Ayelet Tsabari is the acclaimed, Israeli-Canadian author of best-selling memoir, The Art of Leaving. Her debut novel, Songs for the Broken-Hearted – a sweeping, multigenerational saga of love, loss and reconnection and the complex history of Yemeni Jews – is a winner of the National Jewish Book Award for Fiction, the Canadian Jewish Literary Award for Fiction, the Association of Jewish Libraries Fiction Award and A Globe and Mail Best Book of 2024.
Ayelet is in conversation with Lee Kofman, Russian-born Israeli-Australian author of six books and editor of three anthologies. Lee is a writing teacher and mentor based in Melbourne.

Mark Aarons, Danny Ben-Moshe, Dan Goldberg – moderator Simon Holloway 

How did Australia become a refuge for alleged Nazi war criminals after WWII, and what happened when investigators set out to find them? This session explores fact, fiction, print and screen through the work of Danny Ben-Moshe, Mark Aarons and Dan Goldberg, moderated by Simon Holloway. From the Special Investigations Unit’s pursuit of justice for Holocaust victims, to the documentaries Our Dad the Nazi Killer and The Hunt for the Last Nazis, and most recently the novel The Watchmaker’s War, this discussion uncovers hidden histories, family secrets and unsettling truths in Australian suburbs.

Artificial intelligence is transforming every aspect of modern life, driving innovation, productivity and economic growth. Yet it also raises urgent questions about authenticity, authorship and trust. Join Alan Finkel, former Chief Scientist and founder of the international certification organisation, ProudlyHuman™, and highly esteemed academic publishing director, Nathan Hollier, in conversation with John M Green, business leader and board member, Cyber Security Cooperative Research Centre, whose latest thriller, Staged stars an investigator who uses AI! Alan Finkel and Nathan Hollier in Conversation with John M Green.

Join us for an in-conversation and book launch of Neighbours: Australia and the Pacific, written by Professor Joanne Wallis (Adelaide University) and Professor Jack Corbett (Monash University).

To be launched by Her Excellency the Honourable Frances Adamson AC, 36th Governor of South Australia.

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.

Books will be available for purchase and signing at the event.

What does it take to keep showing up to the blank page? Award-winning author Alice Pung offers reasons for optimism in this year’s E. W. Cole Lecture.

Two decades ago, Alice Pung published Unpolished Gem, a funny, loving and irreverent portrait of a migrant family’s everyday struggles and bittersweet triumphs.  

In celebration of the 20th anniversary of her beloved debut, Pung presents this year’s E. W. Cole Lecture on a subject near to her heart: the fundamentals of writing and the circumstances under which writers practice their craft. Drawing on knowledge earned from writing 15 books across contemporary fiction, YA, children’s literature and non-fiction, she examines the work that goes into the act of creation and what it takes to carry on writing, day after day.   

Pung speaks on the quiet power of turning up through crises, changing political situations and changing tastes, and what makes it all worthwhile: how writing – and reading – can help us make sense of our lives, and the world at large, now more than ever.  

An in-conversation with host Marina Sano will follow the lecture.  

Join us at Booktique Wangaratta to celebrate the release of Realms of Gold: The Remarkable Return of Jack de Crow by A.J. Mackinnon.

The charming sequel to the bestselling The Unlikely Voyage of Jack de Crow.

When A.J. 'Sandy' Mackinnon sailed a tiny dinghy through twelve countries from North Wales to the Black Sea, he survived pirates, the English Channel, international incidents and all the disasters, big and small, that can befall a little boat on a long voyage. Those adventures became his beloved bestseller The Unlikely Voyage of Jack de Crow.

Decades later, that trip is a happy memory and Sandy is firmly back on land – until a message from a stranger presents an opportunity too good to refuse. Sandy picks up where his first voyage left off, sailing and rowing single-handedly around the coast from Romania to Venice. From Istanbul to Ithaca, Mount Olympus to the ruins of Troy, he finds himself immersed in the legends of antiquity, plays chicken with mercurial border police, and is saved more than once by the kindness of strangers. He recounts it all with his unbreakable enthusiasm and self-deprecating humour, taking the reader on a hilarious and unforgettable adventure.

Please contact Booktique Wangaratta to confirm bookings via phone. 

Join us for what will be an extraordinary conversation with Tom Griffiths about Alice Duncan-Kemp's story.

Early last century, Alice Duncan-Kemp grew up on a remote Queensland cattle station. Later she would write down her childhood memories of learning from Aboriginal women and men at home on their own Country. In her books, she evoked a rich parallel universe of storytelling and lore, which she felt privileged to witness. She also spoke of an informal local treaty that curbed the violence of the frontier.

What are we to make of 'Alice's dreaming' today? Master historian and writer Tom Griffiths takes us into – and beyond – this revelatory encounter. Through it we glimpse the turmoil of a complex and tragic frontier, and a remarkable story of survival and cultural resilience. In recent years, the Mithaka people Alice lived among and wrote about have reclaimed their Country, drawing in part on her writing to support their claims.
​Alice's dreaming  shows how moving, intimate – and unexpected – history can be.

Tom will be in conversation with literary legend, Cate Kennedy. 

Readings Carlton are thrilled to have Clare Wright host the launch of Tom Griffiths' Alice's dreaming, an astonishing work of history about a girl and the Indigenous world she encountered.

Early last century, Alice Duncan-Kemp grew up on a remote Queensland cattle station. Later she would write down her childhood memories of learning from Aboriginal women and men at home on their own Country. In her books, she evoked a rich parallel universe of storytelling and lore, which she felt privileged to witness. She also spoke of an informal local treaty that curbed the violence of the frontier.

What are we to make of 'Alice's dreaming' today? Master historian and writer Tom Griffiths takes us into – and beyond – this revelatory encounter. Through it we glimpse the turmoil of a complex and tragic frontier, and a remarkable story of survival and cultural resilience. In recent years, the Mithaka people Alice lived among and wrote about have reclaimed their Country, drawing in part on her writing to support their claims.

Free, but bookings are essential.

Multi-award-winning investigative journalist Marian Wilkinson uncovers an engrossing story of power and influence, pollution and protest in her exposé of Australia's fossil-fuel giant Woodside. With Royce Kurmelovs.
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Supported by Quarterly Essay
 

Take a forensic look at the changing state of media as newsrooms and grassroots initiatives evolve with the country's leading journalists, Sean Kelly, Antoinette Lattouf, and Niki Savva. With Nour Haydar.
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Supported by The Byron Shire Echo.
 

Award-winning journalist and former Labor advisor Sean Kelly gives his definitive account of the Albanese government and explores whether Labor is still up for the good fight. With Julianne Schultz.
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Supported by Quarterly Essay
 

Start your day right and get ahead of the news. Join journalists Sean Kelly and Royce Kurmelovs for a discussion of the week's headlines.

Join Richard Fidler, Zoe Terakes and Lucianne Tonti for an immersive conversation about the allure of ancient texts, characters and stories — and why they are still so compelling today. With Kate Evans.

Amid global fuel shocks and renewed climate denialism, join Richard Denniss, Ben Roche and Marian Wilkinson for an informed and hopeful discussion about what it will take to end our fossil fuel dependence, and the political and industrial forces at play. With Isabelle Reinecke.

What would the world be like if divine feminine power had never been devalued? Join Lucianne Tonti for a deep dive into Good Witch that is both history and manifesto, reckoning and celebration. With Courtney Miller.

Supported by Organic India

Amy Remeikis, one of our most astute political commentators and voice of a dispossessed generation, argues for a complete revision of how we see ‘the untouchable prime minister’ John Howard’s tenure – and illuminates the path to a better future. With Sean Kelly.

Join Bundjalung artist, weaver and fashion designer Kylie Caldwell and regenerative fashion consultant and journalist Lucianne Tonti (Sundressed, Good Witch) for a discussion about sustainable and ethical fashion and the cultural history of textiles and weaving. With Courtney Gibson.

Join us for an afternoon in conversation with Moreno Giovannoni, author of The Immigrants and winner of the 2026 The Age Book of the Year Award. In this vivid and deeply moving novel, Moreno Giovannoni pays tribute to the experiences of postwar Italian immigrants who settled in Myrtleford, in north-east Victoria, where the search for a better life did not always unfold as they had hoped.

The conversation will be followed by an audience Q&A and an open mic session where you are invited to share your own story or a personal reflection inspired by The Immigrants. 

After the event, join us for a delicious Italian merenda, prepared by Piero from Mamma Mia.

Journalism to the law, academia to government – the institutions that underpin society rely on an evidence-based, expert-informed approach. Yet in this post-truth age, uninformed opinion can carry the same weight as rigorous research. Today, Devi Sridhar chairs a robust discussion on doubt and certainty with award-winning science journalist Elizabeth Finkel – who, in Prove It, unpacks the key elements of, and necessity for, scientific thinking – and medicine historian Caitjan Gainty – whose Healthy Scepticism illustrates where legitimate doubt has helped healthcare advance.

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.

An unforgettable, multi-layered history, Alice’s dreaming is at once biography, literary thriller and stunning evocation of Country and place.

On Thursday 20th August at The Royal Oak, Balmain, join Tom Griffiths in conversation with Dr Delia Falconer.

Copies of Alice’s dreaming will be available for purchase at the venue through Roaring Stories, with Griffiths signing copies after the discussion.

Maybe some people were never meant to be included.

Belonging is rarely innocent. It draws borders, demands recognition and determines who is included – and who is cast out. For some, it is easy to belong. For others, it is a constant struggle to conform with the expectations of others. In what kind of world can it be that the ‘the cost of belonging’ is that we remake ourselves in the image of others? 

Jesse Bering [USA], Kate Holden, Neha Kale, Amy Thunig-McGregor
Chaired by Tim Dean

Five competing remedies for a sick civilisation.
 

Everyone knows what’s wrong with the world. The harder question is what should be done about it? Five speakers take the stage with a single challenge: present the one idea they believe would most improve humanity’s future. From geopolitics and democracy to culture, community, freedom and meaning, each offers a radically different prescription for a troubled age. Some proposals may inspire hope. Others may provoke outrage. Together, they reveal not just competing solutions, but competing visions of what a better world might look like.

Hannah Diviney, Stan Grant, Jess Hill, Peter Singer, Scott Stephens

Magic as the only logical response to a broken world.

The return of ‘the witch’ is neither a lifestyle trend nor a feminine aesthetic. It is a rational, radical rejection of the failed gods of the 21st century: neoliberalism, secular rationalism, and the colonial state. When the law, the economy, and the climate are failing, ‘magic’ becomes the reclamation of agency by the marginalised – especially by women. What does it mean to recognise witchcraft not as a metaphor, but as a form of political and social power operating outside traditional institutions? And will the rise of powerful female voices, cause reactionary forces to mount a new age ‘witch hunts’? 

Emma Quilty, Lucianne Tonti, Caroline Tully
Chaired by Natasha Mitchell

What if the biggest threat isn’t artificial intelligence, but belief in it?

We built AI to serve us. Now the people building it, funding it and regulating it can’t agree on what it is, what it can do, or what comes next.   

Some see AI as a revolutionary technology that will transform work, creativity and knowledge for the better. Others see a speculative bubble built on hype, vast energy consumption and exaggerated promises. Between the evangelists and the sceptics lies a growing struggle over who benefits, who loses, and who gets to decide. 

Are these systems genuinely intelligent, or are we mistaking statistical prediction for understanding? Are they creating new opportunities, or simply giving institutions another reason to cut costs, reduce labour and concentrate power? And as governments scramble to regulate, investors pour in billions and companies race to deploy tools they barely understand, the argument is no longer just about technology – it’s about work, trust, expertise and the future of human value. 

What happens if AI changes everything? And what happens if it doesn’t?

Cory Doctorow [CAN/UK], Eleanor Gammell, Toby Walsh
Chaired by Aubrey Blanche

Hugh White will be in conversation with Allegra Spender on his new book Hard New World Our Post-American Future, examining Australia's place in the new global landscape. Are we ready for our post-American future? In an era of rising danger for all, and dramatic choices for Australia, Hugh White explores how the world is changing and 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. He discusses Albanese Labor's record and why complacency about the American alliance - including AUKUS - is no longer an option. This brilliant short book urges us to navigate a hard new world with realism and confidence.This is a thoroughly updated and significantly expanded edition of the bestselling Quarterly Essay, published in 2025.

6pm for 6.30pm start.

Hugh White in conversation with James Curran on Hard New World: Australia's Post-American Future.

What is Australia's place in the new global landscape?

Are we ready for our post-American future? In an era of rising danger for all, and dramatic choices for Australia, Hugh White explores how the world is changing and 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. He discusses Albanese Labor's record and why complacency about the American alliance – including AUKUS – is no longer an option. This brilliant short book urges us to navigate a hard new world with realism and confidence.

Author and musician Anna Goldsworthy discusses the implications of artificial intelligence on what makes us human – and why AI may be our most persuasive God yet.

In this special edition of Melbourne Conversations, presented in partnership with Now or Never, author and musician Anna Goldsworthy discusses her new Quarterly Essay, The God We Made. Here, she considers how artificial intelligence is reshaping culture in its own image. 

What does it mean for creativity, connection and art making when machine learning begins to shape the world around us? 

This contemplative discussion will be accompanied by a musical performance from Goldsworthy, composed as an artistic response to the ideas explored in her work, bringing theory into direct dialogue with human art making. Hosted by Antonia Pont.

Literary lunch just got dangerous.

Get between the covers of a book deemed too dangerous to publish with literary aficionado Benjamin Law and special guest. Unpack the book’s pre-conceptions and dish out your hottest takes over lunch with a small group of fellow book lovers.  

The special guest and your assigned reading list will be revealed soon.  

Your ticket includes a two-course set menu lunch and accompanying beverages at Attenzione! Food & Wine.  

Presented in partnership with The Book Showdown.