Artificial intelligence’s collision with human creativity is one of the most important stories of our time.

With the accelerating impact of AI, so much of what we understand about being human is being re-written.

Acclaimed writer Jeanette Winterson (12 Bytes: How artificial intelligence will change the way we live and love) sees AI changing our lives in unprecedented ways. Academic and researcher Toby Walsh (The Shortest History of AI) predicts the place AI will have in our futures.

Hear Jeanette and Toby bring the perspectives of an artist and a scientist together in this important contemporary conversation. With an introduction from Verity Firth.

An expert in Chinese politics looks back at China under Mao Zedong and birth of the Cultural Revolution.

With more than 40 years experience studying Chinese language, politics and culture, author and translator Linda Jaivin brings it all to work into her new book Bombard the Headquarters!. It’s a holistic profile of the Cultural Revolution that is both deftly precise and brilliantly concise.  

Join Linda in this fascinating talk about one of the world’s most significant and lethal sociopolitical movements.

“What does it mean to be on land that was taken from other people? Now that we know how the taking was done, what do we do with that knowledge?”  

After the success of her two best known works, The Secret River, adapted for stage and television, and Restless Dolly Maunder, shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction, Festival favourite Kate Grenville is still grappling with what it means to be a descendant of colonisation in Australia.

Journey through time and place with Kate as she reframes her family’s history in Unsettled: A Journey Through Time and Place, placing First People in the same picture. With Beejay Silcox.

The Curiosity Lecture series returns to the Festival with a line-up of our most thought-provoking speakers delivering one-time talks on topics of intrigue, interest and importance.

As one of the world’s leading researchers in artificial intelligence, Toby Walsh has been awarded the Humbolt Research Award and elected as a fellow of the Association for the Advancement of AI. In The Shortest History of AI, Toby outlines the six key ideas for understanding artificial intelligence today.

Hear Toby trace the origins of artificial intelligence in science and culture and predict where the technology is heading in the future.

Anne Summers’s Damned Whores and God’s Police was first published 50 years ago – a time when sexual harassment, domestic violence and date rape were unnamed and often ignored experiences for women in Australia.

It would be another nine years before the introduction of the Sex Discrimination Act 1984.

Join Anne as the bestselling and multi-award-winning writer and journalist – also an Officer of the Order of Australia and inductee to the Australian Media Hall of Fame – reflects on her groundbreaking book, what she has done since and what she is doing now with host Alecia Simmonds.

The Curiosity Lecture series returns to the Festival with a line-up of our most thought-provoking speakers delivering one-time talks on topics of intrigue, interest and importance.

In the fascinating account of 1966 China in Bombard the Headquarters!: The Cultural Revolution in China, Linda Jaivin focuses on the start of the Cultural Revolution and the ideological quarrels and personalities that underpinned it. Because the Cultural Revolution is still heavily censored in the People’s Republic, many remain in the dark, leaving these pivotal events unexplained.

Hear about the lead-up to this key historic moment from an expert in Chinese politics.

Whether you seek escape, challenge, inspiration or delight, you’ll find your next favourite book at this special panel event as some of the Festival’s most exciting novelists introduce their acclaimed new releases.

Join Robbie Arnott, Lech Blaine, Sarah Firth and Yumna Kassab in conversation with Michael Williams, as they share insight into their rich and rewarding stories.

The steady growth of the billionaire class in the 21st century and members’ absurd wealth represent the pinnacle of economic inequity.  

Dean of the UTS Business School Carl Rhodes unpacks four myths about billionaires as forces for good to argue for international economic justice in his new book, Stinking Rich: The Four Myths of the Good Billionaire.

He is joined in conversation with journalist and political biographer Paddy Manning, who has written on the likes of Malcolm Turnbull and Lachlan Murdoch. Listen as they critique popular narratives around the ultra-wealthy that keep them powerful and dangerous. 

The scintillating chronicler of human weakness, Oscar Wilde, once said, “True friends stab you in the front”.

In this popular event, writer and presenter Annabel Crabb and writer David Marr lead opposing teams in a rollicking debate on the legitimacy of this aphorism about friends who betray each other.

Featuring debaters Matilda Boseley, Rhys Nicholson, Justine Rogers and Jennifer Wong, and adjudicated by Yumi Stynes, this debate is sure to get provocative, pithy and personal.    

Editor in Chief of Schwartz Media Erik Jensen discuss today's headlines with Jess Hill and Malcolm Knox.

For Lech Blaine’s family, their biggest worries were the footy scores and the chance that Lech’s foster siblings’ Christian extremist parents would find and kidnap them.

The Blaines and the Shelleys couldn’t have been more different parents and their fierce battles for custody – in the courts, the foster system and the front yard – created enough fear and tension to last many lifetimes. In Australian Gospel: A Family Saga, a stranger-than-fiction tale of love and loss in country Queensland, Lech spins an epic that questions what makes a family.

Hear Lech unpack the makings of memory and inheritance, in conversation with Ashley Hay.

Making big stories bite-sized.

Join history writers Andrew Ford and Andrew Leigh as they discuss how to trim complex histories of music and economics while still keeping the essence of truth.

As politicians and analysts attempt to manoeuvre with the global superpower, these writers reflect on how the 20th century got the nation where it is today.

Bombard the Headquarters!: The Cultural Revolution in China is Linda Jaivin’s account of the ideological quarrels and personalities that underpinned the violent beginning of the Cultural Revolution in 1966. Louisa Lim’s Indelible City: Dispossession and Defiance in Hong Kong and Edward Wong’s At the Edge of Empire: A Family’s Reckoning with China mix national history with personal archives to paint detailed portraits of Hong Kong and China, respectively.

Join Linda, Louisa and Edward in conversation with Peter Hartcher as they discuss the crucial history that made China what it is today.

The Curiosity Lecture series returns to the Festival with a line-up of our most thought-provoking speakers delivering one-time talks on topics of intrigue, interest and importance.

Economics professor at UNSW Sydney Richard Holden (Money in the Twenty First Century) and Parliamentarian Andrew Leigh (Battlers & Billionaires and The Shortest History of Economics) unpack economics as a global force that impacts wars, technological innovation and social change.

In our contemporary world, what are the causes and consequences of economic inequality? And can economics be used as a tool for justice for the oppressed?

The promises of global peace and prosperity that followed the collapse of the Soviet Union have failed to come to fruition in the way that many in the West had imagined.

Now, President Donald Trump is swinging a wrecking ball at the alliances, values and institutions that underpin Western power, while countries like Russia, China, Iran, India and Brazil forge powerful new partnerships.

If the sun is really setting on the West, what does that mean for countries like Australia? Is it a moment of opportunity or something else? Join hosts Geraldine Doogue and Hamish Macdonald for this Global Roaming live event, as they discuss who the winners and losers will be in this fast-changing world with guests Philippe Sands, Bec Strating and Edward Wong.

Join Founding Editor of The Saturday Paper and Editor in Chief of Schwartz Media Erik Jensen to discuss the latest news with Louisa Lim and Kate McClymont.

The Curiosity Lecture series returns to the Festival with a line-up of our most thought-provoking speakers delivering one-time talks on topics of intrigue, interest and importance.

Journalist and political commentator George Megalogenis examines the changing reality of Australian politics in his most recent Quarterly Essay: Minority Report: The New Shape of Australian Politics. With politics as usual not enough for many Australians, minority governments are a real possibility in our future. How did we get here and will this change damage our democracy or revitalise it?

The Curiosity Lecture series returns to the Festival with a line-up of our most thought-provoking speakers delivering one-time talks on topics of intrigue, interest and importance.

What will it take to stop gendered violence?

Expanding on her Quarterly Essay 97, Losing It: Can We Stop Violence Against Women and Children?, investigative journalist and Stella Prize winner Jess Hill challenges Australian governments’ promise to end gendered violence in a single generation. As recently as last year, Australians took to the streets again to protest the lack of funding, innovation and resources needed to achieve the goal of ending gendered and family violence.

Hear Jess analyse what’s working in our current system and what’s not and map out what we can do to finally change things.

“To be Indian growing up in Australia is to tread the narrow line between here and there, to constantly code-switch and navigate between filling the needs and aspirations of your family, your community – and yourself.”   

Growing Up Indian in Australia brings together a diverse diaspora of storytellers whose experiences straddle the boundaries of Indian and Australian identities and who write of building something new in the middle.

In this panel discussion, contributors to the anthology, including established and emerging writers, share their stories of shapeshifting between cultures and expectations.

Featuring contributors Kavita Bedford, Aarti Betigeri, Nicholas Brown, Hardeep Dhanoa and host Jeremy Fernandez.

Josephine Rowe’s Little World is a compact, lyrical read that feels both mythic and frighteningly current. When the perfectly preserved body of a child is brought to Western Australia, it raises questions of miracles, divinity, and how sainthood and holiness are bestowed.

Josephine Rowe is one of Australia's greatest living authors, and I will stand by that claim. 

Complimentary refreshments included. 

Festival favourite State of the Nation returns bigger and better than ever for an Australian post-election wrap-up. 

What is the future of Australian politics? What are the failures of a two-party system? How are voters resisting ‘politics as usual’ during housing, cost of living and climate crises? What difference can we expect from this government?

Assess the state of Australian politics in this panel discussion featuring broadcaster and Walkley Award–winning journalist Waleed Aly, Prime Minister’s Literary Award– and Walkley Award–winning journalist George Megalogenis, The Australia Institute’s chief political analyst Amy Remeikis and Melbourne Press Club Lifetime Achievement Award winner Niki Savva. They join veteran political journalist and former host of Insiders and Offsiders Barrie Cassidy.

We know writers work well on their own, tapping away at a keyboard, but in this event, we push them out on stage to entertain with song, dance and big emotions.

Multi-award-winning actor, singer, writer and comedian Michelle Brasier has curated the funniest, most fabulous Festival writers to share their more hidden talents of the comedy, cabaret and confessional variety.

Come together for this celebration of life in all its joy, mess and brevity. Be moved to laughter and tears with special guests Virginia Gay, Tanya Hennessy, Tim Lancaster, Benjamin Law and Maeve Marsden.

Feminism has a checkered past, but what can we expect from feminist ideas these days?

CEO of independent news commentary platform Cheek Media Co. Hannah Ferguson (Taboo: Conversations we never had about sex, body image, work and relationships), Stella Prize winner and investigative journalist Jess Hill (See What You Made Me Do, Quarterly Essay 97 Losing It) and human rights lawyer and Fulbright Scholar Vanessa Turnbull-Roberts (Long Yarn Short) discuss whether feminism can find solutions to some of our current crises.

Join them as they reckon with what feminism has to offer and predict future solutions to complex social problems in this panel discussion with host Sisonke Msimang. 

Every family has their secrets – but what happens when a writer dives into the family archive to uncover and share those stories with the world?

In this live episode of Archive Fever podcast, co-hosts Yves Rees and Clare Wright are joined by Lech Blaine and Anne-Marie Te Whiu to probe the promise and pitfalls of working with stories close to home. Why dig up the family skeletons? How do you navigate the minefield of the truth about loved ones and forebears? And what does journeying into family history do to the writer themself? 

What does it mean to reclaim a language? In the UN International Decade of Indigenous Languages, determined leaders are revitalising and cultivating languages in their communities. Join Barada, Yiman, Gangulu and Gureng Gureng linguist Gari-Tudor Smith, co-author of Bina: First Nations Languages, Old and New, contributor to Words to Sing the World Alive Cheryl Leavy, and Samantha Penangka Armstrong, a Language Nest co-ordinator at the Pertame School, in conversation with Camille Dobson, Senior Project Officer at the Centre for Australian Languages and Linguistics.

This project is supported by the Copyright Agency's Cultural Fund.

THE POWER OF A GOOD ESSAY

Esther Anatolitis, Brooke Boland, David Marr. Moderator: Ashleigh Wilson

Inspired by the release of Essays That Changed Australia, we are discussing the influence an essay can have. Editor of Meanjin, Esther Antatolitis, presents her picks of influential essays, writer Brooke Boland presents her debut collection Gulp Swallow, and iconic journalist, author and essayist David Marr talks about his collection, My Country.

CAN WE STOP THE VIOLENCE?

Jess Hill, Sonia Orchard, Shannon Molloy. Moderator: Ginger Gorman

In this hard-hitting session, we grapple with violence against women and children in Australia and the failures of our legal system. Jess Hill expands on her groundbreaking Quarterly Essay and Australia’s National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children. Sonia Orchard and Shannon Molloy share works that are part-memoir, part-investigation; adding a crucial personal reflection to the conversation. What is working? And what needs to change for a brighter future?

It’s been two decades since The Secret River was released, a landmark book exploring colonial history that was then transformed into a smash-hit stage play and mini series. Now in Unsettled, celebrated author Kate Grenville returns to the site of the Hawkesbury River and the rich terrain of her family history.

But this celebrated Australian author has been plenty busy in between. From the Women’s Prize shortlisted Restless Dolly Maunder, a reimagining of the life of Kate’s grandmother; to A Room Made of Leaves which speculates an alter-ego for historical figure Elizabeth Macarthur; and much more besides, there is so much to dip our curious oars into.

At this exhilarating evening event, we chart a course through Kate Grenville’s incredible life and literary works alongside conversation host and historian Clare Wright. It is all the more significant as our venue sits beside Broken Bay and the mouth of the mighty Hawkesbury, where it all began. We hope you can join us.

UNSETTLED COUNTRY

Kate Grenville & David Marr. Moderator: John Maynard

‘What does it mean to be on land that was taken from other people? Now that we know how the taking was done, what do we do with that knowledge?’ In their deeply personal and unflinchingly political books, Kate Grenville and David Marr square up to their past. How implicated are they in a bloody history of colonial dispossession? Two of Australia’s leading intellectuals lead us through the reckoning.

BLOOD LINES

Lech Blaine & Gideon Haigh. Moderator: Dominic Knight

We all know the saying: All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. But what does that mean for these two brilliant writers? Gideon Haigh’s deeply moving memoir My Brother Jaz explores what it means to lose someone you love, while Lech Blaine’s iconic Australian Gospel untangles a web of adoption and fanaticism, obsession and fate.

In collaboration with Electrify Canberra, Saul Griffith will be in conversation with Lish Fejer on his latest book Plug In! The Electrification Handbook – Black Inc Books. Come and join us and find out everything you need to know for your electrification journey by the bestselling author of The Big Switch.

Trace the evolution of artificial intelligence in six key ideas with researcher Toby Walsh.

Since Alan Turing first posed the question, ‘Can machines think?’, artificial intelligence has evolved from a speculative idea to a transformative force. The Shortest History of AI traces this evolution and simplifies AI into six key ideas, from Ada Lovelace’s visionary work to the revolutionary emergence of ChatGPT. It also explores AI’s cultural journey, touching on classics such as Frankenstein and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

Toby Walsh is one of the world’s leading researchers in artificial intelligence. He is a Professor of Artificial Intelligence at the University of New South Wales and leads a research group at Data61, Australia’s Centre of Excellence for ICT Research. He is a fellow of the Association for the Advancement of AI for his contributions to AI research, and has won the prestigious Humboldt research award.

Organised in partnership with Constant Reader Bookshop.

Join the Research Unit for Indigenous Language (RUIL) for a compelling public lecture titled Bina: First Nations Languages Old and New, presented by Gari Tudor-Smith and Felicity Meakins. This lecture will explore the remarkable resilience, recovery, and ongoing revitalisation of Australia’s First Nations languages.   

Australia's language diversity is truly breathtaking. This continent lays claim to the world's longest continuous collection of cultures, including over 440 unique languages and many more dialects. Sadly, European invasion has had severe consequences for the vitality of these languages. Amid devastating loss, there has also been the birth of new languages such as Kriol and Yumplatok, both English-based Creoles. Aboriginal English dialects are spoken widely, and recently there has been an inspiring renaissance of First Nations languages, as communities reclaim and renew them. Bina: First Nations Languages Old and New tells this story, from the earliest exchange of words between colonists and First Nations people to today's reclamations. It is a creative and exciting introduction to a vital and dynamic world of language.

In this lecture Gari Tudor-Smith and Felicity Meakins will discuss the making of the book, why we should care about First Nations languages and the renaissance of languages in schools, the visual and performing arts, and on-Country programs such as ranger groups.

The public lecture will be followed by light refreshments and the opportunity to purchase a hard copy of Bina: First Nations Languages Old and New.  

The Institute for Australian and Asian Arts and Culture (IAC) at Western Sydney University is partnering with Rochford Gallery in holding this conversation with author Linda Jaivin, artist Guo Jian and Professor Jing Han on Jaivin’s new book Bombard the Headquarters! The Cultural Revolution in China at Rochford Gallery in North Sydney.

Linda Jaivin is the internationally published author of thirteen books, including seven novels, a prolific essayist and literary translator from Chinese specialising in film subtitling. Her The Shortest History of China, named No. 1 China book of 2021 by fivebooks.com, has been translated and sold in 24 countries with editions in languages including Bulgarian and Japanese. She spent nine years living in Taiwan, Hong Kong and China as a student and later a journalist, and now lives in Sydney.

Her latest book Bombard the Headquarters! China’s Cultural Revolution, published in April in the UK and June in Australia, gives a riveting account of a turbulent period in Chinese history. In 1966, with the words 'Bombard the Head quarters!' Mao Zedong unleashed the full, violent force of a movement that he called the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution. By the time he died ten years later, millions had perished, China's cultural heritage was in ruins, its economic state was perilous, its institutions of government were damaged and its society was bitterly divided. In this book, Linda Jaivin sheds light on the ideological quarrels and personal vendettas that underpinned the Cultural Revolution, profiles the personalities involved and reveals the extent of its violent progress and the shadow it casts over China today.

Guo Jian is a renowned Chinese Australian artist. Growing up in the late years of the Cultural Revolution in China, his art has been deeply rooted in his lived experiences and family history in China. His solo exhibition NOTHING ABOUT EROTIC BUT PLAYBOY curated by John McDonald, is currently showing at Rochfort Gallery. Audiences will have an opportunity to see this inspiring exhibition.

The conversation will be chaired and moderated by Professor Jing Han, Director of the Institute for Australian and Asian Arts and Culture at Western Sydney University, and former Chief Subtitler and Head of SBS Subtitling Department at SBS. Professor Han is a leading expert in intercultural communication, audiovisual translation, media accessibility, translating Chinese culture, and a published literary translator.

Delve into the complex intersections of history, identity, and national narrative with journalist, author, and political commentator David Marr. David’s unflinching exploration of his family’s role in frontier brutality, detailed in his acclaimed Killing for Country, is widely recognised as a profound meditation on Australia’s past. This conversation promises to dissect the uncomfortable truths embedded within our collective memory, examining how personal histories shape our understanding of national identity. Join us to uncover the nuances of David’s work and its implications for contemporary Australia.       

Don’t miss this powerful conversation with three exceptional voices: Marcia Langton, Shireen Morris, and Tara June Winch. Together, they will lead a powerful exploration into the resilience, sovereignty, and enduring richness of First Nations culture in Australia. Join them for an insightful discussion tracing the journey towards constitutional recognition, celebrating the vital tradition of Indigenous storytelling, and thoughtfully considering the path forward following the recent result of the Voice referendum. This is a crucial opportunity to listen, and to learn.

Don’t miss this keenly anticipated session exploring the high-stakes realities of international reporting. Renowned journalist Peter Greste sits down with David Marr to lay bare the urgent importance of press freedom in today’s world. They will examine the far-reaching influence of political power on the media, and the profound human cost endured by those who courageously seek and report the truth. This promises to be a festival highlight, challenging our understanding of accountability and the vital role of a free press in a democratic society.

Embark on a captivating journey into the heart of personal narratives with four remarkable storytellers.   Join acclaimed biographer and journalist David Marr, celebrated memoirist Gina Chick, and award-winning journalist and author Kumi Taguchi as the ever-engaging Wendy Harmer guides this extraordinary conversation. Together, they will unveil the power and profound impact of this year’s most compelling memoirs.

Explore the interplay of truth and memory, the weight of history, and the ache of heartbreak as these outstanding authors share their experiences and insights. This promises to be a festival highlight, offering a unique opportunity to understand the craft and emotional resonance of sharing life’s most significant stories.

Join award-winning historian Clare Wright in conversation with Shireen Morris for a fascinating discussion of Naku Dharuk: The Bark Petitions. The third and final volume in Clare’s Democracy trilogy, it explores the 1963 Yirrkala Bark Petitions – text that was delivered to Parliament by the Yolŋu people, which ultimately became the very first time that Indigenous relationships to Country were recognised by the Australian government.

Clare and Shireen discuss the profound significance of these documents – a powerful assertion of sovereignty and a foundational moment in the Australian Indigenous land rights movement. This promises to be a truly powerful and illuminating discussion, exploring this historic intersection of art, law, and resistance, revealing a vital chapter in national history.

Join Radio National's Big Ideas host Natasha Mitchell as she discusses revolution with two of our most gifted extraordinary women historians, Linda Jaivin and Sheila Fitzpatrick.

Bombard the Headquarters! by Linda Jaivin is a riveting account of a turbulent period in Chinese history. It focuses on the eventful start of the Cultural Revolution. She sheds light on the ideological quarrels that underpinned it and profiles the personalities involved.

Death of Stalin by Sheila Fitzpatrick offers a new look at a crucial moment in history. Everyone remembers the bumbling characters around Stalin's deathbed in Armando Iannucci's film Death of Stalin, but who knows what actually came next?

Free, but bookings are essential.

Toby Walsh will be in conversation with Andrew Leigh on his new book The Shortest History of AI, everything you need to know about the origins and future of artificial intelligence through the examination of six key ideas. 

Artificial intelligence’s collision with human creativity is one of the most important stories of our time. With the accelerating impact of AI, so much of what we understand about being human is being re-written.

Since Alan Turing first posed the question, ‘Can machines think?’, artificial intelligence has evolved from a speculative idea to a transformative force. The Shortest History of AI traces this evolution, from Ada Lovelace’s visionary work to IBM’s groundbreaking defeat of the chess world champion and the revolutionary emergence of ChatGPT. It also explores AI’s cultural journey, touching on classics such as Frankenstein, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Revealing how many ‘overnight’ successes were decades in the making, this accessible and illuminating book equips readers to understand where we’ve been – and where we’re headed with AI.

We are delighted to welcome Kate Grenville to The Phee Broadway Theatre for a conversation with Astrid Edwards about her new book, Unsettled: A journey through time and place.

Kate Grenville is one of Australia’s most celebrated writers and in this most recent book, she asks the question: ‘What does it mean to be on land that was taken from other people? Now that we know how the taking was done, what do we do with that knowledge?’

Kate Grenville is no stranger to the past. Her success and fame as a writer exploded when she published The Secret River in 2005, a bestseller based on the story of her convict ancestor, an early settler on the Hawkesbury River.

More than two decades on, and following the defeat of the Voice referendum, she is still grappling with what it means to descend from people who were, as she puts it, “on the sharp edge of the moving blade that was colonisation”.

​Kate Grenville goes on a kind of pilgrimage, back through the places her family stories happened, and put the stories and the First People back into the same frame, on the same country, to try to think about those questions.

This gripping book – which gives many of us pause for thought - is the result of that journey.

In 1966, with the words ‘Bombard the Headquarters!’ Mao Zedong unleashed the full, violent force of a movement that he called the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution. By the time he died ten years later, millions had perished, China’s cultural heritage was in ruins, its economic state was perilous, its institutions of government were damaged and its society was bitterly divided.

In this fascinating account, Linda Jaivin focuses on the eventful start of the Cultural Revolution. She sheds light on the ideological quarrels that underpinned it and profiles the personalities involved.

Discussion of the Cultural Revolution is heavily censored in the People’s Republic, and many young Chinese people know almost nothing about it. Even so, it continues to cast a shadow over life in China. Current president Xi Jinping’s assumption of a third term in 2022, his elimination of rival factions from the leadership and attempts to build a personality cult around himself discomfit many within and outside of the Chinese Communist Party. Bombard the Headquarters! helps us to understand why.

Linda Jaivin will be in conversation with NFSA CEO Patrick McIntyre, on her latest book Bombard the Headquarters! The Cultural Revolution in China – Black Inc Books

A riveting account of a turbulent period in Chinese history.
In 1966, with the words 'Bombard the Headquarters!' Mao Zedong unleashed the full, violent force of a movement that he called the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution. By the time he died ten years later, millions had perished, China's cultural heritage was in ruins, its economic state was perilous, its institutions of government were damaged and its society was bitterly divided.

The shadow of these terrible years lies heavily over the twenty-first-century nation. The history of this period is so toxic that China's rulers have gone to great lengths to bury it – while a few brave men and women risk their freedom to uncover the truth. For as both they and the Party know, to grasp the history of the Cultural Revolution is to understand much about China today.

Bombard the Headquarters! is not just Mao's story. It's the unforgettable stories of countless individuals, mass manias, sacred mangos and spectacular falls from grace. At once rigorous and readable, brief yet teeming with colourful detail, this is a marvel of historical storytelling.

Linda has been studying Chinese politics, language and culture for more than forty years. She has been a foreign correspondent in China, and is co-editor of the China Story Yearbook, an associate of the Australian Centre on China in the World at the Australian National University and the author of twelve books including The Shortest History of China.

Patrick has over 25 years’ experience in arts and cultural management. Prior to joining the NFSA as CEO, he served as Executive Director of the Sydney Theatre Company for over 11 years. His earlier roles include Associate Executive Director of The Australian Ballet, General Manager of the Sydney Film Festival and Marketing Manager of the Sydney Opera House Trust and of the Sydney Dance Company.

Join us for the launch of the new Quarterly Essay, Hugh White on War and Peace and the New Global Order.

In an era of rising danger for all, and dramatic choices for Australia, Hugh White explores how the world is changing and how Australia should respond.

We confront the world’s deepest and most dangerous international crisis in generations. The old global order faces direct challenge in three crucial regions, including our own. War has already engulfed Eastern Europe and the Middle East, and the risk in East Asia grows. Under Donald Trump, America’s retreat from global leadership will be both swifter and perhaps more dangerously erratic.

White explains the big strategic trends driving the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, and where they will lead. He examines the dynamics of US–China rivalry in Asia, the risks that it will lead to war, and the new regional order which is already emerging. He explores Australia’s responses to these crises, as reflected in the policies of Albanese’s Labor and Dutton's Coalition – including AUKUS. He lays out in stark terms the hard choices ahead and explains how we can make our way in a very different world.

Hugh White is the author of The China Choice and How To Defend Australia, and the acclaimed Quarterly Essays Power Shift and Without America. He is emeritus professor of strategic studies at ANU and was the principal author of Australia’s Defence White Paper 2000.

Bombard the Headquarters! The Long Shadow of China’s Cultural Revolution

In 1966, with the words "Bombard the Headquarters!" Mao Zedong unleashed the full, violent force of a movement that he called the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution. By the time he died ten years later, millions had perished, China's cultural heritage was in ruins, its economic state was perilous, its institutions of government were damaged and its society was bitterly divided.

Shortest History of China author Linda Jaivin’s latest book, Bombard the Headquarters!, looks at how such a catastrophe unfolded, the stories of individuals caught up in its violent swirl, and the lessons that have - and have not - been learned from it. The Cultural Revolution’s shadow still lays over China today, even if the Party has endeavoured to erase or at least minimise its memory, and it also provides surprising insights into what is happening in the United States today in the first months of Donald Trump’s second presidency, as Jaivin will reveal.

Come join us at Mezzanine Room 1 (RHMZ1), Rutherford House, Pipitea Campus, Victoria University of Wellington, for an insightful event exploring the lasting impact of China’s Cultural Revolution.

Hugh White is Australia’s pre-eminent commentator on defence matters. In his recent publications (Sleepwalk to War: Australia’s Unthinking Alliance with America, and his book, How to Defend Australia) he has been highly critical of our country’s involvement in AUKUS. 

For Outspoken he will be discussing his June 2025 Quarterly Essay On War & Peace & the New Global Order, in which he analyses the present geo-political trends, offering ways in which Australia might respond.

He argues that, right now, we confront the world's most dangerous crisis in generations, with the old global order facing a direct challenge in three crucial regions: Eastern Europe, the Middle East and East Asia. Meanwhile, under Donald Trump, America's retreat from leadership has been both swift and erratic.

White examines the dynamics of the US–China rivalry, and the new regional order which is emerging, as well as exploring Australia's options. He also addresses the strategic issues driving the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, and where they might lead. He lays out in stark terms the hard choices ahead and explains how we can make our way in the world as it is, not how we might wish it to be.

Hugh White is a former Deputy Secretary for Strategy in the Department of Defence, and was the founding Director of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. He is now Emeritus Professor of Strategic Studies at the Australian National University in Canberra. 

Grab a coffee and sit back while three of Australia’s leading authors, journalists and commentators unpack, dissect and try to make sense of the news that matters here and around the globe.

Richard Glover
Holly Wainwright
Lech Blaine

Artificial Intelligence: Bogey Man or Saviour?

Technology makes life easier, right? But how easy is too easy? How do we manage the consequences - expected or otherwise - of AI on society, and with it the future of employment, health, education and democracy? Join Professor Toby Walsh, Scientia Professor of Artificial Intelligence at the University of New South Wales and CSIRO’s Data61 and author of five books on AI including The Shortest History of AI, in conversation with journalist Annie Markey as they unpick the ramifications of our brave new world.

Family dynamics are rich territories for fiction and non-fiction writers. Join this discussion between three great storytellers who explore the complexities and richness of family life, from the big burning issues to those smaller, sometimes mundane elements that define so much of who we are and how we are perceived.

Debra Oswald
Jessie Tu
Lech Blaine

Ready to electrify everything and cut your living costs?

Whether you're just curious or already committed, lock in Sunday 22 June for the Go Electric Open Day at Club Thirroul—a fun, informative, and inspiring event for households across the Illawarra.

With energy bills soaring and a growing appetite to shrink our carbon footprints, more people than ever are exploring solar, EVs, home batteries, and electric appliances. But let’s face it—there are still a lot of questions around cost, incentives, the latest tech, and when to take the plunge. That’s where this free community event comes in.

We’re bringing together experts, locals, and hands-on experiences to help make electrifying your home and lifestyle easier—and more exciting—than ever.

In 1966, with the words Bombard the Headquarters! Mao Zedong unleashed the full, violent force of a movement that he called the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution. Many have gone to great lengths to bury this period of history, while some brave enough risk their freedom to uncover the truth. For they all know, to grasp the history of the Cultural Revolution is to understand much about China today.

Bombard the Headquarters! is not just Mao's story. It's the unforgettable stories of countless individuals, mass manias, sacred mangos and spectacular falls from grace.

About the author

Linda Jaivin has been studying Chinese politics, language and culture for more than forty years. She has been a foreign correspondent in China, and is co-editor of the China Story Yearbook, an associate of the Australian Centre on China in the World at the Australian National University and the author of twelve books including The Shortest History of China.

Organised in partnership with Constant Reader Bookshop.

HUGH WHITE AO in-conversation with Misha Ketchell, Editor, The Conversation

Are we ready for our post-American future?

In an era of rising danger for all, and dramatic choices for Australia, Hugh White AO explores with Misha Ketchell, Editor of The Conversation, how the world is changing and how Australia should respond. 

Under Donald Trump, America’s retreat from global leadership has been swift and erratic. China, Russia and India are on the move. White explains the big strategic trends driving the war in Ukraine, and why America has “lost” Asia.

In his Quarterly Essay, Hugh discusses Albanese Labor’s record and its future choices, and why complacency about the American alliance – including AUKUS – is no longer an option. This essential essay urges us to make our way in a hard new world with realism and confidence.   

Hugh White is the author of The China Choice and How to Defend Australia, and three previous Quarterly Essays, Power Shift, Without America and Sleepwalk to War. He is Emeritus Professor of Strategic Studies at the Australian National University and was the principal author of Australia’s Defence White Paper 2000.

In an era of rising danger for all, and dramatic choices for Australia, Hugh White explores how the world is changing and how Australia should respond in his latest Quarterly Essay, On War & Peace & the New Global Order.

On Thursday 26th June at the Red Mill Distillery, Balmain, join Hugh White in conversation with Sam Roggeveen, Director of the Lowy Institute’s International Security Program.

Copies of Quarterly Essay will be available for purchase at the venue through Roaring Stories, with White signing copies after the discussion.

In his latest Quarterly Essay, Hugh White lays out the hard choices that lay ahead of Australia in the face of the changing global order.

The old global order faces direct challenge in three crucial regions, including our own. We confront the world's deepest and most dangerous international crisis in generations.

He explores Australia's responses to these crises, as reflected in the policies of Albanese's Labor and Dutton's Coalition – including AUKUS. He lays out in stark terms the hard choices ahead and explains how we can make our way in a very different world.

Hugh White is the author of The China Choice and Quarterly Essay 39, Power Shift. He is professor of strategic studies at ANU and was the principal author of Australia’s Defence White Paper 2000.

Organised in partnership with Constant Reader Bookshop.

Linda Jaivin: Shades of the Cultural Revolution: from Mao to Musk

It would have been the furthest thing from Elon Musk’s mind, but his call for Americans to denounce public servants they think should be fired on the social media platform X is a perfect example of what Mao Zedong, in his analogue world, called ‘mass dictatorship’. In China, mass dictatorship reached its apotheosis in the Cultural Revolution from 1966-1976, which resulted in nearly two million deaths and incalculable damage to China’s culture and heritage as well as the collapse of political and economic institutions. To know the history of the Cultural Revolution is to better understand the world today, from Beijing to Washington.

Linda Jaivin is a prolific cultural commentator, essayist and the internationally published author of thirteen books, including The Shortest History of China, which has been published in 23 countries and counting, and her latest, Bombard the Headquarters: China’s Cultural Revolution. She studied Asian History at Brown University in the US and has studied and lived in and reported from Hong Kong, Taiwan and China. She is also a translator of film subtitles for Chinese films and has been an editor of The China Story Yearbook (published by the Australian Centre in the World at the ANU). She lives in Sydney.

ABOUT THE BOOK

A riveting account of a turbulent period in Chinese history.
In 1966, with the words 'Bombard the Headquarters!' Mao Zedong unleashed the full, violent force of a movement that he called the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution. By the time he died ten years later, millions had perished, China's cultural heritage was in ruins, its economic state was perilous, its institutions of government were damaged and its society was bitterly divided.

In this fascinating account, Linda Jaivin focuses on the eventful start of the Cultural Revolution. She sheds light on the ideological quarrels that underpinned it and profiles the personalities involved.

Discussion of the Cultural Revolution is heavily censored in the People's Republic, and many young Chinese people know almost nothing about it. Even so, it continues to cast a shadow over life in China. Current president Xi Jinping's assumption of a third term in 2022, his elimination of rival factions from the leadership and attempts to build a personality cult around himself discomfit many within and outside of the Chinese Communist Party. Bombard the Headquarters! helps us to understand why.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Linda Jaivin has been studying Chinese politics, language and culture for more than forty years. She has been a foreign correspondent in China, and is co-editor of the China Story Yearbook, an associate of the Australian Centre on China in the World at the Australian National University and the author of twelve books.