Newcastle Writers Festival: Recent Episodes
Newcastle Writers Festival
'Australia's favourite storyteller' Peter FitzSimons brings to life the gripping true story of Australian surgeon and POW Sir Edward 'Weary' Dunlop. Fitzy speaks to Corrie Perkin about the impact of Dunlop, who inspired fellow soldiers in the face of unimaginable hardship and forged a legacy that continues to inspire.
This conversation was recorded at the 2026 Newcastle Writers Festival. The Stories to You podcast series is supported by Create NSW. If you would like to contribute to the valuable work of the festival in fostering a culture of reading and writing, please consider a tax-deductible donation.
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Join Madeleine Gray, Alli Parker and Zoe Terakes for a powerful, candid conversation about what it means to write – and live – queer stories today. Kaya Wilson speaks with the authors about identity, love, resistance, and representation in their most recent works of fiction.
This conversation was recorded at the 2026 Newcastle Writers Festival. The Stories to You podcast series is supported by Create NSW. If you would like to contribute to the valuable work of the festival in fostering a culture of reading and writing, please consider a tax-deductible donation.
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Against a backdrop of shifting laws, social media restrictions and legal and political pressure, Josh Bornstein, AC Grayling, and Antoinette Lattouf examine the impact of censorship – and what we stand to lose. They consider whose stories disappear first, and how silence reshapes culture. Hosted by Peter Greste.
This conversation was recorded at the 2026 Newcastle Writers Festival. The Stories to You podcast series is supported by Create NSW. If you would like to contribute to the valuable work of the festival in fostering a culture of reading and writing, please consider a tax-deductible donation.
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Recent books by Tyree Barnette, Brandon Jack and Andrew Pippos offer insight into the complexities of men’s lives. They talk to Michael Williams about masculinity and identity, and the impact of men speaking openly– or not – about what hurts.
This conversation was recorded at the 2026 Newcastle Writers Festival. The Stories to You podcast series is supported by Create NSW. If you would like to contribute to the valuable work of the festival in fostering a culture of reading and writing, please consider a tax-deductible donation.
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Charlotte McConaghy’s third novel Wild Dark Shore opens with a woman washing up on a remote island halfway between New Zealand and Antarctica. Who she is and why she’s there is the mystery that propels the narrative. In her first festival appearance, Charlotte speaks with Courtney Collins about writing grief and resilience into ecological fiction – and the human cost of a vanishing world.
This conversation was recorded at the 2026 Newcastle Writers Festival. The Stories to You podcast series is supported by Create NSW. If you would like to contribute to the valuable work of the festival in fostering a culture of reading and writing, please consider a tax-deductible donation.
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From the page to the stage, Words & Music is a festival project in which songwriters are invited by Newcastle curator Nick Milligan to write and perform an original work inspired by the written word. Whether it be a novel, poem, short story or something unexpected, pre-existing prose is channelled into new art.
The 2025 edition of Words & Music saw William Crighton, Melody Pool, Charlie Scott, Candle Drum, Dave Wells and Symphony Rain Riley, Chelsea Reed, Ziggy Ramo, Khin Myint and Chain Daisy all perform new original works. The show also includes a live reading by Dylin Hardcastle from their book A Language of Limbs.
This performance was recorded at Newcastle's Conservatorium of Music on Saturday, April 5, 2025 and was hosted by Nick Milligan.
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The ability of journalists to publish news in the public interest without interference and threats to their own safety is under increasing pressure. Diminishing resources, AI, and disinformation are just some of the threats to media freedom. Join journalists Eric Beecher and Rick Morton as they shed light on the state of media and what it means for the future of democracy. Hosted by Kylie Morris.
This conversation was recorded at the 2025 Newcastle Writers Festival. The Stories to You podcast series is supported by Create NSW. If you would like to contribute to the valuable work of the festival in fostering a culture of reading and writing, please consider a tax-deductible donation.
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Helen Garner returns with her signature candour and wit in an exuberant new book The Season, an account from the sidelines of the highs and lows of her youngest grandson’s footy team. Helen speaks with Newcastle Writers Festival director Rosemarie Milsom about the vulnerability of boys and the bittersweet experience of loving them and letting them go.
This conversation was recorded at the 2025 Newcastle Writers Festival. The Stories to You podcast series is supported by Create NSW. If you would like to contribute to the valuable work of the festival in fostering a culture of reading and writing, please consider a tax-deductible donation.
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In his book Always Was, Always Will Be, Thomas Mayo investigates 'what's next?' for reconciliation and justice in Australia after the failed Voice to Parliament referendum. Thomas speaks with Clare Wright about lessons from the past, a path towards the future, and the new generation of First Nations leaders who are ready, resilient, and hopeful.
This conversation was recorded at the 2025 Newcastle Writers Festival. The Stories to You podcast series is supported by Create NSW. If you would like to contribute to the valuable work of the festival in fostering a culture of reading and writing, please consider a tax-deductible donation.
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For 25 years, award-winning author Michelle de Kretser has been dazzling readers with her novels. Her new book, Theory & Practice, is set in 1980s Melbourne and is an exquisite blend of fiction, memoir and essay. Michelle makes her first appearance in Newcastle to speak with Kate Evans about craft, creativity, and the enduring influence of Virginia Woolf.
This conversation was recorded at the 2025 Newcastle Writers Festival. The Stories to You podcast series is supported by Create NSW. If you would like to contribute to the valuable work of the festival in fostering a culture of reading and writing, please consider a tax-deductible donation.
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From larger-than-life adventures to vivid and poignant tales of the imagination, no one tells a yarn quite like Jimmy Barnes. In his fourth memoir Highways and Byways, he takes readers on another enthralling tour, this one complete with the odd detour, and a roundabout or two, through the life of one of this country’s most successful and beloved artists. Hosted by Richard Glover.
This conversation was recorded at the 2025 Newcastle Writers Festival. The Stories to You podcast series is supported by Create NSW. If you would like to contribute to the valuable work of the festival in fostering a culture of reading and writing, please consider a tax-deductible donation.
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It’s the 1980s in Darlinghurst, Sydney, and strange rumours abound: that you can catch the ‘gay plague’ from kissing, or a mosquito bite. There’s talk of quarantines and army intervention, and violence increases on the streets. David Owen Kelly’s Host City fuses memoir with alternative history to spin a tale of joy and survival. He speaks with Keri Glastonbury.
This conversation was recorded at the 2025 Newcastle Writers Festival. The Stories to You podcast series is supported by Create NSW. If you would like to contribute to the valuable work of the festival in fostering a culture of reading and writing, please consider a tax-deductible donation.
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It’s a well-known phenomenon: the anxious, agonising process of releasing a second book after a successful debut. Is the new book too similar to the first, or maybe too dissimilar? Was the debut effort a fluke? Courtney Collins, Hayley Scrivenor, and Jessie Tu open up to Amy Lovat about imposter syndrome, creative blocks, and debunk second-book blues.
This conversation was recorded at the 2025 Newcastle Writers Festival. The Stories to You podcast series is supported by Create NSW. If you would like to contribute to the valuable work of the festival in fostering a culture of reading and writing, please consider a tax-deductible donation.
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In their most recent novels, Melanie Cheng, Raeden Richardson, and Molly Schmidt grapple with the turbulent relationship between love and loneliness, and the complexities of grief. They speak to Steph Harmon.
This conversation was recorded at the 2025 Newcastle Writers Festival. The Stories to You podcast series is supported by Create NSW. If you would like to contribute to the valuable work of the festival in fostering a culture of reading and writing, please consider a tax-deductible donation.
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In her new book Unsettled, Kate Grenville grapples with what it means to descend from people who were ‘on the sharp edge of the moving blade that was colonisation’. Kate speaks with David Marr about uncovering family stories and confronting difficult truths.
This conversation was recorded at the 2025 Newcastle Writers Festival. The Stories to You podcast series is supported by Create NSW. If you would like to contribute to the valuable work of the festival in fostering a culture of reading and writing, please consider a tax-deductible donation.
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From his international bestseller, The Book Thief, to the recent memoir Three Wild Dogs and the Truth, Markus Zusak’s stellar writing career has taken him down unexpected paths. In his first Newcastle Writers Festival appearance, Markus sheds light on the good, the bad, and the ugly moments in a life full of love, sorrow, and success. Hosted by Dan Cox.
This conversation was recorded at the 2025 Newcastle Writers Festival. The Stories to You podcast series is supported by Create NSW. If you would like to contribute to the valuable work of the festival in fostering a culture of reading and writing, please consider a tax-deductible donation.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
ABC Newcastle's Dan Cox reads the 2025 program for 2 to 4 April.
This initiative is part of Newcastle Writers Festival's Disability Inclusion Action Plan and is funded by Create NSW.
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ABC Newcastle's Dan Cox reads the 2025 program for 6 April.
This initiative is part of Newcastle Writers Festival's Disability Inclusion Action Plan and is funded by Create NSW.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
ABC Newcastle's Dan Cox reads the 2025 program for 5 April.
This initiative is part of Newcastle Writers Festival's Disability Inclusion Action Plan and is funded by Create NSW.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In October, Newcastle Writers Festival hosted a special event with best-selling US writer Jodi Picoult. Mamamia executive editor Jessie Stephens hosted the conversation, which centred on Jodi's well-researched and imaginative new book By Any Other Name about two women, living 400 years apart, who aspire to be playwrights and the battles they must fight for recognition. Jodi speaks about the myths surrounding Shakespeare, the challenges of being a female artists, and her extensive research.
Thank you to our partner University of Newcastle, Allen & Unwin, and podcast funder Create NSW.
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In November, Newcastle Writers Festival hosted a special event with ARIA-winning musician and songwriter Kasey Chambers at the University of Newcastle's Conservatorium of Music. Danni Carr, Kasey's friend and host of the acclaimed podcast How I Quit Alcohol, hosted the conversation about her new memoir Just Don't Be a Dkhead and Other Profound Things I've Learnt!, which features compelling stories, rock-solid life lessons and heartfelt observations.
Kasey also performed three songs with Brandon Dodd.
Thank you to our major partner The University of Newcastle, publisher Hardie Grant Books, and podcast series funder Create NSW.
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In October 2024, Newcastle Writers Festival hosted a special event with acclaimed Australian writer Tim Winton. Festival director Rosemarie Milsom hosted the conversation which centred on Tim's most recent novel Juice, described by Tara June Winch as a 'masterful story for the ages'. Tim speaks about its central theme of climate devastation and contemplates whether a book can change the world.
Thank you to presenting partner University of Newcastle.
This podcast series is supported by Create NSW.
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Poets Susie Anderson, Sara M Saleh and Rob Waters discuss the interconnection between identity and creativity with Magdalena Ball.
This conversation was recorded at the 2024 Newcastle Writers Festival. The Stories to You podcast series is supported by Create NSW. If you would like to contribute to the valuable work of the festival in fostering a culture of reading and writing, please consider a tax-deductible donation.
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Hannah Ferguson co-founded an independent news commentary platform at a time when the world needed it most. In 2020, Cheek Media Co. quickly established itself as the go-to platform for daring feminist opinions and progressive perspectives on everything from right-wing politics to overcoming taboos around sex and pleasure. The mission? To provoke conversation and inspire meaningful social change. In Hannah’s memoir, Bite Back, she tells the whole story – and more. Hosted by Maddison Connaughton.
This conversation was recorded at the 2024 Newcastle Writers Festival. The Stories to You podcast series is supported by Create NSW. If you would like to contribute to the valuable work of the festival in fostering a culture of reading and writing, please consider a tax-deductible donation.
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In his new book, How We Became Post-Liberal, Newcastle philosopher and legal scholar Russell Blackford examines how Western liberal democracies became nations where traditional liberal principles of toleration, individual liberty and freedom of speech are frequently dismissed to support conservative policies. He speaks to The Ethics Centre's Simon Longstaff about why liberalism’s ideas and language are still worth saving.
This conversation was recorded at the 2024 Newcastle Writers Festival. The Stories to You podcast series is supported by Create NSW. If you would like to contribute to the valuable work of the festival in fostering a culture of reading and writing, please consider a tax-deductible donation.
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The book and film The Last Daughter centre on Brenda Matthew’s life journey, and how she reconciled both halves of her history; being raised by a white foster family, before being returned to her Aboriginal family. Brenda shares her story with Melissa Lucashenko.
This conversation was recorded at the 2024 Newcastle Writers Festival. The Stories to You podcast series is supported by Create NSW. If you would like to contribute to the valuable work of the festival in fostering a culture of reading and writing, please consider a tax-deductible donation.
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The Netflix adaptation of Trent Dalton’s much-loved novel Boy Swallows Universe has been applauded by the book’s loyal fans, but no one could have predicted its international success. Meet the Newcastle-based BAFTA and Emmy-nominated director, Bharat Nalluri, who helped bring this very Australian story to life for a global audience. Hosted by Rosemarie Milsom.
This conversation was recorded at the 2024 Newcastle Writers Festival. The Stories to You podcast series is supported by Create NSW. If you would like to contribute to the valuable work of the festival in fostering a culture of reading and writing, please consider a tax-deductible donation.
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It is the desire of many readers to see themselves reflected on the page, especially when their faces and voices have been excluded from the dominant narrative. Graham Akhurst, Kirli Saunders and Melanie Saward discuss writing First Nations characters in fiction for – and about – young people. Hosted by Yvette Henry Holt.
This conversation was recorded at the 2024 Newcastle Writers Festival. The Stories to You podcast series is supported by Create NSW. If you would like to contribute to the valuable work of the festival in fostering a culture of reading and writing, please consider a tax-deductible donation.
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In their recent fiction, Emily Perkins, Megan Rogers and Christos Tsiolkas created characters at a crossroads, disrupting the traditional narrative of ‘coming of age’ as an experience of youth. They discuss belonging, change, and the perennial journey of ‘growing up’ with Ashley Hay.
This conversation was recorded at the 2024 Newcastle Writers Festival. The Stories to You podcast series is supported by Create NSW. If you would like to contribute to the valuable work of the festival in fostering a culture of reading and writing, please consider a tax-deductible donation.
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From being told her books ‘weren’t Australian enough’, to winning the 2023 Miles Franklin Literary Award for her third novel Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens, Shankari Chandran’s writing journey has been anything but linear. She speaks with Ailsa Piper about family and memory, and the stories that shape who we become.
This conversation was recorded at the 2024 Newcastle Writers Festival. The Stories to You podcast series is supported by Create NSW. If you would like to contribute to the valuable work of the festival in fostering a culture of reading and writing, please consider a tax-deductible donation.
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‘If you're doing work that you feel is important, it will be impossible to have everybody like you.’ Bri Lee first captured the literary world’s attention with her debut memoir Eggshell Skull, a very personal interrogation of the injustices experienced by survivors of sexual assault. Now, she’s turned her attention to fiction. Bri talks with Bridie Jabour about her novel, The Work, a story of love, vulnerability, and privilege set amid the art world.
This conversation was recorded at the 2024 Newcastle Writers Festival. The Stories to You podcast series is supported by Create NSW. If you would like to contribute to the valuable work of the festival in fostering a culture of reading and writing, please consider a tax-deductible donation.
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Israel’s spying technology and defence hardware is being used by despots and democracies around the world – from the Pegasus software that hacked Jamal Khashoggi’s phones, and the weapons sold to the Myanmar army that killed thousands of Rohingyas, to the drones being used by the European Union to monitor refugees in the Mediterranean. Independent journalist Antony Loewenstein discusses how Israel became a leader in the development of weaponry and surveillance technology. Hosted by the ABC's Matt Bevan.
This conversation was recorded at the 2024 Newcastle Writers Festival. The Stories to You podcast series is supported by Create NSW. If you would like to contribute to the valuable work of the festival in fostering a culture of reading and writing, please consider a tax-deductible donation.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This is a reading of the 2024 Newcastle Writers Festival program for Saturday, 6 April 2024. Thank you to ABC Newcastle's Dan Cox for assisting. This is a condensed version and more detail can be found on the website. If you would like to contact our accessibility coordinator please email access@newcastlewritersfestival.org.au
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This is a reading of the 2024 Newcastle Writers Festival program for Friday, 5 April 2024. Thank you to ABC Newcastle's Dan Cox for assisting. This is a condensed version and more detail can be found on the website. If you would like to contact our accessibility coordinator please email access@newcastlewritersfestival.org.au
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This is a reading of the 2024 Newcastle Writers Festival program for Sunday, 7 April 2024. Thank you to ABC Newcastle's Dan Cox for assisting. This is a condensed version and more detail can be found on the website. If you would like to contact our accessibility coordinator please email access@newcastlewritersfestival.org.au
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this session, which was recorded at the 2023 festival, University of Newcastle researcher Phillip McIntyre discusses with Scott Bevan his most recent book Paul McCartney and His Creative Practice. Phillip shares fresh insight into the creative practice developed by Paul McCartney during his extended career as a songwriter, record producer and performing musician.
The Stories to You podcast series is supported by Create NSW. If you would like to contribute to the valuable work of Newcastle Writers Festival in fostering a culture of reading and writing, please consider a tax-deductible donation.
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In this session recorded at the 2023 festival, writer and much-loved broadcaster Richard Fidler discusses The Book of Roads & Kingdoms, which is inspired by the tales of medieval Arab and Persian travellers who ventured to the edges of the known world. He discusses with Paul Bevan the ways in which the expansion of geographical frontiers shaped knowledge.
The Stories to You podcast series is supported by Create NSW. If you would like to contribute to the valuable work of Newcastle Writers Festival in fostering a culture of reading and writing, please consider a tax-deductible donation.
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At the 2023 festival, Pip Williams’s participation coincided with the launch of her highly anticipated second book, The Bookbinder of Jericho. It tells the story of the onset of World War I from the perspective of a young woman, Peggy, who works in the bindery of the Oxford University Press. In this wide-ranging discussion, Pip speaks to Ailsa Piper about language, censorship and women’s access to knowledge.
The Stories to You podcast series is supported by Create NSW. If you would like to contribute to the valuable work of Newcastle Writers Festival in fostering a culture of reading and writing, please consider a tax-deductible donation.
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In this session, which was recorded at the 2023 festival, acclaimed poets Andy Jackson, Kerri Shying and Gaele Sobott discuss Raging Grace, an anthology of collaborative poems and essays on disability.
The Stories to You podcast series is supported by Create NSW. If you would like to support the valuable work of Newcastle Writers Festival, which fosters a culture of reading and writing, please consider a tax-deductible donation.
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In this session, which was recorded at the 2023 festival, Norman Swan explores the science, myths and mistruths that surround ageing. Hosted by Cassie McCullagh.
The Stories to You podcast series is supported by Create NSW. If you would like to contribute to the valuable work of Newcastle Writers Festival in fostering a culture of reading and writing, please consider a tax-deductible donation.
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In this session recorded at the 2023 festival, Tim Baker and Chloe Hooper share their perspectives on the role that hope can play in helping us cope with life’s darkest moments. Hosted by Ailsa Piper.
The Stories to You podcast series is supported by Create NSW. If you would like to contribute to the valuable work of Newcastle Writers Festival in supporting a culture of reading and writing, please consider a tax-deductible donation.
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Literary critic Declan Fry has described Chris Flynn as ‘a restless experimenter, a fabulist’. In his compelling new collection of short stories, Here Be Leviathans, Chris gives a voice to the world around us, with narrators including a bear, a river, a platypus and a hotel room.
At the 2023 festival, he spoke to Kate Mildenhall about embracing the absurd, breaking rules, and finding your voice as a writer.
The Stories to You podcast series is supported by Create NSW. If you would like to support the valuable work of Newcastle Writers Festival, which fosters a culture of reading and writing, please consider a tax-deductible donation.
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At the 2023 festival, Anna Downes spoke to three writers about their critically acclaimed debut crime books.
Shelley Burr was awarded the prestigious Crime Writers’ Association Debut Dagger for Wake, which explores how the unsolved disappearance of a girl continues to haunt a small town. James McKenzie Watson’s Denizen won the 2021 Penguin Literary Prizeand is informed by his upbringing in regional NSW. Matthew Spencer’s Black Riversees a serial killer preying on victims along the banks of the Parramatta River.
The Stories to You podcast series is supported by Create NSW. If you would like to contribute to the valuable work of the festival in fostering a culture of reading and writing, please consider a donation.
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In this session recorded at the 2023 festival, investigative journalist Paddy Manning turns his attention to Lachlan Murdoch, one of the world’s most influential – and enigmatic – people.
In his compelling biography The Successor, Manning explores Murdoch’s upbringing and political beliefs. He shares with host Antony Loewenstein what he has learnt about the head of Fox Corporation and how power and politics continue to shape him.
The Stories to You podcast series is supported by Create NSW. If you would like to contribute to the valuable work of Newcastle Writers Festival in fostering a culture of reading and writing, please consider a tax-deductible donation.
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In their recent books, Robbie Arnott, Bronwyn Birdsall, and Holly Ringland create vivid settings that transport readers to locations in Australia and across the globe – to a bygone era in Tasmania’s north, myth-laden Denmark and Faroe Islands, and a Balkan city recovering from war. At the 2023 festival, they spoke to Geordie Williamson about the places and liminal spaces at the pulsing heart of their compelling novels.
The Stories to You podcast series is supported by Create NSW. If you would like to contribute to the important work of Newcastle Writers Festival, which connect writers and readers from across the Hunter region and beyond, please consider making a tax-deductible donation.
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At the 2023 festival, we introduced a new series called I'd Like You to Meet and invited established writers to shine the spotlight on an emerging writer whose work they admire. Craig Silvey introduces you to Cadance Bell, whose coming-of-gender memoir, The All of It: A Bogan Rhapsody,was published in 2022.
The Stories to You Series is supported by Create NSW. If you would like to individually support the vital work of Newcastle Writers Festival please consider a tax-deductible donation.
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With the support of Robert Adamson's wife Juno Gemes, Newcastle Writers Festival was honoured to host a commemoration of the late poet’s life and work at the 2023 festival. This special event includes readings by Judith Beveridge, Robbie Coburn, Keri Glastonbury, Sarah Holland-Batt, and Mark Mordue. The host is Michele Seminara.
The Stories to You podcast series is supported by Create NSW. If you would like to contribute to the festival's important work of fostering a culture of reading and writing, please consider a tax-deductible donation.
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When the Taliban arrived at the gates of Kabul in August 2021, Andrew Quilty had been living and working there for eight years. He was one of only a handful of Western journalists remaining. In this conversation, which was recorded at the 2023 festival, Andrew discusses his book August in Kabul, which explores the humanitarian cost of the 20-year war. The conversation is hosted by Antony Loewenstein.
The Stories to You podcast series is supported by Create NSW.
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Newcastle Writers Festival hosted a very special 10th anniversary opening night event on 31 March 2023 featuring activist, sexual abuse survivor, and author Grace Tame. She spoke to Maddison Connaughton about her memoir, The Ninth Life of a Diamond Miner. Please be aware that this conversation includes reference to sexual abuse and eating disorders. If it raises any issues for you, Lifeline is there to help 13 11 14.
The Stories to You podcast series is supported by Create NSW.
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In October 2022, Newcastle Writers Festival hosted a special event with internationally respected human rights and media lawyer Jennifer Robinson and colleague Dr Keina Yoshida. Journalist Maddison Connaughton hosted the conversation, which centred on Jennifer and Keina’s book How Many More Women? Exposing How the Law Silences Women.
How Many More Women? examines the laws around the world that silence women, and explores the changes we need to make to ensure that women’s freedoms are no longer threatened by the legal system that is supposed to protect them.
Thank you to event sponsor University of Newcastle's School of Humanities, Creative Industries and Social Sciences and to publisher Allen & Unwin.
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First Nations women are the backbone of their communities. Join this deep dive into storytelling, song, poetry, and activism with Evelyn Araluen, Jasmine Seymour, Nardi Simpson, and Chelsea Watego. Hosted by Narelda Jacobs.
This conversation was recorded at the 2022 Newcastle Writers Festival. Thank you to Create NSW for funding the Stories To You series.
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Lech Blaine, Brendan Cowell, and Brandon Jack discuss what it means to explore more expansive expressions of Australian masculinity in writing and in life. Hosted by Nick Milligan.
This conversation was recorded at the 2022 Newcastle Writers Festival. Thank you to Create NSW for funding the Stories To You series.
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Emily Bitto (Wild Abandon) and Diana Reid (Love & Virtue) have received critical acclaim for their evocative new coming-of-age novels, which dissect relationships, power, and moral responsibility. They speak to Amy Lovat.
This conversation was recorded at the 2022 Newcastle Writers Festival. Thank you to Create NSW for funding the Stories To You series.
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Award-winning writer Hannah Kent made her Newcastle Writers Festival debut in 2022. In this conversation with Ashley Hay, she discusses her most recent novel Devotion, which takes readers on a journey back in time, across oceans and spiritual planes.
Hannah Kent’s first novel, the international bestseller, Burial Rites, was translated into over 30 languages and won the ABIA Literary Fiction Book of the Year, the Indie Awards Debut Fiction Book of the Year, and the Victorian Premier’s People’s Choice Award. It was shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction, the Stella Prize and the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, and is being adapted for film by Sony TriStar. Her second novel, The Good People was translated into 10 languages and shortlisted for the Walter Scott Award, the Indie Books Award for Literary Fiction, the ABIA Literary Fiction Book of the Year and the Readings Prize. It is being adapted for film by Aquarius Productions. Devotion, her third novel, won Booktopia’s Favourite Australian Book, was shortlisted for an Indie Book Award and longlisted for the ABIA Literary Fiction Book of the Year.
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A former newspaper editor has described Kate McClymont as ‘a walking almanac of Sydney crime and corruption’. Delve into a day in the unusual life of one of Australia’s most respected investigative journalists – death threats and all.
This conversation was recorded at the 2022 Newcastle Writers Festival and hosted by best-selling author Michael Robotham.
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It was standing room only for this important event at the 2022 festival with Paul Callaghan and Uncle Paul Gordon, who believe that First Nations thinking can be a source of contentment for all. The men bring together Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal world views in their powerful book, The Dreaming Path, and they expand on some of its themes in this conversation; relationships, caring for place, being present and healing from the past. The host is Joe Williams, a proud Wiradjuri/Wolgalu man and author of The Enemy Within.
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As we prepare for our 10th festival, which will be held from 31 March to 2 April 2023, enjoy the first in a series of sessions recorded at the 2022 festival.
A blind man yearns to see the face of his wife of 30 years. A divorced mother has a secret love affair with a travelling priest. A tree lopper’s heart falls in a forest. A respected 100-year-old scientist ponders the one great earthly puzzle he was never able to solve: ‘What is love?’ Trent Dalton explores important questions about what love means.
This session was hosted by Newcastle Writers Festival director Rosemarie Milsom who stepped in at the last minute to replace someone who had to withdraw.
Thank you to the festival's core funder Create NSW for supporting the Stories to You series.
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In the final episode of this year's Stories To You series, we have collaborated with Caroline Baum, host of the Life Sentences podcast, to bring you a conversation with American biographer Professor Heather Clark about her acclaimed biography of poet Sylvia Plath.
Caroline describes Red Comet: The Short Life and Blazing Art of Sylvia Plath, which has been nominated for a 2021 Pulitzer Prize,as a "fastidious, forensic and granular account" of the artist's early life and brilliant college days in the US before her explosive encounter with British poet Ted Hughes. With unprecedented access to archives of Plath papers and other previously unavailable material, Clark provides the most comprehensive and psychologically complex portrait to date of a much misunderstood and mythologised artist.
Red Comet is published in Australia by Penguin Random House.
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Andrew Pippos, who has been shortlisted for the 2021 Miles Franklin Literary Award, and Newcastle writer Michael Sala, discuss their creative challenges and decisions, how they juggle the demands of writing and parenting, and what they are working on now. Hosted by Ed Wright.
This session was recorded at our inaugural Fresh Ink Emerging Writers Program on 23 April, in collaboration with Newcastle Libraries. Funding was provided by Create NSW.
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Cassandra Atherton talks about prose poetry and microlit — reading from the Anthology of Australian Prose Poetry she recently co-edited with Paul Hetherington, and Pulped Fiction, the latest collection in the Joanne Burns microlit prize series.
Host: Beth Spencer
Anthology of Australian Prose Poetry is published by Melbourne University Press.
Pulped Fiction is published by Spineless Wonders.
Cassandra’s latest books of prose poetry are Fugitive Letters (with Paul Hetherington) and Leftovers.
You can order copies from www.macleanbooks.com.au
More information about Cassandra’s work at www.cassandra-atherton.com.
And for more about the Joanne Burns Microlit prize and Microflix check out Spineless Wonders at https://shortaustralianstories.com.au/
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Triple J presenter Bridget Hustwaite and journalist Gabrielle Jackson are 'endo warriors'. They share their experiences of living with endometriosis and explore the assumptions and misinformation that impact sufferers.
How to Endo by Bridget Hustwaite and Pain and Prejudice by Gabrielle Jackson are published by Allen and Unwin. Buy both books online via the Festival's book store MacLean's Booksellers.
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Acclaimed First Nations Canadian writer Billy-Ray Belcourt speaks to Laura Kebby, of Secret Book Stuff, about writing, poetry, identity, and the importance of representation in literature.
Billy-Ray's memoir A History of My Brief Body is published by UQP.
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Eminent British philosopher A. C. Grayling discusses the fields of knowledge that have opened up with new methods and tools of inquiry – including cutting-edge physics, humanity’s very ancient history before Greece and Rome, and what we now know about the mind and the brain. Hosted by Newcastle philosopher and author Russell Blackford.
The Frontiers of Knowledge: What We Now Know About Science, History, and the Mind is published by Penguin Random House Australia. Buy your copy from the Festival's bookstore, MacLean's Booksellers.
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From essays to poetry, there’s more than one way to write a memoir. How do we find the best form to tell the stories of our own lives? With Bastian Fox Phelan, Susan Francis, and Bri Lee. Hosted by Rosemarie Milsom.
This session was recorded at our inaugural Fresh Ink Emerging Writers Program on 24 April, 2021, in collaboration with Newcastle Libraries. Funding was provided by Create NSW.
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Whether you’re interested in self-publishing, are an aspiring author, or simply keen to take a behind-the-scenes look at the business of publishing, Jaye Ford, Brendan Fredericks and Ed Wright share an insider’s view. Hosted by Nick Milligan.
This session was recorded at our inaugural Fresh Ink Emerging Writers Program on 24 April, 2021, in collaboration with Newcastle Libraries. Funding was provided by Create NSW.
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Newcastle has a robust poetry community and in late 2020 three local writers had books published by Puncher & Wattmann. Ivy Ireland, Kerri Shying, and Ed Wright speak to Magdalena Ball about their funny and deeply original work.
Kerri Shying’s Know Your Country, Ivy Ireland’s The Owl Inside, and Ed Wright’s Gas Deities are all published by Puncher & Wattmann and can be purchased from Macleans Bookshop.
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When her husband decided he didn't want biological children, Sarah Sentilles was forced to acknowledge her deepest longing. In her compelling new memoir, Stranger Care, she explores the realisation that she wanted to be a parent - to care for someone else's baby. Sarah speaks to Newcastle Writers Festival director Rosemarie Milsom about the life-changing experience.
Stranger Care is published by Text and can be bought online via Maclean's Booksellers.
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Novelist Maria Dahvana Headley has created a revisionist translation of the Old English poem Beowulf, infusing it with feminism and social-media slang.
She speaks to Magdalena Ballabout being one of only a few women translators who has tackled the 3182-line poem.
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What if you woke up one morning and decided to give the fate of your marriage just 12 months? Author Holly Wainwright chats to Laura Jackel about her latest aptly titled novel, I Give My Marriage A Year.
Holly Wainwright is a writer, editor and broadcaster who lives in Sydney with her young family. She's the Head of Content at women's media company Mamamia and this is her third novel.
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Australian writer Emily Maguire's new novel isa clear-eyed and compassionate novel about love and family, betrayal and forgiveness, and the things we do to fill our empty spaces. She speaks to Magdalena Ball.
Love Objects is published by Allen & Unwin.
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This episode of Stories to You brings together two veteran Australian music journalists and authors, Stuart Coupe and Mark Mordue, to discuss their respective new biographies, Paul Kelly: The Man, the Music and The Life In-Between and Nick Cave: Boy On Fire.
Author and entertainment journalist Nick Milligan speaks with Coupe and Mordue about the craft of writing an incisive biography and the multi-faceted lives of their fascinating subjects.
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What happens if your misunderstood child becomes embroiled in a school scandal? Fiona Higgins chats to Laura Jackel about her new novel An Unusual Boy.
For more on Fiona Higgins visit fionahiggins.com.au and buy An Unusual Boy, published by Boldwood Books here
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In his new book My Year of Living Vulnerably, Rick Morton reveals what happened when childhood trauma caught up with him in his 20s. He then set himself the task of undoing some of the damage by living more openly and vulnerably, and by exploring the evolving science around how people living with trauma can begin to heal. He speaks to Ed Wright.
If this conversation has raised issues for you, help is available 24/7 from Lifeline 13 11 14
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During the destructive and widespread bushfire season of 2019/20, philosopher Danielle Celermajer's rural NSW idyll was under threat. The trauma and fear caused her to reflect on our responsibility for the damage and pain caused, especially to the natural world. She speaks to Rosemarie Milsom about her book Summertime: Reflections on a Vanishing Future.
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Does being vegan mean having to miss out on burgers, jalapeno peppers and deep-fried banana fritters? No way, according to Melbourne writer and vegan recipe developer Zacchary Bird. He talks to Magdalena Ball about his first book Vegan Junk Food.
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Former Prime Minister Julia Gillard discusses her most recent book Women and Leadership: Real Lives, Real Lessons, co-written with economist Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. She explores the influence of gender on women’s access to positions of leadership and the perceptions of them as leaders. The conversation is hosted by Newcastle Writers Festival director Rosemarie Milsom and was recorded on 13 February, 2021.
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Nicola Redhouse reads from her book Unlike the Heart: A Memoir of Brain and Mind and talks about the way her research grew from her own postnatal anxiety to something much bigger.
Host - Magdalena Ball
If you would like to buy a copy of Nicola’s book, which is published by UQP, go to www.macleansbooks.com.au
Much-loved singer/songwriters Clare Bowditch discusses her heart-breaking, wise, and inspirational memoir. Host / Sarah Macdonald
If you would like to buy a copy of Clare’s book Your Own Kind of Girl, which is published by Allen & Unwin, go to www.macleansbooks.com.au
David Leser discusses the origins of misogyny, the impact of the #MeToo movement, and proposes a new map for masculinity with host, Rosemarie Milsom
If you would like to buy a copy of David’s book Women, Men & the Whole Damn Thing, which is published by Allen & Unwin, go to www.macleansbooks.com.au
For six years Miriam Lancewood lived off the grid throughout New Zealand’s wilderness areas where she learnt to hunt and forage. She shares her experience with Rosemarie Milsom
If you would like to buy a copy of Miriam’s book A Woman in the Wilderness, which is published by Allen & Unwin, go to www.macleansbooks.com.au
Behrouz Boochani speaks from New Zealand about life after Manus Island, the impact of his award-winning memoir No Friend but the Mountains, and the enduring power of literature to change the world.
Host / Michael Byrne
If you would like to buy a copy of Behrouz’s book No Friend but the Mountains, which is published by Pan Macmillan, go to www.macleansbooks.com.au
Against the backdrop of World War II and its far-reaching fallout, Suzanne Leal and Favel Parrett’s compelling novels explore the impact of betrayal and the meaning of home.
Host / Meredith Jaffé
If you would like to buy a copy of Suzanne’s book The Deceptions, which is published by Allen & Unwin, or Favel’s book There was Still Love, which is published by Hachette, go to www.macleansbooks.com.au
Throughout history, anger has fuelled surges in female-led activism, but is it having an impact where it matters now - and if not, why not? With Jane Gilmore, Ruby Hamad and Trisha Pender
If you would like to buy a copy of Jane’s book Fixing the Headlines: Violence and the Representation of Women in the Media, which is published by Viking or Ruby’s book White Tears/ Brown Scare, which is published by MUP, go to www.macleansbooks.com.au
Charlotte Wood discusses her critically acclaimed novel The Weekend, which centres on the intricacies of female friendships and the impact of ageing with host, Ailsa Piper
If you would like to buy a copy of Charlotte’ book The Weekend, which is published by Allen & Unwin, go to www.macleansbooks.com.au/
Newcastle writer David Owen Kelly discusses his darkly funny and confronting memoir State of Origin, which explores loyalty, misguided love and loss.
Host / Ed Wright
If you would like to buy a copy of David’s book State of Origin, which is published by Puncher & Wattman, click here https://www.macleansbooks.com.au
From heavy wipe-outs to heaving crowds, soulful road trips to flow states, Ash Grunwald provides insight into the lives of surfing legends who also happen to be brilliant musicians.
Host /Nick Milligan
If you would like to buy a copy of Ash’s book Surf by Day, Jam by Night, which is published by Pantera Press, go to www.macleansbooks.com.au
Sarah Macdonald and Cathy Wilcox share their straight-talking, laugh-out-loud survival guide to raising teenagers with host, Meredith Jaffé
If you would like to buy a copy of Sarah and Cathy’s book So … You’re Having a Teenager, which is published by Murdoch Books, go to www.macleansbooks.com.au/
What happens when the person you love conceals their true identity? Susan Francis and Stephanie Wood discuss the devastating fallout with host, Suzanne Leal
If you would like to buy a copy of Susan’s book The Love that Remain, which is published by Allen & Unwin or Stephanie’s book Fake, which is published by Penguin Books Australia, go to www.macleansbooks.com.au
This year’s award, held in collaboration with Spineless Wonders, encouraged writers to use microlit to explore physical, psychological, environmental and historical scars. Hear readings by writers included in the Scars anthology. Host / Cassandra Atherton
Featuring: The Ocean Has Made Promises - Shaynah Andrews, Shot Through - Nadine Schofield, Affinity - Susan McCreery, Discussing Pain [and the things I don’t say.] - Deb Wain, ATAPS 2013: (The Department of Health Access to Allied Psychological Services Suicide Prevention Program) - Josh Mei-Ling Dubrau Landscrape - Andrew Roff Kitten - Jen Craig Earth Scars - Magdalena Ball Scar Makers Make Men - Paul Collis Shark Bite - Trisha Pender Contrails - Alyson Miller Best of Three - Danielle Baldock Swell - Kathleen Bleakley Neighbours- Brenda Proudfoot Ripple - Paul Hetherington Magic Show - Shady Cosgrove Shotgun - Patrick West Inside - Sarah St Vincent Welch Old Habits Die Hard - Stuart Barnes Drawing the Line - Anna Forsyth The Sheaves of Days - Richard Holt On Finding Charlotte - Judith Nangala Crispin MARE TRANQUILLITATIS, 1969 - Rosanna Licari No White M&Ms - KA Rees
If you would like to buy a copy of Scars, which is published by Spineless Wonders, go to shortaustralianstories.com.au/product/scars/
Explore the craft of poetry and the inspiration behind Hunter Region author Gillian Swain’s book, My Skin its Own Sky in this virtual book launch with host, Magdalena Ball
Claire Albrecht and Hera Lindsay Bird discuss the pitfalls and occasional positives of anxiety in the poetic process with host, Bastian Fox Phelan.
If you would like to buy a copy of Claire's book Pinky Swear, which is published by Puncher & Wattman, go to www.cupletpoetry.com/purchase/pinky-swear-by-claire-albrecht
Explore the craft of poetry and the inspiration behind Hunter Region author Morgan Bell's book, Idiomatic, for the People in this virtual book launch.
Host / Magdalena Ball
Gabrielle Jackson and Lee Kofman explore what it’s like to live in a body that deviates from the ‘norm’: from the complexity of self-image to the minefield of medical intervention.
Host / Caroline Baum
If you would like to buy a copy of Gabrielle’s book Pain and Prejudice: A Call to Arms for Women and their Bodies, which is published by Allen & Unwin or Lee’s book Imperfect, which is published by Affirm Press, go to www.macleansbooks.com.au
Sophie Hardcastle, Nicola Redhouse and Maria Tumarkin discuss how they have challenged literary boundaries to explore trauma.
Host / Magdalena Ball
If you would like to buy a copy of Sophie’s book Below Deck, which is published by Allen & Unwin, Nicola’s book Unlike the Heart: A Memoir of Brain and Mind, which is published by UQP or Maria’s book Axiomatic, which is published by Brow Books, go to www.macleansbooks.com.au
Sophie Hardcastle's new novel Below Deck is a work for anyone who has felt the sting of misogyny or the consequences of assault. She speaks to Magdalena Ball.
If would like to buy a copy of Sophie’s book Below Deck, which is published by Allen & Unwin Books go to www.macleansbooks.com.au
Maria Tumarkin reads from her award-winning non-fiction book Axiomatic, which is part reportage, part philosophical meditation and part storytelling. She interrogates conventional wisdom about the role of the past in shaping the present.
Hosted by Magdalena Ball.
If would like to buy a copy of Maria’s book Axiomatic, which is published by Brow Books, go to http://www.macleansbooks.com.au
Anna Meares is one of Australia's most successful athletes. She was the first Australian woman to win an Olympic gold medal in track cycling and the only Australian to win a medal in an individual event at four Olympic Games. Her career is marked by dramatic highs and lows, both on and off the track.
She speaks to Newcastle Writers Festival director Rosemarie Milsom about her new book Anna Meares: Now, which is an account of her life as an elite athlete as well as how she has managed to find peace after retirement.
To buy a copy of Anna Meares Now, go to https://bit.ly/2LGWZDe
With her novel Wolfe Island, Lucy Treloar joins a growing number of writers whose fiction explores anthropogenic catastrophe. She discusses the thin line between the present and a dystopian future. Host / Susan Wyndham
If would like to buy a copy of Lucy’s book Wolfe Island, which is published by Picador, go to http://www.macleansbooks.com.au
In this session, which was recorded at the 2019 Newcastle Writers Festival, Rosalie Ham, Holly Throsby and Christian White discuss the big drama of small towns. Hosted by Meredith Jaffe.
In this session, which was recorded at the 2019 Newcastle Writers Festival, Jane Caro discusses the generation of women that changed everything but didn’t plan to. She explores the achievement of these revolutionaries - those aged over 55.
Hosted by Meredith Jaffe.
Most of us will experience at least one traumatic event, but why and how do certain people cope more effectively with personal tragedy? With Meera Atkinson, Heather Morris and Rick Morton. This session was recorded at the 2019 Newcastle Writers Festival and was hosted by Annabel Smith.
Kon Karapanagiotidis is the founder of the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre. At the 2019 Newcastle Writers Festival he spoke to Felicity Biggins about his perspective and experience of the global refugee crisis.
In the escalating war between truth and politics, how do we maintain human rights? Former Australian Human Rights commissioner Gillian Triggs speaks to Jill Emberson. This session was recorded at the 2019 Newcastle Writers Festival.
The founder of 1 Million Women, Natalie Isaacs, speaks to Christina Gerakiteys about harnessing passion, power and politics to create a better future.
This session was recorded at the 2019 Newcastle Writers Festival.
Michael Robotham is renowned for creating complex page-turners. In this session recorded at the 2019 Newcastle Writers Festival, he speaks to Ailsa Piper about the characters and plot twists that bring his books to life.
In this session, which was recorded at the 2019 Newcastle Writers Festival, Claire G Coleman, Jock Serong and Clare Wright talk to Julie McIntyre about the challenges of writing history based on previously unheard voices.
Clementine Ford, Kate Lilley and Alison Whittaker talk to Trisha Pender about the importance of women's stories.
This session was recorded at the 2019 Newcastle Writers Festival.
The messages on his church billboard capture headlines, but is there more to Father Rod Bower's push for a progressive Christianity? Hosted by ABC Newcastle's Dan Cox.
This session was recorded at the 2019 Newcastle Writers Festival.
James Bennett, Stuart Edser. Anthony Venn-Brown and Marguerite Johnson explore the history of LGBTQI conversion therapy with a focus on Australia.
This session was part of the University of Newcastle's NEW Thinking Series at the 2019 festival.
The banking royal commission put the financial sector on trial and exposed self-interest, corruption and excess. Journalist Michael Roddan asks what is next for Australians and their banks. This session was recorded at the 2019 Newcastle Writers Festival and is hosted by Justin O'Brien.
Journalist Kerry O'Brien reflects on the social and politics upheavals he has witnessed, of lessons learned and ignored, and the personalities who have made history. This session was recorded at the 2019 Newcastle Writers Festival and is hosted by Paul Bevan.
Chloe Hooper, Bram Presser and Jock Serong explore the creative space between fact and fiction. This session was recorded at the 2019 Newcastle Writers Festival and is hosted by Geordie Williamson.
Clementine Ford dismantles the age-old idea that entitlement, aggression and toxicity are natural realms for boys, and reveals how patriarchy is as harmful to boys and men as it is to women and girls. This session was recorded at the 2019 Newcastle Writers Festival and is hosted by Amy Sambrooke.
More than 150 Aboriginal massacres that occurred during the spread of pastoral settlement in Australia are now documented in an online digital map. Developed by University of Newcastle historian, Professor Lyndall Ryan, the map is a significant step in the recognition of the periods of violence in Australia’s history. She speaks to Professor Cathy Coleborne, head of the School of Humanities and Social Science. This session was recorded at the 2018 Newcastle Writers Festival as part of the University of Newcastle's free NEW Thinking series.
Does making change mean making trouble? Indigenous activist Joe Williams, former Australian Human Rights Commissioner Gillian Triggs and artist Ben Quilty shed light on the people and experiences that have inspired them to speak out. Introduction by Dan Cox. Facilitated by Jane Hutcheon.
Who were Caroline Chisholm and Elizabeth Macquarie? Sarah Goldman and Luke Slattery chat to Tracey Spicer.
This session was recorded at the 2018 Newcastle Writers Festival.
Richard Fidler talks to Gretel Killeen about his passion for the stories and personalities that have helped shape history.
This session was recorded at the 2018 Newcastle Writers Festival.
The Long and Winding Way to the Top. Andrew P. Street chats to Felicity Biggins about the 50 (or so) songs that made Australia. This session was recorded at the 2018 Newcastle Writers Festival.
Robert Dessaix talks to Ed Wright about the pleasures of leisure and why we need to do less instead of more. This session was recorded at the 2018 Newcastle Writers Festival www.newcastlewritersfestival.org.au
Classic FM presenter Christopher Lawrence discusses the great love stories of classical composers with ABC Newcastle's Paul Bevan. Includes musical interludes performed by David Banney, Gavin Clark and Peter Guy. This session was recorded at the 2018 Newcastle Writers Festival and supported by the Newcastle Music Festival.
Much-loved entertainer Kitty Flanagan shares tips and cautionary tales from her book Bridge Burning and Other Hobbies. This session was hosted by Meredith Jaffe and recorded at the 2018 Newcastle Writers Festival.
Eddie Ayres talks to ABC Newcastle's Dan Cox about how teaching the cello to children in Afghanistan led him to a self-discovery almost too hard to bear. This session was recorded at the 2018 Newcastle Writers Festival. Photo by Chris Patterson.
Indigenous writer Bruce Pascoe and farmer and ecologist Charles Massy tackle myths about agriculture and discuss what it means to live in connection with the land. This session was hosted by Geordie Williamson and recorded at the 2018 Newcastle Writers Festival.
The most recent novels by Sarah Armstrong, Emily Maguire and Michael Sala all explore the impact of violence. In this session, which was recorded at the 2017 Newcastle Writers Festival, they discuss this timely issue with host Suzanne Leal.
What happens when your personal beliefs and views become politicised - and vice versa? Are you exposed to more vitriol as a woman who speaks up? This session with Randa Abdel-Fattah, Jane Caro and Clementine Ford was recorded at the 2017 Newcastle Writers Festival and was hosted by Ruby Hamad.
Writer Ailsa Piper and retired Catholic priest Tony Doherty first made contact via email after the publication of Piper's book Sinning Across Spain. What developed via a series of letters was an unlikely friendship, the details of which they share in their book, The Attachment (Allen & Unwin). This session was recorded at the 2017 Newcastle Writers Festival and was hosted by Caroline Baum.
LoveOzYA is a campaign that celebrates the best of Young Adult writing in Australia. In this session, which was recorded at the 2017 Newcastle Writers Festival, Randa Abdul-Fattah, Kirsty Eager and Jaclyn Moriarty discuss how the genre has come of age. The host is Emily Booth.
Clementine Ford discusses her debut book, Fight Like A Girl, with host Ruby Hamad at the 2017 Newcastle Writers Festival. The book exposes just how unequal the world continues to be for women and it is a call to arms for all women to rediscover the fury that has been suppressed by a society that still considers feminism a threat.
Getting Even: The politics of resentment was recorded at the 2017 Newcastle Writers Festival and features satirist Jonathon Biggins, The Chaser's Charles Firth, and journalists George Megalogenis and Chris Uhlmann. The host is University of Newcastle lecturer Paul Scott.
Living with the Locals - Early Europeans' Experience of Indigenous Life was recorded at the 2017 Newcastle Writers Festival and features University of Newcastle researchers Victoria Haskins and John Maynard in conversation with Ray Kelly Snr.
Coming of Age: The Power of a Young Narrator was was recorded at the 2017 Newcastle Writers Festival and features Holly Throsby, Peggy Frew and Alice Pung. The facilitator is Magdalena Ball.
This session was recorded at the 2017 Newcastle Writers Festival and features Steven Amsterdam, Nikki Gemmell and Leah Kaminsky. The facilitator was Susan Wyndham.
Ashleigh Wilson speaks to Newcastle Art Gallery curator Sarah Johnson about his book, Art, Life and the Other Things, which centres on Australian artist Brett Whiteley.