2022 Bendigo Writers Festival program by Bendigo Venues and Events

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12-15 MAY With over 100 presenters and more than 70 events bendigowritersfestival.com.au bendigowritersfestival.com.au

TICKET OPTIONS Individual tickets are available for all sessions with prices ranging from $10 to $48: most sessions are $20 / $16 conc. Multi-buy options offer big discounts with 62 sessions to choose from. Tickets for special events are individually priced. Sessions $20 / $16 conc. Library Sessions $10 Creative City (Event 3) Free (bookings required) Workshop: How To Get Published (Event 9) $40 / $32 conc. Words and Music (Event 43) $48 / $44 / $40 / $16 child Wild Thing (Event 44) $25 / $20 conc. Meet the Music (Event 45) $5 + 1 free adult per child Flourish - Fete Accompli (Event 66) $60 inc. food + wine Festival Opening Dinner - see page 6.

MULTI-BUY 9-PACK: $126 / $108 CONC. MULTI-BUY 5-PACK: $75 / $65 CONC. FESTIVAL BOX OFFICE In-person: The Capital, 50 View Street, Bendigo 3550 Phone (03) 5434 6100 Online: 2

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2022 Bendigo Writers Festival

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Sessions in the Bendigo Bank Theatre (BBT) at The Capital on View Street that will be streamed are designated “in-person and online” and can also be purchased individually or as part of the multi-buy option.

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All writers are attending in-person, except for international guests who are livestreamed to the venue. These writers are designated “on screen” in the program details.

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All sessions are live and available for in-person attendance.

2022 BENDIG

FLOURISH FESTIVAL

WE’VE PREPARED THE GROUND, PLANTED THE SEEDS OF IDEAS, NURTURED THE HEALTHY GROWTH AND NOW’S THE TIME TO BLOOM. Welcome to the 2022 Bendigo Writers Festival, a bouquet of bright things, a feast of goodness. The best thinking is found in books, so that’s where we start – books that are bestsellers, surprising books, bold books and comforting books.

Who better to talk about these wonderful books than those who wrote them? So we’ve gathered a brilliant cast of writers for an absolutely packed program about everything from politics to friendship, from what makes us vulnerable to the optimism that is fuelling new ways to live.

COME IN, TAKE A SEAT, GET COMFORTABLE. THE FESTIVAL IS ABOUT TO FLOURISH. FULL PROGRAM, SESSION DESCRIPTIONS, WRITER INFORMATION AND UPDATES:

bendigowritersfestival.com.au

2022 BENDIGO WRITERS FESTIVAL How do we flourish? With respect for the past, understanding of the present, and hope for the future.

On behalf of the City of Greater Bendigo, I am delighted to welcome you back to Bendigo Writers Festival in 2022. Our city is flourishing, thanks to the determination of creative people and the hard work that brings so many good things to the people of the region. Books and writing can be the catalyst for excellent conversations. Let’s go! Festival chair and patron Cr Rod Fyffe OAM

We’re partnering with the City of Greater Bendigo once more to deliver a Festival for, and about, clever thinking.

As we respond to all the challenges that face us, we know how important it is to share knowledge and support creativity. Through our partnership with Bendigo Writers Festival for over a decade La Trobe University is proud to contribute to this flourishing community and to help foster the literacy and learning that are so important for the wellbeing of future generations. Vice-Chancellor, La Trobe University Professor John Dewar

Bendigo Library welcomes everyone to this celebration of books, writing, community and the value of sharing ideas.

We join with the City of Greater Bendigo to invite you to take part in conversations about creativity and the many ways we can flourish. We look forward to the many conversations that will take place across the Festival weekend, reminding us that creativity and community are thriving. Bendigo Library is delighted that the program scheduled here is particularly designed for younger readers. Goldfields Library Corporation CEO Mark Hands

Bendigo Venues & Events is proud to present the 2022 Bendigo Writers Festival. We look forward to making this a successful weekend for everyone. 4

2022 Bendigo Writers Festival

Now in its 11th year, Bendigo Writers Festival is flourishing with creative ideas and new thinking. We thank all who are taking part, as well as our partners and sponsors, for their generous support. Festival Director Rosemary Sorensen has sprinkled magic across the program and has assembled our best line-up yet. We invite you to enjoy the exciting range of events across four packed days. Let’s Go! Manager Bendigo Venues & Events Julie Amos bendigowritersfestival.com.au

FESTIVAL FEATURES FESTIVAL OPENING DINNER WITH MATTHEW EVANS AT MACKENZIE QUARTERS THURSDAY 12 MAY 6.30PM FOR 7PM START Flourish at the Festival opening dinner with a gastronomy banquet and special guest, gourmet farmer Matthew Evans. In consultation with Matthew, the team at Bendigo’s stylish new gourmet restaurant, Ms Batterhams at MacKenzie Quarters, presents a sumptuous feast based on fresh regionally-sourced produce.

You’ll dine in the beautifully restored MacKenzie Hall, in the former historic school building, just around the corner from The Capital in View Street, then enjoy a conversation with Matthew Evans about his internationally successful new book, Soil. Your four courses will be matched with wines, and there will be two regional produce taste comparisons during the evening.

TICKETS: Four courses, with two regional produce taste comparisons, and includes matched wines $155 or $180 with a copy of Soil. TO BOOK YOUR PLACE AT THE FLOURISH DINNER: msbatterhams@mackenziequarters.com or phone (03) 5444 2497

PRE-FESTIVAL: MATTHEW EVANS AT SAM

Matthew Evans will be at Shepparton Art Museum on Wednesday 11 May at 5pm. He will be joined by Collier McCracken, Secretary of the Friends of the Shepparton Botanical Gardens and Gabriella Calandro, engagement manager at SAM. FOR INFORMATION AND BOOKINGS: SAM, 530 Wyndham Street, Shepparton 3632. (03) 4804 5000 6

2022 Bendigo Writers Festival

FRIDAY 13 MAY 7PM-8.15PM ULUMBARRA THEATRE WHAT IT TAKES TO FLOURISH Jon Faine with Eliza Hull, Hannah Moloney, Thomas Mayor and Norman Swan. Blood, sweat and tears - how much determination does it take to thrive when the going gets tough? Is it better to resign yourself to fate or is the struggle always worth it? With writermusician-activist Eliza Hull, sustainable farmer Hannah Moloney, Indigenous activist and writer Thomas Mayor and health writer/ podcaster Norman Swan, former ABC radio host Jon Faine interrogates motives and outcomes, experience and potentials, and asks, what does it take for us to flourish? $20/$16 conc. or multi-buy option Event code 17

SATURDAY 14 MAY 8PM-9.15PM CAPITAL THEATRE WORDS AND MUSIC The inimitable John Bell and accomplished pianist Simon Tedeschi take the audience into their confidence and share some wicked backstage stories from the Opera House to the Concert Hall, alongside some of their favourite pieces of poetry and music from recent years and their shows together, such as Bright Star, Enoch Arden and Echoes of the Jazz Age. With notes (both literary and musical) from Mozart and Beethoven, Schubert, Keats, and Scott Fitzgerald, topped off with some sizzling jazz, don’t miss the promise of a delightful and entertaining evening with two of Australia’s best-loved artists. $48 / $44 conc. / $16 child / $40 BV&E subscribers Event code 43

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FESTIVAL FEATURES

GET OUT TO FLOURISH

WORDSPOT FOR SCHOOLS THURSDAY 12 MAY SUNDAY 15 MAY 10AM-10.30AM DUDLEY HOUSE MEET THE MUSIC: KIDS CONCERT WITH PIANIST SIMON TEDESCHI Acclaimed pianist, Simon Tedeschi, is especially loved by kids, performing multiple seasons of ‘Meeting Mozart’ for Sydney Opera House Babies’ Proms, and ‘Pianist & Prankster’ for Monkey Baa Theatre. In this special kids concert, Simon plays favourite classical tunes in a dazzling introduction to music and the piano. This is bound to be a fun and memorable event especially for toddlers, perhaps sparking that love of music that will last a lifetime. Tickets $5 each, includes accompanying adult. Event code 45 8

2022 Bendigo Writers Festival

Wordspot is our free program of events designed for school groups. Wordspot is created by Bendigo Venues & Events, supported by La Trobe University, with thanks to Bendigo Library • Anna Ciddor on history as time travel • Sofie Laguna on how to let your imagination soar • Nicholas J Johnson on the true magic of science • Favel Parrett on securing the future of the Alpine dingo • Chris Kennett on all the ways mums are magnificent

• CS Pacat and Vanessa Len on why fantasy is so real

ENQUIRIES AND BOOKINGS FOR WORDSPOT: boxoffice@bendigo.vic.gov.au or phone (03) 5434 6100.

WHILE THE FESTIVAL VENUES ARE ALL WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE, TWO SPECIAL EVENTS ON SUNDAY 15 MAY ARE DESIGNED TO SHOW OFF A LITTLE MORE OF BENDIGO.

SUNDAY 15 MAY 8AM-9.30AM AT THE GREAT STUPA OF UNIVERSAL COMPASSION, MYERS FLAT WILD THING Claire Dunn, host Elsie L’Huillier

Get your Festival Sunday started with a flourish. Join Claire Dunn as she talks about the connection to earth, self and community that can be fostered by a process of rewilding our landscapes – both where we live and how we think. What’s the psychology behind the way humans interact with nature? What happens when you go deeper and encounter the wild inside? The Great Stupa and Stupa View Café will be open from 7.45am; the conversation with Claire, hosted by Elsie L’Huillier, will take place inside the Great Stupa 8.30am-9.15am, followed by booksales and signings at the Café. Tickets $25/$20 conc. Event code 44

SUNDAY 15 MAY 4.30PM – 6.30PM AT BLIND COW POTTERY, MARONG FLOURISH - FETE ACCOMPLI Gideon Haigh et al.

Join a couple of Bendigo artists at their eccentric home in the forest for a final festival fling. We’ll start with a conversation from 4.45pm to 5.30pm with the celebrated writer, Gideon Haigh, about biography, cricket and mysteries. Then, there’s food, drink and live music. Your hosts, artists Deirdre Outhred and Ray Pearce, have installed an old Melbourne tram on their property, alongside a handbuilt house with turrets, studios and junk-recycled installations. Winemaker Lindsay Ross will serve you a glass of premium red or white included in your ticket, and a cheese and fruit hamper from The Grazing Trail in Heathcote. Tickets $60 each, includes Gideon Haigh conversation and post-event entertainment, with glass of wine and Mini Grazing Hamper. Event code 66 bendigowritersfestival.com.au

FRIDAY 13 MAY 10am-10.45am STEPPING THROUGH TIME Anna Ciddor (The Boy Who Stepped Through Time), host Viv Newton (Bendigo Library). Time-travelling for younger readers. Bendigo Library $10 or multi-buy. Event code 1 11.30am-12.15pm SCAMMER ALERT! Nicholas J Johnson (writer,magician), host Viv Newton (Bendigo Library). Using magic to show how scams work. Bendigo Library $10 or multi-buy. Event code 2

12.15pm-1.15pm CREATIVE CITY Janet Bromley (Bendigo-Gastronomy), Christine Silvestroni (Geelong-Design), Tara Poole (Ballarat-Craft), host Karen Corr (Make a Change). The UNESCO Creative City network on why creativity is important to community. Bendigo Bank Theatre in-person and online Free (bookings required) Event code 3

1pm -1.45pm UP UP AND AWAY Sofie Laguna (The Song of Lewis Carmichael), host artist-illustrator Lorena Carrington. Writing to make readers’ imaginations soar. Bendigo Library $10 or multi-buy. Event code 4 2pm-3pm FUTURE EATING Stefano de Pieri (chef), Matthew Evans (Soil), host Kim Johnson (La Trobe Uni). What’s on our plates? Where will it come from? Capital Theatre $20/$16 conc. or multi-buy. Event code 5

2022 Bendigo Writers Festival

2.15pm-3.15pm HOW WE FLOURISH Terri Janke (True Tracks), Thomas Mayor (Dear Son), host Dja Dja Wurrung Aboriginal Corporation deputy chair Belinda Duarte. Education, connection to culture and a voice to the nation. Bendigo Bank Theatre in-person and online $20/$16 conc. or multi-buy. Event code 6

2.15pm-3.15pm STRANGER Vanessa Len (Only a Monster), CS Pacat (Dark Rise) host Kelly Gardiner (writer). The dangerous pleasure of fabulous fantasy. La Trobe Art Institute $20/$16 conc. or multi-buy. Event code 7

2.30pm-3.15pm DINGO STORY Favel Parrett (Wandi), host Robin Pearson (Bendigo Library). An extraordinary dingo deserves a brilliant book. Bendigo Library $10 or multi-buy. Event code 8 3.30pm-6pm WORKSHOP: HOW TO GET PUBLISHED Alice Grundy, editor, publisher, mentor. A practical session from manuscript to book. Bendigo Library $40/$32 conc. Event code 9

3.45pm-4.45pm DISCIPLINE AND LOSING IT Brandon Jack (28), Mark Willacy (Rogue Forces), host Jenny Valentish (Everything Harder Than Everyone Else). Training to be tough: When is it ok to give up? Capital Theatre $20/16 conc or multi-buy. Event code 10

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FRIDAY 13 MAY 4pm-4.45pm WONDERING Elizabeth Knox - onscreen (The Absolute Book) host Stuart Kells (writer). Could a book change the world? Magic! Bendigo Bank Theatre in-person and livestream $20/$16 conc. or multi-buy. Event code 11 4pm-5pm MODIFIED US Eben Kirksey (The Mutant Project), host Dan Bendrups (La Trobe Uni). Gene-editing and visions of future humanity. La Trobe Art Institute $20/$16 conc. or multi-buy. Event code 12

5pm-6pm WHAT MAKES A FAMILY? Eliza Hull (We’ve Got This), Mimi Kwa (House of Kwa), Cath Moore (Metal Fish, Falling Snow), host Jasper Peach (contributor We’ve Got This). Challenging the cliches to get the real story. Ulumbarra Theatre $20/$16 conc. or multi-buy. Event code 13

5.30pm-6.30pm HOMECOMING Stephanie Alexander (Home), host Kath Bolitho (Tough Cookie marketing). What makes a brilliant food book? Home truths from the best. Ulumbarra Theatre $20/$16 conc. or multi-buy. Event code 14 5.30pm-6.15pm JUST A STORY Meg Mason - onscreen (Sorrow and Bliss), host Jane Rawson (A History of Dreams). A best-seller about mental illness? That’s novel. Bendigo Bank Theatre in-person or online $20/$16 conc or multi-buy. Event code 15 12

2022 Bendigo Writers Festival

5.45pm-6.30pm AROUSING THINKING Damon Young (On Getting Off), host Dianne Dempsey (When He Came Home). Pondering the mysteries of seduction and attraction. La Trobe Art Institute $20/$16 conc. or multi-buy. Event code 16

7pm – 8.15pm WHAT IT TAKES TO FLOURISH Eliza Hull (We’ve Got This), Thomas Mayor (Dear Son), Hannah Moloney (The Good Life), Norman Swan (So You Think You Know What’s Good For You?), host Jon Faine (Apollo and Thelma). Strategies for survival when the going gets tough. Ulumbarra Theatre $20/$16 conc. or multi-buy. Event code 17 (See p.7)

7pm-7.45pm THIS BOOK CHANGED EVERYTHING Alison MacLeod - onscreen (Tenderness), host Kylie Mirmohamadi. On DH Lawrence, the tender novelist who created moral panic. Bendigo Bank Theatre in-person and online $20/$16 conc. or multi-buy. Event code 18

LIVE ABC BROADCAST Want a festival warmup? Join ABC Central Victoria’s Fiona Parker as she broadcasts live across Victoria from the steps of The Capital for the 2022 Bendigo Writers Festival. You’ll meet festival guests, have a laugh and get a taste of the weekend ahead. Join us in person or listen in on your local ABC on radio, online or via the ABC Listen App. Friday 13 May 9am - 11am Front Foyer at The Capital. bendigowritersfestival.com.au

SATURDAY 14 MAY 10am-10.45am WATCH IT GROW Jade Miles (Futuresteading), host Julie Rudner (La Trobe Uni). Simple, practical advice to grow good things. Bendigo Library $10 or multi-buy. Event code 19

11.45am-12.30pm MODERN GREEK Andrew Pippos (Lucky’s), host David Astle (ABC). From a family restaurant to multicultural history. And food! Strategem Studio $20/$16 conc. or multi-buy. Event code 24

10.15am-11am RESPECTING CULTURE Terri Janke (True Tracks), host Janet Bromley (CoGB). Why tradition-based knowledge empowers. Bendigo Bank Theatre in-person and online $20/$16 conc. or multi-buy. Event code 20

11.45am-12.45pm A REAL LIFE Yumna Kassab (Australiana), Allee Richards (Small Joys of a Real Life), host Alice Grundy (Brio Books). The small moments that change lives. Bendigo Bank Theatre in-person and online $20/$16 conc. or multi-buy. Event code 25

10.30am-11.30am CREATIVE FLOURISH Elizabeth Gilbert – onscreen (City of Girls), host Claire Flanagan-Smith (Bendigo). The creative mysteries of curiosity and inspiration. Ulumbarra Theatre $20/$16 conc. or multi-buy. Event code 21

10.30am-11.30am KEEP WELL Norman Swan (So You Think You Know What’s Good For You?), host Fiona Parker (ABC Central Victoria). Science, medicine and keeping well. Capital Theatre $20/$16 conc. or multi-buy. Event code 22

11.30am-12.15pm FIRST NATIONS MEN Thomas Mayor (Dear Son), host Robin Pearson (Bendigo Library). Men, love, culture and racism. Bendigo Library $10 or multi-buy. Event code 23

2022 Bendigo Writers Festival

12.15pm-1.15pm IS IT BROKE? CAN WE FIX IT? Richard Denniss (Big), Emma Shortis (Our Exceptional Friend), Annika Smethurst (The Accidental Prime Minister), host Nick Bisley (La Trobe Uni.). Does Australia’s system of government need a wake-up call? Ulumbarra Theatre $20/$16 conc. or multi-buy. Event code 26

12.15pm-1.15pm LET’S FACE IT Chloe Hooper (Bedtime Story), Sarah Krasnostein (Not Waving, Drowning), host David Azul (La Trobe Uni). Taboo topics or just too difficult? Capital Theatre $20/$16 conc. or multi-buy. Event code 27

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SATURDAY 14 MAY

1pm-1.45pm FIRST TIME Vanessa Len (Only a Monster), with hosts Kate Mildenhall (The Mother Fault), Katherine Collette (The Competition). First Time Podcast traces the writing journey of Only a Monster. Strategem Studio $20/$16 conc. or multi-buy. Event code 28

2.15pm-3pm MINDSCAPE Belinda Probert (Imaginative Possession), host Tom Griffiths (The Art of Time Travel). Is it possible to take imaginative possession of the landscape? Strategem Studio $20/$16 conc. or multi-buy. Event code 31

2.15pm-3.15pm THE LOVING MAN Brandon Jack (28), Ronnie Scott (The Adversary), Damon Young (On Getting Off), hosted by David Astle (ABC). Do men love differently? Ulumbarra Theatre $20/$16 conc. or multi-buy. Event code 32 1.15pm-2.15pm DO BOOKS MATTER? David Henley (Booktopia), Cath Moore (Metal Fish, Falling Snow), Terri-ann White (Upswell books), host Gemma Rayner (Bendigo Library). The future of books. Bendigo Library $10 or multi-buy. Event code 29

1.45pm-2.45pm ENDGAME Rachel Menzies, Ross Menzies (Mortals), host Lucy Mayes (Bendigo Library). Behind most of human endeavour lurks the fear of death. Bendigo Bank Theatre in-person and online $20/$16 conc. or multi-buy. Event code 30

2022 Bendigo Writers Festival

2.15pm-3.15pm GROW EAT FLOURISH Matthew Evans (Soil), Jade Miles (Futuresteading), Hannah Moloney (The Good Life), host Cr. Jennifer Alden (CoGB). Food, from the soil to the plate. Capital Theatre $20/$16 conc. or multi-buy. Event code 33

3.30pm-4.15pm FRIENDS Karen Viggers (The Orchardist’s Daughter), host Kate Mildenhall (The Mother Fault). Loyalty, rivalry, memory: is friendship fundamental? Strategem Studio $20/$16 conc. or multi-buy. Event code 34 bendigowritersfestival.com.au

SATURDAY 14 MAY 3.30pm-4.15pm BAD MACHINES Toby Walsh (Machines Behaving Badly), host Brad Hodge (La Trobe Uni). Can AI be a force for good, not evil? Bendigo Bank Theatre in-person and online $20/$16 conc. or multi-buy. Event code 35

4pm-5pm MAKES YOU THINK Jane Rawson (A History of Dreams), Lucy Treloar (Wolfe Island) Charlotte Wood (The Luminous Solution), host Terri-ann White (Upswell Books). Can books change the way you think? Ulumbarra Theatre $20/$16 conc. or multi-buy. Event code 36

4pm-5pm THE MESSENGER Mark Willacy (Rogue Forces), host Melissa Davey (The Case of George Pell). For the investigative journalist, what’s at stake and is it worth it? Capital Theatre $20/$16 conc. or multi-buy. Event code 37 5pm-5.45pm THE DISSENTER Gideon Haigh (A Brilliant Boy), Rob Stephenson (Bendigo). The politics and legacy of Doc Evatt. Strategem Studio $20/$16 conc. or multi-buy. Event code 38 5pm-5.45pm TALL TALES AND TRUE Jon Faine (Apollo and Thelma), host Emma Robertson (La Trobe Uni). Some tales have to wait for the right time to be told. Bendigo Bank Theatre in-person and online $20/$16 conc. or multi-buy. Event code 39 18

2022 Bendigo Writers Festival

6pm-7.15pm ON THE COUCH WITH BRIAN NANKERVIS Mimi Kwa (The House of Kwa), CS Pacat (Dark Rise), Allee Richards (Small Joys of a Real Life), host Brian Nankervis (RocKwiz). Take a seat, get comfortable, share a few stories with friends. Ulumbarra Theatre $20/$16 conc. or multi-buy. Event code 40

6.15pm-7.15pm BEATUP Jenny Valentish (Everything Harder than Everyone Else), Michael Winkler (Grimmish), host Steve Kendall (journalist). Can pain be an addiction? Strategem Studio $20/$16 conc. or multi-buy. Event code 41

6.30pm-7.15pm DEFENDING HONG KONG Nathan Law – onscreen (Freedom), host Elizabeth Flux (writer). What does it mean to be truly free? Bendigo Bank Theatre in-person and online $20/$16 conc. or multi-buy. Event code 42

8pm-9.15pm WORDS AND MUSIC John Bell, Simon Tedeschi. An evening of music and the stories behind the performance. Capital Theatre $48/ $44 conc. / $16 child / $40 BV&E subscribers Event code 43 (See p.7)

KEEP UP TO DATE bendigowritersfestival.com.au bendigowritersfestival.com.au

SUNDAY 15 MAY 8am-9.30am WILD THING Claire Dunn (Rewilding the Urban Soul), host Elsie L’Huillier (Bendigo). A deep encounter with the wild inside you. The Great Stupa $25/$20 conc. Event code 44 (See p.9) 10am-10.30am MEET THE MUSIC Simon Tedeschi. Piano delights performed for toddlers. Dudley House $5 (includes accompanying adult) Event code 45 (See p.8)

10am-11am THE START OF THE STORY Andrew Pippos (Lucky’s), Jane Rawson (A History of Dreams), host Jenny Mitchell (Bendigo). The family gift that turns into a novel. Strategem Studio $20/$16 conc. or multi-buy. Event code 46

10am-11am CAN YOU MOVE ON? Brandon Jack (28), Michelle Tom (Ten Thousand Aftershocks), Arnold Zable (The Watermill), host James Findlay (ABC Central Victoria). Responding to life’s trauma. Capital Theatre $20/$16 conc. or multi-buy. Event code 47

10.15am-11.15am TO DARE TO FAIL John Marsden (Take Risks), host Pam Snow (La Trobe Uni.). Why children have the right to take risks. Ulumbarra Theatre $20/$16 conc. or multi-buy. Event code 48 20

2022 Bendigo Writers Festival

10.30am-11.30am WHY WE KNEEL Michael Holding – onscreen (Why We Kneel, How We Rise), host Gideon Haigh (writer). The moment a cricketing great spoke out about racism and what followed. Bendigo Bank Theatre in-person and online $20/$16 conc. or multi-buy. Event code 49 11.15am-12.15pm BREAKING RULES Simon Tedeschi (Fugitive), Michael Winkler (Grimmish), host Terri-ann White (publisher). When the conventions don’t fit, you make up new ones. La Trobe Art Institute $20/$16 conc. or multi-buy. Event code 50

11.30am-12.30pm DAMAGE CONTROL Dianne Dempsey (When He Came Home), Mark Willacy (Rogue Forces), host Sian Gard (ABC Central Victoria). The personal cost of fighting a war. Strategem Studio $20/$16 conc. or multi-buy. Event code 51

11.45am-12.45pm HOW IT IS WRITTEN Graeme Simsion (The Novel Project). Writing, creativity and design. Capital Theatre $20/$16 conc. or multi-buy. Event code 52

12pm-1pm THE GREAT UNKNOWN Eben Kirksey (The Mutant Project), Toby Walsh (Machines Behaving Badly), host Paul Barclay (ABC). Because AI is possible, is it inevitable? Ulumbarra Theatre $20/$16 conc. or multi-buy. Event code 53

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SUNDAY 15 MAY 12.15pm-1pm ON LEADERSHIP John Bell (Some Achieve Greatness), host Anne Henshall (Arena Theatre). Leadership from Shakespeare to now. Bendigo Bank Theatre in-person and online $20/$16 conc. or multi-buy. Event code 54

1.45pm-2.30pm THE WAY TO SAY IT Chloe Hooper (Bedtime Story), host Sam Kane (Bendigo). On grief and dying, is there help to be found in classic children’s stories? Bendigo Bank Theatre in-person and online $20/$16 conc. or multi-buy. Event code 59

1pm-2pm AUSTRALIANA Cath Moore (Metal Fish, Falling Snow), Yumna Kassab (Australiana), host David Henley (publisher). Breaking open cliches to find out what’s really inside. Strategem Studio $20/$16 conc. or multi-buy. Event code 55

2.30pm-3.15pm HUMAN SOUNDING Andy Jackson (Human Looking), host Michael Leach (Natural Philosophies). Poetry is perfect for describing otherness. Strategem Studio $20/$16 conc. or multi-buy. Event code 60

1pm-1.45pm RAISING YOUR VOICE Katherine Collette (The Competition), host Amy Doak (publisher). What’s the risk of speaking up for yourself? La Trobe Art Institute $20/$16 conc. or multi-buy. Event code 56 1.45pm-2.45pm WHAT’S GOVERNMENT GOOD FOR? Richard Denniss (Big: The Role of the State in the Modern Economy), host Julie Rudner (La Trobe Uni). It’s time to reinvigorate the public sector. Ulumbarra Theatre $20/$16 conc. or multi-buy. Event code 57 1.45pm-2.30pm SEE THE FOREST FOR THE TREES David Lindenmayer (The Great Forest), host Sophie Cunningham (City of Trees) The past, present and future of endangered trees. Capital Theatre $20/$16 conc. or multi-buy. Event code 58 22

2022 Bendigo Writers Festival

2.30pm-3.30pm HOW TO TELL A STORY Sian Gard (ABC Central Victoria). What works and why for storytelling. La Trobe Art Institute $20/$16 conc. or multi-buy. Event code 61

3.15pm-4pm THE CREATIVE LIFE Charlotte Wood (The Luminous Solution), host Karen Viggers (The Orchardist’s Daughter). How do you find the freedom to flourish? Capital Theatre $20/$16 conc. or multi-buy. Event code 62

3.15pm-4.15pm LIFE BALANCE Hannah Moloney (The Good Life), Annie Smithers (Recipe for a Kinder Life), host Sonia Anthony (Masons of Bendigo). What makes the daily work behind delicious food worthwhile? Bendigo Bank Theatre in-person and online $20/$16 conc. or multi-buy. Event code 63 bendigowritersfestival.com.au

SUNDAY 15 MAY

3.30pm-4.30pm FRIENDS OR FOES? Julia Banks (Power Play), Emma Shortis (Our Exceptional Friend), Annika Smethurst (The Accidental Prime Minister), host Andrea Carson (La Trobe Uni). Has trust in politics and the media reached rock bottom? Ulumbarra Theatre $20/$16 conc. or multi-buy. Event code 64

3.45pm-4.30pm THE IMPOLITE GIRL Wendy McCarthy (Don’t Be Too Polite, Girls), host Sarah Mayor Cox (reviewer). Remembering 50 years of fearless advocacy and what it achieved. Strategem Studio $20/$16 conc. or multi-buy. Event code 65 4.30pm-6.30pm FLOURISH - FETE ACCOMPLI Gideon Haigh et al, hosts Ray Pearce and Deirdre Outhred. A conversation about politics, cricket and unsolved crime followed by music, with fine food and wine. Blind Cow Pottery, Indigofera Road, Marong. $60 includes convo, entertainment, glass of wine and Mini Grazing Hamper from The Grazing Trail in Heathcote. Event code 66 (See p.9)

BENDIGO, CREATIVE CITY AND REGION OF GASTRONOMY Bendigo and the region has been recognised by the UNESCO Creative Cities Network as a City of Gastronomy. The designation recognises our region’s diverse food culture and our community’s commitment to local, sustainable, delicious and creative produce. Greater Bendigo embraces the cultural and creative industries as fundamental to our City’s future liveability, economy, social cohesions, health and well-being. We are a community that inspires a culture of creativity, activates our spaces, nurtures and supports talent, champions inclusiveness, showcasing the stories of our rich culture, our Traditional Owners and First Nations to the world.

Bendigo is located on traditional lands of the Djaara People. Across our gastronomy region Traditional Owners work with six seasons defined by the natural cycles of the plants, animals and weather events. The focus is sustainability, abstinence instead of take. Each season - such as Giranul (Perch) and Wirrap (Cod) Time or Wanyarra (Water) and Gurri (Kangaroo) Time - is built around how to protect animals and plants in their time of reproduction and to limit harvesting so numbers can replenish. A strong lesson to be carried through to today. Keep up to date with what’s happening in Bendigo, Creative City and region of Gastronomy at bendigogastronomy.com.au.

FESTIVAL BOOKSHOP The Festival Bookshop will be located in the Banquet Room at The Capital on View Street. Pop-up bookstalls will operate immediately after sessions in Ulumbarra Theatre, Strategem Studio and Bendigo Library. The Bookshop is managed by Bendigo Venues & Events in partnership with Bookish, Bendigo’s newest independent book shopsoon to open at 1/358 Hargreaves Street, Bendigo 3550, bookishbendigo@gmail.com 24

2022 Bendigo Writers Festival

For food, accommodation and what’s on:

BENDIGOTOURISM.COM

bendigowritersfestival.com.au

ELVIS: DIRECT FROM GRACELAND CREATED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH GRACELAND, THIS AUSTRALIAN EXCLUSIVE EXHIBITION EXPLORES THE LIFE AND STYLE OF ELVIS PRESLEY.

Fashion highlights include Elvis and Priscilla’s wedding outfits, the repurposed ’68 Special costume he wore to meet President Nixon, the diamond encrusted Maltese cross necklace designed by Linda Thompson, and a dazzling array of Vegas jumpsuits. Visit www.bendigoartgallery.com.au

VENUE INFORMATION Bendigo Writers Festival box office, located in The Capital, 50 View Street, Bendigo, is open 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday and one hour prior to performances. •

For all box office and event enquiries: (03) 5434 6100.

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The Capital Theatre and Bendigo Bank Theatre are in The Capital at 50 View Street, next door to Bendigo Art Gallery.

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La Trobe Art Institute is directly opposite The Capital on View Street.

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Ulumbarra Theatre and Strategem Studio are in Ulumbarra on Gaol Road: allow ten minutes to walk between The Capital and Ulumbarra. The Queen Elizabeth Oval carpark is situated between The Capital and Ulumbarra.

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Bendigo Library is also a ten-minute walk from The Capital; it is on Hargreaves Street, adjacent to the Bendigo Town Hall.

VIVA BENDIGO! ELVIS: DIRECT FROM GRACELAND, AT BENDIGO ART GALLERY UNTIL 17 JULY 2022. One of the most iconic public figures of the 20th century, Elvis’s influence on music, design, art, and pop culture was profound. He is arguably the single greatest influence on the history of modern men’s fashion, constantly referenced and re-mixed by designers and celebrities today.

2022 Bendigo Writers Festival

Direct from the Graceland archive, the exhibition features over 300 items, including a wide range of costumes and ultra-cool outfits, vintage memorabilia, and treasured items from his beloved Graceland home. Photograph: Fathom Events/Cin Events © EPE. Graceland and its marks are trademarks of EPE. All Rights Reserved. Elvis Presley™ © 2021 ABG EPE IP LLC

To celebrate the arrival of the Elvis: Direct from Graceland exhibition the city will host a Viva Bendigo program of Elvis inspired events and experiences From the Shake, Rattle and Roll Cocktail Tram, Burning Love Special Menus to Blue Suede Choux pastries and Bright Light City installations. Visit www.bendigotourism.com for Viva Bendigo experiences and accommodation packages.

For accommodation and tourism: Bendigo Visitor Information Centre, 51-67 Pall Mall, (03) 5434 6060. bendigowritersfestival.com.au

The Bendigo Writers Festival is produced by Bendigo Venues & Events, a unit of the City of Greater Bendigo.

Information is correct at time of printing: for updates, please check the website

BENDIGOWRITERSFESTIVAL.COM.AU

2022 Bendigo Writers Festival