The Wheeler Centre

“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.

“And he says, yes, the real Uluru Statement. So he pulls it out of this giant cylinder and lays it on my loungeroom floor. And everyone stands up and the most extraordinary thing happened. We felt it’s heart beating. And understood intuitively as Aboriginal people as we looked at that document that our ancestors were in the room with us while we looked at that” - Catherine Liddle.Australia is set to vote on a referendum to enshrine a First Nations voice in the constitution by mid-2024, a commitment made by the Albanese government during the 2022 federal election campaign The Voice to Parliament is seen by many as Australia’s opportunity to right longstanding wrongs, give First Nations people a seat at the table and recognise that we are a nation with more than 60,000 years of continuous culture. As a key campaigner for the Uluru Statement from the Heart, Thomas Mayo has been at the forefront of the movement towards constitutional recognition. In 2017 he travelled around Australia with the Uluru Statement, speaking to many different people and communities and ultimately writing a book, Finding The Heart of The Nation, about his journey. This episode features highlights of Thomas Mayo in-conversation with Catherine Liddle, CEO of SNAICC, the national non-governmental peak body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. Together, they discuss Australia’s journey towards constitutional recognition for First Nations people in this special event recorded as part of the 2023 Castlemaine State Festival. Presented in partnership with Castlemaine State Festival. This event was recorded at Castlemaine Goods Shed on Saturday April 1st 2023. Featured music is Taargus by Jobii.Support the Wheeler Centre: https://www.wheelercentre.com/support-us/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“And what we’re really talking about is vesting the sovereignty of Australia in the people. But actually, the most extraordinary and beautiful thing is we are going to vest in 65,230 years of history. That’s an amazing step to take and again, I think it’s only going to change us in positive ways” – Craig Foster.With the coronation of King Charles III in 2023, Australia’s relationship with the Crown will be a defining topic in the year. To kick off the Fifth Estate for 2023, Sally Warhaft sat down with Craig Foster, who has had a respected career as a Socceroos player and coach, sports broadcaster, and human rights activist, and was recently appointed as the new chair of the Australian Republic Movement. Together, they discuss the future of the Australian Republic Movement and Australia’s place in the Commonwealth.This event was recorded at the Wheeler Centre on Tuesday 28 March 2023. 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.

“I feel like the trick to writing about yourself is to not write about yourself. You are the sort of prism, or you know, the observational tank through which something is passing” – Sloane Crosley.From her much-loved essay collections, I Was Told There Would Be Cake, How Did You Get This Number and Look Alive Out There, to her bestselling novel, The Clasp, Sloane Crosley’s acerbic humour and observational wit has garnered her critical and popular acclaim. Now, in her second novel Cult Classic, Crosley takes readers on a surreal journey through New York City as a woman runs into a former boyfriend, then another ex, and then another … until it seems all of Manhattan is filled with the ghosts of romance past. In this episode, Sloane Crosley joins host Jaclyn Crupi to discuss Cult Classic, modern romance, and whether happy endings are possible in an age when the past is ever at your fingertips. Sloane Crosley appeared in partnership with Adelaide Writers’ Week and Sydney Opera House’s All About Women festival. The event was supported by the Melbourne City Revitalisation Fund, a Victorian Government and City of Melbourne partnership. This event was recorded on Thursday 9 March 2023 at the Wheeler Centre. The bookseller for this event was Hill of Content Bookshop. Featured music is Diffuser by Shiruky.Support the Wheeler Centre: https://www.wheelercentre.com/support-us/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“What I discovered eventually was to use all your resources to get as much support as you can, it makes a huge difference to everybody. And give up on asking people for help that don’t want to help you” - Esther Freud. Motherhood is an intense period of introspection and change. For some, these may be ideal conditions for creative inspiration to strike, but it comes with immense demands on time, money and energy. For the Wheeler Centre’s M/OTHER series, writer and musician Edwina Preston, British novelist Esther Freud and musician and mother Thndo explored the ideas and complications behind balancing art-making and motherhood. Together with host, Radio National presenter Hilary Harper, they delved into pertinent and honest questions about the roles of mother and artist, the barriers to creativity placed upon them by caregiving, and what structures can be put in place to better support mothers pursuing creative careers. This event was recorded on Saturday 4 March 2023 at the Wheeler Centre as part of M/OTHER: a weekend of fearless conversation about the ways ‘motherhood’ is experienced, portrayed and labelled by those who mother, have been mothered, wish they were mothers, do not identify as mothers, cannot or do not want to mother, and by society at-large. The official bookseller for M/OTHER was Neighbourhood Books. Featured music is ‘Travelling Again’ – Sarah the Illstrumentalist Conversations from M/OTHER may include references to topics such as mental health, reproductive rights, and childbirth. If you need assistance with any of these issues, you can learn more and seek advice via the Centre of Perinatal Excellence (COPE), Perintal Anxiety & Depression Australia (PANDA) and Beyond Blue.  Support the Wheeler Centre: https://www.wheelercentre.com/support-us/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“It felt like energy, like the words, the story, it just felt like something that had to come out of my body. And if I wasn’t going to write it, I was going to scream it or I was gonna dig it, or something. I mean seriously, that’s where I was when I was writing this” - Rachel Yoder.An ode to the all-consuming and sometimes feral experience of motherhood, Rachel Yoder’s debut novel Nightbitch tells the story of a new mother who begins turning into a dog at night. Chronicling the joy, mundanity and instability of modern motherhood, Nightbitch drew international acclaim, cementing Yoder as one of America’s most exciting contemporary novelists and luring the attention of Hollywood, with a film adaption starring Amy Adams currently in production. For her first ever conversation event in Australia, Yoder joined Australian author Kate Mildenhall (The Mother Fault) to discuss the strangeness of motherhood, the challenges new parents often confront to retain a sense of self, and the many complexities involved in depicting the fullness of the mothering experience in fiction.This event was recorded on Friday, 3 March 2023 at the Wheeler Centre as part of M/OTHER: a weekend of fearless conversation about the ways ‘motherhood’ is experienced, portrayed and labelled by those who mother, have been mothered, wish they were mothers, do not identify as mothers, cannot or do not want to mother, and by society at-large. The official bookseller for M/OTHER was Neighbourhood Books. Featured music is ‘Different Days’ by Chill Cole. Conversations from M/OTHER may include references to topics such as mental health, reproductive rights, and childbirth. If you need assistance with any of these issues, you can learn more and seek advice via the Centre of Perinatal Excellence (COPE), Perintal Anxiety & Depression Australia (PANDA) and Beyond Blue.Support the Wheeler Centre: https://www.wheelercentre.com/support-us/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"Women who often have the least amount of resources, that have the least safety net, that have the least visibility, that have the least voices or representation in parliament - are usually the ones who launch the fiercest protests. The most dangerous protests." - Fatima Bhutto. On International Women’s Day 2023, three powerhouse women came together for a galvanising conversation exploring politics and power through a global feminist lens. Bestselling Pakistani author Fatima Bhutto has spoken around the world about women in leadership, the role of violence in politics and the challenges of democracy, sharing her personal experiences growing up in a political family shadowed by violence. Author, journalist and artist Shokoofeh Azar sought political asylum in Australia after being jailed three times in Iran while covering stories about Iranian social and human rights issues. Her novel The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree was shortlisted for the Stella Prize and the International Booker Prize. With journalist and filmmaker Santilla Chingaipe, they shared their personal and professional experiences as creative women in public life. Together, they interrogated the importance of freedom of speech and agency for women around the world, reflecting on the most pressing global issues affecting women and how feminist innovation can create a better, equal future.Presented in partnership with RMIT Culture. This event was supported by the Melbourne City Revitalisation Fund, a Victorian Government and City of Melbourne partnership. This event was recorded on Wednesday 8 March 2023 at The Capitol. The official bookseller for this event was Amplify Bookstore. Featured music is AVA LOW - No One There.Support the Wheeler Centre: https://www.wheelercentre.com/support-us/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.