With Carody Culver.

There’s no place like home, although home isn’t always a place. It could be a feeling, an instinct, a language, a person, a memory; it could be somewhere we long to return to or can’t wait to escape. Join Griffith Review 87 contributors Brooke Boland, Winnie Dunn and Lia Hills as they explore the myriad material consequences of home, from the picket fence to the political arena, in conversation with editor Carody Culver.

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Thu 06 Mar, 5:00pm | West Stage

With Carody Culver.

Whether it’s religious, political, societal, philosophical or spiritual in nature, the act of believing can be a lodestar, a comfort, a ritual, a guiding principle or a reason for living. Join Griffith Review 86 contributors Ceridwen Dovey and Zeynab Gamieldien as they explore what faith can tell us about our desires, our values and ourselves, in conversation with editor Carody Culver.

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Thu 06 Mar, 3:45pm | West Stage

With Bob Carr.

Mike Carlton shares stories of the little-known Australian submariners of the 20th century with Bob Carr. His latest book, Dive!, is a chronicle of courage, espionage and political maneuvering.

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Wed 05 Mar, 1:15pm | West Stage

With Nicole Abadee.

Anita Heiss, the award-winning author of 23 books, talks to Nicole Abadee about her latest historical novel, Dirrayawadha, a tribute to the courage of the Wiradyuri nation and the enduring power of love.

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Sun 02 Mar, 2:30pm | East Stage

With Gareth Evans.

The catalogue of crimes against humanity should engender both collective and individual shame, but has it? Who should we hold responsible? And has bringing the criminals to account made any difference to their victims? Tobias Buck, Geoffrey Robertson and Dorcy Rugamba discuss these questions with Gareth Evans.

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Sun 02 Mar, 1:15pm | East Stage

With Nicole Abadee.

Markus Zusak’s family has taken on three feral dogs over the years. The author of Three Wild Dogs speaks with Nicole Abadee (who has met those dogs) about the havoc they have wreaked but also the deep love they have given and received.

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Sun 02 Mar, 12:00pm | East Stage

With Beejay Silcox.

Does a moral compass matter in crime fiction? What if a protagonist is untested by ethical boundaries? Does erasing the line between right and wrong help or hinder a story? Crime novelists Michael Robotham, Louise Milligan and Mandy Beaumont discuss these ideas with Beejay Silcox.

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Sun 02 Mar, 110:45am | East Stage

With David Marr.

Despite the promise that we were “all in it together”, the COVID-19 pandemic led to a flight from sociability: life no longer lived in any collective sense but as atomised individuals and a retreat to interiority in the name of self-care and safety. While escape from social life may have been a relief for some, has it exacerbated a neoliberal culture of hyper-individualism, narcissism and alienation? Julia Baird, Geraldine Brooks and Rachel Kushner join a discussion chaired by Late Night Live’s David Marr.

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Sun 02 Mar, 9:30am | East Stage

With David Lesar.

In conversation with David Leser, Alone Australia inaugural winner Gina Chick discusses her memoir, We Are the Stars, about a self-described misfit with a preference for bare feet.

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Sat 01 Mar, 5:00pm | East Stage

With Kerry O'Brien.

Professor Clare Wright discusses her latest work with Kerry O’Brien. Näku Dhäruk: The Bark Petitions is the story of a founding document in Australian democracy and the birth of the landrights movement.

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Sat 01 Mar, 3:45pm | East Stage

With Late Night Live's David Marr.

Has the Australian myth of a fair go finally been broken? Are we as divided as ever by class, ethnicity and identity? Join Bob Carr, Rick Morton and Rebecca Huntley in a discussion chaired by Late Night Live’s David Marr.

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Sat 01 Mar, 2:30pm | East Stage

With Anton Enus.Journalist and author Stan Grant’s new book is Murriyang, a meditation on love, art and the memories, history and relationships that have shaped him. He tells Anton Enus about the spiritual practice and grace that underpin the book.

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Sat 01 Mar, 1:15pm | East Stage

With Georgina Godwin.One of Australia’s most esteemed writers, Michelle de Kretser, discusses her seventh novel, Theory and Practice, with Georgina Godwin. It is a genre-bending, dazzlingly inventive and witty story about what we know and what we feel.

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Sat 01 Mar, 12:00pm | East Stage

With Jo Case.

Anna Broinowski chats to Jo Case to talk about her new memoir, Datsun Angel, the confronting story of a sex, drugs and violence-fuelled adventure through the savage Australian outback of the 1980s.

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Wed 05 Mar, 12:00pm | West Stage

With Kate Evans

Internationally bestselling author Niall Williams talks to Kate Evans about his latest novel, Time of the Child, a tale of familial love and the fortitude of small-town Irish life.

Event details: Sat 01 Mar, 10:45am | East Stage

With Nicole Abadee

Australia’s most iconic author, Helen Garner, talks to Nicole Abadee about her latest book, The Season, a reflection on the theatre of footy, masculinity and cheering on her grandson.

Event details: Sat 01 Mar, 9:30am | East Stage

With Sarah Martin | Kate Morton is one of Australia’s best-selling authors. A fascination with secrets and their impact has shaped her writing. She explains why to Sarah Martin.

Event details: Thu 07 Mar, 5:00pm

With Susan Johnson | 'Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue' is the stating point for Clementine Ford's case against marriage. She explains to Susan Johnson why she believes marriage is an institution that is passé, oppressive and against women's interests. 

Event details: Thu 07 Mar, 5:00pm

With Jo Case | Author Catharine Lumby knew Frank Moorhouse for many years. A decade before his death in 2022, Moorhouse asked her to be his biographer. In conversation with Jo Case, Lumby shares how this relationship influenced her approach.

Event details: Thu 07 Mar, 3:45pm

With Amanda Vanstone | Umut Özkırımlı, the author of Cancelled: The Left Way Back from Woke, joins Amanda Vanstone to discuss the question: “What do evangelical Christians, far right Trump supporters and the woke Left have in common? They all burn books, and in fact they burn the same books. But book burning - or other forms of cancelling - is not simply an act of protest. It does not seek justice; it calls for retribution and revenge. And there is nothing progressive about this dogmatic and fanatical activism”.

Event details: Thu 07 Mar, 3:45pm

With Mike Ladd | Omar Sakr is an award-winning poet and novelist. His latest collection, Non-Essential Work, confronts issues of gender, race and identity. He explores these concerns with Mike Ladd.

Event details: Thu 07 Mar, 2:30pm

With Helen Elliott | Una Mannion’s second novel, Tell Me What I Am, is a superbly literary novel masquerading as a compelling thriller. In conversation with Helen Elliott, Mannion asks how we know who we are.

Event details: Thu 07 Mar, 2:30pm

With Jo Case | Brooklyn and Jerusalem are places that have powerfully informed the recent writing of two leading American writers – Jonathan Lethem and Nathan Thrall. Join them in conversation with Jo Case.

Event details: Thu 07 Mar, 1:15pm

With Hannah Kent | Myfanwy Jones, the Miles Franklin-shortlisted author of Leap, has just published a new novel about fathers, sons and the damage that can ripple through generations. She discusses the writing process with Hannah Kent.

Event details: Thu 07 Mar, 1:15pm

With Jo Case.

The critically acclaimed, bestselling author of The Tiger’s Wife and Inland, Téa Obreht (live stream), tells Jo Case about her latest novel, The Morningside, a haunting, dystopian story about war, climate refugees and magic.

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Wed 05 Mar, 10:45am | West Stage

With Annabelle Quince | Ilan Pappé is one of the most influential historians writing today on the history of Israel and Palestine. He joins Annabelle Quince via live stream to explain why context matters.

Event details: Thu 07 Mar, 12:00pm

With Nicole Abadee | Anna Funder’s Wifedom shines a light on the woman who George Orwell described as his wife thirty-seven times without ever using her name. Eileen O’Shaughnessy has now been written back into history, as Funder explains to Nicole Abadee.

Event details: Thu 07 Mar, 12:00pm

With Sarah Martin | Polly Toynbee has been a columnist for The Guardian for over twenty-five years. In conversation with Sarah Martin, Toynbee speaks about her new memoir and its exploration of class in Britain, social justice and the effects of privilege.

Event details: Thu 07 Mar, 10:45am

With Louise Adler and Sian Cain | By exploring an episode of her own life in the context of a residential creative writing course, Miranda France examines how and why we tell our own stories in The Writing School. Can writing be taught? Louise Adler joins Sian Cain to test this proposition and discuss France's work.

Event details: Thu 07 Mar, 10:45am

With Tory Shepherd | Women have long been written out of history, marginalised and ignored. Tory Shepherd interviews Sarah Watling about the remarkable women writers who went to Spain to fight fascism in the 1930s.

Event details: Thu 07 Mar, 9:30am

With Lucia Sorbera | Adam Shatz is the US editor of the London Review of Books and his most recent work has focused on engaged writers. He tells Lucia Sorbera why he chose to write a biography of Frantz Fanon at this moment.

Event details: Thu 07 Mar, 9:30am

With Annabelle Quince | Understanding the Middle East conflict requires us to consider the origins of Hamas: the organisation, its political ambitions and relationship to the Palestinian polity. Tareq Baconi, the author of Hamas Contained, explains the background and context to Annabelle Quince.

Event details: Thu 07 Mar, 8:15am

Evelyn Araluen, Madison Godfrey, Jill Jones and Ellen van Neerven with Jessica Alice | Join renowned Australian poets Evelyn Araluen, Madison Godfrey, Jill Jones and Ellen van Neerven with chair Jessica Alice for an exploration of poetry as a tool for resistance and social transformation.

Event details: Wed 06 Mar, 5:00pm

With Anne Pender | Susan Johnson is a brave writer. She is also a brave daughter. Johnson tells Anne Pender why and how she decided to bring her elderly mother to live with her on a Greek island.

Event details: Wed 06 Mar, 5:00pm

Kate Grenville, Susan Johnson, Una Mannion and Pip Williams with David Marr | Have you ever wondered what happens during a book tour? Kate Grenville, Susan Johnson, Una Mannion and Pip Williams join chair David Marr to give you the scoop as they share stories from their own book tours across Australia and around the world.

Event details: Wed 06 Mar, 3:45pm

With Katrina Strickland.

Marie Curie and Maria Callas were legends in both their professional and private lives. Bestselling writers Dava Sobel and Daisy Goodwin take us inside these remarkable women’s worlds, in company with Katrina Strickland.

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Wed 05 Mar, 9:30am | West Stage

With Beejay Silcox | Helen Elliott, a wonderfully perceptive literary critic, finally decided to write a memoir – a letter to eleven people who influenced her life. She explains why to Beejay Silcox.

Event details: Wed 06 Mar, 2:30pm

Ali Cobby Eckermann, Brad Darkson, Dominic Guerrera and Karen Wyld | What remains after colonisation? After heartbreak? After protest? Like the rocks, First Peoples remain. Co-editors and contributors of The Rocks Remain anthology discuss continuation and the power of story. Ali Cobby Eckermann, Brad Darkson, Dominic Guerrera, and Karen Wyld in-conversation.

Supported by the Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund.

Event details: Wed 06 Mar, 2:30pm

With Sarah L'Estrange | Jonathan Lethem is a genre agnostic – from sci-fi to detective fiction. He explains to Sarah L’Estrange why he likes books in all their “homely actuality”.

Event details: Wed 06 Mar, 1:15pm

With Rachel Perkins | David Marr confronts uncomfortable truths with his customary courage and acuity in a conversation with Rachel Perkins.

Supported by the Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund.

Event details: Wed 06 Mar, 1:15pm

With Jo Case | Lynne Malcolm spent many years presenting Radio National’s All in the Mind. Now she has distilled all she has learned in a book about neuroscience, psychiatry, mental health and human behaviour. She explores the issues with Jo Case.

Event details: Wed 06 Mar, 12:00pm

With Nicole Abadee | Kate Grenville has been delighting readers since her very first collection, Bearded Ladies, was published in 1984. Nicole Abadee takes the opportunity to talk to Grenville about her oeuvre.

Event details: Wed 06 Mar, 12:00pm

With Lisa Temple | Susanna Moore joins Lisa Temple via live stream to talk about her new novel, The Lost Wife, her memoir and ‘that novel’ – In the Cut.

Event details: Wed 06 Mar, 10:45am

With Jane Howard | Pip Williams, best-selling author of The Dictionary of Lost Words, tells Jane Howard about her new novel, The Bookbinder of Jericho – an encomium to the art and craft of making books.

Event details: Wed 06 Mar, 10:45am

With Sian Cain | Today the Spanish Civil War is remembered through writers like George Orwell and Ernest Hemingway. Anna Funder and Sarah Watling join Sian Cain to explore the stories of the courageous women who have been written out of this history.

Event details: Wed 06 Mar, 9:30am

With Nicole Abadee | Blake Morrison advises memoirists to remember god is in the details. Nicole Abadee tests this advice with Martin Flanagan and Polly Toynbee.

Event details: Wed 06 Mar, 9:30am

With Annabelle Quince.

The winner of the 2024 Orwell Prize for Political Writing, Matthew Longo, talks to Annabelle Quince about The Picnic. An improbable historical event, this pan-European outing involved goulash, beer and 600 East Germans on the border between Hungary and Austria.

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Tue 04 Mar, 2:30pm | West Stage

With John Lyons | Bruce Wolpe has spent years studying America’s political culture, leadership and global relationships – from Asia to Israel, Albanese to Putin, and everything in between. Joining John Lyons via live stream, Wolpe explores the national and international tensions now in play.

Event details: Wed 06 Mar, 8:15am

With Vikki Wakefield | Gary Lonesborough’s award-winning debut, The Boy From The Mish, is a powerful coming-of-age story. His follow-up, We Didn’t Think It Through, offers a nuanced exploration of life inside ‘juvie’. Join us at YA night for a conversation between Lonesborough and Vikki Wakefield.

Event details: Tue 05 Mar, 7:30pm

With Margot McGovern | Across her YA series, Lynette Noni has created a host of memorable characters that fans care for deeply. She speaks with Margot McGovern about how to hold a reader’s attention and create relationships that can span many years.

Event details: Tue 05 Mar, 6:30pm