The Wheeler Centre

‘I once read that every country has a seminal issue that they grapple with. I believe colonisation is ours.’ Jane Harrison’s work has captivated audiences globally, earning her international acclaim for plays including Stolen and Rainbow’s End. With an impressive body of work and a deep commitment to promoting and developing First Nations perspectives – including as the Director of the Blak & Bright First Nations Literary Festival – Harrison has established herself as an essential voice in the Australian cultural landscape. For Spring Fling, Harrison discusses the work of reimagining the past in her first novel for adult readers, The Visitors – a radical retelling of the events of 26 January 1788 from a First Nations perspective. Based on her play of the same name, which first wowed audiences at Sydney Festival in 2020, The Visitors is now a multi-artform phenomenon, appearing as a novel, a production and an opera. In a wide-ranging and frank conversation with host Daniel James for Melbourne City Reads, Harrison will discuss the story’s journey across artforms and shed new light on this critical moment from Australia’s past. This event will open with an operatic performance by soprano Shauntai Sheree, a cast member of Victorian Opera’s The Visitors, and Phoebe Briggs, the production’s Head of Music. The Visitors debuts on 18 October at the Playhouse at Arts Centre Melbourne. This event is part of the Melbourne City Reads series.