Through her prize-winning books All That I Am and Stasiland, Anna Funder has deeply considered the cost of lying and truth-telling in powerful regimes. She’s joined by Jason Steger to discuss what happens to people who espouse lies and those who refuse to go along with them. The pair also highlight the inherent friction between power and truth, and consider how 30 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, we find ourselves in a new age of untruth.

Through her prize-winning books All That I Am and Stasiland, Anna Funder has deeply considered the cost of lying and truth-telling in powerful regimes. She&rsquo;s joined by Jason Steger to discuss what happens to people who espouse lies and those who refuse to go along with them. The pair also highlight the inherent friction between power and truth, and consider how 30 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, we find ourselves in a new age of untruth.

Australia's largest celebration of literature, stories and ideas. Bringing together the world's best authors, leading public intellectuals, scientists, journalists and more. Subscribe to our channel for new releases.

Australia's largest celebration of literature, stories and ideas. Bringing together the world's best authors, leading public intellectuals, scientists, journalists and more. Subscribe to our channel for new releases.

Australia's largest celebration of writing and ideas.

Sydney Writers' Festival

Australia's largest celebration of literature, stories and ideas. Bringing together the world's best authors, leading public intellectuals, scientists, journalists and more.

Anna Funder: The Cost of Lying and Truth-telling

His deeply researched and intricately crafted non-fiction has captivated the world.

Award-winning staff writer at The New Yorker and bestselling author Patrick Radden Keefe is known for his international bestsellers, including the Baillie Gifford Prize–winning Empire of Pain and National Book Critics Circle Award–winning Say Nothing. His newest work, London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family’s Search for Truth, starts with the tragic death of a teenager, swiftly revealing modern London’s terrifying underworld.

Listen to Patrick unpack his riveting catalogue of true stories of greed, power and violence, in conversation with Walkley Award-winning writer Sarah Krasnostein.

This episode was recorded live in May at the 2026 Sydney Writers’ Festival. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and follow our channel. 

Sydney Writers’ Festival podcasts are available on all major podcast platforms.

After more? Follow Sydney Writers’ Festival on social media:

Instagram: @sydwritersfest
Facebook: @SydWritersFest
TikTok: @sydwritersfest

His deeply researched and intricately crafted non-fiction has captivated the world.
Award-winning staff writer at The New Yorker and bestselling author Patrick Radden Keefe is known for his international bestsellers, including the Baillie Gifford Prize&ndash;winning&nbsp;Empire of Pain&nbsp;and National Book Critics Circle Award&ndash;winning&nbsp;Say Nothing. His newest work, London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family&rsquo;s Search for Truth, starts with the tragic death of a teenager, swiftly revealing modern London&rsquo;s terrifying underworld.
Listen to Patrick unpack his riveting catalogue of true stories of greed, power and violence, in conversation with Walkley Award-winning writer Sarah Krasnostein.
This episode was recorded live in May at the 2026 Sydney Writers&rsquo; Festival. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and follow our channel.&nbsp;
Sydney Writers&rsquo; Festival podcasts are available on all major podcast platforms.
After more? Follow Sydney Writers&rsquo; Festival on social media:
Instagram: @sydwritersfest Facebook: @SydWritersFest TikTok: @sydwritersfest

An Evening with Patrick Radden Keefe

The story of the Trojan War, like so many wars real and imagined, is a story most often told by the victors, the princes and the powerful.

In this new imagining of the ancient legend, Son of Nobody, Yann Martel tells the familiar tale from an unheard perspective: that of a commoner and goatherd who becomes a soldier, Psoas, the son of nobody. Acclaimed for his Booker Prize–winning Life of Pi, adapted into an Oscar-winning film, Yann’s first novel in a decade sings a universal song about the power of story.

Unravel ancient traditions with Yann, in conversation with ABC Radio National’s Claire Nichols (The Book Show).

This episode was recorded live in May at the 2026 Sydney Writers’ Festival. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and follow our channel. 

Sydney Writers’ Festival podcasts are available on all major podcast platforms.

After more? Follow Sydney Writers’ Festival on social media:

Instagram: @sydwritersfest
Facebook: @SydWritersFest
TikTok: @sydwritersfest

The story of the Trojan War, like so many wars real and imagined, is a story most often told by the victors, the princes and the powerful.
In this new imagining of the ancient legend,&nbsp;Son of Nobody, Yann Martel tells the familiar tale from an unheard perspective: that of a commoner and goatherd who becomes a soldier, Psoas, the son of nobody. Acclaimed for his Booker Prize&ndash;winning&nbsp;Life of Pi, adapted into an Oscar-winning film, Yann&rsquo;s first novel in a decade sings a universal song about the power of story.
Unravel ancient traditions with Yann, in conversation with ABC Radio National&rsquo;s Claire Nichols (The Book Show).
This episode was recorded live in May at the 2026 Sydney Writers&rsquo; Festival. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and follow our channel.&nbsp;
Sydney Writers&rsquo; Festival podcasts are available on all major podcast platforms.
After more? Follow Sydney Writers&rsquo; Festival on social media:
Instagram: @sydwritersfest Facebook: @SydWritersFest TikTok: @sydwritersfest

Yann Martel: Son of Nobody

An incomparable storyteller, lucid analyst and eloquent polemicist, acclaimed writer Amitav Ghosh’s rich body of fiction and non-fiction work has shaped our contemporary understanding of history and the environment.

Listen in as Amitav reflects on his career and range of bestselling books including the Ibis trilogy, ground-breaking non-fiction in The Great Derangement and The Nutmeg’s Curse and his newest novel Ghost-Eye, set in 1960s Calcutta.

Explore the themes of history, post-colonialism and environmentalism behind his ongoing work, in conversation with Michael Williams.

This episode was recorded live in May at the 2026 Sydney Writers’ Festival. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and follow our channel. 

Sydney Writers’ Festival podcasts are available on all major podcast platforms.

After more? Follow Sydney Writers’ Festival on social media:

Instagram: @sydwritersfest
Facebook: @SydWritersFest
TikTok: @sydwritersfest

An incomparable storyteller, lucid analyst and eloquent polemicist, acclaimed writer Amitav Ghosh&rsquo;s rich body of fiction and non-fiction work has shaped our contemporary understanding of history and the environment.
Listen in as Amitav reflects on his career and range of bestselling books including the Ibis trilogy, ground-breaking non-fiction in The Great Derangement and&nbsp;The Nutmeg&rsquo;s Curse&nbsp;and his newest novel Ghost-Eye, set in 1960s Calcutta.
Explore the themes of history, post-colonialism and environmentalism behind his ongoing work, in conversation with Michael Williams.
This episode was recorded live in May at the 2026 Sydney Writers&rsquo; Festival. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and follow our channel.&nbsp;
Sydney Writers&rsquo; Festival podcasts are available on all major podcast platforms.
After more? Follow Sydney Writers&rsquo; Festival on social media:
Instagram: @sydwritersfest Facebook: @SydWritersFest TikTok: @sydwritersfest

Anna Funder: The Cost of Lying and Truth-telling

In 1 playlist(s)

Sydney Writers' Festival

Social links

Recent clips