The Wheeler Centre

The State of the (Writing) Nation is Writers Victoria’s annual address from a prominent Australian writer. It’s a chance to reflect on what’s happening and where we’re heading in Australian literature and publishing.

Join us either in person or via the livestream to hear the 2023 address from writer, editor and artist André Dao. Dao’s debut novel, Anam, won the 2021 Victorian Premier’s Literary Award for an Unpublished Manuscript.

Dao is the co-founder of Behind the Wire, the award-winning oral history project documenting the stories of the adults and children who have been detained by the Australian government after seeking asylum in Australia. His work for Behind the Wire includes a Quill award-winning article for The Saturday Paper, and the Walkley Award-winning podcast, The Messenger. He co-edited Behind the Wire’s collection of literary oral histories They Cannot Take the Sky.

Hosted by Writers Victoria patron Andy Jackson, the evening will also feature an opening reading by writer and editor Hasib Hourani.

Presented in partnership with Writers Victoria. All proceeds from this event will support the Writers Victoria Fund, which supports writers who experience financial barriers to access professional development and networking opportunities.