The Wheeler Centre

Fern Brady, one of the UK’s most exciting stand-ups, visited The Wheeler Centre to discuss her bestselling book Strong Female Character as part of the 2024 Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Hosted by Australian stand-up comedian and writer Laura Davis, Brady discussed her writing process, Catholic upbringing and late diagnosis of autism.This event was recorded on Wednesday 3 April 2024 at The Wheeler Centre.It was presented in partnership with the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. The official bookseller was Mary Martin Bookshop. Featured music is ‘Lucy’s Trail’ by Sarah the illstumentalist.Support the Wheeler Centre: https://www.wheelercentre.com/support-us/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chanel Contos has led a powerful movement to include consent education in the national curriculum, and was recently appointed by Julia Gillard to chair the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership’s Youth Advisory Committee. Her debut book, Consent Laid Bare: Sex, Entitlement & the Distortion of Desire, is a battle cry from a generation no longer prepared to stay silent. In it, Contos explores the political, legislative and cultural changes required to combat Australia’s culture of misogyny and normalisation of sexual violence, and outlines steps to achieve true gender equality. Consent Laid Bare advocates for intimacy, consent and enjoyment to be centred in all sexual relationships. At this exclusive Melbourne event hosted by Madison Griffiths, Contos discussed the vital role of consent amidst a culture influenced by porn, the patriarchy and male entitlement.The event recorded on Tuesday 5th March 2024 at The Wheeler Centre. It was presented in partnership with the Victorian Women's Trust. The official bookseller was Readings.Featured music is 'Different Days' by Chill Cole. Content note: This event includes references to sexual abuse and assault. If you need support relating to these topics, you can learn more and seek advice via the below resources. Lifeline: 13 11 14Kids Helpline: 1800 551 800Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467Beyond Blue: 1300 22 46 36Headspace: 1800 650 890Sexual Assault Crisis Line: 1800 806 292Support the Wheeler Centre: https://www.wheelercentre.com/support-us/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Origin of You by Mindy Meng Wang 王萌 and Sui Zhen is a highly personal musical exploration of lived experiences of migration, motherhood, grief and reconnecting with identity.   The album uses three central motifs: 空 (Kōng), or Emptiness; 疼 (Téng), or Pain; 气 (Chi), sometimes known as ‘Energy’ to explore these stories.   Live at The Wheeler Centre, Wang and Zhen came together with host Eugenia Lim to talk about their craft, the origins of their collaboration and the importance of storytelling. This event was recorded on Tuesday 26 March 2024 at The Wheeler Centre.Origin of You is out now via Music in Exile: https://musicinexile.bandcamp.com/ Featured music is ‘Watch My Mum Dance’ by Mindy Meng Wang 王萌 and Sui Zhen  (Recorded live at The Wheeler Centre)Support the Wheeler Centre: https://www.wheelercentre.com/support-us/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Richard Flanagan’s masterful new novel Question 7 is his most personal book yet: a tribute to his parents and to his island home of Tasmania, and a hypnotic melding of dream, history, place and memory. Beginning with Flanagan’s father’s imprisonment near Hiroshima when the atom bomb was dropped, Question 7 traces a chain reaction of events, from the turbulent romance between literary giants H.G. Wells and Rebecca West, to the intricate world of 1930s and 40s nuclear physics, to a young Flanagan trapped on a perilous Tasmanian river rapid. One of Australia’s most revered novelists, Flanagan was awarded the Man Booker Prize for The Narrow Road to the Deep North and the Commonwealth Prize for Gould’s Book of Fish. He joins host Astrid Edwards to discuss Question 7’s unique blend of history, fiction and autofiction, and its examination of the stories we construct about ourselves and others. This event was presented in partnership with RMIT Culture.It was recorded on Thursday 9 November 2023 at The Capitol. The official bookseller was Readings.Featured music is ‘Different Days’ by Chill Cole.Support the Wheeler Centre: https://www.wheelercentre.com/support-us/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join co-hosts and co-creators Maria Birch-Morunga and Kate Robinson for a special live recording of their hit podcast Being Biracial, coinciding with International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. Along with special guests, comedian Aurelia St Clair and AFLW champion Darcy Vescio, they discuss navigating the world as a mixed-race person and the dualities of living across multiple cultures. St Clair also shares a very special stand-up set. The event was presented in partnership with The Wheeler Centre, The Round and Being Biracial.It was recorded on Thursday 21 March 2024 at The Round.Featured music is ‘Take It Slow’ by Green Twins. Listen to more episodes of Being Biracial here: https://beingbiracialpodcast.com/listen-nowSupport the Wheeler Centre: https://www.wheelercentre.com/support-us/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Known for literary masterpieces like The Sisters Brothers and French Exit, Canadian writer Patrick deWitt has been delighting readers for more than a decade. In his latest work, The Librarianist, deWitt’s distinctive verve and humour come to the fore. His exploration of the life of retired Oregon-based librarian Bob Comet masterfully blends melancholy and comedy. With host Marieke Hardy, deWitt delves into his expansive career and the compassion for the outcast that animates his latest novel, celebrating the extraordinary in so-called ordinary life.This event was recorded on Thursday 29 February 2024 at The Wheeler Centre.The official bookseller was Hill of Content Bookshop. Featured music is ‘No One There’ by Ava Low.Support the Wheeler Centre: https://www.wheelercentre.com/support-us/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jane Harrison’s work has captivated audiences globally, earning her international acclaim for plays including Stolen and Rainbow’s End. With an impressive body of work and a deep commitment to promoting and developing First Nations perspectives – including as the Director of the Blak & Bright First Nations Literary Festival – Harrison has established herself as an essential voice in the Australian cultural landscape. In this episode, Harrison discusses the work of reimagining the past in her first novel for adult readers, The Visitors – a radical retelling of the events of 26 January 1788 from a First Nations perspective. Based on her play of the same name, which first wowed audiences at Sydney Festival in 2020, The Visitors is now a multi-artform phenomenon, appearing as a novel, a production and an opera. In this wide-ranging and frank conversation with host Tony Birch for Melbourne City Reads, Harrison discusses the story’s journey across artforms and shed new light on this critical moment from Australia’s past. This event was part of the Melbourne City Reads series. It was recorded on Monday 9 October 2023 at The Wheeler Centre as part of the Spring Fling series. Featured music is ‘Traveling Again’ by Sarah, the Illstrumentalist. Spring Fling was proudly supported by the Victorian Government through Creative Victoria and the Melbourne City Revitalisation Fund. Special thanks to official bookseller Readings and accommodation partner The Sofitel.Support the Wheeler Centre: https://www.wheelercentre.com/support-us/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Richard Ford is a true literary luminary. The author of eight novels and four short story collections, Ford’s illustrious career spans nearly five decades and numerous accolades, including the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for Independence Day.At this special Melbourne event hosted by journalist Jonathan Green, Ford discusses his exceptional career and examines his most famous protagonist: the enigmatic Frank Bascombe, who has been hailed as one of the most unforgettable characters in American literature.This event was recorded on Tuesday 27 February 2024 at The Wheeler Centre.The official bookseller was Mary Martin Bookshop.Featured music is 'Different Days' by Chill Cole.Support the Wheeler Centre: https://www.wheelercentre.com/support-us/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Author Jane Smiley has been hailed as one of the Great American Novelists of the 20th century. Her remarkable career spans more than 30 books, including the Pulitzer Prize-winning masterpiece A Thousand Acres and The Last Hundred Years trilogy.At this exclusive in-conversation event with host David Francis, Smiley looks back on her incredible life and career and gives audience members an exciting preview of her upcoming novel, Lucky: a novel about music, womanhood and finding yourself. This event was recorded on Wednesday 28 February 2024 at The Wheeler Centre. The offical bookseller was The Paperback Bookshop. Featured music is 'Traveling Again' by Sarah, the Illstrumentalist.Support the Wheeler Centre: https://www.wheelercentre.com/support-us/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Taylor Swift’s concerts have shifted the economic climate of entire cities; she has prompted US Senate hearings about major ticketing reforms and industry-defining conversations about copyright and ownership; and her public and private life have driven tabloid fodder for decades (Kimye drama, anyone?). The pop icon’s genre-bending career and reputation have made waves across the globe, and her cultural influence will be felt for generations. Earlier this week at The Wheeler Centre, Rolling Stone journalist Brittany Spanos and host Brodie Lancaster delved into the mythology and influence of Taylor Swift. At this exclusive Melbourne event, Spanos analysed Swift’s meteoric ascent to become one of the most celebrated and prolific musical artists of all time, and her ongoing impact on fandom, popular culture and the music industry. Brittany Spanos’s visit to Melbourne was part of the University of Melbourne’s Swiftposium conference. This was her only public event. This event was recorded on Tuesday 13 February 2024 at The Wheeler Centre. Featured music is ‘Love Story’ by Taylor Swift.Support the Wheeler Centre: https://www.wheelercentre.com/support-us/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.