Big Ideas

As Bridgerton continues to captivate millions and we just marked the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen's birth, the Regency era has never been more thrilling. But how much must you know about corsets and carriages before you can break the rules? What's behind Bridgerton's runaway success? Should we love or loathe what it does with Regency history? Indeed, what would Jane Austen think of it all?
Presented at the History Unbound Historical Novel Festival
Speakers
Alison GoodmanWriter of crime, fantasy and historical fiction; her latest release is The Ladies Road Guide to Utter Ruin, the second book in the Ill-Mannered Ladies series
Kelly GardinerAuthor of historical fiction and co-author of the crime novel Miss Caroline Bingley, Private Detective
Sharmini KumarFounder and Artistic Director of 24 Carrot Productions; co-author of the crime novel Miss Caroline Bingley, Private Detective
Elizabeth Leydin (host)Author of Recency romance novels (aka Pamela Hart aka Pamela Freeman)

Feeling a little world weary? Is Stoicism the philosophy you need a little more of in your life? Can an introvert be your guide to getting out the front door? Jenny Valentish's latest book is The Introvert's Guide to Leaving the House: Solid advice for introverts, awkwards, sociophobes and stand-offishes. Brigid Delaney is author of The Secret and the Sage: A Stoic Conversation to Hold you Together in a Fractured World. What happens when a self-described introvert prepared to go out on a limb, and a fan of the Stoics share a stage? Tune in for a few life hacks.
Thanks to the Queenscliffe Literary Festival held on Victoria's Bellarine Peninsula each year in October.
Speakers
Brigid DelaneyJournalist, author, screenwriter (Wellmania), former ministerial speechwriterFounder, Stoic SolutionsAuthor, The Secret and the Sage: A Stoic Conversation to Hold you Together in a Fractured World.Reasons Not to Worry: How to Be Stoic in Chaotic TimesWellmania: Misadventures in the Search for WellnessJenny ValentishJournalist, author, editor, writing teacher and coachAuthor, The Introvert's Guide to Leaving the HouseEverything Harder Than Everyone ElseWoman of Substances: A Journey Into Addiction and Treatment
Tracee HutchisonRadio broadcaster, media and arts leaderChair, Green Music Australia

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya is calling for a braver response to the actions of the Belarusian dictatorship. She explores the impact of the war against Ukraine on her country, on Europe — and the rest of the world. And what are Putin's strategies for Asia? Has Russia been able to advance its economic and geopolitical interests in Southeast Asia? How did regional states react to Russian aggression against Ukraine and what explains their differing responses to the invasion?
"Freedom's Frontier: Belarus and the Battle for Europe's Future" presented by the ANU Centre for European Studies.
"Putin's Asia Strategy" presented by La Trobe Asia
Speakers
Sviatlana TsikhanouskayaNational Leader of Belarus in exile, Head of the United Transition Cabinet, and the President-elect of Belarus
Dr Ian StoreySenior Fellow of ISAES — Yusof Ishak Institute, Singapore and co-editor of Contemporary Southeast Asia, one of ISEAS's three academic journalsAuthor of Putin's Russia and Southeast Asia: The Kremlin's Pivot to Asia and the Impact of the Russia-Ukraine War.
Bec Strating (host)Director of the La Trobe Centre for Global Security, Professor of International Relations at La Trobe University

The hard fought for gains of one generation can pave the way for the next, but the road to equality is never straight. After meaningful progress for LGBTQIA+ people in recent years, that same community is now faced with some setbacks, and a rising hostility,  So why are the human rights of LGBTIQA+ people being challenged, curtailed and politicised right now? 
The 2025 Higinbotham Lecture at RMIT University was recorded on 15 October 2025.
Speakers
Joe BallVictorian Commissioner for LGBTIQA+ Communities
Dr Shelley Marshall (host) Professor of Law, and Deputy Dean (Research and Innovation) of the School of Law at RMIT University

What is it really like to be an astronaut? How do you even become one? What happens when an argument breaks out on the International Space Station? And why are big fashion brands clamouring to design for space? As NASA prepares to return humans to the moon for the first time in 50 years, we hear from a panel of superstar astronauts about life in space.
This astronauts' forum was recorded at Sydney Science Festival on 2 October 2025, presented by Sydney's Powerhouse Museum.
Speakers
Katherine Bennell-Pegg Director Space Technology, Australian Space Agency, 2026 Australian of the Year
Joseph Acaba NASA's chief astronaut, member of NASA Artemis Mission
Koichi Wakata Chief technology officer, Asia-Pacific region, Axiom Space, first Japanese commander of the International Space Station
Tibor Kapu Astronaut, mechanical engineer, mission specialist for Axiom Mission 4
Rae Johnston (host) Science and technology journalist, presenter, Download This Show ABC Radio National