Melbourne Writers Festival
‘Not well received’ at Harvard, these two writers maintain the rage
Writer Tony Birch reflects on how Miles Franklin Award-winner Kim Scott has intrigued and inspired him.
- by Jane Gleeson-White
Latest
Part mystery, part hostage thriller, this is our fiction pick of the week
Our reviewers assess recent fiction and non-fiction publications.
- by Cameron Woodhead and Fiona Capp
Laura Tingle on John Howard and the corrosion of Australia’s national debate
The ABC journalist says we can’t blame Trump or social media for the quality – or lack of – in our national debate.
- by Kerrie O'Brien
Paul Murray (sort of) discusses his novel’s controversial ending
The Booker Prize-shortlisted author talks climate change, writing teenage characters and Judy Blume.
- by Kylie Northover
The 13 must-see events at this year’s Melbourne Writers Festival
With the Melbourne Writers Festival kicking off today, here are some of the events that should not be missed.
- by Jason Steger
CBD
CBD
Upstart writers festival aiming to take Melbourne’s mantle
This week’s Melbourne Writers Festival will hope to capture the same success as the Sorrento Writers Festival held last month.
- by Stephen Brook
Our safe, white scene has rules if you want to be a ‘multicultural’ writer
Spare a thought for the authors who don’t look like their publishers in the middle-class literary world.
- by Amra Pajalic
His book was rejected 13 times, now it’s a hit TV show
Viet Thanh Nguyen’s novel The Sympathizer won him a Pulitzer Prize and employs cinematic tropes, but that doesn’t stop him being a fierce critic of the Hollywood machine.
- by Kurt Johnson
A scathing portrait of London, a society steeped in corruption
Andrew O’Hagan’s latest novel is a sprawling bit of social realism that exposes the inner workings of a society.
- by James Ley
Long before ghosting, there were ghosts - at least that’s what the stories said
This year’s Melbourne Writers Festival unleashes the spirits of characters past and stories still to be told … here’s a taste of what’s to come.
Opinion
Literature
Why won’t Melbourne Writers Festival allow live questions any more?
In an unusual move, the Melbourne Writers Festival won’t allow the audience to stand up and ask questions at its sessions – and some festivalgoers are breathing a sigh of relief.
- by Jane Sullivan