Casting fresh light on Australia's colonial past, the latest novels by award-winning journalist Paul Daley (Jesustown) and acclaimed author Fiona McFarlane (The Sun Walks Down) tell stories that upend the usual depictions in history books. Listen in as they speak to bestselling author and First Nations Curator Tony Birch about their approach to writing narratives that probe the enduring myths and brutal realities of settler-colonial life, the importance of place in their storytelling, and how they explore relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in their novels.

Recorded live at Melbourne Writers Festival 2023 

Content warning: Please note, this discussion includes references to sensitive topics including colonial massacres of First Nations peoples and frontier violence. 

This event was proudly supported by the Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund