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 Art Spigelman
For over 50 years, the singular brain and talent of acclaimed comic artist, writer and editor Art Spigelman has defined and redefined the world of visual storytelling. His seminal masterpiece MAUS, with its reimagining of the Holocaust with cats and mice, won the 1992 Pulitzer Prize. As The New York Times said, "It would almost be impossible to overstate the influence of MAUS among other artists."
When, earlier this year, the Tennessee Board of Education voted to remove it from classrooms, Art was uniquely placed to reflect on a history of censorship, silencing and the the times free speech has remained a radical act.
Appearing live via video, Art reflects on a career of finding new ways to write, draw and talk about the world, and a life spent challenging conversations and prejudice with Morris Gleitzman.
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Friday 20 May
08:00am - 09:00am
BOOK HERE
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Michelle de Kretser & Christos Tsiolkas
Two of the biggest names in Australian literature, Michelle de Kretser (Scary Monster) and Christos Tsiolkas (7 1/2), come together to discuss their latest books. These thrilling contributions to already stellar careers take them in new directions as they play with form and voice while asking questions of their own work and the world.
Don't miss what promises to be a fascinating exchange between these prize-winning writers, with host Roanna Gonsalves.
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Friday 20 May
10:00am - 11:00am
BOOK HERE
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Steve Toltz: Here Goes Nothing
Booker-shortlisted author Steve Toltz discusses his highly anticipated new novel, Here Goes Nothing, with acclaimed author Sarah Krasnostein. As wildly inventive and savagely funny as his first two books, Quicksand and A Fraction of the Whole, Here Goes Nothing is a razor-sharp take on love, mortality and the afterlife.
He shares common ground with Sarah, whose book, The Believer, explores the universal need to make sense of life, death and all that lies between.
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Friday 20 May
12:00pm - 1:00pm
BOOK HERE
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But Not Forgotten
Among the individuals who shape our creative, imaginative and personal selves, the influence and lasting impact of writers, artists and thinkers is irrefutable. So, in this special remembrance of writers past, Festival guests pay tribute to icons lost in the past year, eulogising and celebrating those giants in the sky.
Including Jackie Huggins (Sister Girl and Jack of Hearts: QX11594) on bell hooks, Sarah Krasnostein (The Believer) on Joan Didion, and Melissa Lucashenko (Too Much Lip) on Keri Hulme, this is an unforgettable celebration not to be missed, hosted by Susan Wyndham.
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Friday 20 May
2:00pm - 3:00pm
BOOK HERE
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Barrie Cassidy & Friends: Election 2022
The only thing more essential for election 2022 than a sausage in a bread roll is this panel of Festival favourite Barrie Cassidy and his hand-chosen team of the country's best commentators.
While we didn't know at the time of writing if the federal election would fall this morning what we do know is there's no better panel with which to unpick the state of the national discourse, national politics and nation itself. Joining Barrie are Fran Kelly and Niki Savva.
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Saturday 21 May
8:00am - 9:00am
BOOK HERE
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Sarah Winman: Still Life
*PLEASE NOTE: this session has replaced the original session that was advertised for this time slot Derecka Purnell: Becoming Abolitionists
Hailed as a tonic for wanderlust and a cure for loneliness Still Life by British novelist Sarah Winman is a joyous historical celebration of love and beauty in all their forms. Hear from the bestselling author of When God Was a Rabbit and Tin Man about this rich tale of people brought together by art, love and war, set against the backdrop of Tuscany, Florence and London in the 1940s. Sarah joins live via video, speaking with Ailsa Piper.
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Saturday 21 May
10:00am - 11:00am
BOOK HERE
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Maxine Beneba Clarke & Omar Musa
With an unexpected turn of phrase or lyrical twist, poetry can surprise, thrill and invite readers to make meaning from between the lines. Hear from acclaimed Australian artists and writers Maxine Beneba Clarke and Omar Musa as they discuss their electrifying new poetry collections, which upend conventional wisdom about colonial history, climate change and our pandemic-afflicted times.
Maxine's How Decent Folk Behave extends her reputation as a "powerful and fearless storyteller" (Dave Eggers), while Omar's Killernova has been described as "if Frank Ocean ghost-wrote Nostradamus" (Hera Lindsay Bird). They appear in conversation with Evelyn Araluen (Dropbear).
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Saturday 21 May
12:00pm - 1:00pm
BOOK HERE
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The Limits of Imagination
Creative writing teachers have advised students to 'write what you know' for generations. As the cultural sphere expands and more voices are finding new avenues to publication and readership, that advice has become much more loaded. Concerns about cultural appropriation and authenticity - about who gets to tell a story, and who owns it - now dominate conversations about literary endeavour and value.
Booker Prize - winner Damon Galgut (The Promise), Larissa Behrendt (After Story) and Paige Clark (She Is Haunted) join host Sisonke Msimang to ask: what are the responsibilities and opportunities of the creative writer and artist, and does imagination have its limits?
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Saturday 21 May
2:00pm - 3:00pm
BOOK HERE
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Rebecca Solnit: Orwell's Roses
Rebecca Solnit is one of the great essayists of our times, having garnered acclaim for her work on subjects as diverse as feminism, the history of walking and even the art of getting lost. Her essay 'Men Explain Lolita to Me' is literary criticism and social commentary at its finest, and her seminal Hope in the Dark is a modern classic.
The renowned author and activist joins host Sophie Black live via video to discuss her latest book Orwell's Roses, a lush exploration of nature, pleasure and politics inspired by George Orwell's love of gardening. She explores a fresh take on the British writer, shares the significance of joy in his concept of freedom, and pushes readers "to treasure the small moments of grace to be found in the natural world, even now in the face of climate catastrophes and global unrest" (Los Angeles Review of Books).
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Sunday 22 May
8:00am - 9:00am
BOOK HERE
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Where Angels Fear to Tread
With so much concern around silencing and censorship in contemporary discourse, it's hard to think of any one element that has a greater impact on what can and can't be said in Australia than our defamation laws. No matter how much of an idiot **RETRACTED** might be, or however well founded the allegations against **RETRACTED** are, in Australia, you publish at your peril.
Our panel of brilliant legal and media minds - Hannah Marshall, Chris Masters and Kate McClymont - choose their words carefully with Erik Jensen as they explore why we have the harshest defamation laws in the world, and how this affects good public discourse.
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Sunday 22 May
10:00am - 11:00am
BOOK HERE
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Liane Moriarty & Caroline Overington
Liane Moriarty is a global publishing sensation. In a very special conversation The New York Times - bestselling author discusses her new novel, Apples Never Fall, the sensation around her TV adaptions, and her broader body of work, with Literary Editor of The Australian and author Caroline Overington (The Cuckoo's Cry).
Together, they examine the art of crafting gripping stories, creating compelling characters and capturing layers of drama.
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Sunday 22 May
12:00pm - 1:00pm
BOOK HERE
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I Was Wrong
They are seemingly the three hardest words to say in public life: "I was wrong". The process of changing minds - individually, collectively and culturally - is made that much harder by a political landscape in which admitting uncertainty, confessing error or revealing a change of heart is actively discouraged.
Hear from some of Australia's most respected holders of deep-seated beliefs as they each present a short talk on a topic that deepened their learning, evolved their thinking or flat out changed their mind.
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Sunday 22 May
2:00pm - 3:00pm
BOOK HERE
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