The Wheeler Centre

As part of The Wheeler Centre's 2024 Spring Fling program and in partnership with Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, listen to an exclusive podcast interview with celebrated writer Olivia Laing, interviewed by Sophie Cunningham. 

Olivia discusses her new book, The Garden Against Time: In Search of a Common Paradise, which moves between real and imagined gardens, exploring how new modes of living can and have been attempted amidst the flower beds. The result is a beautiful and exacting account of the abundant pleasures and possibilities of gardens: not as a place to hide from the world but as a site of encounter and discovery, bee-loud and pollen-laden.

Listen as you take a walk through the Royal Botanic Gardens, and experience first-hand the joy of wandering in nature. 

Presented in partnership with Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. 

This conversation was recorded on Monday 22 July 2024 at The Wheeler Centre.

Featured music is 'Spacemoons' by Justnormal.

Disclaimer: If you're listening on Apple Podcasts, the transcript was automatically generated by Apple's AI and is not affiliated with The Wheeler Centre. AI transcripts may contain errors. 

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From ‘manfluencer’ culture and the rising popularity of Andrew Tate, to lists ranking teenage girls on their appearance, there’s an urgent need to address the widespread sexism and misogyny in our schools and wider society. Left unchecked, these harmful attitudes and behaviours will see rates of male violence against women continue to rise.

In this panel discussion, three experts consider where these attitudes begin, and the importance of positive male role modelling in addressing them. The problem is evident – now it’s time to identify the steps that will lead to systemic, meaningful change.

Join award-winning journalist and consent educator Jane Gilmore, activist and co-founder of Not One More Niki, Tarang Chawla, and founder of The Equality Institute Emma Fulu, for a hopeful and practical conversation about how we can all take action to create positive generational change for young men.

This episode is for parents, carers, educators and anyone interested in discussions about healthy modelling of masculinity for the current and future generations of boys and young men.

Content Note: This conversation includes discussion of pornography, violence and abuse. 

This event was recorded on Thursday 25 July 2024 at The Wheeler Centre.

Featured music is 'Different Days' by Chill Cole.

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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander writers have been sharing stories on this continent for millennia. From best-selling and award-winning poetry, memoir and fiction to powerful works that defy categorisation, Blak writing depicts, challenges and honours culture, community and Country. Much-loved books by First Nations writers stand strong on shelves in homes, libraries, bookshops and classrooms – but there are always more books and writers to be discovered and rediscovered.

In 2023, University of Queensland Press (UQP) introduced its First Nations Classics series to amplify Blak voices in the literary canon. This NAIDOC Week, we celebrated the second instalment of First Nations Classics with some of the remarkable authors and contributors involved in the series.

Hear a special performance by proud Bundjalung and Lama Lama artist Tamala Shelton honouring the 2024 NAIDOC Week theme, ‘Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud and Proud’ and the enduring strength and vitality of First Nations cultures.   

The event was recorded on Thursday 11 July 2024.

It was presented in partnership with Blak & Bright. The official bookseller was Amplify Bookstore.

Featured music is DRMNGNOW ‘Get Back To The Land’ edit (recorded live at The Wheeler Centre)

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The Olympic Games have always been a site of soft diplomacy for participating nations. This has never been truer than in 2024, as athletes and countries prepare to compete from 26 July to 11 August at the Paris Olympic Games.

Olympic champions Patrick Johnson and Kieren Perkins join award-winning sports reporter Tracey Holmes to discuss the future of the games and examine how Olympic competition is shaped by the tensions of geopolitical affairs.

Together, they deep-dive into Australian representation at the Games and discuss international divisions and points of connection. They also look ahead to a major event in Australia’s calendar: the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.

This event was recorded on Tuesday 9 July 2024 at The Wheeler Centre.

Featured music is ‘Traveling Again’ by Sarah the Illstrumentalist.

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Meredith Whittaker is not afraid to take on tech giants. In 2018, she led the famous mass staff walkout at Google over the company’s laissez faire attitude towards sexual harassment allegations and the moral and ethical implications of its business practices.

Now, as President of Signal, the not-for-profit encrypted and secure messaging app, Whittaker is one of the world’s most respected experts on data surveillance and the future of big tech. She has advised the White House, the US Federal Trade Commission and many government and civil organisations on privacy, internet security and policy. 

At this special Melbourne-exclusive event, Whittaker is joined by host Vanessa Toholka as they discuss data privacy, artificial intelligence, and technology’s impact on democracy in this contentious and pivotal US election year. Hear from a leading global expert on a subject that has far-reaching implications for all of our futures.

This event was presented in partnership with Igniting Change.

It was recorded on Wednesday 26 June 2024 at The Wheeler Centre.

Featured music is ‘No One There’ by Ava Low.

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In this Wheeler Centre podcast exclusive, hear former Next Chapter recipient Khin Myint in conversation with Anna Krien as they discuss Myint's Fragile Creatures.

Khin Myint is an Australian-Burmese writer from Perth. His debut memoir, Fragile Creatures, is about how his family tackled his sister’s wish to die as she fought a non-terminal illness. Fragile Creatures, is a family story told with humour, wonderment and complete honesty. This is a book about what happens when realities clash – it’s about care, truth and the hardest choices.

This conversation was recorded on Monday 17 June 2024 at The Wheeler Centre.

Featured music is ‘Traveling Again’ by Sarah the illstrumentalist.

Crisis support can be found at Lifeline: (13 11 14 and lifeline.org.au), the Suicide Call Back Service (1300 659 467 and suicidecallbackservice.org.au) and Beyond Blue (1300 22 4636 and beyondblue.org.au)

Support the Wheeler Centre: https://www.wheelercentre.com/support-us/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Support the Wheeler Centre: https://www.wheelercentre.com/support-us/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 1993, Ma Thida was sentenced to 20 years in prison for her support of Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy and for ‘endangering public peace, having contact with illegal organisations, and distributing unlawful literature’.

Released from prison in 1999, Thida’s advocacy for freedom of expression continues unabated as Chair of PEN International’s Writers in Prison Committee and as a current fellow in the Writers-in-Exile Programme of PEN Germany.

Earlier this month, Ma Thida appeared at The Wheeler Centre in conversation with writer, essayist and academic Michelle Aung Thin. Together, they discussed the current political situation in Myanmar, Thida’s activism and survival of the harsh conditions of Insein Prison, and her ongoing dedication to freedom of expression.

The event was recorded on Thursday 6 June 2024 at The Wheeler Centre.

It was presented in partnership with PEN Melbourne and supported by RMIT Culture.

Featured music is 'No One There' by Ava Low.

Support the Wheeler Centre: https://www.wheelercentre.com/support-us/donate

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S Shakthidharan’s debut play Counting and Cracking began with a shoebox of his great-grandfather’s letters. Working with his family and the wider Sri Lankan diaspora, he excavated his family’s history, weaving threads of culture and connection into a multi-award-winning theatrical epic following four generations over five decade.

To celebrate the Melbourne debut of this global hit, Shakthidharan is joined in conversation by Masterchef sensation Minoli De Silva, who infuses her culinary artistry with Sri Lankan flavours at Darwin’s Ella restaurant, and actor and comedian Suren Jayemanne, whose stand-up work draws on his experiences as an Australian with Sri Lankan heritage.

Hosted by journalist Bhakthi Puvanenthiran, these acclaimed Sri Lankan creatives came together for an insightful and celebratory exploration of how personal narratives and cultural influences shape their craft, from family kitchens to international stages.

This event was recorded on Sunday 2 June 2024 on the set of Counting and Cracking at the Union Theatre as part of RISING.

It was presented in partnership with RISING and University of Melbourne Arts and Culture.

The official bookseller was Readings.

Featured music is 'Different Days' by Chill Cole.

Counting and Cracking is now playing at the Union Theatre until 23 June 2024 as part of RISING. Tickets can be purchased via rising.melbourne

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Sam Elkin’s Detachable Penis: A Queer Legal Saga, recounts his bumpy journey from lesbian to transgender lawyer in the aftermath of the 2017 marriage equality postal survey. Set against the backdrop of a growing moral panic about the ‘trans agenda’, Elkin’s debut book is part-love letter and part-cautionary tale. Honest and unflinching, it’s sure to spark many prickly and productive conversations.

Join Elkin as he launches Detachable Penis with host Yves Rees at an intimate and relaxed evening at The Wheeler Centre.

This event was recorded on Monday 6 May 2024 at The Wheeler Centre.

The official bookseller was Hares and Hyenas.

Featured music is 'No One There' by Ava Low.

Please note this episode contains coarse language.

Support the Wheeler Centre: https://www.wheelercentre.com/support-us/donate

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