Events Coordinator

Philipp Meyer

1. This is Philipp’s only event in Melbourne.

2. He’s being lauded as the next John Steinbeck and his latest novel, The Son, is an epic read - vivid and a little scary.

3. He doesn’t cut corners. A ‘method author’, Philipp Meyer goes to extraordinary lengths to research his novels and reportedly ‘drank a pint of Bison blood so he could accurately describe the taste’.

David Malouf & Joan London

1. To have these two talented Australian authors in the same room, talking about times gone and times ahead, is a privilege worth savouring.

2. They are going to discuss forgotten Australian stories which makes this a wonderful opportunity to discover authors you’ve never heard of.

3. Kenneth Mackenzie’s novel, The Young Desire It, will be the focus of their discussion. Our reviewer called it ’astonishing in terms of characterisation, language, its depiction of the natural world and, especially, in terms of a felt or lived narrative’.

Sheila Fitzpatrick & Stuart Macintyre

1. Sheila Fitzpatrick is a highly-regarded Australian-American historian and a Honorary Professor at the University of Sydney - her primary speciality being the history of modern Russia. Also, accused of being a spy by Russians.

2. She’s not often in Melbourne and so you won’t have many chances to hear her speak which is a shame as her story is fascinating. (Accused of being a spy by Russians.)

3. The Russians thought she was a spy! I mean honestly, does one need to know more?

An evening with the Wangaratta Jazz Festival

1. The atmosphere is going to be grouse, and put you right in the mood for the festival. Brown Brothers will serve wine and there will be beautiful music by guitarist Stephen Magnusson and saxophonist Julien Wilson.

2. The festival’s artistic director, Adrian Jackson, will also chat about what’s happening at the festival this year - he’s an absolutely lovely bloke so I expect only good things.

3. Melbourne and Wangaratta are not so far away from each other, and goodness knows we all love a festival here in Victoria. Take a look at the full program here.

John Safran & Tony Wilson

1. Having John and Tony in the same room, each with a microphone, can only become out of hand and this is something you’ll enjoy seeing. These two have known each other for years, both coming to the public eye in the ABC series, Race Around the World.

2. The two will talk about John’s new book, Murder in Mississippi, and my early prediction is that it will be a compelling, quirky and confronting look at race and murder in the Deep South.

3. And finally, you should come because this kind of event reminds us why Melbourne is the best place to live.

To view our full program of events please visit our Events Page