Prove It: A Scientific Guide for the Post-Truth Era by Elizabeth Finkel

Book Launch

La Trobe University Press is delighted to invite you to the launch of Prove It at The Avenue Bookstore in Elsternwick on Tuesday 2 September 2025.

Dr Elizabeth Finkel AM will be in conversation with Melbourne Jewish Book Week's Dr Morry Frenkel.

Doors open at 6pm and light refreshments will be served.

This event is supported by Melbourne Jewish Book Week.

About the Book

A compelling journey through science's big breakthroughs, by an award-winning Australian science writer

In Prove It, Elizabeth Finkel describes how the scientific method plays out in a series of controversies, from proving the existence of Einstein's gravitational waves to identifying the origins of Covid-19, from understanding human origins to defining consciousness. Through these tales of dispute and discovery, she breaks down the key elements of scientific thinking. Full of politics, prejudice, obsession, heroism and eccentricity, Prove It captures the drama and excitement of scientific discovery and debate and argues compellingly that its lessons are more crucial now than ever.

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, Grenville 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”.

So she decides to go 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 is the result of that journey.

Event produced by Bookoccino

Join this award-winning investigative journalist as she reveals why Australia is doubling down on fossil fuels in this new Quarterly Essay.

Discover the ways of corporate power and disruption with Marian Wilkinson as she investigates the new face of resistance and disruption.

The world may have committed to addressing climate change, but Australia's fossil-fuel giant Woodside is doubling down on gas production out to 2070. How convincing is their argument that gas is a necessary transition fuel, as the world decarbonises?

About the author

Marian Wilkinson is a multi-award-winning investigative journalist and a reporter at ABC TV's Four Corners. She has been a foreign correspondent and deputy editor for The Sydney Morning Herald and an executive producer of Four Corners.

Organised in partnership with Constant Reader Bookshop.

Join us to hear Marian Wilkinson in conversation with Michael Williams about Quarterly Essay 99: Woodside Vs. the Planet.

This is a story of power and influence, pollution and protest. The world may have committed to curbing fossil-fuel use in the 2030s, but Australia's fossil-fuel giants have doubled down. They have plans for increased production into the 2070s. Support from the major parties is locked in, so something has to give.

In this ground-breaking essay, Marian Wilkinson reveals the ways of corporate power and investigates the new face of protest and disruption. The stakes could not be higher.

Free, but bookings are essential.

Going all electric will save up to $3,500 annually. Come hear how saving the planet will now save you money!

Join us for a special in-conversation event with ‘Rewiring Australia’s Dr Saul Griffith’, award-winning engineer, inventor and bestselling author of The Big Switch, as he launches his powerful new handbook: Plug In!: The Electrification Handbook. With wit, clarity and data-backed solutions, Saul will take us through five key decisions every household can make to transition away from fossil fuels – and why this movement is more urgent and empowering than ever. 

From solar to EVs, induction cooktops to heat pumps, Plug In! is your go-to guide to electrifying your life. Saul will share practical tips, visionary ideas and insights from his work as founder of Rewiring America and Rewiring Australia, where he champions large-scale policy and grassroots action to accelerate our clean energy future. 

In conversation with local ABC Broadcaster Geraldine Mellet, this is a must-attend for anyone curious about energy, climate and how everyday choices can drive national change. Whether you’re a renter, homeowner, tradie, or just electrification-curious, this event will leave you fired up and ready to plug in. 

Books will be available for sale and signing after the talk.

Marian Wilkinson will be in conversation with David Pocock on her Quarterly Essay Woodside vs. the Planet: How a Company Captured a Country.

Why is Australia doubling down on fossil fuels? The world may have committed at Paris to hold back dangerous climate change, but Australia's fossil-fuel giant Woodside is doubling down: it has bold new plans to keep producing gas out to 2070. Support from the major parties is locked in, so something has to give.

This is a story of power and influence, pollution and protest. How does one company capture a country? How convincing is Woodside's argument that gas is a necessary transition fuel, as the world decarbonises? And what is the new ""energy realism"" narrative being pushed by Trump's White House. In this engrossing essay, Marian Wilkinson reveals the ways of corporate power and investigates the new face of resistance and disruption. The stakes could not be higher.

"The gas companies and the Labor governments in WA and Canberra had refined their defence: the gas industry was helping the world decarbonise, curbing its emissions and providing energy security. It sounded like the planet could hardly have a better friend than Australia's LNG industry and companies like Woodside." 

Marian Wilkinson is a multi-award-winning investigative journalist, including two Walkley awards, and a reporter at ABC TV's Four Corners, where she was its first female executive producer . She has been a foreign correspondent and deputy editor for The Sydney Morning Herald. Her books include The Fixer, Dark Victory (with David Marr) and The Carbon Club.

David Pocock , a former captain of the Wallabies rugby union team, is currently an independent Senator for the Australian Capital Territory in the Australian Parliament, elected in 2022 and re -elected in 2025.He is a co-founder of Rangelands Regeneration.

Emeritus Professor Mark Howden AC, former Director of the ANU Institute for Climate, Energy & Disaster Solutions, will give the vote of thanks.

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

Nazis in Australia: The Special Investigations Unit, 1987–1994 edited by Mark Aarons and Graham Blewitt

Please join us for the launch of Nazis in Australia at the Avenue Bookstore in Elsternwick on Thursday 11 September 2025.

Mark Aarons and Graham Blewitt will be in conversation with Dr Helen Durham.

Doors open at 6pm and light refreshments will be served.

About the Book

The story of the special investigations unit that tracked down the Nazis who called Australia home after World War II.

The Special Investigations Unit investigated over 800 suspected war criminals living in Australia. This book gathers the recollections of historians, archaeologists, police investigators, SIU leaders, translators and lawyers to create a detailed insiders' account of the unit's efforts to prosecute Australian residents and citizens believed to have participated in horrific war crimes.

The SIU left an important legacy. As well as pursuing justice for victims of the Holocaust, it demonstrated that historical investigation of war crimes was possible, even decades later.

Dr Helen Durham

Dr. Helen Durham has been involved in international humanitarian law for three decades. She was actively involved in the development of jurisprudence focusing on rape as a war crime, played a role in the establishment of the International Criminal Court as well as the treaty on the Prohibition of nuclear weapons. Helen was the Director of International Law and Policy for the International Committee of the Red Cross, 2014- 22 in Geneva. She is currently the CEO of RedR Australia which specialises in sending highly skilled technicians to conflict zones that require rebuilding of basic infrastructure.

Join us for a special in-conversation event with ‘Rewiring Australia’s Dr Saul Griffith’ , award-winning engineer, inventor and bestselling author of The Big Switch, as he launches his powerful new handbook: Plug In!: The Electrification Handbook. With wit, clarity and data-backed solutions, Saul will take us through five key decisions every household can make to transition away from fossil fuels – and why this movement is more urgent and empowering than ever. 

From solar to EVs, induction cooktops to heat pumps, Plug In! is your go-to guide to electrifying your life. Saul will share practical tips, visionary ideas and insights from his work as founder of Rewiring America and Rewiring Australia, where he champions large-scale policy and grassroots action to accelerate our clean energy future. 

In conversation with local sustainability advocate Pam Townsend, this is a must-attend for anyone curious about energy, climate and how everyday choices can drive national change. Whether you’re a renter, homeowner, tradie, or just electrification-curious, this event will leave you fired up and ready to plug in. 

Join the PHA NSW & ACT and Linda Jaivin, author of Bombard the Headquarters!: The Cultural Revolution in China for this timely presentation:

Bombard the Headquarters! From Mao to Musk

Almost six decades before the newly elected US president Donald Trump and his then closest-comrade-in-arms Elon Musk were planning their attack on America’s ‘deep state’, Mao Zedong, chairman of the Communist Party of China, called on his comrades to ‘bombard the headquarters’. Bureaucrats were a common enemy for both leaders, who perceived them as impediments to their very different, but equally urgent and sweeping revolutionary visions. China’s Cultural Revolution was enormously destructive for China’s education system and cultural institutions, its economy and its social cohesion. It was horrifically violent as well, with nearly two million people beaten, tortured or otherwise driven to their deaths, and millions more left with life-changing injuries. Its memory still shadows China. What lessons does this traumatic period offer the world today?

Join us for a conversation with Marian Wilkinson about her Quarterly Essay Woodside Vs. the Planet.
 
A story of power and influence, pollution and protest. The world may have committed to curbing fossil-fuel use in the 2030s, but Australia's fossil-fuel giants have doubled down. They have plans for increased production into the 2070s. Support from the major parties is locked in, so something has to give.

In this groundbreaking essay, Marian Wilkinson reveals the ways of corporate power and investigates the new face of protest and disruption. The stakes could not be higher.

Six ideas to understand artificial intelligence today

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 simplifies AI into six key ideas, equipping readers to understand where we’ve been – and where we’re headed.

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 chief scientist at its new AI institute, UNSW.ai. He is the author of four previous books about AI, including Machines Behaving Badly and Faking It.

Join us for an exclusive in-conversation with author Helen Trinca and literary expert Will Yeoman where they discuss Helen’s latest book, Looking for Elizabeth: The Life of Elizabeth Harrower.

In Looking for Elizabeth, Helen Trinca unravels the enigma of Elizabeth Harrower (1928 to 2020) — a celebrated author who published four acclaimed novels before vanishing from the literary scene at the peak of her career. 

This compelling biography vividly brings to life the literary circles and the cultural landscape of Australia during that fascinating era.

Books will be available for purchase and signing on the night.

Please join us for the Book Launch of Emily Gallagher’s book Playtime: A History of Australian Childhood - Black Inc Books

To be launched by Australian actress, singer, author and television host Justine Clarke

About The Book

This groundbreaking book is a history of children’s play and imagination in Australia between 1890 and the Second World War. It is a story about the generations that grew up at a time when nation and empire were being reimagined amid the globalising currents of war, technology and trade. Theirs were faces that would remain forever young in monochrome film, and whose thoughts and dreams would be preserved between the timeless blue lines of the modern school exercise book.

The book is built around six imaginative worlds amateur journalism, bird loving, war and adventure, dolls, the future, and monsters and fairies. It brings these worlds, and the voices of children, to life, exploring an incredible array of children’s artefacts and seeing the social history of Australia through a new lens.

'In this brilliant study, Emily Gallagher reveals childhood imagination and play as at once traditional and modern, conservative and forward-looking – a realm of joy, fantasy and fear entangled with the adult world, yet a kingdom that children also claim as their own. Playtime is a book of striking richness, originality and creativity that will change your understanding of the possibilities of Australian social history.' —Frank Bongiorno, author of Dreamers and Schemers

‘Emily Gallagher’s beautiful new history illuminates the ways children have imagined their worlds through play. Emerging from years of careful and creative historical research, Gallagher offers a new lens through which to examine Australian history. Brimming with empathy and intelligence, Playtime is a remarkable feat of historical imagination.’ ––Michelle Arrow, co-author of Personal Politics

'Beautifully written, Playtime is an innovative history of children's imaginative play that takes children seriously in their own right and on their own terms.' —Hannah Forsyth, author of Virtue Capitalists

'A joy to read, this landmark study demonstrates the significance of children's creative play, restive imaginations and slumbered dreamworlds. Emily Gallagher has written an instant classic of Australian history, according her young protagonists a central place in the national narrative … Playtime showcases a treasure trove of sources to tell vital stories about social relations, change and continuity.' —Simon Sleight, author of Young People and the Shaping of Public Space in Melbourne, 1870–1914

About Emily Gallagher

Emily Gallagher is a historian and research editor at the Australian National University. Her PhD thesis was awarded the Serle Prize in Australian History and the Lyndall Ryan Prize in Australian Studies.

About Justine Clarke

Justine Clarke is one of the most recognised and trusted faces on the Australian entertainment landscape: a best-selling children’s singer and author, internationally acclaimed film star, seasoned stage actor - currently starring in the Sydney Theatre Company production of Julia, playing the role of Julia Gillard, and a constant, reassuring presence on the daytime TV institution, Play School.

This is a story of power and influence, pollution and protest. How does one company capture a country? How convincing is Woodside’s argument that gas is a necessary transition fuel, as the world decarbonises? And what is the new “”energy realism”” narrative being pushed by Trump’s White House?

On Thursday 25th September at the Red Mill Distillery, Balmain, join Marian Wilkinson in conversation with David Marr.

Copies of Woodside vs The Planet will be available for purchase at the venue through Roaring Stories, with Wilkinson signing copies after the discussion.

Join the national launch of Bob Brown’s new book, Defiance, for a conversation between Bob and Hannah Maloney, Gardening Australia host, permaculture educator, author, and activist.

For half a century, Bob Brown has been standing up to powerful interest groups that have put profit before planet. In Defiance, he draws on five decades of activism, from empowering a new wave of environmental defenders through Bob Brown Foundation, to the historic campaign to stop the Franklin River dam and his distinguished political career. Through stories brimming with courage, humour, and hard-won wisdom, Bob's powerful words consider the challenges facing activists, from industry lobbyists to rising consumerism, and reflect on his motivations to keep taking defiant action for Earth.

This is a rare opportunity to hear directly from two of Australia’s most inspiring environmental leaders, and get your copy of Defiance on the night.

Join Petrarch's Bookshop at Launceston Library as we launch Defiance by Bob Brown in conversation with Martin Flanagan.

Stories of courage and conviction from the environmental frontline. Told with Brown's trademark warmth and humour, these stories will galvanise, uplift and inspire.

For half a century, Bob Brown has been standing up to the powerful interests who would put profit before planet.

In Defiance, he draws on this experience to inspire a new generation of individual and collective action. He reflects on the people and places that have shaped him, celebrates the irreplaceable beauty and value of nature and shares what motivates him to keep fighting. He considers the challenges facing nature's defenders - hostile corporate lobbyists, vilification in the press, the powerful pull of consumerism –and shows how courage, persistence and community can defeat them all.

Ticket provides general admission to the talk.

Book sales and drinks available at the event.

The former leader of the Greens shares stories of courage, conviction and the power of community from a life on the environmental frontlines.

For half a century, Bob Brown has been standing up to powerful interest groups that have put profit before planet. 

To celebrate the launch of his new book Defiance, he sits down to reflect on the people and places that have shaped him and shares what motivates him to keep fighting. He considers the challenges facing those who are dedicated to safeguarding life on Earth - from dealing with hostile corporate lobbyists, to press propaganda, to the powerful pull of consumerism - and shows how courage, persistence and community can defeat them all. 

Drawing on decades of experience and told with his trademark warmth and humour, these stories will galvanise, uplift and inspire a new wave of individual and collective action. With host Jeff Sparrow.  

Former leader of the Australian Greens, Bob Brown, has been standing up to those who would put profit before planet for half a century.

In his new book, Defiance, he draws on his experience in the environment movement from his time as director of the Wilderness Society, protesting the Franklin Dam to his distinguished political career advocating for the environment. To inspire a new generation of individual and collective action, he considers the challenges facing nature’s defenders, from industry lobbyists to rising consumerism, and reflects on the motivations to keep fighting for our planet.

Be galvanised by Bob’s warmth and humour in this timely conversation. 

Presented by Sydney Writers' Festival.

One of Australia’s most esteemed historians, Sheila Fitzpatrick renders a pivotal period of modern history in forensic detail: the death of Joseph Stalin and the internecine power struggles between his successors. Fitzpatrick’s masterful and immensely readable account explores the far-reaching consequences of a dictator’s demise. 

Part of Brisbane Writers Festival.

A political institution unto himself, Bob Brown’s environmental activism has quite literally changed the Australian political landscape. In his new memoir, Brown reflects on life in activism and politics, providing a blueprint for a new generation seeking to challenge the powerful forces holding our collective humanity hostage.

Part of Brisbane Writers Festival.

Byron Writers Festival invites you to a special evening event with Bob Brown in conversation about his new memoir, Defiance.

For half a century, Bob Brown has been standing up to the powerful interests who would put profit before planet.‍

In Defiance: Stories from Nature and Its Defenders, he draws on this experience to inspire a new generation of individual and collective action. He reflects on the people and places that have shaped him, celebrates the irreplaceable beauty and value of nature and shares what motivates him to keep fighting. He considers the challenges facing nature's defenders – hostile corporate lobbyists, vilification in the press, the powerful pull of consumerism – and shows how courage, persistence and community can defeat them all.

Told with Brown's trademark warmth and humour, these stories will galvanise, uplift and inspire.

Defiance comes with a foreword by Geraldine Brooks.

‍

Books will be available for purchase and signing, presented by The Book Room.

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'Our unifying purpose ought to be safeguarding life on earth, honouring happiness and securing humanity for its future in the universe. This simple and obvious pursuit, far ahead of money, offers us meaning to life on our brilliant little planet.' — Bob Brown

For half a century, Bob Brown has been standing up to the powerful interests who would put profit before planet. In his new book Defiance, he draws on this experience to inspire a new generation of individual and collective action.

Hosted by Newcastle Writers Festival director Rosemarie Milsom.

The venue bar will open at 6.30pm.

Books will be for sale and there will be a signing after the event thanks to MacLean's Booksellers.

This event is presented in parternship with The University of Newcastle with support from Black Inc Books.

We couldn't be more excited to present Meet the Author: Bob Brown for the launch of his new book, Defiance: Stories from Nature and Its Defenders. Bob, environmental and social justice campaigner and former senator, will be in conversation with Greens Senator, Sarah Hanson-Young, talking about stories of courage and conviction from the environmental frontline. We will be presenting Bob and Sarah, in partnership with the Burnside Library at 7pm on Thursday October 23rd at The Regal Theatre, 275 Kensington Road, Kensington Park.

Defiance draws on Bob's experience to inspire a new generation of individual and collective action. He reflects on the people and places that have shaped him, celebrates the irreplaceable beauty and value of nature and shares what motivates him to keep fighting. He considers the challenges facing nature's defenders – hostile corporate lobbyists, vilification in the press, the powerful pull of consumerism – and shows how courage, persistence and community can defeat them all. Told with Brown's trademark warmth and humour, these stories will galvanise, uplift and inspire.

Bob Brown is an environmental and social justice campaigner, former senator, and founding member of the Wilderness Society. From 1978 he led the successful campaign against the construction of the Franklin Dam. He served in Tasmanian state parliament for a decade, was leader of the Australian Greens, and in 1996 was elected to the federal Senate. His books include Memo for a Saner World and Optimism. After retiring from the Senate in 2012, he established the Bob Brown Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation supporting environmental causes.

Senator Sarah Hanson-Young is Greens Senator for South Australia and is a passionate environmentalist, community campaigner, feminist, and human rights activist. With over 17 years in the Parliament, Sarah has become one of the country's leading voices on women in politics, environmental protection, climate change, media laws and diversity, and human rights policy.

Tickets are $15 or you can purchase Ticket + Pre-Signed Book for $37 (Defiance is $37 RRP) with the book to be collected at the event. Defiance will be on sale for the night for $37. If you are unable to attend on the night, there is also a Book Only (signed) option available for $37 for SA addresses (signed book will be posted after the event). Part ticket proceeds donated to Bob Brown foundation.

For half a century, Bob Brown has been standing up to the powerful interests who would put profit before planet.

In Defiance, he draws on this experience to inspire a new generation of individual and collective action. He reflects on the people and places that have shaped him, celebrates the irreplaceable beauty and value of nature and shares what motivates him to keep fighting. He considers the challenges facing nature’s defenders – hostile corporate lobbyists, vilification in the press, the powerful pull of consumerism – and shows how courage, persistence and community can defeat them all.

Told with Brown’s trademark warmth and humour, these stories will galvanise, uplift and inspire.

About the author

Bob Brown is an environmental and social justice campaigner and former senator. A founding member of the Wilderness Society, from 1978 he led the successful campaign against the construction of the Franklin Dam. He served in Tasmanian state parliament for a decade, was leader of the Australian Greens, and in 1996 was elected to the federal Senate. His books include Memo for a Saner World and Optimism. After retiring from the Senate in 2012, he established the Bob Brown Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation supporting environmental causes.

For half a century, Bob Brown has been standing up to the powerful interests who would put profit before planet. In Defiance, he draws on this experience to inspire a new generation of individual and collective action.

He reflects on the people and places that have shaped him, celebrates the irreplaceable beauty and value of nature and shares what motivates him to keep fighting. He considers the challenges facing nature’s defenders – hostile corporate lobbyists, vilification in the press, the powerful pull of consumerism – and shows how courage, persistence and community can defeat them all.

Told with Brown’s trademark warmth and humour, these stories will galvanise, uplift and inspire.

Join Avid Reader for an author talk by Don Watson about The Shortest History of the United States of America

ABOUT THE BOOK

The extraordinary story of the United States, a national that contains multitiudes

When Britain's thirteen American colonies declared their independence on 4 July 1776, the United States of America was born. But it was hardly united.

In this superbly written book, Don Watson traces how the central conflicts of the United States – those over freedom, race, frontiers, enterprise, religion and violence – play out throughits 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.

This is a story full of character and humour, told with great learning and insight – a perfect introduction to America, past and present.

'These were indeed strange times. Yet the forces at work in them were not new. Men like Donald Trump are embedded in US history, mythology and popular culture. Rank populists, hucksters, fakers, grifters, rent-seekers, blowhards, tycoons, kleptocrats, narcissists, psychopaths and delinquents – or, from the other point of view, rugged individualists, entrepreneurs, men of vision, men of destiny, instruments of God. No diorama of mainstream American life in any era could be without them.'—Don Watson, The Shortest History of the United States of America.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Don Watson is the author of many acclaimed books, including Caledonia Australis, Recollections of a Bleeding Heart, American Journeys, The Bush, Watsonia and The Story of Australia.