Globally acclaimed, Miles Franklin–winning novelist Alexis Wright (Carpentaria, The Swan Book) discusses her influential body of work and newest masterwork, Praiseworthy, with 2024 Festival Curator Mykaela Saunders.


Wright has long been recognised for the scale of her writing, which combines mythical, political, surreal and comic elements to forge a mode of Aboriginal epic entirely her own. She speaks with Saunders about how she has challenged literary traditions and language to illuminate the contemporary and timeless perspectives of storytelling, spirituality and sovereignty.


Supported by the Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund.


Recorded live at Melbourne Writers Festival 2024.

Globally acclaimed, Miles Franklin–winning novelist Alexis Wright (Carpentaria, The Swan Book) discusses her influential body of work and newest masterwork, Praiseworthy, with 2024 Festival Curator Mykaela Saunders.
 Wright has long been recognised for the scale of her writing, which combines mythical, political, surreal and comic elements to forge a mode of Aboriginal epic entirely her own. She speaks with Saunders about how she has challenged literary traditions and language to illuminate the contemporary and timeless perspectives of storytelling, spirituality and sovereignty.
 Supported by the Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund. 
Recorded live at Melbourne Writers Festival 2024.

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Melbourne Writers Festival

Conversations from Australia's boldest literary festival.

Conversations from Australia's boldest literary festival.

Alexis Wright: Sovereignty of the Imagination

Irish novelist Paul Murray and American author Bryan Washington have penned two of the best ghost stories, of sorts, in living memory. 

Murray’s The Bee Sting is a sprawling tragicomedy of a family haunted by the ghosts of past trauma. Washington’s tender exploration of lust, love and grief, Family Meal, features the spectre of a lost lover and the phantoms of opportunities ignored. 

Together they discuss their novels’ shared interest in real and figurative ghosts, in conversation with Toni Jordan.

Supported by the United States Consulate Melbourne. 

Recorded live at Melbourne Writers Festival 2024. 

Irish novelist Paul Murray and American author Bryan Washington have penned two of the best ghost stories, of sorts, in living memory. Murray&rsquo;s The Bee Sting is a sprawling tragicomedy of a family haunted by the ghosts of past trauma. Washington&rsquo;s tender exploration of lust, love and grief, Family Meal, features the spectre of a lost lover and the phantoms of opportunities ignored. Together they discuss their novels&rsquo; shared interest in real and figurative ghosts, in conversation with Toni Jordan.
Supported by the United States Consulate Melbourne.&nbsp;
Recorded live at Melbourne Writers Festival 2024.&nbsp;

Paul Murray and Bryan Washington: Familiar Haunts

Ghost stories are everywhere. In fairytales, folklore, Gothic novels and modern fiction alike. There are the ghosts that plague our minds – old flames, past wrongs and regrets that come to us in the dead of night – and those that haunt history itself, restless spirits that refuse to rest in peace.  

Gather round our metaphorical campfire and hear Louise Milligan (Pheasant’s Nest), share her moving and revealing piece of original work, responding to the theme ‘Ghosts’. 

Recorded live at Melbourne Writers Festival 2024. 

Ghost stories are everywhere. In fairytales, folklore, Gothic novels and modern fiction alike. There are the ghosts that plague our minds – old flames, past wrongs and regrets that come to us in the dead of night – and those that haunt history itself, restless spirits that refuse to rest in peace.     Gather round our metaphorical campfire and hear Louise Milligan (Pheasant’s Nest), share her moving and revealing piece of original work, responding to the theme ‘Ghosts’. 
Recorded live at Melbourne Writers Festival 2024.

Louise Milligan in Ghosts: An Evening of Storytelling

It’s little wonder books have been censored, banned and burned throughout history, given their power to shape thought, challenge belief and open whole wide worlds inside us.  

Beloved novelists Tony Birch, Lauren Groff and Ann Patchett reveal the ‘inappropriate’ texts of their early reading lives and the books they’d encourage readers of all ages to pick up.  

Birch shares insight as a long-time advocate of diversifying reading lists and as a writing teacher at Preston High School, and Groff and Patchett shed light on opening bookstores in America amid growing book bans, which have included some of their own novels in certain school districts.  

Hosted by Community Engagement and Programming Manager at Readings, Christine Gordon.   

The United States Consulate Melbourne supported the appearances of US authors at MWF.

Recorded live at Melbourne Writers Festival 2024. 

It’s little wonder books have been censored, banned and burned throughout history, given their power to shape thought, challenge belief and open whole wide worlds inside us.  
Beloved novelists Tony Birch, Lauren Groff and Ann Patchett reveal the ‘inappropriate’ texts of their early reading lives and the books they’d encourage readers of all ages to pick up.  
Birch shares insight as a long-time advocate of diversifying reading lists and as a writing teacher at Preston High School, and Groff and Patchett shed light on opening bookstores in America amid growing book bans, which have included some of their own novels in certain school districts.  
Hosted by Community Engagement and Programming Manager at Readings, Christine Gordon.      The United States Consulate Melbourne supported the appearances of US authors at MWF. 
Recorded live at Melbourne Writers Festival 2024.

Alexis Wright: Sovereignty of the Imagination

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