Big Ideas

It's the only sure thing in life: that we will all die some day. But many of us are scared to think about death — our own, or our loved ones'. 
How can embracing death change the way we live our lives and remind us of what's important?
This conversation explores topics of grief, philosophies of life and death, and the practical consideration of planning for the inevitable.
This conversation was recorded at the Clunes Booktown Festival on 22 March 2026.
Speakers
Hannah GouldSenior lecturer and fellow with the Death Tech Research Team at the University of MelbourneAuthor of How to Die in the 21st Century: A whole new way to talk about death and more
Antonia PontYogiAssociate Professor Writing, Literature & Culture, Deakin UniversityAuthor, Plain Life: on thinking feeling and deciding and more
Marieke Hardy (host)Co-founder of the spoken-word art salon, Better Off Said: Eulogies for the Living and Dead, Host of the podcast Marieke Hardy Is Going To DieScreenwriter and playwright, forthcoming Melbourne Theatre Company play, Losing Face (June 2026)

Three savvy political mind get up close and very personal with power to consider where it succeeds and struggles. And they've sure got some stories to tell about Australia's prime ministers past and present (and their mothers)! When Canada's Prime Minister took to the World Economic Forum stage in Davos this year, staking a claim for middle powers and standing up against the bullies across his border, the world took notice. Is that what good political leadership looks like? How does Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stack up? What traits do you look for in a political leader? Honesty? Authenticity? An ego probably helps, but what about knowing how to manage it? Are leaders made rather than born? And what do the mothers Australia's prime ministers have in common?
Join Natasha Mitchell and guests with a lively audience at the 2026 Sorrento Writers Festival.
Speakers
Jennifer HewettBusiness journalist and a national affairs columnist, Australian Financial Review.
Troy BramstonSenior journalist, The AustralianAuthor and political biographerAuthor, Gough Whitlam: The Vista of the New (Harper Collins Australia, 2025)
Paul StrangioHistorian and Emeritus Professor of politics, Monash UniversityAuthor, The Alchemy of Leadership: Seven Australian Prime Ministers in a Turbulent 21st Century (Melbourne University Publishing, 2026)
Thanks to Festival director Corrie Perkin, Isabel Pinkster, and colleagues.

From rags ... to riches ... to a prison cell. He could have stayed wealthy and silent, but chose not to. What happens when power decides that a free press is a threat? Hong Kong's Jimmy Lai launched newspapers that dared to challenge Beijing, advocate for democracy, and report the truth when the truth was dangerous. Now Jimmy Lai faces a life sentence under China's crackdown on press freedom. But his story sends a warning to us all, everywhere.
This event, The Troublemaker: How Jimmy Lai Became a Billionaire, and China's Most Feared Critic was presented by the 
Speakers
Mark CliffordPresident of the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong FoundationAuthor of The Troublemaker: How Jimmy Lai Became a Billionaire, and China's Most Feared Critic
Evan Osnos (host)Staff writer at The New Yorker

These days, more Australians get their news from their social media feed than traditional media outlets. Meanwhile artificial intelligence is supercharging the war on information, and distorting the news media's business model, while politicians flood the zone with sh*t as a deliberate media strategy. So what do AI and the algorithms mean for the news and for journalism, and how can we regain control of our information ecosystem?
The conversation Truth, Lies and the Algorithm was recorded at the Brimbank Writers and Readers Festival on 15 March 2026.
Speakers
Ian DuntUK political columnist, The I PaperAuthor, How Westminster Works and Why it Doesn't, Conspiracy Theory: The Story of an Idea (with Dorian Lynskey), and more
Dr Mathew MarquesSenior Lecturer in Psychology, La Trobe University
Rita ArrigoAI consultant
Luke Siddham Dundon (host)Radio journalist and news presenter, ABC Radio National Breakfast and the Breakfast Wrap

He's got a rags to riches origin story, a hit Youtube channel and a bestselling memoir. Now Gary Stevenson is using his platform to fight the growing divide between rich and poor across the western world — including in Australia.
This conversation was recorded at the Melbourne Town Hall on 28 February 2026 with thanks to Thinkable events.
Speakers
Gary Stevenson Author, The Trading Game: A Confession host, Gary Economics Youtube Channel, former Citibank financial trader
Alison Pennington (host) Chief Economist, McKell Institute, author, Gen F'd? How Young Australians Can Reclaim Their Uncertain Futures