NewSouth authors Peter Stanley, David Hume, Yves Rees and Amanda Laugesen will be appearing at Canberra Writers Festival 23–27 October.
Peter Stanley — Myths and Misrememberings, Friday 25 October, 12pm-1pm
Australia’s war tales could be said to be the closest thing we have to sacred national stories, but did they actually happen? With sharp wits and clear eyes, Mark Dapin and Peter Stanley question our grand, martial myths and suggest some heroic alternatives. In conversation with Allan Behm.
David Hume — The Voice, A Year On, Saturday 26 October, 2.30pm-3.30pm
It has been a year since Australia said ‘No’. What have we learned – and refused to learn – about ourselves and our country? And what’s next? Join David Hume, Anita Heiss and Amy McQuire for a much-needed reflection. In conversation with Shannyn Palmer
Yves Rees — The Women Time Forgot, Sunday 27 October, 10.30am-11.30am
A celebrity decorator with blue hair. A single mother who advised JFK in the Oval Office. A Christian nudist with a passion for almond milk. Yves Rees and Western Australian Labor Senator Varun Ghosh consider the extraordinary women who reoriented Australia towards the United States years before politicians began to lumber down the same path.
Amanda Laugesen — Drongos, Drop bears and Dictionaries, Sunday 27 October, 2pm-3pm
Grab your budgie smugglers and hop aboard the mateship, it is time to talk Aussie argot. Words underpin the myths and stereotypes of our national identity; they have also obscured harsh realities and inequalities. Join Australian National Dictionary Centre Director, Dr Amanda Laugesen, and beloved novelist Pip Williams, author of The Dictionary of Lost Words, for a linguistic feast. In conversation with Terri-Ann White.
