Event and Ticketing Details
Dates & Times
Wednesday 20 September
6:15 PM - 7:15 PM
A good celebrity profile is a rare thing. Those that walk the line between quality writing, respect for the subject, and honouring the reader’s desire for a glimpse behind the curtain – while avoiding the murky depths of rumour mongering – are few and far between.
Some have made history, for good and bad reasons. Take the recent cringe-worthy profile of Brad Pitt in GQ (which in turn inspired the excellent companion piece by Marina Hyde in the Guardian), or the ones that created their own zeitgeist, such as Vanity Fair’s profile of Caitlyn Jenner, or profiles that become classics through the combination of celebrity of author and subject, such as Richard Flanagan’s analysis of David Walsh in the Monthly.
This meeting of the Longform Society will discuss and dissect the writing that celebrates our ongoing fascination with celebrity, and some of the most memorable pieces by, or about, the superstars of our times.
This event will be Auslan interpreted.
The reading list
· 'On the Road with Julia Gillard: Sketches of a prime minister in her final months', by Chloe Hooper, from the Monthly
· 'Welcome to the Summer of Margot Robbie', by Rich Cohen, from Vanity Fair
· 'Dwayne Johnson for President!', by Caity Weaver, from GQ
· 'Frank Sinatra Has a Cold', by Gay Talese, from Esquire
For regular links to the reading list, and live stream reminders, subscribe to the Longform Society's emails below. (If you want to come along, you'll also need to book a ticket.)
Featuring
Sophie Cunningham
Sophie Cunningham is a non-fiction writer and novelist with a passion for trees, walking and broader environmental issues. Sophie’s most recent books are This Devastating Fever (Ultimo Press) and Flipper and Finnegan ...
Cameron Adams
Cameron Adams is a music writer working at the Herald Sun newspaper in Melbourne. He spends his days coaxing musicians to say more than just, 'I make music for myself, if anyone else likes it, that's a bonus'. His work is published nationally in newspapers and online, and he never reads the comments.
Mel Campbell
Mel Campbell is a freelance journalist and critic who co-hosts the fortnightly literature and culture podcast The Rereaders. She is a columnist on writing at Overland magazine, and a university lecturer and writer-for-hire on film, TV and media. Her first book was the nonfiction investigation Out of Shape: Debunking Myths about Fashion and Fit (2013), and she’s currently co-writing a second romantic comedy novel with Anthony Morris; their first was The Hot Guy (2017).
Maxine Beneba Clarke
Maxine Beneba Clarke is the author of the acclaimed memoir The Hate Race, the award-winning short fiction collection Foreign Soil, the poetry collections Carrying The World and How Decent Folk Behave, and many other books ...