The Wheeler Centre

The 2023 Women’s World Cup is being held Australia, and with more than two billion viewers expected to tune into this year’s tournament, it’s a landmark moment in Australian sporting history.  To celebrate, the Wheeler Centre invited players, media and passionate fans to come together for a special event exploring the significance of the Women’s World Cup in Australian sporting history and in the landscape of women’s sport. Activist and CBC Sports journalist Shireen Ahmed, Football Australia Legacy ‘23 Ambassador Azmeena Hussain, current National League player Emma Checker and inaugural Matildas captain Julie Dolan AM joined host Fiona Crawford to discuss personal and collective triumphs of women’s soccer, explore equality in all facets of the game, and reflect on this historic moment for Australia and for women in sport.This event was recorded on Saturday 29 July 2023 at the Wheeler Centre. 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.

As the owner of Darjeeling Express, British restaurateur Asma Khan astounds diners with sumptuous Indian cuisine and inspires as an advocate for social change. The Darjeeling Express kitchen is proudly run by an all-women team, and has been recognised as one of London’s best restaurants by the Evening Standard. Khan herself has starred in Netflix’s award-winning series Chef’s Table and is the UN World Food Programme’s Chef Advocate for the United Kingdom. Visiting Victoria for the Wheeler Centre’s international writers series, World of Words, Khan sat down for a long lunch at award-winning winery and restaurant Montalto. With writer and editor Bhakthi Puvanenthiran, she recounts the twists and turns of her culinary career, discusses her new cookbook Ammu, and shares her philosophy of food as a conversation about our universal similarities, connecting and uniting us across the globe. Presented in partnership with Montalto. The bookseller for this event was Antipodes Bookshop and Gallery. The event was recorded on Thursday 25 May 2023 at Montalto. Featured music is ‘They Dream By Day’ by Krotos.Support the Wheeler Centre: https://www.wheelercentre.com/support-us/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In her latest work of non-fiction, renowned journalist and author Kate Legge turns her attention to the oft-taboo topic of infidelity. Drawing from her own experiences, Legge’s Infidelity and Other Affairs critically examines the concept of lifelong monogamy and explores whether the urge to be unfaithful can be considered a hereditary trait. In June, Legge joined radio producer and presenter Elizabeth McCarthy for an intimate lunch and thought-provoking conversation at Red Hill’s acclaimed winery Montalto. Together they unpacked Legge’s latest work, reflecting on the process of bringing personal experiences to the page, and the complexities of modern relationships and inherited histories. Presented in partnership with Montalto. The event was recorded on Friday 16 June 2023 at Montalto. Featured music is Violet Sky (Instrumental Version) by PHELLO.Support the Wheeler Centre: https://www.wheelercentre.com/support-us/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dame Graça Machel is one of the world’s leading humanitarians and political activists. She was the first Education Minister of Mozambique, the co-founder and deputy Chair of The Elders, and has spent decades fighting for the rights of marginalised communities, earning international recognition and accolades. In 2010 she established the Graça Machel Trust as a Pan-African advocacy organisation focused on child health and nutrition, education, women’s economic and financial empowerment, leadership and good governance. She is also the only woman in modern history to have served as the First Lady of two countries, alongside Samora Machel and Nelson Mandela. At this exclusive World of Words event, Machel was in conversation with Dr Kudzai Kanhutu. Together they reflect on Machel’s remarkable life and work, and her lifelong devotion to advocating for women’s and children’s rights. Donations to Dame Graça Machel’s work Empowering and Educating African Women can be made via Rotary Australia here. This event was presented in partnership with Igniting Change and supported by the Melbourne City Revitalisation Fund, a Victorian Government and City of Melbourne partnership. It was recorded on Tuesday 6 June 2023 at the Wheeler Centre as part of World of Words. Featured music is Living in a Fantasy by Pulsed.Support the Wheeler Centre: https://www.wheelercentre.com/support-us/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“Where are the people who are the other in this room? Because actually they have the skills, the capacity, the resilience, the understanding, and also they know where your blind spots are in terms of the way our social structures are set. We need them. They’re actually our experts” - Manisha Amin As part of Melbourne Design Week 2023, a panel of design experts examine the crucial role of design in breaking down barriers to social inclusion. Hear from Dr Manisha Amin, CEO of the Centre for Inclusive Design, which advocates for audiences that are often overlooked in the design process; and Simona Castricum, a multi-disciplinary creative and academic whose work explores queer and trans intersections in architecture, music, the public realm and civic life. And, joining halfway through the conversation, Honeycomb Access and Design architect Jenna Cohen shares her knowledge on designing accessible spaces and providing accessibility guidance to the building sector. Together with host Jess Lilley, Triple R broadcaster and co-founder of ethical advertising agency The Open Arms, they discuss the principles of inclusive design and why it is essential to an equitable society, looking beyond the practical and into the broader cultural and socio-political implications of design in our public spaces. This event was part of Melbourne Design Week 2023, an initiative of the Victorian Government in collaboration with the NGV. It was recorded on Wednesday 24 May 2023 at the Wheeler Centre. 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.

“Coal, oil and gas shouldn’t be vilified. They’ve brought us the civilisation we have – but with side effects. The big one is carbon dioxide leading to global warming, and we have to do something about it” – Alan Finkel. The clean energy transition is one of the world’s largest economic and environmental challenges, with the potential to usher in a new age of electricity and transform the planet. In a recent edition of the Fifth Estate, host Sally Warhaft met with Alan Finkel, author and former Australian chief scientist, to discuss the science and politics behind clean energy. In his new book, Powering Up: Unleashing the Clean Energy Supply Chain, Alan Finkel outlines his ideas for transforming our energy landscape, which have drawn both praise and criticism around the world. Warhaft sat down with Finkel to learn about the possibilities and challenges of a clean energy future, explore how Australia could lead the way in the global transition, and provide guidance on the road ahead for Australian industries and consumers. This event was recorded on Tuesday 30 May 2023 at the Wheeler Centre. The bookseller was The Paperback 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.

“Real people are weirder than characters in any story” - Bora Chung.  With its unique blend of horror, speculative fiction and folklore, Bora Chung’s Cursed Bunny explores the cruelties and violence of patriarchy and capitalism in modern society. The chilling short story collection garnered international acclaim, was shortlisted for the 2022 International Booker Prize and won the PEN/HEIM Translation Grant, marking Chung as a global star of contemporary South Korean literature.  Appearing in Melbourne for the first time, Chung joined Paige Clark in conversation to share the process of creating Cursed Bunny, the intricacies of translation, and the use of horror and speculative fiction to expose the weirdness of societal forces and the power they exert. This event was supported by the Melbourne City Revitalisation Fund, a Victorian Government and City of Melbourne partnership.   It was recorded on Wednesday 17 May 2023 at the Wheeler Centre as part of World of Words.  The bookseller was Amplify Bookstore.  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.

“Being able to pay a certain type of attention requires time, and it’s obviously helped by having more control over your time or how time feels, but then at the same time, paying a certain type of attention makes time feel different” – Jenny Odell. In this episode, Jenny Odell, the author of How to Do Nothing, explores the cultural forces that shape our understanding of time, challenges the notion that ‘time is money’, and offers new possibilities for experiencing time beyond the world of work and profit. Shaking up the conversation about time in her latest book Saving Time, Odell deep dives into the intricate connection between time and power, revealing how a clock designed for profit is linked to ongoing social inequalities, the climate crisis and our growing sense of existential dread. In conversation with host Fiona Wright, one of the most exciting voices in contemporary culture shares her subversive and inspiring vision for how we can save time – and how time might save us. This event was supported by the Melbourne City Revitalisation Fund, a Victorian Government and City of Melbourne partnership.The event was recorded on Monday 22 May 2023 at the Wheeler Centre as part of World of Words. Featured music is Living in a Fantasy by Pulsed.Support the Wheeler Centre: https://www.wheelercentre.com/support-us/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Content warning: The Wheeler Centre wishes to advise this recording includes occasional coarse language.“I want to be responsible towards the person asking the question to the best of my ability, but the good news is I have no real power over them. And so, when we separate, I don’t feel like, 'Oh man, I might have just ruined someone’s life' or decided whether or not they’re going to have a child. Ultimately the decision is very much theirs” – Daniel M Lavery. Every week, millions of people visit Slate to read ‘Dear Prudence,’ an advice column offering indispensable life lessons with equal doses of humour and practicality. For five years, American writer Daniel M Lavery provided guidance as the titular Prudence, helping thousands of readers navigate tricky social situations and modern etiquette dilemmas. After developing a loyal readership with his books Texts From Jane Eyre, The Merry Spinster and Something That May Shock and Discredit You, Lavery’s latest work recounts his time at ‘Dear Prudence’, collecting some of the most illuminating and provocative questions and their answers during his tenure. In this episode recorded as part of the Wheeler Centre’s World of Words, Lavery brings his much-loved, and often much-needed, advice down under for a conversation with writer and broadcaster Jess McGuire. He speaks about his era as ‘Prudie’, revisiting and revising guidance over time, and some of the life lessons he has learnt in the process. He also doles out advice to members of the audience who were given the chance to ask about their own sticky questions. This event was supported by the Melbourne City Revitalisation Fund, a Victorian Government and City of Melbourne partnership.It was recorded on Tuesday 23 May at the Wheeler Centre as part of World of Words. Featured music is Golden Hour by Sarah, the Illstrumentalist.Support the Wheeler Centre: https://www.wheelercentre.com/support-us/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“For me it’s just like, I know who I am off stage, I know how we’re perceived within our communities - and I’m proud and I want to make fun of that and talk about the things that I find funny. And that won’t always make people comfortable, but that’s not my job” – Alexandra Hudson.In a special collaboration with Melbourne International Comedy Festival, exciting contemporary comedians Alexandra Hudson, Oliver Hunter and Lara Ricote (Mexico) joined host Adam Hills for an insightful panel exploring the realities of working in comedy as people with disability. Together they share their personal and professional experiences, delve into the barriers that exist in the comedy industry, and discuss how laughter can be used as a tool for empowerment and education. Presented in partnership with Melbourne International Comedy Festival. This event was recorded on Wednesday 5 April 2023 at the Wheeler Centre. Featured music is El Patrón by Don Bacilón.Support the Wheeler Centre: https://www.wheelercentre.com/support-us/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.