Anna Goldsworthy in conversation with Sophie Gee

How will we be changed by the rise of artificial intelligence? In this scintillating essay, Anna Goldsworthy argues that AI is a rupture that makes us confront what it is to be human – what we do, and want. As it learns human ways, AI raises big questions about work, leisure and education. It brings new existential, social and ethical risks. Above all, it invites us to consider what is irreplaceable in us, starting with the body and the friction of others.

The God We Made is a brilliant inquiry into identity and a transformed future. How can we learn to live with AI? And will AI be happy to live with us?

"The experts have spoken, but many of us remain curiously unprepared, burying our heads in the sand – Look at its hallucinations! It's never going to be as smart as us! – or imagining that the only issue is plagiarism. AI is not just another tool: it is a paradigm shift, a ceding of our superiority." —Anna Goldsworthy, The God We Made


Anna Goldsworthy is the author of several books, including the novel Melting Moments and the memoirs Piano Lessons and Welcome to Your New Life, as well as the 2013 Quarterly Essay Unfinished Business. Her writing has appeared in The Monthly, The Age, The Australian, The Adelaide Review and The Best Australian Essays. She is also a concert pianist and chamber musician, with several recordings to her name.

Sophie Gee is Professor of English at Princeton University. She's Director of Collaborative Inquiry at the University of Sydney, where she's engaged in building the public value of the humanities. She's the author of scholarly monographs and a historical novel and co-hosts the globally successful Secret Life of Books podcast. She writes for many publications including The New York Times, the Times Literary Supplement and the Sydney Morning Herald.

Join author Anna Goldsworthy as she explores the concept of what it means for humanity in the age of AI in the latest Quarterly Essay, The God We Made.

AI may be our most persuasive God yet. At the same time, it forces a confrontation with what it means to be human: bodies, fragility, memory. It raises questions about human connection, leisure and learning, and brings new existential and ethical risks.

In this important and timely essay, Anna Goldsworthy explores the implications of AI for art, culture and the self.

Join historian Mark McKenna for a compelling exploration of his latest book, The Shortest History of Australia. In this powerful and deeply humane history, McKenna offers a new version of our national story: a modern Australia permeated by First Nations history; a multicultural society with an island mindset; a continent of epic beauty and extreme natural events; a country obsessed by war abroad but blind to its founding war at home; and a thriving nation-state still to realise its political independence.

McKenna’s wise and humane history reveals the surprising in the familiar, reframing the past so we can see the present more clearly.
Hosted by writer and journalist, Jack Latimore (Birpai-Thungutti).

Free event. Suitable for ages 15 and up.

Join us at Avid Reader Bookshop for Anna Goldsworthy in conversation with John Birmingham, to discuss Anna's new Quarterly Essay, The God We Made.

Quarterly Essay 102, Anna Goldsworthy explores the implications of AI for art, culture and the self – how it forces a confrontation with what it means to be human, raising questions about human connection, learning and how we live our lives; and bringing new existential and ethical risks. 

In The Ruin of Magic, award-winning writer Kate Holden meditates on her instinctive yearning for a long-ago Europe against the natural belonging she feels to the Australian landscape, and asks, What is a home? The strongest shelter or the most lethal trap? A museum of ourselves or a showcase of fashions? 

Kate Holden is the author of The Winter Road, winner of the 2021 Walkley Book Award and the 2022 NSW Premier’s Literary Awards Douglas Stewart Prize for Nonfiction, as well as the two memoirs, In My Skin and The Romantic.

We are delighted to welcome her back to Maleny.

Kate Holden will be in conversation with Steven Lang.

Readings Emporium are delighted to host the launch of Ariane Beeston's YA dance novel, Don't Forget to Smile.

Ariane Beeston will be in conversation with Megan Rogers.

Clara has been dancing since she was three and knows exactly what she wants – a place at the Australian National Ballet School and a career as a principal dancer. Elle, who accidentally found herself TikTok famous after a #balletfail went viral, is new to the dance world, horrified at how racist, sexist and classist it is, and thinks ballet needs to grand jete itself into the twenty-first century. Ben, Elle's best friend, just wants to be able to dance en pointe and have his pick of both male and female solos.

All three want to win the International Ballet Grand Prix at the Sydney Opera House. But when a scandal involving a famous dancer threatens their futures, the trio must put aside their differences to confront ballet's damaging traditions – and demand it do better.

Free, but bookings are essential.

Join Don Watson as he traces how the central conflicts of the United States – those over freedom, race, frontiers, enterprise, religion and violence – play out through its history: a country at war with itself in the 1860s, the leader of the free world less than a hundred years later, and a nation beset by wild division and turmoil in the twenty-first century.

Featuring an introduction from Prof Michael Wesley, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Global Culture & Engagement) at the University of Melbourne.

To be the best, you don’t stop, not even when the rules are stacked against you. Don’t Forget to Smile is a fierce, contemporary ballet story about ambition, friendship, and refusing to dance quietly in a world that needs to change.

Ariane Beeston is a former child protection caseworker and psychologist. She was a staff writer at Fairfax Media's Essential Baby and Essential Kids and has also published articles in The Sydney Morning Herald, Daily Life, Babyology and Mamamia. Ariane currently works for Australia's peak body in perinatal mental health, The Centre of Perinatal Excellence (COPE). Her first book, Because I'm Not Myself, You See, was shortlisted for the Matt Richell Award for New Writer of the Year in 2025. Ariane is also a dancer and choreographer, and her forthcoming book for young adults is called Don't Forget to Smile.

Lexie Eatock is our buyer and lives on Cameraygal land. She joined a book club in 2018, and hasn’t left a bookshop since. With a masters in medieval history and a background in education, and renowned for her expertise in international literature, she is passionate about translated books, gin-based cocktails, independent publishers, and her cat.

Drinks and nibblies provided.

Joanne Wallis and Jack Corbett will be in conversation with Lachlan Strahan on their new book Neighbours: Australia and the Pacific, a new vision for Australia’s relationship with the Pacific

Australia has a long history in the Pacific. Many Australians might have forgotten it, but the region has not forgotten us.This book provides a new vision of the way Australia might relate to its Pacific neighbours. It replaces amnesia with storytelling that emphasises common ancestors, interests and language. It replaces Australian ambivalence with recognition, humility and respect. It does not seek to wish away the realities of asymmetry and hierarchy between Australia and Pacific Island countries,but instead outlines how Australia can work more productively within them.

It argues that Australia can only work towards being a better neighbour if it understands its history in the Pacific Islands, and the ideas that have guided its foreign policy in the region for the last two centuries. Tracing the many dimensions of that past engagement, it provides an up-to-date account, written by two highly experienced experts. In doing so it presents a new vision for our wonderfully diverse region.

The vote of thanks will be given by Allan Behm, Senior Advisor, International & Security Affairs Program at the Australia Institute, Canberra.

Books will be available for signing from 5.30pm and again after the event. 

Join us at Readings State Library, Melbourne, for the launch of Neighbours by Joanne Wallis and Jack Corbett. 

To be launched by James Batley, Distinguished Policy Fellow, Australian National University. 

Australia has a long history in the Pacific. Many Australians might have forgotten it, but the region has not forgotten us.

This book provides a new vision of the way Australia might relate to its Pacific neighbours. It replaces amnesia with storytelling that emphasises common ancestors, interests and language. It replaces Australian ambivalence with recognition, humility and respect. It does not seek to wish away the realities of asymmetry and hierarchy between Australia and Pacific Island countries, but instead outlines how Australia can work more productively within them.

Free, but bookings are essential

On our opening night, Shokoofeh Azar, Debra Dank, and David Marr engage in a lively conversation about the importance and dangers of public debate. They analyse the increased policing of speech in our culture, ask what role a public forum should play, and consider what and who we mean by ‘public’. They might even disagree! Moderated by Michael Winkler.

From his biography of Patrick White to his journalism and his personal reckoning with colonial history in Killing for Country, David Marr’s involvement in Australian culture lends him an unparalleled insight into the state of our nation today. Join David in conversation with his friend Robert Skinner for an intimate look back on his writing life.

Sample the wide range of exciting Australian writing at our festival. Poet Annie Mairéad Hunter, humourist Robert Skinner, and novelists Robbie Arnott and Shokoofeh Azar read from their work.

Pioneering environmentalist Bob Brown delivers a rousing argument for the power of hope and resistance in today’s world. The annual Murray Talk is presented by an esteemed thinker on any subject. It is dedicated to the memory of our festival patron, the late Les Murray, and the enduring vitality of the Murray River.

Stella Prize-winning author Jess Hill discusses the updated edition of her acclaimed book See What You Made Me Do.

Jess Hill explores Australia’s domestic and family violence crisis, the systems that enable abuse, and what it could take to break the cycle of violence against women and children, in conversation with Yvette Vignando.

About Jess Hill

Jess Hill is a Walkley-award winning investigative journalist, author and educator, and one of Australia’s most recognised and respected thinkers on gendered violence. She is the author of two Quarterly Essays, The Reckoning and Losing It, and the writer and presenter of two highly acclaimed docuseries on SBS and a popular podcast, The Trap. See What You Made Me Do was awarded the Stella Prize in 2020, and Jess was named Marie Claire Changemaker of the Year in 2023, and the NSW Premier’s Woman of Excellence in 2024. She lives with her husband, David, their gorgeous daughter, Stevie, and their Egyptian cat, Kitty Ponting, in Sydney.

About Yvette Vignando

Yvette Vignando is a dedicated leader with a depth of experience across the domestic and family violence and crisis housing sectors. She is the CEO of Mary’s House Services and recent non-executive director of peak body Domestic Violence NSW. Yvette was previously the CEO of Justice Support Centre, a community legal centre and one of NSW's largest domestic and family violence service providers.

Critically Endangered: What Future for Life Along the MurrayDarling/Barka?

At this special event of dinner and dialogue, environmentalist Bob Brown, economist Quentin Grafton, geographer Lesley Head, and councillor Peta Thornton discuss the future of river communities. Moderated by Melinda Hinkson, with food by Curtis Harper.

Join for this informal Q+A with Robert Skinner, winner of the 2025 John Clarke Prize for Humour Writing. Robert answers your questions and shares what he has learnt about being funny on the page.

Debra Dank and Robbie Arnott consider what a writer might listen out for in the Australian landscape. They explore the stories and polyphony of voices that are alive in our environment, if only we care to listen, and they reflect on language’s capacity to describe Australia and our changing world. Moderated by David Marr.

Astrophysicist Geraint F. Lewis discusses his latest book The Shortest History of Reality with Dr Karl.

Blending science, history and philosophy into a compelling narrative, this session explores big ideas about the universe and deepens our understanding of what’s really out there.

About Geraint F. Lewis

Geraint F. Lewis is a professor of astrophysics at the Sydney Institute for Astronomy, part of the University of Sydney's School of Physics. He has published more than 500 papers across cosmology, galactic archaeology, gravitational lensing and the fundamental nature of the universe, and four books of popular science including The Cosmic Revolutionary's Handbook and Where Did the Universe Come From?

About Dr Karl Kruszelnicki

Dr Karl Kruszelnicki loves to share the awe and wonder of science through the media – radio, tv, podcasts and more. The author of 48 books (and counting), he is a lifetime student with degrees in physics and mathematics, biomedical engineering and medicine and surgery. In 2019 he was awarded the UNESCO Kalinga Prize for the Popularisation of Science.

Celebrate the release of the 20th anniversary edition of Unpolished Gem at Footscray Library. Award-winning local author Alice Pung will revisit her debut memoir, reflecting on the book’s legacy and her body of work.

An audience Q&A will follow. Books will be available for purchase, with a signing opportunity after the event.

An evening with Author Kate Mildenhall & Dr Rose Searby

After visiting Greenpatch camping ground in 2014, Kate Mildenhall became fascinated with the story of the shooting at Cape St George in 1887 and went on to write her debut novel – Skylarking – based on those events. Ten years on, Kate returns to the region to discuss Kate and Harriet’s story, the real-life epilogue she found and the enduring impact of the book on readers. With Dr Rose Searby.

A brave, beautiful and richly textured book that delicately explores the fault lines in love and friendship – Lucy Treloar

Alice Pung OAM is an acclaimed Australian author, lawyer, and educator. Her beloved debut memoir Unpolished Gem, is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. She has since built an extraordinary body of work, including Her Father's Daughter and Laurinda. Alice is also a celebrated editor, essayist, and advocate for multicultural voices in Australian literature and remains one of our most vital and beloved storytellers. She is also a proud participant in the Stella In Schools Program, connecting young readers with powerful, diverse storytelling.

Saturday Night Live! is a dynamic exploration of artificial intelligence, featuring the world premiere of Written In Our Voices, an immersive performance that invites audiences to become active participants in a shared journey through the enduring power of books, writing, and libraries. This new work acknowledges AI’s growing presence and challenges artists to respond creatively to today’s shifting cultural landscape. The evening continues with a conversation featuring leading AI expert Professor Toby Walsh, known for his insightful and accessible perspectives on the future of technology and ethics. Together, this thought-provoking event offers creativity, dialogue and fresh ideas.

Moreno Giovannoni's latest book, The Immigrants, is a story of love, dreams, exile and tragedy, told with heartbreaking beauty.

In the Victorian town of Mitrefò, tobacco is grown, an Italian cinema and café open, and people travel back and forth from Italy. A boy fishes, wanders the countryside and watches a community form, with its joys, scandals and shared understandings. Interspersed are the ‘grotesques’ – indelible and terrible events that sit alongside the better future they all seek.

In The Immigrants, Moreno Giovannoni depicts a family as they build a new life in a strange land. Through love and exile, industry and tragedy, their unspoken dreams and fears unfold in this astonishing and moving book.

Join us at Croydon Library to hear first-hand from Moreno about his journey to publishing this powerful story.

About the author

Moreno Giovannoni is the author of the critically acclaimed The Fireflies of Autumn and a freelance translator of long standing. His essay 'The Percheron' was published in Southerly and selected for The Best Australian Essays in 2014. He was recipient of the prestigious Deborah Cass Prize in 2016. 

Spend an evening with award-winning author Moreno Giovannoni, recipient of the 2026 Age Book of the Year Award, in conversation with Christine Balint.
Join us at Stories by the Sea for an engaging discussion on books, creativity and the stories that shape us, followed by audience questions and author signings.
Enjoy a glass of bubbles on arrival as we celebrate a wonderful night of literature and conversation by the coast.