An increasing number of parents are choosing to raise their children gender-neutral. What will happen if the movement grows, and we raise whole generations of people who are not assigned a binary gender at birth? What would be the flow-on effects in health and education, and for our institutions of law and citizenship? Is it possible to shield a child from ideas of gender entirely? Is altogether abolishing gender actually feasible, or desirable? Featuring Son Vivienne, Zac Collins-Widders and Bobuq Sayed.

In this conversation, presented in partnership with Human Rights Watch, we focus on some key issues and priorities relating to disability rights in the region and in conflict zones. Hear from Shantha Rau Barriga from Human Rights Watch, and from author and disability rights advocate Nujeen Mustafa. Nujeen's book, Nujeen: One Girl's Incredible Journey from War-torn Syria in a Wheelchair, tells the story of her extraordinary journey from Syria to Germany in a wheelchair – a journey she undertook in 2014 at the age of 16. Hosted by David Manne.

Santilla Chingaipe, Lyn Morgain, Janine Mohamed and Adele Murdolo look at how and why racism impacts minds and bodies – discussing internalised prejudice, shortcomings in the training and recruitment of medical professionals and institutionalised discrimination in the healthcare system.

Over decades, non-fiction writer Susan Orlean has taken readers into places their minds have never wandered – sometimes, to places right in front of them. For our Mayhem series, this giant of American non-fiction looks back on her legendary career, and its eclectic subjects, in conversation with Sarah Krasnostein.

Bhakthi Puvanenthiran, Shaad D'Souza, Ashleigh Wilson and Luke Carman talk addiction, mental illness and cults of personality in the arts, as well as cancel culture and boycotts in the era of #metoo.

Palestinian-born writer Samah Sabawi’s work is concerned with displacement, conflict and diaspora. ‘Through writing our stories, our poems and songs,’ she has written, ‘we reconstruct our erased past, assert our present and try to shape our future.’ Appearing live at the Wheeler Centre for our PEN Writing in Exile series, she talks to Sami Shah about writing for her life.

Australia’s prison populations are booming and their demographics are heavily skewed – with Indigenous Australians shockingly over-represented. At the Wheeler Centre for Melbourne Knowledge Week, Robyn Oxley, Debbie Kilroy and Meriki Onus discuss why we rely so heavily on prisons in our criminal justice system.

The experts have spoken – there’s no doubt the water is rising. But what will it mean for Melbournians? Your suburban backyard might not be growing seaweed, but the effects will be felt across our city as we adapt to new ways of being. What might rising water levels mean for our ports and for waste management? How will our roads and sewage systems be affected? Will we see a new wave of migration from other Australian cities that have been hit even harder? The reality of our future is upon us – how will we stay afloat? Presented in partnership with Melbourne Knowledge Week, and featuring Erin O'Donnell, Karen White, David Sornig and host Andi Horvath.

At this special event at the Wheeler Centre, we hear from some of the stars of Australian romance. Jenna Guillaume, C.S. Pacat, Jodi McAlister, Angelita Biscotti, Anne Gracie and Minnie Darke each share a short reflection or provocation on the genre, followed by a panel discussion and audience Q&A. What are the reactionary conventions of romance, and what are its more subversive elements? What do stolen kisses, ripped bodices and father figures mean today? What's changing, what's here to stay, and what sets the 21st-century woman’s heart aflutter?

Young Australian voices across intersecting political movements – Paige Burton, Lawrence Reginald Chang and Maiysha Moin – discuss the tide of youth activism sweeping many parts of the globe, and the increasing appetite for challenging the status quo here at home. Presented in partnership with the Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare.