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1 month ago | 
abc.net.au | Natasha Mitchell |Karin Zsivanovits |Steve Fieldhouse |David Le May
The structures of families have gotten complex, even messy. Patchwork families are increasingly common. You can a birth mother, a genetic mother and a social mother. People choose friends as kin. How have families and communities changed? Presented at the Byron Writers Festival, supported by the Byron Shire Council.
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2 months ago | 
abc.net.au | Natasha Mitchell |Karin Zsivanovits |Steve Fieldhouse |David Le May
Humans have a conflicted relationship with animals: We love our pets and admire our wildlife. But we continue the industrial production of dairy, meat and eggs, that often leaves animal suffering in dreadful conditions. We create a division between US and THEM, if it suits us. What does that say about how we value animals in our lives?
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Feb 2, 2025 | 
abc.net.au | Steve Fieldhouse |David Le May |Karin Zsivanovits |Natasha Mitchell
Australia resettled fascists, even war criminals after World War II as part of a worldwide program led by the International Refugee Organisation. The background of these immigrants was known to all political parties, but they were regarded as cheap – and white – labour. Historian Jayne Persian explores the impact of these characters on the trajectory of postwar politics — a phenomenon well documented in other parts of the world but with which Australia has barely begun to reckon.
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Jan 27, 2025 | 
abc.net.au | Natasha Mitchell |Karin Zsivanovits |Steve Fieldhouse |David Le May
Nicky Winmar's iconic stand against racism was a wakeup call more than 30 years ago. But how much has really changed? Racism on and off the field continues to be an issue across Australia, when we should be celebrating Indigenous sport icons. Presented by the Byron Writers Festival, supported by First Nations Australia Writers Network FNAWN.
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Dec 1, 2024 | 
abc.net.au | Natasha Mitchell |Steve Fieldhouse |David Le May
Can a single seed tell the story of a civilisation? What do the scars on the skins of 200-year old whales tell about our ancestors? Can ancient trees reveal hidden histories of human frailty and fabulousness? Can Nature be a timekeeper?
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Oct 27, 2024 | 
abc.net.au | Natasha Mitchell |Karin Zsivanovits |Steve Fieldhouse |David Le May
Literature on crime is huge. Many of you just love to read about a good murder. But do you prefer a soft touch around violent scenes? Or do you want to read it in the drastic, graphic language that shows crime the way it is? Writing crime stories can be a minefield: Do authors have to tell people, if they want to use them in their book? Particularly if they want to paint 'your character' the villain? Can you re-traumatise a victim when you turn their painful experience into a bestseller?
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Sep 1, 2024 | 
abc.net.au | Claire Nichols |Sarah L'Estrange |Steve Fieldhouse |Rhiannon Brown
Meena Kandasamy is an Indian born poet, novelist, rebel and activist who's been threatened and harassed for her writing. From the Byron Writers Festival she explains why she keeps going despite the threats. She is also celebrated for her innovative approach to storytelling. Her debut novel The Gypsy Goddess (2015) was about the 1968 massacre of Dalit agricultural workers in India. Her book When I Hit You: Or, A Portrait of the Writer as a Young Wife is about her own experience of domestic violence.
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Aug 25, 2024 | 
abc.net.au | Steve Fieldhouse |Claudette Werden |Natasha Mitchell
Could our continent's ancient past help solve future food security crises? Or even offer new treatments for skin cancer and inflammatory bowel disease? Tasty on your dinner plate, potentially transformative for your health — First Nations experts explore the rich potential of traditional bush foods and Indigenous plant knowledge. Presented at the World Science Festival Brisbane.
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Aug 22, 2024 | 
abc.net.au | Natasha Mitchell |Claire Slattery |Steve Fieldhouse |Marcus Hobbs
New ABC Chair Kim Williams wants to see change at Australia’s national public broadcaster. In a fragmented media landscape and a fractured world, what is the role of public broadcasting, and how can the ABC stay relevant for its listeners, viewers and readers? This event was recorded at the Byron Bay Writers Festival on Saturday 10 August 2024. SpeakersKim Williams ABC ChairKerry O’Brien (host) Journalist and authorByron Bay, Media Industry, Media, Drama, Arts, Culture and Entertainment
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Aug 18, 2024 | 
abc.net.au | Steve Fieldhouse |Marcus Hobbs |Claudette Werden |Natasha Mitchell
They not only play a vital role in our ecosystem but have also inspired inventions for the human world. Their bites, their venom, the mechanics of their bodies … it's helped develop medicines, visual tracking and a potential new system for air safety. They might be tiny, but insects have a larger-than-life impact on your lives.
