What happens when a veteran interviewer becomes the interviewee? In this event Clare Wright turn the spotlight on political journalist, podcaster and television presenter, Annabel Crabb for a far ranging and intimate conversation to kick off the gala event of the 2024 Bendigo Writers Festival.

The event included special performances by acclaimed poets Jazz Money and Sara M Saleh.

Recorded on 16th August, 2024.

For years books exploring Australian Indigenous history have been reframing the story, addressing the wrongs of previous historiography. In this event we hear about two works - Enlightened Aboriginal Futures by Barry Judd and Katherine Elllinghaus, and Näku Dhäruk The Bark Petitions by Clare Wright. Both of these books explore issues of settler-colonialism, sovereignty, consultation and cross-cultural interaction, with host Julie Andrews. Introduced by Nick Bisley.

Recorded on 22nd October, 2024.

Acclaimed writer Christos Tsiolkas will be in conversation with Catherine Padmore to discuss his new book ‘The In-Between’, a tender, affecting novel of love, of hope, of forgiveness by one of our most fearless and truthful interpreters of the human heart.

Recorded on 17th April, 2024.

We all have favourite characters on screen or stage – people we love, love to hate, or simply find fascinating.

In this panel Nicole Skeltys and Reg Cribb will be in conversation with Noel Maloney. These three expert scriptwriters discuss how they create compelling characters for films, TV shows, theatre and rock opera, the processes of collaboration that happen with co-writers, actors and directors, and ways to make imaginary people feel real.

Recorded on 24th October 2023.

Poetry is one of the oldest forms of art and storytelling in many cultures, and one of the most vibrant.

From the song cycles of Arnhem Land to Sappho to Slam Poetry at your local pub, poetry expresses culture, emotion, ideas, memory, politics – everything – using form, rhythm, sound, image, space and above all, language. Many poets make it look easy, but is it? What makes a poem work? What tools does a poet need in their writer’s toolbox? And for readers, how can we learn to read a poem?

In this panel of poets and poetry experts Thomas H Ford, Simon West and Judith Bishop will help us unravel these and many other questions with host Claire Knowles.

Recorded on 22nd May 2024.

Memoir and autobiography are among the most popular forms of writing in the world. From football players to movie stars to that bloke down the street, everyone has a story to tell. But what does it take, how do you go about it, and how do you make your story come alive for readers you’ve never met?

In this event acclaimed La Trobe memoir writers Michelle Dicinoski and Akuch Kuol Anyeith discuss what motivates them and how they approach memoir writing, in conversation with Kelly Gardiner.

Recorded on 25th May, 2023.

Australia has a unique view of its place in the world. Surrounded by ocean, a part of the South Pacific but with undeniable links to the legacy of colonialism, our past and how we conduct ourselves with our neighbours are a critical part of our identity.

In this event La Trobe University authors Bec Strating and Michael O’Keefe will discuss Australia’s identity, its strategic defence, and how its cultural and historical position influences its approach to foreign policy with host Nick Bisley.

Recorded on 20th August, 2024.

Crime writing is one of the most popular genres in the world: from detective novels to television series to scripted podcasts, crime is enjoying another of its golden eras. But what is it about crime? Why do so many readers and writers enjoy it? And what makes it work?

La Trobe University is home to some of the country’s most acclaimed crime writers and researchers. In this event, Garry Disher, Vikki Petraitis and Dennis Altman will explore the why and how of writing crime with host Kelly Gardner.

Recorded on 20th March, 2024.

Imagine the world with only the original language version of the texts and stories we hold close to our hearts. Many of us couldn’t read the fairytales and children’s stories we grew up with, or the songs and stories of First Nations peoples, or the Bible or Quran.

In this event La Trobe translators Lilit Thwaites, Nataša Kampmark and Brigid Maher discuss translating from crime fiction to memoir, science fiction to academic articles, across a wide range of languages.

Recorded on 30th August, 2023.

To celebrate a new exclusive ballet in Melbourne based on the life and writings of Oscar Wilde, this event will explore the cultural influences on Wilde’s own literary output well as the ways that his work has impacted later generations of writers, artists, critics and curators.

Panel:

David Hallberg (Artistic Director, The Australian Ballet)

Christos Tsiolkas (Adjunct Research Fellow, Humanities and Social Sciences, La Trobe University)

Dr Alexis Harley (Senior Lecturer, English and Creative Writing, La Trobe University)

Tobias Fulton (Tutor, History and Classics, La Trobe University)

Professor Dennis Altman AM (Author and Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow, La Trobe University) (Chair)

A La Trobe University event in partnership with The Australian Ballet.

Recorded on 3rd September, 2024.