Cold-blooded killers, grief-stricken widows, famous artists, independent women with sharp minds and large fortunes, and a cap doffed to Jane Austen’s 250th birthday. In this event hear from Dr Kelly Gardiner and Sharmini Kumar, authors of Miss Caroline Bingley, Private Detective, along with the author of Diving, Falling, Dr Kylie Mirmomahadi, as we celebrate the publication of these outstanding books, in conversation with Professor Katie Holmes. Recorded on 29th April, 2025.

What happens to our national story when three unconventional historians listen to people, country and the archives in new and challenging ways? In this event three writers and historians Dr Mark Dapin, Professor Anna Clark and Dr Shannyn Palmer explore approaching Australian history with an impartial new light with host Professor Stuart Kells. Recorded on 18th August, 2024.

What happens to our national story when three unconventional historians listen to people, country and the archives in new and challenging ways? In this event three writers and historians Dr Mark Dapin, Professor Anna Clark and Dr Shannyn Palmer explore approaching Australian history with an impartial new light with host Professor Stuart Kells. Recorded on 18th August, 2024.

Some of our most acclaimed novelists got their start writing for stage and screen, but each medium presents different thrills and challenges. In this session Finegan Kruckemeyer, Jane Harrison and Jordan Prosser discuss what happens when acclaimed playwrights become novelists with host Carrie Tiffany. Recorded on 18th August, 2024.

Can you understand the heart of a nation – and its narrative – through the public and personal relationships which have forged a path to both conflict and compassion? Shannyn Palmer, Thomas Mayo and Tania Rossi Look at the relationships at the heart of the social, cultural and political communication that we need to generate change in Australia with host Clare Wright. Recorded on 18th August, 2024.

How do three writers play at the heart strings of migration and belonging through the power of their words in novels, poetry and memoir? In this session migrant authors Sara M. Saleh, Hana Assafiri, and Kgshak Akec speak of loss and life, of leaving and arriving, with host Christine Balint. Recorded on 18th August, 2024.

Queer storytelling is experiencing a golden age, with some of Australia’s most talented young writers taking to fiction and non-fiction to document recent LGBTQIA+ history and its intersections with law and medicine. In this event Sam Elkin, Dylin Hardcastle, and Dr Geraldine Fela discuss the importance of queer writing and why amplifying these voices matter more than ever, with host Dr Yves Rees. Recorded on 17th August, 2024.

Writing is often portrayed as a lonely, isolated pursuit. But what happens when two people write together, collaborate together on storytelling or trying to save the world? In this event we hear from three pairs of authors: Thomas Mayo & Kerry O’Brien, Bruce Pascoe & Lyn Harwood, and Dr Tarryn Phillips & Edward Narain, who discuss the benefits they found working together with Chair, Dr Kelly Gardiner. Recorded on 17th August, 2024.

How can we navigate local and global journeys, across time, space and country, in an age of climate change and imminent environmental collapse? This panel brings into conversation decades of work in archives, in conversations, in imaginations and adventures on content that covers millennia and moves from intergalactic places to the deepest of oceans. Kate Mildenhall, James Bradley, and Lauren Fuge discuss the urgent task of narrating and navigating environmental crisis with Dr Lilian Pearce. Recorded on 17th August, 2024.

When do neighbours become good friends - or enemies? In this event three security analysts, Professor Bec Strating, Allan Behm and Dr Kylie Moore-Gibert discuss the finer points and the security challenges facing Australia today, with host Dr Sally Warhaft. Recorded on 17th August, 2024.

Animals can be companions and resources, cyphers and symbols. But who gets to speak for them, and how? In this event novelist James Bradley, farmer Maggie McKellar and ethicist Professor Peter Singer explore the four-legged world of creatures great and small with host Stephen Romei. Recorded on 17th August, 2024.

What happens when a veteran interviewer becomes the interviewee? In this event Clare Wright turn the spotlight on political journalist, podcaster and television presenter, Annabel Crabb for a far ranging and intimate conversation to kick off the gala event of the 2024 Bendigo Writers Festival. The event included special performances by acclaimed poets Jazz Money and Sara M Saleh. Recorded on 16th August, 2024.

For years books exploring Australian Indigenous history have been reframing the story, addressing the wrongs of previous historiography. In this event we hear about two works - Enlightened Aboriginal Futures by Barry Judd and Katherine Elllinghaus, and Näku Dhäruk The Bark Petitions by Clare Wright. Both of these books explore issues of settler-colonialism, sovereignty, consultation and cross-cultural interaction, with host Julie Andrews. Introduced by Nick Bisley. Recorded on 22nd October, 2024.

Acclaimed writer Christos Tsiolkas will be in conversation with Catherine Padmore to discuss his new book ‘The In-Between’, a tender, affecting novel of love, of hope, of forgiveness by one of our most fearless and truthful interpreters of the human heart. Recorded on 17th April, 2024.

We all have favourite characters on screen or stage – people we love, love to hate, or simply find fascinating. In this panel Nicole Skeltys and Reg Cribb will be in conversation with Noel Maloney. These three expert scriptwriters discuss how they create compelling characters for films, TV shows, theatre and rock opera, the processes of collaboration that happen with co-writers, actors and directors, and ways to make imaginary people feel real. Recorded on 24th October 2023.

Poetry is one of the oldest forms of art and storytelling in many cultures, and one of the most vibrant. From the song cycles of Arnhem Land to Sappho to Slam Poetry at your local pub, poetry expresses culture, emotion, ideas, memory, politics – everything – using form, rhythm, sound, image, space and above all, language. Many poets make it look easy, but is it? What makes a poem work? What tools does a poet need in their writer’s toolbox? And for readers, how can we learn to read a poem? In this panel of poets and poetry experts Thomas H Ford, Simon West and Judith Bishop will help us unravel these and many other questions with host Claire Knowles. Recorded on 22nd May 2024.

Memoir and autobiography are among the most popular forms of writing in the world. From football players to movie stars to that bloke down the street, everyone has a story to tell. But what does it take, how do you go about it, and how do you make your story come alive for readers you’ve never met? In this event acclaimed La Trobe memoir writers Michelle Dicinoski and Akuch Kuol Anyeith discuss what motivates them and how they approach memoir writing, in conversation with Kelly Gardiner. Recorded on 25th May, 2023.

Imagine the world with only the original language version of the texts and stories we hold close to our hearts. Many of us couldn’t read the fairytales and children’s stories we grew up with, or the songs and stories of First Nations peoples, or the Bible or Quran. In this event La Trobe translators Lilit Thwaites, Nataša Kampmark and Brigid Maher discuss translating from crime fiction to memoir, science fiction to academic articles, across a wide range of languages. Recorded on 20th August, 2024.

Imagine the world with only the original language version of the texts and stories we hold close to our hearts. Many of us couldn’t read the fairytales and children’s stories we grew up with, or the songs and stories of First Nations peoples, or the Bible or Quran. In this event La Trobe translators Lilit Thwaites, Nataša Kampmark and Brigid Maher discuss translating from crime fiction to memoir, science fiction to academic articles, across a wide range of languages. Recorded on 30th August, 2023.

Imagine the world with only the original language version of the texts and stories we hold close to our hearts. Many of us couldn’t read the fairytales and children’s stories we grew up with, or the songs and stories of First Nations peoples, or the Bible or Quran. In this event La Trobe translators Lilit Thwaites, Nataša Kampmark and Brigid Maher discuss translating from crime fiction to memoir, science fiction to academic articles, across a wide range of languages. Recorded on 30th August, 2023.