on Ruth Park. Today, as we publish the…

 

Writing as Collaboration Dailies · Thu, 28 Jul 2011

“To win book of the year after being a kid who had issues with reading and writing means maybe I’m not so bad at it,” Anh Do told ABC radio Tuesday. It was a quote reprinted in a report in The Age

 

Back to Black Dailies · Wed, 27 Jul 2011

Image by Douglas Cason Arts/Flickr For those who are mourning the premature passing of a great and troubled talent, here are a few readings on the incomparable, late Ms…

 

The Old Masters Dailies · Mon, 25 Jul 2011

Image of Poussin’s ‘Adoration of the Golden Calf’, before it was vandalised, courtesy the National Gallery via Wikipedia “The art of Nicolas Poussin might obsess someone…

 

Victorian Premier's Literary Awards S... Dailies · Mon, 25 Jul 2011

The Victorian premier Ted Baillieu announced the shortlists for the 2011 Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards this morning at the Wheeler Centre. In all, 21 books have been shortlisted across five…

 

Tour de France, World of Pain, Part 2 Dailies · Fri, 22 Jul 2011

At the start of the Tour de France, we published the translation of a report by Albert Londres of the race’s beginning in 1924. Today, to coincide with the race’s end, we publish an extract of his…

 

"A Triumph for Investigative Reporting" Dailies · Thu, 21 Jul 2011

Image via WikiCommons Expensive, time-consuming, redundant – and still necessary. News of the death of investigative reporting has been greatly exaggerated, if Hackgate is …

 

Ex-Army Chief Labels Australia's War ... Dailies · Tue, 19 Jul 2011

“At the moment the Australian effort at nation building in Oruzgan province is grossly underdone,” writes ex-army chief Peter Leahy, now director of Canberra University’s National Security…

 

Salinger's Cult Phenomenon Turns 60 Dailies · Mon, 18 Jul 2011

It’s 60 years since The Catcher in the Rye was published. Brigid Delaney, journalist and columnist, reflects on what the book means for her.I was 11 or 12. It was my mother’s book club novel and had …

 

Memory in the Digital Age Dailies · Thu, 14 Jul 2011

For as long as we can collectively remember, humans have struggled with the problem of memory. Its unreliability was compounded by the dishonesty and disingenuousness of the mind, in both its…

 

We Are Not What We Read Dailies · Tue, 12 Jul 2011

Will they use a condom? Cover art of an historical romance novel by Tom Miller, c1960s, courtesy anoldent/Flickr It’s perhaps the most common controversy in the world of…

 

Take This Clue and Solve It Dailies · Tue, 12 Jul 2011

When News International announced that the disgraced News of the World would be printing its final edition last Sunday, they sent in two senior editors. Their brief was simple: scour every last line …

 

Chinese Dissident Goes Into Exile Dailies · Mon, 11 Jul 2011

Dissident Chinese writer Liao Yiwu has gone into exile. Liao is the compiler of The Corpse Walker, an astonishing collection of interviews with 27 Chinese at the fringes of society in the People’s…

 

Government Urged to Loosen Grip on Wa... Dailies · Thu, 07 Jul 2011

Of all the photographs on the ABC’s online list of casualties in Operation Slipper, the name given to Australia’s Afghanistan mission, perhaps none is as affecting as that of Private Grant Kirby…

 

The Soon-to-be Ex-Bookstore Employee ... Dailies · Tue, 05 Jul 2011

We were saddened to learn that Reader’s Feast, on Swanston Street in Melbourne’s CBD, is closing. The 22 staff losing their jobs will bring the total amount of jobs lost by REDgroup’s insolvency to 1…

 

A Visit to Slush Pile Hell Dailies · Tue, 05 Jul 2011

An opinion piece by Eric Felten published on the weekend in the Wall Street Journal has served as a reminder of the crucial role publishers play as a filter. Entitled ‘Cherish the Book Publishers &ndash…

 

Walter Murdoch on the Pleasures of Sm... Dailies · Mon, 04 Jul 2011

“The essay is to prose what the lyric is to poetry; it is intensely personal. It is not a statement of facts, it is not a cold, abstract argument, it is not an inflammatory harangue; it is a quiet…

 

Tour de France, World of Pain Dailies · Thu, 30 Jun 2011

The Tour de France, which this year is 98 years old, begins Saturday. To celebrate, we’re publishing, for what we believe is the first time in English, an extract of a report of the first stage of…

 

So Birds do Grammar, but How's Their ... Dailies · Wed, 29 Jun 2011

Image via sivioco.com We already knew that birdsong changes over time as birds' environments change – hence this video of a bird imitating the ringing of a mobile phone…

 

New Pathways for Ebook Authors Dailies · Wed, 29 Jun 2011

While we’ve covered the epublishing revolution many times, it feels ironic that Australia’s tyranny of distance nowadays seems to apply mainly to technologies that are designed to make the world…

 

Welcome to Otaku Country Dailies · Tue, 28 Jun 2011

The LulzSec Twitter avatar They’ve been described as “a loose, decentralised group of like-minded computer users, who are almost impossible to track down”, a vigilante…

 

'Gay Girl in Damascus' Had a Previous... Dailies · Mon, 27 Jun 2011

An image posted on the Facebook page ‘Free Amina Abdalla’ In his 2010 book Reality Hunger, US writer David Shields argued against traditional realist fiction in favour of a…

 

A Primer to Australia's War in Afghan... Dailies · Fri, 24 Jun 2011

Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced yesterday that Australia’s military mission in Afghanistan will not be scaled back despite measures announced by President Barack Obama for a scaledown of US…

 

The Travails of the Literary Prize Ju... Dailies · Thu, 23 Jun 2011

Western Australian novelist Kim Scott was named the winner of the 2011 Miles Franklin Award for his novel, That Deadman Dance. The award ceremony was hosted last night by the State Library of…

 

The Name that Signs the Paper Dailies · Wed, 22 Jun 2011

The Miles Franklin Award will be conferred on one of three shortlisted nominees tonight at the State Library of Victoria, the second year it hasn’t been hosted by Sydney’s Mitchell Library as the…

 

Bloggers Join the Spin Cycle Dailies · Tue, 21 Jun 2011

An article in Saturday’s Weekend Australian has raised questions about the role food bloggers play in the new media landscape. In a feature entitled ‘Everyone’s a Critic’, Elizabeth Meryment…

 

The Art of the Typewriter Dailies · Mon, 20 Jun 2011

Image of vintage Smith-Premier typewriter via WikiCommons Typewriter art has been around since at least 1867, with the oldest surviving example dating back to 1898…

 

A Poet for the Silver City Dailies · Fri, 17 Jun 2011

Sydney Opera House 1975, image by Gregory Melle, via Flickr Sydney is appointing a city poet to sing the virtues of the city in verse. For $20,000 over 12 months, the poet …

 

Famous Last Words Dailies · Thu, 16 Jun 2011

Screenshot from the trailer of Alfred Hitchcock’s Notorious [1946], via WikiCommons It’s Bloomsday. People all over the world – including Melbourne – are attending public r…

 

Pratchett Documentary Stirs Assisted ... Dailies · Wed, 15 Jun 2011

Fantasy master Terry Pratchett has come under fire in the UK for his involvement in a television documentary screened on Monday night advocated assisted suicide. In the documentary, which was…

 

Judge Revisits Chile's Ashen Past Dailies · Tue, 14 Jun 2011

While the Chilean volcano Puyehue continues to spew ash that has caused air traffic chaos halfway around the world, Chileans are grappling with another kind of combustion altogether. A Chilean judge …

 

Does WikiLeaks Matter? Video · Mon, 13 Jun 2011

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La Trobe University’s Ideas and Society Program and ‘Thesis Eleven’ present a special symposium exploring the implications and ramifications of Wikileaks. What does it mean for journalism, for…

 

Written Word & Silver Screen Dailies · Fri, 10 Jun 2011

The Shakespeare authorship question is perhaps literature’s most famous and enduring conspiracy theory. Since its birth in the early 19th century, some 70 different candidates have been proposed as b…

 

Filthy Lucre Dailies · Thu, 09 Jun 2011

In his six-part documentary series, The Ascent of Money (currently available entirely online), Niall Ferguson narrates, “Banks financed the Renaissance, while the bond market decided wars. Stock…

 

Speculation Chairman Mao Didn't Write... Dailies · Wed, 08 Jun 2011

Image of Mao Tse-Tung via WikiCommons The Chinese government’s chief literary institutions are finding it difficult to quash rumours that Mao’s Little Red Book was…

 

Sherlock Creator's First Novel About ... Dailies · Wed, 08 Jun 2011

Image via WikiCommons Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s first novel, the reflective and loosely-structured Narrative of John Smith, is set to be published later this year by the…

 

The Origins of the (Selfless) Species Dailies · Thu, 02 Jun 2011

Image of an ant via WikiCommons It’s one of the most mysterious aspects of animal behaviour, one even Charles Darwin struggled with: why would an animal choose to…

 

At the Heart of the Red Market Dailies · Thu, 02 Jun 2011

Image of a model of a heart via WikiCommons Three years ago, a man fainted at the international airport of Pristina, the capital of Kosovo. When authorities went to his…

 

Literary Feuds: A Long & Rancorous Hi... Dailies · Wed, 01 Jun 2011

Illustration of the duel that killed Russian poet Alexander Pushkin via WikiCommons Another of English literature’s enduring feuds has ended. Indian-Caribbean novelist VS N…

 

The Man Who Loves Soccer v 'The Man W... Dailies · Tue, 31 May 2011

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that Jonathan Franzen, author of The Corrections, has weighed in on a debate surrounding a proposed development of a house in the picturesque waterside suburb of

 

Speeches to the Graduates Dailies · Mon, 30 May 2011

‘Students at a Lecture’, by William Hogarth [1736], Jesus College, Oxford, via WikiCommons How do you write a graduation speech? New Yorker cartoonist Bruce Eric Kaplan…

 

Studying the Hand that Signs the Paper Dailies · Thu, 26 May 2011

US president Barack Obama’s signature has been likened to a baby tyrannosaurus rex playing with a ball of yarn. But does his signature have anything to say about the man? Perhaps he identifies as a b…

 

What Makes a Psychopath? Dailies · Thu, 26 May 2011

PET image of a transaxial slice of the brain of a 56 year old male patient via WikiCommons A new book claims that, while one in 100 people in the general population are…

 

Rare Austen Manuscript to be Auctioned Dailies · Wed, 25 May 2011

A portrait of Jane Austen sketched circa 1810 by her sister Cassandra at the National Portrait Gallery, London, via WikiCommons A rare Jane Austen manuscript will be…

 

US Writers Cop Some Self-Criticism Dailies · Tue, 24 May 2011

Sheet music of ‘Stars & Stripes Forever’ by John Philip Sousa, from the Library of Congress via WikiCommons The debate over Philip Roth’s legacy continues following his…

 

The History of the Circus in Australia Dailies · Fri, 20 May 2011

Cover image of ‘Circus: The Australian Story’, by Mark St Leon Jugglers, lion-tamers, bearded ladies and freak shows – the world of the travelling circus is increasingly a …

 

Callil's Complaint Dailies · Thu, 19 May 2011

Image via WikiCommons Philip Roth, titan of male Jewish-American postwar literature, has taken out the biennial Man Booker International Prize, announced yesterday at the S…

 

Saddam Fantasy Headed for Silver Screen Dailies · Mon, 16 May 2011

Nine-metre bronze sculptures of Saddam Hussein in the grounds of the Republican Palace, Baghdad, 2005, by Kim Gordon, USDoD, via WikiCommons The comedian Sacha Baron-Cohen …

 

Sonia Ziaee Presenter · Thu, 12 May 2011

Sonia was born in 1984 in Kabul, Afghanistan. Due to the war in her country, she and her family had to flee to Pakistan twice, where she completed her schooling. Sonia is the only female director on …

 

Chinese Writer Prevented From Visitin... Dailies · Thu, 12 May 2011

Liao Yiwu, photographed in Cologne last year, via Wikipedia Meet Liao Yiwu, an author and musician from China’s Sichuan province, which borders Tibet in central China. In h…

 

Coen Brother to Publish Apocalyptic P... Dailies · Wed, 11 May 2011

‘The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse’, by Viktor Vasnetsov, 1887, via WikiCommons God has finally set a date for the end of the world. The apocalypse is set to take place o…

 

Class War in the Classroom Dailies · Wed, 11 May 2011

In her Australia Day speech to the nation this year, Prime Minister Julia Gillard said the phrase “demography is not destiny” was a defining Australian characteristic. One of the most common ways to …

 

A Translation that Begat a Nation Dailies · Wed, 11 May 2011

Its publication was a milestone in the making of modern England. For centuries, it was all the literature many English speakers around the world ever knew. It peppered our language with phrases like …

 

It's a Slang Thang, Grrl, Innit Dailies · Tue, 10 May 2011

Q, the equal-highest point-earning letter in Scrabble and one of five that appear just once, via WikiCommons A book designed to settle disputes is bound to provoke many…

 

Amanda Vanstone Presenter · Mon, 09 May 2011

Amanda was also Australia’s ambassador to Italy from June 2007 to May 2010. She was a Liberal Senator for South Australia from 1984 to 2007, and held several ministerial portfolios in the Howard…

 

The Dying Trade Lives On Dailies · Mon, 09 May 2011

In the 1940s and 50s, Australian fiction wasn’t so much dominated by names like Patrick White and George Johnston as by Gordon Clive Bleeck, Carter Brown, Don Haring and KT McCall. These pensmiths…

 

When Believing Isn't Seeing Dailies · Thu, 05 May 2011

Detail of Barack Obama’s long-form birth certificate, released last week There’s no body. The body was hastily dumped. The photos are too inflammatory to be released. He…

 

Old Books Become Fashion Accessory Dailies · Thu, 05 May 2011

Image of mid-1960s perfume set from the Soviet Union via WikiCommons Fashion icon Karl Lagerfeld is reportedly working on a new fragrance based on the smell of old books…

 

Superman Goes Rogue Dailies · Wed, 04 May 2011

Illustration of the golem by Philippe Semeria via WikiCommons “I think it’s a part of a bigger trend of Americans almost apologizing for being Americans,” said Mike…

 

Amy May Nunn Presenter · Tue, 03 May 2011

 

Michael Shmith Presenter · Tue, 03 May 2011

He is a former arts editor and travel editor of The Age. Although he specialises in arts journalism, he writes on many other subjects – mostly for The Age’s opinion and books pages. He has co-edited …

 

Swimming the Hellespont Dailies · Tue, 03 May 2011

Lord Byron in Albanian dress, by Thomas Phillips, 1813, collection of the British Embassy, Athens, via Wikipedia The History channel’s website has a neat feature: a…

 

Osama bin Laden: A Digest Dailies · Tue, 03 May 2011

Image of this morning’s flashboards by Sarah Masters The death of Osama bin Laden is still sending shockwaves through the world (or is it?). It cost many lives and $1.3…

 

Mint Leaves, Sticky Tape and Orange Peel Dailies · Mon, 02 May 2011

Image via Flickr Beginning today, and over the next two Mondays, we’re featuring essays written by our three Unpublished Manuscript Fellows – Peggy Frew, Andrew Nette and…

 

A Fable to Help Build a Nation Dailies · Mon, 02 May 2011

There are children’s books, and then there are children’s books that make a difference. The Boy and the Crocodile tells the story about East Timor’s national origins that doubles as a fable about…

 

Argentinian Writers' Pension Scheme P... Dailies · Thu, 28 Apr 2011

Julio Cortázar, who spent much of his writing life in exile in Paris, via WikiCommons Argentinian lawmakers are considering a proposal that will pay a special pension to…

 

Tale of Colonial Violence Wins Vogel Dailies · Thu, 28 Apr 2011

Indigenous Tasmanians on the margins of their own country, as painted by William Gould in River Scene with Aborigines, 1838, courtesy W. L. Crowther Library, Tasmanian Archive and…

 

Revisiting the Artful Bookplate Dailies · Wed, 27 Apr 2011

Ex-libris by József Faragó [1866-1906] via WikiCommons To most book-lovers, the ex-libris, or bookplate, is a cherished relic of the past. Bookplates were small labels…

 

Literature & Australian-ness Dailies · Wed, 20 Apr 2011

Portrait of Miles Franklin via WikiCommons A warm congratulations to Chris Womersley, Kim Scott and Roger McDonald for yesterday’s announcement that they have been…

 

Great Books From Beyond the Grave Dailies · Mon, 18 Apr 2011

1871 illustration of a Russian grave-digger by Viktor Vasnetsov [1848-1926] from the Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, via WikiCommons The publication of David Foster Wallace’s…

 

Grug Goes Bush Dailies · Mon, 18 Apr 2011

Image of a storm breaking over Robinson, an outstation near Borroloola in the Northern Territory’s Gulf country, by Peter Nihill via WikiCommons. Publisher Simon &…

 

Our Hearts are Open Books Dailies · Wed, 13 Apr 2011

Image of Keel’s Simple Diary covers via WikiCommons Though often derided, the diary is a distinguished literary form as well as a source of consolation. A new website…

 

How Does it Feel? - Dylan in China Dailies · Tue, 12 Apr 2011

Turntable image by Johnny Magnusson via WikiCommons Crikey’s Bernard Keane wrote yesterday about the reasons behind the Chinese government’s crackdown on dissenting…

 

Author & Friend: the Moment of Truth Dailies · Thu, 07 Apr 2011

Detail of an image by Christoph Michels via WikiCommons So you have this friend, the author.He’s writing a book. Or so he says. He spends years of working away in solitude …

 

A Writerly Type of Revival Dailies · Wed, 06 Apr 2011

Image of Smith-Premier typewriter via WikiCommons There’s a revival going on – our favourite type of revival, the type that appeals to old-fashioned types like us. Just as …

 

Church/State Debate Reignites Dailies · Tue, 05 Apr 2011

Image of crucifix via WikiCommons Update, Friday April 8:All week we’ve been talking about the division of religion and state, particularly in relation to education. We…

 

Publicity-Shy Heroes of Publishing Dailies · Tue, 22 Mar 2011

Opponents of a decision by Fairfax Media to outsource its subediting from 2012, and thus make redundant its subeditors, will take to the streets at lunchtime today. The publisher of The Age and The…

 

Le Vice Online Dailies · Mon, 21 Mar 2011

Image via WikiCommons Not quite as naughty as le vice anglais but far more prevalent is le vice online. Procrastination is practically universal. Research shows that up to …

 

Reading on Pregnancy & Parenting Dailies · Thu, 17 Mar 2011

Look up the word ‘parenting’ on Amazon and expect to wade through some 61,559 responses. ‘Pregnancy’ is slightly more manageable at 25,678.First-time couples about to embark on the long haul of…

 

An Old Leopard Bares its Teeth Dailies · Thu, 10 Mar 2011

Photograph of an actual leopard via WikiCommons By Tony WilsonI’ve spent the last hour on my knees in our shed, searching for VCE English essays that are 21 years old…

 

Sexism Between the Pages Dailies · Mon, 07 Mar 2011

An Ampelmädchen street light at a pedestrian crossing in Dresden, Germany, via WikiCommons Late last year a US-based organisation advocating for women in the literary…

 

The Literature of the Prison Cell Dailies · Mon, 07 Mar 2011

Image of Jeremy Bentham’s Panopticon via WikiCommons Jeffrey Archer is in town on March 22, in conversation with Jennifer Byrne at the Collins Street Baptist Church…

 

Melissa Lucashenko Presenter · Wed, 02 Mar 2011

Melissa has been an independent screenplay assessor for Screen NSW and Screen Tasmania for nearly a decade, and is a current member of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts Board of the…

 

Writers Turn to Song Dailies · Wed, 02 Mar 2011

Photograph of Finnish accordionist Lässe Pihlajamaa via WikiCommons Michel Houellebecq, the bête noire of French literature, has just released a single entitled ‘Le Film…

 

On the Oratorial Arts Dailies · Wed, 02 Mar 2011

Often criticised for her speaking style, Julia Gillard delivered an historic speech before the US Congress overnight. In her address, she pulled no stops in underlining the strength of the alliance b…

 

The Return of the 'M' Word Dailies · Fri, 25 Feb 2011

Rarely has one 10 year old child had such an impact on a country. The picture of young Seena Akhlaqi Sheikhdost crying at the funeral of his parents seems to have started something. He …

 

The Poetry of Revolution Dailies · Tue, 22 Feb 2011

A banner that reads ‘Leave!’ during protests in Tahrir Square last month in Cairo. Image via WikiCommons While the ripples of a 24-year-old Tunisian grocer’s

 

Literary Sleuth Uncovers Hammett Stories Dailies · Mon, 21 Feb 2011

(Image via WikiCommons)The Daily Beast reports that 15 previously unknown stories by the legendary writer Dashiell Hammett are due to be published following their discovery. The man who popularised …

 

Sally Totman Presenter · Thu, 17 Feb 2011

She joined Deakin in February 2007 having taught Middle East politics, International Relations, and Australian foreign policy at Macquarie University in Sydney for 9 years.Sally is an author and…

 

Pictures from the Gala Night of Story... Dailies · Wed, 16 Feb 2011

Guest speakers at the Gala Night of Storytelling. Image by Jesse Marlow. Archie Roach backstage at the Melbourne Town Hall. Photo by Jesse Marlow. Mem Fox opens the night with an arresting story…

 

Thought for Food Dailies · Fri, 11 Feb 2011

Still Life with Dish of Fruit, by Balthasar van der Ast, Staatliche Museum, Berlin, via WikiCommons “The Roman historian Livy famously regarded the glorification of chefs a…

 

Nabokov's Butterfly Effect Dailies · Thu, 03 Feb 2011

Butterfly illustrations by Meyer via WikiCommons Vladimir Nabokov’s legions of fans know how infuriating their idol can be. Infuriatingly contrarian, infuriatingly

 

Virginia Gay Presenter · Tue, 01 Feb 2011

Virginia graduated from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts in 2005. She spent three years pretending to be a nurse on Chanel Seven’s All Saints, six months pretending to be Julia…

 

Pecuniary, My Dear Watson Dailies · Tue, 01 Feb 2011

Image courtesy Wikicommons There’s hardly a book-lover in the world who isn’t familiar in one way or another with Sherlock Holmes. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic…

 

Journey into an Endless Night Dailies · Mon, 31 Jan 2011

Image courtesy Walking Paris with Henry Miller. In what has been dubbed l'affaire Céline, the ghosts of France’s political past have sprung back to life. On this occasion, …

 

Sebald on the Screen Dailies · Fri, 28 Jan 2011

(Dunwich Marshes, Suffolk, via WikiCommons)Fans of WG Sebald’s melancholic masterpiece The Rings of Saturn will be curious to see how two English filmmakers have transposed the book for the screen. …

 

Distribution Rights v Reader Rights Dailies · Fri, 21 Jan 2011

Two e-readers (image courtesy of Bobbi Newman, via Flickr) Dianna Dilworth at eBookNewser wonders whether ebooks will change the way books are sold across regions.The…

 

Yet Another Side of Bob Dylan Dailies · Thu, 20 Jan 2011

The cover of Dylan’s first volume Readers who enjoyed Bob Dylan’s Chronicles: Volume One can look forward to the publication of volumes two and three, NME reports. In the k…

 

Elementary New Sequel Dailies · Tue, 18 Jan 2011

Sherlock Holmes is set to get a sequel written by screenwriter and author of the popular Alex Rider teen spy books Anthony Horowitz, according to a Guardian article.The new Holmes book will be set…

 

Wheeler Centre Supporting Queensland ... Dailies · Mon, 17 Jan 2011

Wheeler Centre director Chrissy Sharp To support the flood-affected communities, the Wheeler Centre is pleased to announce that all profits from our Gala Night of…

 

Meet Our Fellows: A Q&A with Andrew N... Dailies · Wed, 12 Jan 2011

Unpublished Manuscript Fellow Andrew Nette Andrew Nette is the first of our Unpublished Manuscript Fellows. He begins his time at the Wheeler Centre today. He took time…

 

French Canadian Take on Translation Dailies · Wed, 12 Jan 2011

Click to watch video. Nicolas Dickner has sucessfully published his novels like Nikolski in French, but translation into English gave his books a new life. …

 

Cleaning up Huck Finn Dailies · Tue, 11 Jan 2011

Detail of a cover from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Last week the canon of American letters was re-written when Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn had…

 

David Foster Wallace Resurrected in P... Dailies · Tue, 11 Jan 2011

David Foster Wallace (image courtesy Steve Rhodes via Wikicommons) For fans of late great American novelist David Foster Wallace 2011 is all about the posthumous release…

 

Magical Readings at Midsumma Dailies · Mon, 10 Jan 2011

Midsumma storytellers Jennifer Cayley and Jan Andrews Melbourne’s premiere arts and cultural event for the GLBTI community Midsumma Festival began on the weekend.For…

 

Why Parental Leave Isn't A Bonus by M... Dailies · Sun, 09 Jan 2011

Last week, as paid parental leave finally became a reality in Australia, both the Age and Sydney Morning Herald couldn’t resist turning the development into a winners and losers story. Both papers…

 

Merry Christmas and See You in 2011 Dailies · Thu, 23 Dec 2010

Well it’s been a big first year at the Wheeler Centre and we’d like to thank everyone who has helped make it such a fantastic year – our supporters, staff and resident organisations. But also to…

 

The Future for Bookshops Dailies · Tue, 21 Dec 2010

Are e-books stacked against bookstores? The future is small for bookstores – in a good way according to a report from NPR. The report believes that “the big chains are in t…

 

Paul Auster on America Today Dailies · Mon, 20 Dec 2010

Author Paul Auster (image David Shankbone via wikicommons) As Paul Auster releases his new novel Sunset Park, Goodreads has published a rare interview with the American…

 

Bryce Courtenay on what makes great s... Dailies · Mon, 20 Dec 2010

With the publication of his latest book, Fortune Cookie, Bryce Courtenay cements his reputation as one of Australia’s most popular novelists. It’s surprising then that he came to…

 

In Memory of Ruth Park Dailies · Fri, 17 Dec 2010

Ruth Park, aged 26 (courtesty of National Library of Australia) One of New Zealand’s greatest writers has died as Ruth Park passed away in Sydney aged 93. She was as much b…

 

In Praise of Reading and Fiction by M... Dailies · Thu, 16 Dec 2010

Mario Vargas Llosa, Miami Book Fair International, 1985 courtesy Miami Dade College via wikicommons I learned to read at the age of five, in Brother Justiniano’s class at t…

 

It's Time For Zuckerberg Dailies · Thu, 16 Dec 2010

Mark Zuckerberg on the Time cover A shocked and spotty Mark Zuckerberg graces the cover of the latest Time magazine as 2010’s Person of the Year. Facebook f…

 

Rowan McKinnon Answers our Travel Wri... Dailies · Tue, 14 Dec 2010

Travel Writer Rowan McKinnon While I don’t disagree with some of what Andrew Mueller says in his Lunchbox Soapbox – about newspaper travel sections being beholden to…

 

Michael Williams Takes the Wheeler Ce... Dailies · Tue, 14 Dec 2010

Head of Programming Michael Williams In 2010 the Wheeler Centre was employed by law firm, Minter Ellison, to present a series of literary lunchtime lectures as part of its…

 

Best of 2011 by Jame Bradley Dailies · Sun, 12 Dec 2010

Author and critic James Bradley We’re at a weird juncture. Just as the latest round of Wikileaks dumps has drawn a line under the old political and media paradigm, the…

 

Writing Comedy with Ben Pobjie Dailies · Thu, 09 Dec 2010

Writer, critic and comedian, Ben Pobjie Comedians are, as we all know, tortured. The only trait that better defines the comedian than being tortured is the habit of…

 

Celebrating 175 Years of Victoria Dailies · Wed, 08 Dec 2010

In 2010 the Wheeler Centre went on the road to four regional centres to celebrate Victoria’s 175th birthday. Project officer Sarah Reynolds wrote this account of the road trips, hook turns and the…

 

Indexing Yields Yule Yuks Dailies · Tue, 07 Dec 2010

With all the talk of wikileaks, it’s easy to forget that there are other online resources that can be crowdsourced. Over at biblioklept they’ve looked at the index for Harper’s Magazine and…

 

Dickens Gets the Oprah Nod Dailies · Tue, 07 Dec 2010

Image by Alan Light (wikicommons) Oprah’s Book Club has given its seal of approval to the struggling British author Charles Dickens. Oprah has selected two little-known…

 

Look! A New Exhibition on Illustrated... Dailies · Thu, 02 Dec 2010

Freya Blackwood, illustration from Amy and Louis, text by Libby Gleeson, Scholastic Press, 2006, watercolour on paper, courtesy of the artist Look! The art of Australian…

 

A Q&A with Mary Napier Dailies · Wed, 01 Dec 2010

VWC Program Manager Mary Napier With Victorian Writers' Centre launching their 2011 programme next week, we thought it would be the perfect time to talk to program manager …

 

Bad Sex Decided Dailies · Wed, 01 Dec 2010

UK cover for The Shape of Her Earlier we reported that Christos Tsiolkas was in the running for the the Literary Review’s Bad Sex Award for the worst piece of raunchy…

 

Benjamin Law Presenter · Fri, 26 Nov 2010

 

Dreaming of an iPhone Christmas Dailies · Wed, 24 Nov 2010

Curious George is one of the characters appearing on an app this Christmas Just in time for stocking stuffers, Publisher’s Weekly have surveyed what children’s publishers a…

 

Universities Get Graphic Dailies · Wed, 24 Nov 2010

On the curriculum: graphic novelist Shaun Tan The University of Melbourne has announced that in 2011 it will offer an undergraduate subject on comics called Graphic…

 

Is it Buffy Without Joss Whedon Dailies · Tue, 23 Nov 2010

Poster for the 1992 film A new movie version of Buffy the Vampire Slayer is being written without the writer who made the series famous, Joss Whedon.Over at Vulture…

 

Year of the E-reader? Dailies · Mon, 22 Nov 2010

Way back in January pundits were calling 2010 the Year of the e-reader. Over at Read Write Web, they think the year has lived up to that promise with the appearance of the Kindle, Sony e-reader and, …

 

National Book Award winners announced Dailies · Thu, 18 Nov 2010

The winners of the US National Book Awards were announced yesterday with several upsets and controversial decisions.Peter Carey was again pipped at the post for the fiction award by Jaimy Gordon for …

 

Shouldn't Your Kids Be Free Range Dailies · Thu, 18 Nov 2010

Click to watch video If you’ve spent a weekend fretting over getting your kids from a play date to soccer practice, then you might be ready to try Free…

 

Readings Opens a New Book Dailies · Thu, 18 Nov 2010

Today Readings opens a new full store in the locker room area of the State Library. It represents a huge improvement on the small fold-away store that’s been in the foyer for most of 2010. The new…

 

Dublin's Very Long List Dailies · Wed, 17 Nov 2010

IMPAC nominee Craig Silvey Several Australian writers are on the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award Longlist including newer names such as MJ Hyland for This Is How, Kalinda…

 

Social Reading Dailies · Mon, 15 Nov 2010

Social Books on an iPad Reading is no longer a solitary affair and book clubs are moving online. The New York Times technology blog’s review of the Social Reading app…

 

Bush's borrowed life story Dailies · Sun, 14 Nov 2010

The US edition of Decision Points Former US President George W Bush can’t seem to stop making gaffes as the Huffington Post has found that “finding lifted passages in…

 

Social Policy in the Victorian Election Dailies · Fri, 12 Nov 2010

Click to watch video. Cath Smith from VCOSS takes to the Lunchbox/Soapbox to raise the social issues at play in the Victorian State Election from housing…

 

Public Transport in the Victorian Ele... Dailies · Tue, 09 Nov 2010

Click to watch video. As the state election approaches, Victorians identified public transport as the number one issue that would effect their voting. As a …

 

Lyrics to Imaginary Songs by Mark Mordue Dailies · Tue, 09 Nov 2010

Music writer Mark Mordue When I think about poetry, about my need to read it and reflect on it and even express the odd poem here and there as if there were a more pure or …

 

Geezer Jamboree by Mike Shuttleworth Dailies · Mon, 08 Nov 2010

Writer, curator and Smiths aficionado, Mike Shuttleworth At Moonee Valley racetrack recently, Daryl Braithwaite was whipping the crowd up with his 1991 hit Horses. No…

 

Why "Lovers In Trouble" by Andrea Gol... Dailies · Mon, 08 Nov 2010

Novelist Andrea Goldsmith shared her life with the late Dorothy Porter Dorothy Porter was known for her brilliant performance. She studied acting in her teen years and…

 

How I worked on Hamlet by Nicki Green... Dailies · Thu, 04 Nov 2010

Author & illustrator Nicki Greenberg Unlike most stage productions, this book was a one-person affair. I felt like I’d taken on the task of directing the play – and not…

 

What Zurich Can Teach Melbourne About... Dailies · Thu, 04 Nov 2010

“Melburnians once needed to visit Europe to be embarrassed at the gap between our public transport and the best in the world,” Paul Mees says in his post for the Drum.Mees, a senior lecturer in…

 

The Truth in 42 Minutes by Kris Mrksa Dailies · Mon, 01 Nov 2010

TV scriptwriter Kris Mrksa One of the things that first attracted me to script writing was that there could be no right or wrong. A TV script might be boring, vapid…

 

The Writer and the Musician – Review ... Dailies · Mon, 01 Nov 2010

Broadcaster Vijay Khurana Nick Hornby loves pop music. This we know. From his record store-owning High Fidelity protagonist Rob, to 31 Songs, his collection of essays…

 

Meanjin Editor Goes Offline Dailies · Fri, 29 Oct 2010

Meanjin editor Sophie Cunningham Meanjin editor Sophie Cunningham will leave the literary journal at the end of this year and, according to Jason Steger’s report in the…

 

Ali McGregor Presenter · Thu, 28 Oct 2010

 

Jacqueline Dutton Looks at the Austra... Dailies · Tue, 26 Oct 2010

Ahead of this weekend’s Australian Festival of Travel Writing we talked to festival director Jacqueline Dutton about the event. “The thing that is different is that this is a themed festival,&rdquo…

 

How Death Inspires Life Dailies · Mon, 25 Oct 2010

Click to watch video. British writer Salley Vickers brings her experience as a psychotherapist to the subject of life and death in this exclusive address…

 

Two Slices of Catcher in the Rye Dailies · Mon, 25 Oct 2010

The New Yorker has released a list of literary sandwiches that should be on menus. A serve of Dave Eggers comes with a handy guide to explain your meal Order up the Dave…

 

Work/life Imbalance by Lara Fergus Dailies · Thu, 21 Oct 2010

Debut Mondays author Lara Fergus I wrote a book about 2 characters. An obsessive cartographer – organised to the point of insanity – and her artist sister, confined to, or …

 

A New Global Architecture by Dennis A... Dailies · Wed, 20 Oct 2010

Director of the Institute for Human Security Dennis Altman This week Parliament finally debated Australia’s involvement in Afghanistan. For most Australians our commitment …

 

Crikey Editor on Journalism Online Dailies · Tue, 19 Oct 2010

Click to see the full video “As an online journalist, pressing the publish button is just the start,” Sophie Black told us on the Lunchbox/Soapbox as she…

 

Clare Bowditch Starts a Feminist Twit... Dailies · Fri, 15 Oct 2010

Clare Bowditch on a recent album cover It began last night when singer/songwriter Clare Bowditch watched our latest Feminism Has Failed video. She tweeted about them…

 

Julian Barnes Believes Death is Nothi... Dailies · Thu, 14 Oct 2010

US Edition of Barnes' Nothing to be Frightened of If you’re looking for a writer to discuss mortality, Julian Barnes' Nothing To Be Frightened Of is a great place to…

 

The Finkler Question Wins Man Booker Dailies · Wed, 13 Oct 2010

The Man Booker prize has been awarded to Howard Jacobson for The Finkler Question.Chair of Judges, Andrew Motion praised it as “a marvellous book: very funny, of course, but also very clever, very…

 

The Dalai Lama on Leaving Life Dailies · Tue, 12 Oct 2010

Image by Luca Galuzzi A “change of clothing” is how the Dalai Lama spoke of death in a recent New Yorker profile of the Tibetan religious leader.As a Bhuddist, the Dalai…

 

A 1970s Childhood by Sally Rippin Dailies · Fri, 08 Oct 2010

Author & illustrator Sally Rippin Have you ever noticed how in many of the best books for children the author removes the parents from the picture as soon as possible…

 

Meet Peter Doherty Dailies · Thu, 07 Oct 2010

With today’s announcement of the Nobel Prize for Literature, it’s a good time to meet Peter Doherty Australia’s Nobel Prize for Medicine winner.In his autobiographical essay about receiving the…

 

The Road to Ballarat by Toni Jordan Dailies · Thu, 07 Oct 2010

Author Toni Jordan The late afternoon sun is soft and it makes the trees outside my window glow iridescent green, but I’m not outside enjoying it. I’m also not making…

 

Eye of the Geiger by Andrew Mueller Dailies · Tue, 05 Oct 2010

This is a declaration that may well prompt throbbing of veins and empurpling of complexions, but here goes: being a travel writer isn’t as easy as it looks. I feel that this is something I should…

 

Casey Bennetto's take on the Victoria... Dailies · Tue, 05 Oct 2010

Casey Bennetto made the Premier’s Literary Awards shine that little bit brighter with his epic songs for each category and the power ballad for the prize. We thought it was so impressive we created a…

 

Stephen Mayne Says Feminism Still Has... Dailies · Mon, 04 Oct 2010

Shareholder activist Stephen Mayne has been to enough blokey AGMs and seen how few women make it into Australia’s boardrooms to see how limited feminism’s progress has been. Mayne sees that the…

 

Feminist Debate Has Not Failed Dailies · Wed, 29 Sep 2010

The Intelligence Squared debate Feminism Has Failed of last week ago is still raging online. Virginia Hausegger One debater, Virginia Haussegger, has published an edited…

 

The Long Tail of Blogging and Publish... Dailies · Wed, 29 Sep 2010

Ben Eltham When was the last time you bought a CD?If you’re like most young Australians, the answer is: a while ago. The advent of digital file sharing technologies has…

 

David Simon Officially a Genius Dailies · Tue, 28 Sep 2010

Screenwriter and journalist David Simon has been awarded the 2010 MacArthur Genius Fellowship for his work on TV shows The Wire and New Orleans-based Treme.Over the next five years Simon will…

 

Backing the Literary Favourites in Pr... Dailies · Tue, 28 Sep 2010

Tonight’s presentation of the Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards will end a month of speculation for those on the shortlist.The most talked about prize is the Vance Palmer Prize for Fiction with…

 

Banning books as a national pastime Dailies · Sun, 26 Sep 2010

This week the US celebrates Banned Books Week by looking at what books have been challenged for inclusion in public libraries. The week is organised by the American Libraries Association (ALA) to…

 

Paul Kelly’s Music into Words by Mich... Dailies · Thu, 23 Sep 2010

Michael Nolan, co-editor of Kelly’s book If writing about music is like dancing about architecture (as satirist Martin Mull’s regularly misattributed quip goes), then…

 

Polls Say Feminism Has Not Failed Dailies · Thu, 23 Sep 2010

Last night’s debate in the Intelligence Squared series asked if Feminism had failed and had a resounding “No”. The debate series polls the audience on the way in and as they leave to see how the…

 

The Hillary Hangover in US Politics Dailies · Tue, 21 Sep 2010

While Australia’s first female prime minister begins her first post-election parliament, a new book in the US looks at how close (and how far) America was from its first female president.Rebecca…

 

Singo to Save Australian Publishing Dailies · Tue, 21 Sep 2010

A Fortunate Life, one of the titles Singo is set to save Australian advertising magnate, John “Singo” Singleton is looking to launch an all-Australian publishing venture…

 

Come back Jonathan, Oprah Forgives? Dailies · Fri, 17 Sep 2010

Soon to be signed-up for Oprah’s Book Club? The New York Times reports that despite a highly publicised spat over The Corrections, TV host Oprah Winfrey has selected…

 

Mantel Eyes Off Prize Dailies · Thu, 16 Sep 2010

Mantel winning the Man Booker Last year’s winner of the Man Booker has written a great piece on her difficult relationship with prizes for Intelligent Life.Though Mantel’s …

 

President Pens Childrens Book Dailies · Wed, 15 Sep 2010

What is it with world leaders and their need to write children’s books? First there was our Kevin Rudd with Jasper and Abby and the Great Australia Day Kerfuffle and now US President Barack Obama…

 

Digital Comics Museum Live Dailies · Tue, 14 Sep 2010

Just one of the titles held at the Digital Comics Museum Golden Age comics that have fallen out of copyright are being collected online at the Digital Comics Museum…

 

Pentagon Pulps Non Fiction Dailies · Mon, 13 Sep 2010

The US military is red-faced over a Pentagon campaign to buy up a controversial memoir about operations in Afghanistan, according to Aol News.Retired Lt Colonel Anthony Shaffer wrote the catchily…

 

Kristel Thornell on the Origins of He... Dailies · Mon, 13 Sep 2010

Debut Monday author, Kirstel Thornell Tonight’s Debut Monday author Kristel Thornell has written for Readings blog about how she came to write her Australian/Vogel…

 

A Bucket of Cold Water on Book Burning Dailies · Fri, 10 Sep 2010

Image courtesy of el7bara US pastor Terry Jones has put away his gasoline and scrapped his plan to publicly burn the Koran, BBC News reports.The pastor from Dove World…

 

Sketchbook From Critical Failure Dailies · Thu, 09 Sep 2010

Blogger, designer and visual artist, Culture Mulcher has been keeping a scrapbook of his visits to the Wheeler Centre and this week of Critical Failure he’s been particularly busy with sketches…

 

Christos Not Man Booker Enough? Dailies · Tue, 07 Sep 2010

The Man Booker shortlist was announced last night and includes Peter Carey, but has dropped Christos Tsiolkas.The shortlist also included Emma Donoghue, Damon Galgut, Howard Jacobson, Andrea Levy…

 

Starting Conversations at Critical Fa... Dailies · Tue, 07 Sep 2010

Film maker Gillian Armstrong Last night saw the first session of Critical Failure, the Wheeler Centre’s week-long discussion on the state of Australia’s reviewing culture.T…

 

Victorian Premier's Literary Awards S... Dailies · Mon, 06 Sep 2010

Shortlisted for the Unpublished Manuscript Prize, Michelle Aung Thin Victoria’s biggest prize for writing – the Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards – has announced the

 

Lisa Gorton, Our First Poet in Residence Dailies · Wed, 01 Sep 2010

In partnership with RMIT, the Australian Poetry Centre is bringing a poet in residence to the Wheeler Centre.The program will mean that poets have the opportunity to write but also be available for …

 

Superpoets land on MWF Dailies · Tue, 31 Aug 2010

The last few days of the festival have focussed on the schools programme which has meant writers adopting super-human alter egos. For Michelle Dabrowski and Sean M Whelan (both pictured) they’ve…

 

MWF opens with Whedon Dailies · Sun, 29 Aug 2010

Whedon under tsunami, image courtesy Wolf Cocklin The Melbourne Writers Festival kicked off with Friday night’s dual keynotes and the announcement of the Age Book of the…

 

A Moral Duty to Act by Kon Karapanagi... Dailies · Fri, 27 Aug 2010

I often think everyone should ask themselves the basic question that I pose to myself each day: What would I do if I was fleeing for my life and trying to save my family? I know I would do whatever …

 

Jeff Sparrow Presenter · Fri, 27 Aug 2010

He is a widely-published writer, whose work appears regularly in newspapers, journals and online. He is the author of Money Shot: A Journey into Censorship and Porn, Killing: Misadventures in…

 

Andrew Wylie Retreats on E-books Dailies · Fri, 27 Aug 2010

The great digital rights siege of 2010 seems to be over as uber-agent Andrew Wylie has brokered a peace with Random House and is “in discussion” with Penguin Books.After breaking ranks with…

 

Rudd Tops the Charts Dailies · Wed, 25 Aug 2010

It seems like readers haven’t quite forgotten Rudd – Jessica Rudd at least. Fancy Goods reports Jessica Rudd’s book Campaign Ruby was the most mentioned book in the media last week for the second…

 

Waiting for Godin to Publish Dailies · Tue, 24 Aug 2010

Bestselling author Seth Godin dropped a bombshell on publishing when he told Galleycat that he was no longer going to publish books in a traditional way. After publishing a dozen print books, Godin …

 

Analyse the Election Over Lunch with ... Dailies · Mon, 23 Aug 2010

So who won the election? While most of us are still scratching our heads over the federal election, political commentator George Megalogenis is sifting through the tea leaves and looking at how…

 

Feeding the Hand that Bites by Gideon... Dailies · Fri, 20 Aug 2010

Author Gideon Haigh Everybody wants to go to heaven, as they say, but nobody wants to die. So it is in the world of book reviewing. Everyone is in favour of frank and…

 

Election Prediction: Zombie Leaders t... Dailies · Fri, 20 Aug 2010

With two uninspiring leaders most of the excitement in this election has come from the former leaders. Obviously the campaign launches featured ‘passing the torch moments’ – the memorable Howard…

 

Talking Back to the BEE Dailies · Thu, 19 Aug 2010

When we put up our video of Bret Easton Ellis, we thought people would be interested but we didn’t expect the deluge of comments responding to the author’s talk.First up was Gary Chau calling BEE…

 

Opening Edinburgh International Book ... Dailies · Tue, 17 Aug 2010

The opening weekend of the Edinburgh International Book Festival was big. Located in the elegant Charlotte Square Gardens, the bookfest pops up as an elegant tent city, and on Saturday the festival …

 

Alison Croggon Presenter · Mon, 16 Aug 2010

Alison Croggon has published five collections of poems, which won the Anne Elder and Dame Mary Gilmore Prizes, and were shortlisted for the Victorian and NSW Premier’s Literary Awards. Her most…

 

A Shiny New Player in Publishing Dailies · Mon, 16 Aug 2010

Publisher Kabita Dhara Last week a new imprint appeared on Melbourne’s busy publishing scene, Brass Monkey Books, aiming to build closer ties between Australia and India.Pu…

 

Franzen on Time Dailies · Fri, 13 Aug 2010

Time magazine has made Jonathan Franzen their coverboy using the line “Great American Novelist”. It’s a big deal because, as the Los Angeles Times reports, the last living novelist Time had on the c…

 

Jo Case interviews Leanne Hall Dailies · Fri, 13 Aug 2010

Photo Lucian Chaffey Leanne Hall arrives at the State Library engulfed in a coat and scarf, a lavender beanie over her pixie haircut. Her attention to detail when it comes …

 

Freeplay Games Festival Awards Dailies · Tue, 10 Aug 2010

This weekend the Freeplay independent games festival kicks off with programmers, gamers and artists converging on the State Library.As well as talks and workshops from local and international games …

 

Ways of Meaning by Alison Croggon Dailies · Tue, 10 Aug 2010

Alison Croggon (Image courtesy Jacqueline Mitelman) “As an artist, my relationships are experiential rather than theoretical. I certainly share with scientists and…

 

Max Barry: It’s Not Me, It’s You Dailies · Sun, 08 Aug 2010

Author Max Barry I’ve written more bad fiction than you’ve read. I’m serious. I’ve done a hundred or so drafts of nine or ten manuscripts, and let’s not even start on the s…

 

Religion at the Ballot Box Dailies · Thu, 05 Aug 2010

Image courtesy of Roman Gomez Almost two out of three Australians identified themselves as Christians at the last census, which seems to create a large…

 

Full Fan Fictional Philosopher Dailies · Wed, 04 Aug 2010

If you caught our Erotic Fan Fiction video then you’ll know that most of it was too lewd to re-broadcast. We cut out just at the point where Justin Heazlewood was about to talk about the love that …

 

Cordite Gets Creative and Common Dailies · Wed, 04 Aug 2010

Cordite editor David The latest issue of Australian online journal Cordite is asking its readers to become re-mixers by offering them the chance to download the…

 

Confessions of a Book Reviewer by Geo... Dailies · Tue, 03 Aug 2010

British writer George Orwell worked as a book reviewer but was always uncomfortable with the job. In this 1946 essay he argues that a book critic must “sell… honour for a glass of inferior sherry&rdquo…

 

Anne Rice Leaves Catholicism Dailies · Sun, 01 Aug 2010

Novelist Anne Rice posted a message on her Facebook page last week saying “I quit being a Christian.”Best known for her Vampire Chronicles series, Rice’s reasons for leaving the church are not so…

 

No Sex Please We're Novelists Dailies · Sun, 01 Aug 2010

As the Booker Prize longlist was announced last week, judge Andrew Motion concluded that “no one was writing much about sex any more” according to the Guardian.Former poet laureate Motion has a…

 

The Book-suer of Kabul Dailies · Thu, 29 Jul 2010

The Guardian reports that author Åsne Seierstad has been found guilty of defamation and “negligent journalistic practices” for her book The Bookseller of Kabul.An Oslo district court found that…

 

Six questions for Jon Bauer Dailies · Wed, 28 Jul 2010

Meanjin’s blog, Spike sat down with Debut Monday author, Jon Bauer across the digital divide to find out about boxing, street opera and writing notes to self.What’s a typical day spent writing like…

 

Storm Around Ayaan Hirsi Ali Dailies · Tue, 27 Jul 2010

Ayaan Hirsi Ali has been making news for her controversial stance on Islam and feminism since she first wrote Infidel in 2007. As she tours Australia she is sparking more controversy around her new …

 

It's Dublin! Dailies · Tue, 27 Jul 2010

There’s plenty of reasons for raising a glass along the Liffey as Dublin joins Edinburgh, Iowa City and Melbourne as a UNESCO City of Literature.Wheeler Centre Director Chrissy Sharp said of the…

 

Debate's Big Winner was Politics Dailies · Mon, 26 Jul 2010

Last night’s political debate saw plenty of “fair dinkum”, “moving forward” and “action plans”, but more points scoring than policy.At the Business Spectator, Alan Kohler yawned at the “he said/she…

 

Steve Grimwade's Festival Favourites Dailies · Fri, 23 Jul 2010

Putting together a festival is a massive undertaking and new director Steve Grimwade has put together one of the biggest programs in the event’s history. But what events is the festival director…

 

Celeb Books Are Back Dailies · Wed, 21 Jul 2010

Six Million Dollar Woman Tina Fey Celebrity books have always been colossal since the 1990s when Jerry Seinfeld’s cult pushed Seinlanguage into the New York Times…

 

Finding the Right Price in Amazon Dailies · Wed, 21 Jul 2010

If you’re thinking of making millions with your upcoming e-book, over at eBooknewsr they’ve got a preferred pricetag of US$1.99.In their survey of new authors, eBooknewsr found that many found new…

 

Young adults and children in PM's Prize Dailies · Tue, 20 Jul 2010

Writer/illustrator Sally Rippin On his way out, Kevin Rudd selected an interesting shortlist for this year’s Prime Minister’s Prize.Along with fiction (J. M. Coetzee…

 

Debut Novel Comes Gradually Dailies · Mon, 19 Jul 2010

I received my first physical copy of In-human as a book and I couldn’t imagine the excitement it would bring. It’s been such a long and hard slog to get it published that there was…

 

Melbourne Writers Festival Tickets on... Dailies · Wed, 14 Jul 2010

Got your copy of the Melbourne Writers Festival Program yet?The hottest ticket is bound to be Joss Whedon’s keynote address as he talks about everything from Buffy the Vampire Slayer to his latest p…

 

Editor Shows Birthmark Dailies · Tue, 13 Jul 2010

Last week twenty-one year old Johannes Jacob launched “Birthmark”, his first issue as editor of Voiceworks.He’s no stranger to the publication having served on the magazine’s editorial committee…

 

Literary speed daters speak Dailies · Sun, 11 Jul 2010

Over the weekend we hosted two literary speed dating events on Friday and Saturday night. Both nights were busy with flirts and folios flying. Where else would you be able to hear a newly met…

 

Rodney Croome on Gillard and gay marr... Dailies · Thu, 08 Jul 2010

Gay Rights activist and today’s Lunchbox/Soapboxer, Rodney Croome has taken aim at our new Prime Minister Julia Gillard on her views on same-sex marriage in his post for ABC Unleashed.At issue is…

 

David Astle Presenter · Wed, 07 Jul 2010

His short fiction has appeared in Sleepers, Heatwave and On The Edge, and his features were once a regular part of Sunday Life magazine, tackling such diverse topics as Jimmy Barnes and fridge…

 

Literary Speed Reader Dailies · Tue, 06 Jul 2010

The early results are in on our booked-out literary speed dating and we’re offering a sneak peek of what speed daters are bringing.Unsurprisingly, Tim Winton fared well with 8 people bringing along o…

 

Lunch in Mayfair: Being Wooed by Mill... Dailies · Tue, 06 Jul 2010

‘What distinguishes Mills & Boon from our competitors,’ boomed the senior editor, peering at me in a disconcertingly cross-eyed way over the starched linen tablecloth, ‘is that they are purveyors o…

 

How NOT to Write a Romance Novel Dailies · Mon, 05 Jul 2010

Canadian Paul Chafe has been awarded the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest for Romance writing offering some good lessons in how NOT to write, CBC reports.The Bulwer-Lytton was created by San Jose…

 

Huff Post on Social networking books Dailies · Thu, 01 Jul 2010

The Huffington Post asked this week if Twitter sells books and got several emphatic yeses.Michael Taeckens, Publicity Director of Algonquin Books, offers three simple rules for interacting on…

 

Literary Lotharios Found Dailies · Tue, 29 Jun 2010

Our Literary Speed Dating event has now totally sold out for both men and women.If you’re one of the lucky ones who’ve already booked then you can expect a night of passionate discussion on your…

 

Jackal says e-books on hold Dailies · Tue, 29 Jun 2010

Star literary agent Andrew Wylie has said that he’s prepared to take the licensing rights for his client’s e-books outside of print publishing and thinks the days of chain bookstores are numbered.Wyl…

 

Imperial reviews in Dailies · Mon, 28 Jun 2010

Reviews have started coming in for Bret Easton Ellis’s Imperial Bedrooms, a follow-up to Less Than Zero.At the Guardian Alison Kelly was in awe of the book’s violent spectacle, seeing it as…

 

Haigh against the critics Dailies · Fri, 25 Jun 2010

Gideon Haigh has released another salvo in his campaign against Australia’s critical culture on Killings (the blog of journal Kill Your Darlings).In part Haigh’s response to Rosemary Neill’s piece i…

 

Rudd in Remainder Bin Dailies · Thu, 24 Jun 2010

As Australia welcomes its first femme PM, spare a thought for publishers and authors who wrote about the former PM Kevin Rudd.Rise of the Ruddbot seemed like a snappy title for the release of…

 

Who Killed Kevin Rudd? Dailies · Thu, 24 Jun 2010

Though Julia Gillard removes the knife from former PM Kevin Rudd as she takes power, there have been many backers whispering in her ear. ABC Unleashed highlights Rudd’s failure to build a factional p…

 

Temple by a Miles Dailies · Wed, 23 Jun 2010

Peter Temple has picked up Australia’s most celebrated prize, the Miles Franklin, for his crime book, Truth.It’s the first time a genre novel has won the literary gong and Text Publishing claims

 

Miles Result Close Dailies · Tue, 22 Jun 2010

Tonight the Miles Franklin Prize will be announced in Sydney though the Sydney Morning Herald reports the award will move to Melbourne next year.The award’s home has been Sydney’s Mitchell Library…

 

Arts Criticism Under Attack Dailies · Mon, 21 Jun 2010

The Australian’s Review magazine examined Australia’s arts criticism in an age when it is challenged by bloggers and the struggle to make the web profitable.Since 2006 more than 60 full-time…

 

David Marr: Power Trip - The Political Journey of Kevin Rudd Video · Wed, 16 Jun 2010

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Based on his Quarterly Essay, David Marr discusses Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s personality and politics including “Rudd’s passion for martyrs”, how he has “been underestimated at every stage of his c…

 

Ayaan Hirsi Ali criticised by Ms. Dailies · Wed, 16 Jun 2010

Forthcoming Wheeler Centre guest, Ayaan Hirsi Ali has been criticised by Ms. Magazine for failing to see women’s efforts to reform Islam.The article cites “her refusal to recognise the subjective…

 

Australia's racist history still exists Dailies · Wed, 16 Jun 2010

According to the Intelligence Squared debate last night, Australia has not escaped its racist past, which was held in partnership with the Wheeler Centre.An Age article highlighted, Hanifa Dean’s…

 

Dux on the Fear-mongering of Mothers Dailies · Tue, 15 Jun 2010

Author Monica Dux thinks there’s too much pressure on mothers according to her opinion piece in the Age.As a mother herself, Dux jokes that she’d been told that getting stressed while you’re…

 

Universities double standards for int... Dailies · Mon, 14 Jun 2010

Professor Bob Birrell believes that our tertiary education system is lowering standards to accommodate more international students including re-writing the curriculum and assessment, according to a

 

Kathy Charles on Less Than Zero Dailies · Mon, 14 Jun 2010

Photo by Evan Butson My first encounter with Less Than Zero was through MTV, which makes perfect sense.I was nine years old. Every Saturday night Richard Wilkins…

 

Joel Magarey on the Prism of Darkness Dailies · Mon, 14 Jun 2010

People don’t much like fear, suffering and death, whether their own or that of others. Spectator columnist Allan Massie has typified this discomfort, arguing that personal experiences of suffering …

 

Courtenay vs Carey Non-stoush Dailies · Fri, 11 Jun 2010

Photo by Ashley Gilbertson Australian literary stoushes are generally more hyped than happening. Or perhaps they’re playground fights between two kids who don’t really…

 

Kingsolver rules Orange Prize Dailies · Thu, 10 Jun 2010

American novelist Barbara Kingsolver has won the Orange Prize for The Lacuna.The novel follows the dreamy Harrison William Shepherd as his destiny intertwines with celebrated Mexican residents Diego …

 

Tim Jackson on building greener cities Dailies · Wed, 09 Jun 2010

 

Tweeting Flannery's Innovating in a C... Dailies · Sun, 06 Jun 2010

Last night, Professor Tim Flannery launched the Deakins with his inspiring keynote address, Innovating in a Changing Climate. Flannery’s lecture concluded with his call for questions: “It’s over to y…

 

Late Release Deakins Tickets Dailies · Fri, 04 Jun 2010

We’ve just released last-minute tickets for the Deakins lecture, Future Energy Solutions: Powering a Sustainable Tomorrow.This session looks at how our ever-rising energy demands will be met in the f…

 

Birmingham's Book Tour Weight Watching Dailies · Fri, 04 Jun 2010

Author John Birmingham enjoys book tours with the exception of buffets and their bad health implications, according to his latest post on his deliciously named Gothic Cheeseburger blog.“Book tours…

 

Excerpting Easton Ellis Dailies · Wed, 02 Jun 2010

Esquire magazine has released an excerpt from Imperial Bedrooms from cult author Bret Easton Ellis.The taster opens with a wry nod to Less Than Zero, beginning “They had made a movie about us. The…

 

New tickets for Deakins Keynote Dailies · Mon, 31 May 2010

We’ve just released a limited amount of new seats for the Deakin Lecture series keynote address this Sunday with Tim Flannery.Flannery has long been at the vanguard of Australia’s environmental…

 

Dicovering the Other Black Gold Dailies · Fri, 28 May 2010

One of the great hopes of carbon storage is biochar, because it could be used to generate electricity and fertilise soil. ABC’s Bush Telegraph looked at the substance they’re calling “the other…

 

Flannery's change of heart Dailies · Fri, 28 May 2010

The media buzzed with news that Deakins Series curator Tim Flannery has switched his position on Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and on carbon capturing.The Australian reported from Flannery’s speech…

 

Doubters and sceptics on the Deakins Dailies · Thu, 27 May 2010

Not everyone agrees on climate change. Quadrant Online’s Doomed Planet questions global warming publishing Andrew Gilkson’s argument that there is a “widening gulf between scientific observations…

 

Reading the Deakins Dailies · Tue, 25 May 2010

Local readers might be all too familiar with our curator from the wealth of books Tim Flannery has written – most notably his seminal and influential climate change work The Weather Makers. Based o…

 

Next Wave pushes cuteness to new limits Dailies · Tue, 25 May 2010

Photo by Jorge De Aruojo Next Wave Festival is known for risky and sometimes strange art, but Bennett Miller’s Dachshund UN has given it the label adorable around the…

 

New Yorker hearts Carey Dailies · Mon, 24 May 2010

Based on the New Yorker review of Peter Carey’s latest novel, they clearly adore the Australian writer who has chosen Manhattan as his home.The review hails Parrot & Olivier in America as “a…

 

Flannery and Rowley on the Deakins Dailies · Fri, 21 May 2010

Both Tim Flannery and Nick Rowley come to the Deakin Lectures as veterans of last year’s Copenhagen Climate Change Summit. After the disappointing outcome of that conference we asked both…

 

Turnbull's Policy Re-think Dailies · Thu, 20 May 2010

Tony Abbott has done a lot to impress Malcolm Turnbull with his new-found praise for Coalition policy on climate change.Back in December 2009 Turnbull’s blog entry scolded “Mr Abbott apparently…

 

David Marr Presenter · Wed, 19 May 2010

In a career spanning over thirty years, he has written for the Sydney Morning Herald, the Age and the Monthly, been editor of the National Times, a reporter for Four Corners and presenter of…

 

Monica Dux Presenter · Wed, 19 May 2010

You can find her at www.monicadux.com.au and on Twitter as @monicadux.

 

White For the Lost Booker? Dailies · Tue, 18 May 2010

With Cristos Tsiolkas hailed by The Times as a “literary rock star” and The Slap storming Britain this month, it’s easy to forget a generation of Australian authors who first broke into Blighty.One s…

 

Britain's Politics Blows Climate Change Dailies · Mon, 17 May 2010

As Britain meets its new power-sharing leaders, climate change policy is caught in the middle, according to The Independent.Pre-election slogans from the Conservative party to “vote blue, go green&rdquo…

 

Paul Callaghan on Are Video Games Art? Dailies · Thu, 13 May 2010

One of the cornerstones of the ‘games can never be art’ argument is that games are defined as competitive pursuits built around rules and goals, and from that definition, nobody has ever produced…

 

The Vices of Bret Easton Ellis Dailies · Wed, 12 May 2010

Ahead of his release of Imperial Bedrooms, Bret Easton Ellis gave an interview to Vice magazine in his characteristic rock-star style.When pushed on why he wrote a sequel to Less Than Zero, Easton…

 

David Astle Re-works Words

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Writer and crossword maker David Astle dropped into the Wheeler Centre to re-mix words and minds with his unique take on language.

 

Raising Voices for Indigenous Literacy Dailies · Tue, 11 May 2010

This year’s Sydney Writers' Festival features Songs for Stories, an event to support the Indigenous Literacy Project (ILP). It’s an echo of a Melbourne Writers' Festival event, Songwriters, which…

 

Kaiser ruled Q and A Dailies · Tue, 11 May 2010

If you’re watching ABC’s Q&A on TV then you missed half the show. Last night’s debate on internet censorship was best viewed with a laptop as Twitter raged with comments about everything from the…

 

Cover Versions Dailies · Mon, 10 May 2010

A foreign edition of a book often gives it a new face for the international market, argues a Guardian article. Harry Potter was re-imagined with a mouse-shaped hat by an Italian publisher while…

 

Marcia Langton Presenter · Fri, 07 May 2010

Her doctoral fieldwork was conducted in eastern Cape York Peninsula during the 1990s, and her experience of the statutory land claim and native title system in this region was informed by a decade…

 

Emerging Technology at Writers' Festival Dailies · Fri, 07 May 2010

The Emerging Writer’s Festival (EWF) kicks off next Friday with the First Word, but for non-Melbournians the festival launches its online program tomorrow.The online program will be launched at…

 

Lighting up a New Kind of Novel Dailies · Fri, 07 May 2010

Jonathan Walker is a new kind of novelist. His new book Five Wounds is what he calls an illuminated novel reminding readers of monastic tomes while being very current.Recent books like Incredibly…

 

Naomi Wolf Event · Thu, 06 May 2010

The Beauty Myth Revisited: How Images of Beauty Are Still Used Against WomenOn the eve of the 20th anniversary of The Beauty Myth, Naomi Wolf revisits the work that The New York Times called one of t…

 

Bret Easton Ellis coming to Melbourne Dailies · Wed, 05 May 2010

Last night the Wheeler Centre confirmed that Bret Easton Ellis will be appearing in Melbourne in August. The author of American Psycho will discuss his hotly anticipated Imperial Bedrooms, a sequel t…

 

Deveny commits Twittercide Dailies · Wed, 05 May 2010

The Age newspaper has sacked long-time columnist Catherine Deveny for her comments on Twitter during the Logies. Watching the red carpet arrival, Deveny tweeted that she hoped Rove McManus' wife…

 

China cracks down on internet Dailies · Tue, 04 May 2010

China has announced that it will step up its online monitoring to prevent “overseas hostile forces from infiltrating through the internet”, according to a Reuters report. Wang Chen, head of the…

 

Double-barelled Calibre winners Dailies · Tue, 04 May 2010

Subscribers to Australian Book Review would have opened the magazine to find that the Calibre Prize was awarded to two outstanding essays.Dr David Hansen’s “Seeing Truganini” looks into the European …

 

Under the Skin of the Dragon Tattoo Dailies · Mon, 03 May 2010

Swedish novelist Stieg Larsson led a life as fascinating as his fiction, according an extract from The Man Who Left Too Soon by Barry Forshaw published in The Times.The book reveals Larsson had all …

 

Bring on Booktown Dailies · Fri, 30 Apr 2010

This weekend the sleepy town of Clunes once again becomes Booktown. The annual event brings more than 60 booksellers from across Australia along with Miles Franklin shortlister Sonya Hartnett and…

 

What's the story with Bluebird? Dailies · Thu, 29 Apr 2010

This morning commuters in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane were met with a pamphlet campaign for Stop Bluebird which seemed to be yet another environmental protest. In fact it was the start of the…

 

Peter Carey talks to The New York Times Dailies · Wed, 28 Apr 2010

Peter Carey talks to The New York Times about life in Australia and New York and writing. Peter Carey will be a guest of the Wheeler Centre in late May.

 

Samuel Johnson Prize Longlist Dailies · Tue, 27 Apr 2010

The longlist for the 2010 BBC Samuel Johnson Prize has been announced. Among the nominees is maths book Alex's Adventures In Numberland by Alex Bellos for its attempt to "demystify" maths. …

 

Miles Franklin Literary Award shortli... Dailies · Fri, 23 Apr 2010

The Miles Franklin Literary Award shortlist has been announced. Among those nominated is Sonya Hartnett for her book Butterfly. Sonya will be speaking with 3RRR's Donna Morabito next week at the…

 

Peter Singer Presenter · Wed, 21 Apr 2010

Peter Singer was born in Melbourne, Australia, in 1946 and educated at the University of Melbourne and the University of Oxford. He has taught at the University of Oxford, La Trobe University and…

 

Bernard Calleo on Hicksville Dailies · Wed, 21 Apr 2010

In support of the Wheeler Centre's Drawing Out, Drawing In: Spotlight on Graphic Novels event this weekend, Bernard Calleo blogs for Readings on Dylan Horrocks's graphic novel, Hicksville.Also…

 

Tomorrow's Lunchbox/Soapbox - Shane M... Dailies · Wed, 21 Apr 2010

Libraries are places where books talk to each other. But are their seductive whisperings in danger of being drowned out by the roar of phone-using, iPod wearing, internet surfing hordes?This is an…

 

Spotlight on Graphic Novels this weekend Dailies · Tue, 20 Apr 2010

The Spotlight on Graphic Novels event begins this Friday and runs for three days. The keynote address with Shaun Tan on Friday is booked out, however seats may be available at the door immediately…

 

Conversations on Jazz at the Wheeler ... Dailies · Mon, 19 Apr 2010

For the first time, the Melbourne International Jazz Festival in association with The Wheeler Centre, presents Conversations, a series of panel discussion forums featuring leading musicians…

 

Pultzer prize for fiction goes to deb... Dailies · Thu, 15 Apr 2010

The Guardian reports on the Pultzer prize for fiction going to Paul Hardings debut novel, Tinkers. The novel was published by small independent not-for-profit Bellevue Literary Press. …

 

The New York Times critizises Yarn Ma... Dailies · Tue, 13 Apr 2010

The New York Times writer, Michiko Kakutani, critizises Yarn Martel's new novel Beatrice and Virgil calling it "... a botched and at times cringe-making fable" and "... a far cry" from his 2001…

 

Graphic Novels Dailies · Tue, 13 Apr 2010

George Dunford blogs on how "..literary journals have come a long way in how they see comics".George will one of our chairs in the upcoming weekend event Drawing Out, Drawing In : A Spotlight on…

 

Debut Mondays Event · Mon, 12 Apr 2010

Readers are spoilt for choice: bookshops are overflowing with the great, the good (and the rest), and it could not be harder to choose what to read next.Every fortnight, let DEBUT MONDAYS be your…

 

The Wheeler Centre hosts Sydney Write... Dailies · Mon, 12 Apr 2010

Colm Toibin, Peter Carey and Elizabeth Gilbert - bookings now open.

 

ALR: What's Wrong with Anzac? Event · Fri, 09 Apr 2010

Few would disagree that in recent years the idea of the Anzac has become an important, even dominant force within Australian history. But with Anzac Day just around the corner, what does it all…

 

New Clancy book to include old charac... Dailies · Thu, 08 Apr 2010

The New York Times reports that Tom Clancy's new book due out in December, Dead or Alive, will feature well known characters from previous books. Clancy is known for such best-sellers as The Hunt…

 

NSW Premier's Literary Awards Shortli... Dailies · Thu, 08 Apr 2010

The 2010 NSW Premier's Literary Awards shortlists have been announced. The UTS Glenda Adams Award for New Writing shortlist includes Kathy Charles for her first book Hollywood…

 

Tomorrow's Lunchbox/Soapbox - Comedia... Dailies · Wed, 07 Apr 2010

Phil At this special Melbourne International Comedy Festival Lunchbox/Soapbox, Canadian comedian Phil Nichol will attempt to explore…

 

What exactly does it mean to "pull a ... Dailies · Wed, 31 Mar 2010

Interestingly, the Wheeler Centre has already heard three of its visiting writers express very different opinions on Philip Roth.Roth, who has predicted that reading novels will have become a…

 

White and Hazzard on Lost Man Booker ... Dailies · Fri, 26 Mar 2010

Two Australian have made the short list for the Lost Man Booker Prize.The Sydney Morning Herald says Patrick White, nominated for The Vivisector and Shirley Hazzard's The Bay of Noon fell through…

 

Sherman Alexie wins PEN/Faulkner Award Dailies · Thu, 25 Mar 2010

Sherman Alexie was named the winner of the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction for his novel War Dances. War Dances: Sherman Alexie Th…

 

British author wins childrens Dailies · Thu, 25 Mar 2010

British writer David Almond is "stunned" to have won Children's literary award, the Guardian reports. [missing asset]

 

Ted Hughes honoured Dailies · Wed, 24 Mar 2010

Poet Ted Hughes is to be recognised with a permanent memorial in Poets' Corner in Westminster Abbey, the Independent reports. Ted Hughes…

 

Solar by Ian McEwan Dailies · Thu, 18 Mar 2010

Ian McEwan’s latest novel Solar, published today, is a look at climate change through the eyes of a fairly unappealing, middle-aged scientist. Solar: Ian McEwan The…

 

Keneally on Miles Franklin list Dailies · Wed, 17 Mar 2010

Thomas Keneally's novel The People's Train, Peter Carey's Parrot And Olivier In America and Alex Miller's Lovesong have all been long-listed for this year's Miles Franklin award. …

 

Penguin Classics turn 75 Dailies · Tue, 16 Mar 2010

Penguin has today announced the addition of 75 new titles to their iconic orange-and-white-covered popular classic roster, available from July 20 this year.The release celebrates 75 years of the…

 

Gorbachev: perestroika 25 years on Dailies · Mon, 15 Mar 2010

Mikhail Gorbachev writes in the New York Times that modern Russia must strive to regain the freedoms lost in 25 ears of "shock therapy". USSR…

 

Let Prof Pods boost your brain power Dailies · Fri, 05 Mar 2010

Presented by The Wheeler Centre with the Australian Poetry Centre, Ezra Bix, aka Professor Petri P Podsapoppin PhD, hosts the Fed Square Book Market this Saturday. …

 

The ALR on politicians' reading habits Dailies · Wed, 03 Mar 2010

The Australian Literary Review surveys our politicians about their favourite books, with some interesting results. War and Peace: Leo Tolstoy

 

Malcolm Fraser at the Baptist Church Dailies · Wed, 03 Mar 2010

The very last tickets for Malcolm Fraser have now been released. Book here to see Fraser in conversation with co-writer Margaret Simons and George Megalogenis tonight. …

 

So much for health care Dailies · Tue, 02 Mar 2010

The New York Times reviews Lionel Shriver's latest novel, So Much for That, which takes a swipe at US health care and insurance policy, and the impact it can have on middle class families. …

 

Meat & Livestock Australia responds t... Dailies · Fri, 26 Feb 2010

Following Peter Singer's Lunchbox/Soapbox appearance yesterday, we invite Meat & Livestock Australia to respond, as well as asking you to join the debate. …

 

A Gala Night of Storytelling on film Dailies · Thu, 18 Feb 2010

Footage of the first six of our Gala Night writers is now online, via video or podcast: A Gala Night of Storytelling: the writers Watch the video here:David MaloufCate…

 

Artistic intervention at the Guggenheim Dailies · Fri, 12 Feb 2010

To mark the New York Guggenheim’s 50th anniversary, the museum invited almost 200 artists, architects, and designers to reimagine the building's central rotunda for the exhibition Contemplating the…

 

Rive Gauche ruse Dailies · Wed, 10 Feb 2010

The Australian Literary Review reports on the hoax that has France's best loved public philosopher, Bernard-Henri Levy, blushing. When Levy attacked Immanuel Kant in his latest book, On War in…

 

Social networking examined Dailies · Tue, 09 Feb 2010

The New York Review of Books on Ben Mezrich's The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook, A Tale of Sex, Money, Genius, and Betrayal and Stealing MySpace: The Battle to Control the Most…

 

A map showing electricity usage in No... Dailies · Mon, 08 Feb 2010

 

ABR votes Tim Winton's Cloudstreet fa... Dailies · Thu, 04 Feb 2010

Cloudstreet by Tim Winton has been voted the winner of the Australian Book Review's Favourite Australian Novels poll. Cloudstreet: Tim Winton (Penguin) …

 

Doing it for the kids Dailies · Mon, 01 Feb 2010

The Observer publishes an extract from Patti Smith's new memoir, Just Kids. Patti Smith's Just Kids: Harper Collins

 

Catcher in the Rye author has died Dailies · Fri, 29 Jan 2010

The Age reports that famously reclusive author, J D Salinger, has died at his home in New Hampshire. J D Salinger's Catcher in the Rye: Penguin

 

Stephenie Meyer to launch graphic novel Dailies · Fri, 22 Jan 2010

Yen Press, part of Hachette Book Group, has announced plans to release a graphic novel version of Stephanie Meyer's hugely popular Twilight series.The Wheeler Centre will have a spotlight on graphic…

 

Tony Birch Presenter · Thu, 21 Jan 2010

His stories have appeared in several ‘Best of …’ and anthologies, both within Australia and internationally. His previous books are Shadowboxing (Scribe 2006) and Father’s Day (Hunter 2009). Tony t…

 

A Cultural Depression Dailies · Fri, 15 Jan 2010

The Times Literary Supplement examines Morris Dickstein's new book Dancing in the Dark, which looks at the cultural impact of the Great Depression during the 1930s. …

 

Poetry Gets Animated: Carry a Poem Dailies · Thu, 14 Jan 2010

 

Review: Eating Animals Dailies · Wed, 13 Jan 2010

Peter Singer, our first Lunchbox/Soapbox presenter, reviews Jonathan Safran Foer's Eating Animals in The Monthly.

 

Come Rain or Come Shine Dailies · Wed, 13 Jan 2010

 

Your own version of The New Yorker Dailies · Fri, 08 Jan 2010

 

Animal Matters Dailies · Fri, 08 Jan 2010

The Times Literary Supplement reviews Andrew Linzey's new book Why Animal Suffering Matters, which looks at the ethics of how humans use and treat animals.The …

 

Fringe dwellers Dailies · Wed, 06 Jan 2010

Paul Barker's new book,The Freedoms of Suburbia, sings the praises of that most unfashionable of locales.And the Architects' Journal agrees. Freedoms of…

 

Tóibín wins the Costa Dailies · Tue, 05 Jan 2010

Colm Tóibín wins the Costa prize (formerly the Whitbread) for his novel Brooklyn.

 

An archive of book cover designs Dailies · Wed, 23 Dec 2009

 

The future: not quite what we expected Dailies · Mon, 21 Dec 2009

 

A decade of books Dailies · Thu, 17 Dec 2009

December normally invites all kinds of 'year in review' type lists, and this year we have the added excitement of the end of a decade to contend with.This being the case, we have decide to start…

 

Jane Austen celebrates her birthday w... Dailies · Wed, 16 Dec 2009

Jane Austen would have celebrated her 234th birthday today and while her novels might have thrived over the last 200 years, she died relatively young, in 1817.But, it seems, Austen lives on, or at…

 

The Sartorialist Down Under Dailies · Wed, 16 Dec 2009

The Sartorialist has been snapping locals in Sydney and Melbourne over the past week... we like Melbourne Man, even if he does seem to have forgotten his socks. …

 

The story of Hamlet is one where the ... Dailies · Tue, 15 Dec 2009

Professor Tim Flannery at the Copenhagen Climate Conference

 

Summer reading Dailies · Tue, 15 Dec 2009

The State Library of Victoria gives us its favourite 10 Victorian books, either by Victorians or set in Victoria, or both, for summer 2009-10. State Library…

 

The digital future of books Dailies · Mon, 14 Dec 2009

The New York Review of Books on Google's plan to digitalise millions of books, presages the Wheeler Centre's debate on the same subject. Reading in a Time of…

 

Find Your Tribe (and 9 other things I... Dailies · Mon, 14 Dec 2009

 

Myer catalogue image Dailies · Fri, 11 Dec 2009

 

The Passion of Safran Dailies · Thu, 10 Dec 2009

Last night John Safran, one of the twelve storytellers who will be a part of our Gala Night inaugural event, was crucified on television. John Safran's Race…

 

BBC Worldwide faces privatisation Dailies · Thu, 10 Dec 2009

It has been widely reported in the British press that the UK government is considering the sell-off of BBC Worldwide, the BBC's commercial arm and majority shareholder in Lonely Planet Publications.T…

 

Richard Wright wins the Turner Prize Dailies · Tue, 08 Dec 2009

Richard Wright wins the Turner Prize as the Tate Britain announces this year's result.The shortlist, published in April, also included Enrico David, Roger Hiorns and Lucy Skaer. …

 

Copenhagen leaders a sorry old bunch Dailies · Mon, 07 Dec 2009

Greenpeace advertisments will greet world leaders as they arrive in Copenhagen for the Climate Change Conference this week, but Barack Obama, Gordon Brown and others may not be thrilled but what…

 

Gregory Peck and Ava Gardner star in ... Dailies · Fri, 04 Dec 2009

 

Where the Wild Things Are: the origin... Dailies · Thu, 03 Dec 2009

 

Where the Wild things are is in Austr... Dailies · Thu, 03 Dec 2009

 

The original Eureka flag, 155 years a... Dailies · Thu, 03 Dec 2009

 

More Readings best of lists Dailies · Wed, 02 Dec 2009

Reading's best art and design books of 2009 Art Deco Complete: The Definitive Guide (in Wheeler Centre green!) ****

 

Sarah Palin's rouge reading Dailies · Wed, 02 Dec 2009

Huge amounts have, predictably, been written about US Republican Sarah Palin's memoir Going Rouge, since its release last month. The Huffington Post is already…

 

Jane Austen mash-ups Dailies · Wed, 02 Dec 2009

There's been Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, now there's Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters.But not everyone can see the value in what the LA Times calls the "halloweenification of Jane…

 

World's smallest library? Dailies · Tue, 01 Dec 2009

Residents of Somerset, in England, can now borrow books from what must be one of the world's smallest lending libraires.

 

NASA's cosmic coastline: Ancient Laye... Dailies · Mon, 30 Nov 2009

 

NZ Book Council: Going West Dailies · Fri, 27 Nov 2009

 

Hackpacker tours the Centre, on Spike Dailies · Thu, 26 Nov 2009

 

The Wheeler Centre name is announced Dailies · Thu, 26 Nov 2009

Today Victorian Arts Minister Lynne Kosky officially announced our new name, the Wheeler Centre for Books, Writing and Ideas.We also announced our first public events, which will happen in February, …

 

Best books of the 00s Dailies · Wed, 25 Nov 2009

Everything from Freakonomics to Atonement has made it onto the The Onion's AV Club best books of the 00s list.

 

my first encounter with the up close<... Dailies · Wed, 25 Nov 2009

Times Literary Supplement: Eelworks, Seamus Heaney

 

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