UNSW Centre for Ideas

Award-winning, internationally acclaimed writer Anna Funder shares how to be a best-selling author.
In 1997, Anna Funder left Australia for Berlin. She told everyone that she was leaving to write a book, and now the pressure was on to deliver. Six years later Anna published Stasiland, stories gathered about life in East Germany from the people she interviewed during her time in Berlin.
Stasiland would go onto to win the Samuel Johnson Prize, be translated into a dozen languages and taught in Australian classrooms. Anna's work centres on untold stories of women whose pivotal role in history has either been brushed aside or concealed.
In the 23 years since her first book was published, Anna has written two more highly prized books: All That I Am and Wifedom, which was named a NYTimes notable book of the year.
Tune in to hear Anna’s advice on how to be a bestselling author.
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When Chanel Contos first hit post on an Instagram poll in 2021, she had no idea of the cultural reckoning she was about to unleash. She asked a simple question, “Have you or has anyone close to you ever been sexually assaulted by someone who went to an all-boys school in Sydney?”. But the responses were overwhelming. So much so, that she had to create a website to collect over 6,700 testimonies. This led to the founding of Teach Us Consent.
Now, five years on Chanel has spearheaded an organisation at the forefront of dismantling sexual violence. She sat down with host Justine Rogers to discuss her journey from UNSW commerce and arts student to tackling consent in Australia and founding a grassroots campaign that has grown into an international movement.
Please be aware that this episode discusses sexual abuse and trauma which may be distressing for some people. Resources and support can be found at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) .
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Raji Ambikairajah has had a very successful career. She was awarded NSW Woman of the Year for her work with Room to Read, she has a PhD in electrical engineering from UNSW, she’s been the CEO of several start-ups, and she’s been on company boards since she was in her 20s. But if you asked her right after graduating what she wanted to do, she wouldn’t have been able to tell you. In fact, she was one of the few graduates in her year without a job lined up. What makes Raji stand out has been a clear moral compass that has guided her across careers, companies and boardrooms.
On this episode of We built this thing, Raji chats with host Justine Rogers about letting your moral compass guide your career decisions. Tune in to hear how she committed to donating her time, treasure or talent from the very beginning of her career. Don’t miss her advice for dealing with an uncertain future and building a career that may not be linear but makes sense to you.
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From a family story rooted in Yarrabah, to the lawns of the White House in Washington DC, hear the incredible story of Daniel Joinbee, a proud Gunggandji man, Royal Australian Air Force veteran, and founder of Australia’s first and only 100% Aboriginal-owned aerospace consultancy and Indigenous youth program. Daniel and host Jonathan Webb will also discuss enabling Indigenous communities to blaze their own trails through empowering programs like Raising Horizons.
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What happens when a master of the stage turns to the page?
Acclaimed playwright, screenwriter, artistic director and now novelist Andrew Upton has never been one to stay in his lane. Across theatre, film, television and fiction, his many creative pursuits are united by one calling: storytelling.
In this compelling conversation with Michaela Kalowski, recorded live at Belvoir St Theatre, Upton discusses his debut novel, Krank Fuss – a modern-day fable set against the gathering darkness of Europe in 1937. Moving from the stage to the page, he explores the craft behind the novel, the inspiration that drives his work and the different possibilities that emerge when creating for theatre and fiction. Their conversation travels across creativity, culture, technology, power and freedom – and considers the enduring ability of storytelling to help us see familiar questions from entirely new perspectives.
For more UNSW Centre for Ideas podcasts, visit unsw.to/cfi-podcast
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