La Trobe University Library

Memoir and autobiography are among the most popular forms of writing in the world. From football players to movie stars to that bloke down the street, everyone has a story to tell. But what does it take, how do you go about it, and how do you make your story come alive for readers you’ve never met?

In “Writing Memoir”, acclaimed La Trobe memoir writers Michelle Dicinoski and Akuch Kuol Anyeith discuss what motivates them and how they approach memoir writing, in conversation with Kelly Gardiner.
Michelle Dicinoski is the acclaimed author of two books: the memoir Ghost Wife (Black Inc., 2013), and the poetry collection Electricity for Beginners (Clouds of Magellan, 2011), both of which were highly praised by reviewers. Michelle has a PhD in creative writing from the University of Queensland. She has taught creative writing at universities in Brisbane and Melbourne, including La Trobe, and has worked as a freelance editor. She is now the Coordinator, Alternative Pathways and Accreditation in Education at La Trobe.

Akuch Kuol Anyieth is a South Sudanese-Australian writer and graduate researcher in crime, justice and legal studies. Her research engages with masculinity and domestic violence, examining customary law, pre- and post-migration experiences of South Sudanese families and how they adapt to the Western rule of law in the diaspora. She is a frequent contributor to discussions about her community and her work powerfully illuminates the African-Australian experience and challenges the ways in which the Australian media has shaped community perceptions. Her publications include South Sudanese Manhood, Family Crisis in the Diaspora (2021) and the widely praised memoir Unknown: A Refugee’s Story (2022). Akuch is currently completing a PhD in crime, justice and legal studies.

Writers on Campus is presented by the Department of Languages & Cultures and hosted by La Trobe University Library.

When: Thursday 25 May, 12.30 pm – 1.30 pm
Where: Bundoora Library, Level 1, Seminar Room 1