In 2024 acclaimed Australian writer and La Trobe University Adjunct Research Fellow Christos Tsiolkas was one of the judges of the Melbourne Prize for Literature Writers Prize. This prize is awarded to an essay demonstrating outstanding originality, literary merit, and creative freshness. The prize was won by Dr Carrie Tiffany, lecturer in English and Creative Writing at La Trobe University, with Dr Judith Bishop, Tracey Banivanua Mar Fellow in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at La Trobe University, winning the civic choice award. In this discussion Christos, Judith and Carrie discuss the essay form. Can the essay be fresh? What makes a great essay and, why do they write them? They discuss Carrie’s essay – ‘Seven Snakes,’ published in Meanjin, Judith’s essay, ‘History repeats (A tale of artificial noses),’ published on the Melbourne Prize website and Christos’ most recent essay, ‘Politics is Not Religion,’ published in The Monthly.

Award-winning science journalist and former Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow at La Trobe University, Elizabeth Finkel, discusses her latest book, Prove It: A Scientific Guide for the Post-Truth Era, with science educator and La Trobe’s own Douglas Bair. They delve into the role and function of the scientific method in a post-truth era, exploring how evidence-based theories underpin our legal, academic, and political institutions, and public conversations. Recorded 19th August, 2025.

Dr Alexis Harley and Dr Tom Ford like to yabber – that’s a Wurundjeri Woi-Wurrung word – and they are both fascinated by the etymologies and lives of the words we use. From Rose Hill’s claim on the Rosella, to the Darug word corrobboree, to the Dumb and Dumber confusion between Austria and Australia, we discover the bizarre and fascinating stories of five words that shaped our country.

Author and creative writing lecturer Catherine Padmore engages in conversation with two La Trobe postgraduate researchers and writers: Tara Calaby, whose debut novel was part of her PhD project and published to acclaim two years ago; and Louise Falconer, who recently submitted her PhD and passed with flying colours, and is on the board of Writers Victoria, supporting emerging writers. All three speakers have had great success in publishing short fiction and nonfiction in a range of media and genres and taking different paths to creating a writing life. Recorded on 25th March, 2025.

The Sandhurst Mechanics’ Institute opened in 1854 and for more than fifty years held the largest book collection in Bendigo. In this lively conversation, Claire Knowles and Alexis Harley explore what the Mechanics’ Institute reveals about the history of reading and writing in the Goldfields. From handwritten marginalia to the suspiciously pristine pages of a 150-year-old book of verse, and from complex, ambitious literature to 1860s advertising jingles, this session uncovers the archival clues and newspaper records that tell us what readers and writers were up to during this formative stage of Bendigo’s history. The speakers are Claire Knowles, who has published three books on Romantic-era poetry and is the former president of the Romantic Studies Association of Australasia, joined by Alexis Harley, a lecturer at La Trobe University who researches the intersections of 19th-century literature and the history of science in colonial contexts. Recorded on 31st July, 2025.

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.