BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Melbourne - City of Literature - ECPv6.16.5.1//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://cityofliterature.com.au X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Melbourne - City of Literature REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:Australia/Melbourne BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+1100 TZOFFSETTO:+1000 TZNAME:AEST DTSTART:20250405T160000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+1000 TZOFFSETTO:+1100 TZNAME:AEDT DTSTART:20251004T160000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+1100 TZOFFSETTO:+1000 TZNAME:AEST DTSTART:20260404T160000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+1000 TZOFFSETTO:+1100 TZNAME:AEDT DTSTART:20261003T160000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+1100 TZOFFSETTO:+1000 TZNAME:AEST DTSTART:20270403T160000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+1000 TZOFFSETTO:+1100 TZNAME:AEDT DTSTART:20271002T160000 END:DAYLIGHT END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260701T130000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260701T134500 DTSTAMP:20260429T033708Z CREATED:20260429T032635Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260429T033708Z UID:10030947-1782910800-1782913500@cityofliterature.com.au SUMMARY:Alison Lester: 15 Years of Noni the Pony DESCRIPTION:Would you like to meet Noni? Join Australia’s first-ever Children’s Laureate Alison Lester for a fun-filled adventure in celebration of 15 years of her beloved picture book series! \nNoni is the friendliest pony\, who lives on a farm overlooking the sea and loves to play with her best friends\, Dave Dog and Coco the Cat. And now she is 15 years old! \nJoin award-winning author Alison Lester for a fun event for little ones and big ones alike\, full of rhymes\, stories and activities in celebration of the nicest pony that anyone could hope to meet. \nLester’s books are favourites with children and adults all around the world\, with millions of copies sold in Australia alone. Don’t miss this fun\, interactive event for Noni fans big and small! \nRecommended for ages 2+ \nChildren 16 years old or under must be accompanied by a ticket-holding adult URL:https://cityofliterature.com.au/event/alison-lester-15-years-of-noni-the-pony/2026-07-01/2/ LOCATION:The Wheeler Centre\, 176 Little Lonsdale Street\, Melbourne\, Victoria\, 3000\, Australia CATEGORIES:The Wheeler Centre ORGANIZER;CN="The Wheeler Centre":MAILTO:ticketing@wheelercentre.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260701T100000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260701T104500 DTSTAMP:20260429T033708Z CREATED:20260429T032635Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260429T033708Z UID:10030946-1782900000-1782902700@cityofliterature.com.au SUMMARY:Alison Lester: 15 Years of Noni the Pony DESCRIPTION:Would you like to meet Noni? Join Australia’s first-ever Children’s Laureate Alison Lester for a fun-filled adventure in celebration of 15 years of her beloved picture book series! \nNoni is the friendliest pony\, who lives on a farm overlooking the sea and loves to play with her best friends\, Dave Dog and Coco the Cat. And now she is 15 years old! \nJoin award-winning author Alison Lester for a fun event for little ones and big ones alike\, full of rhymes\, stories and activities in celebration of the nicest pony that anyone could hope to meet. \nLester’s books are favourites with children and adults all around the world\, with millions of copies sold in Australia alone. Don’t miss this fun\, interactive event for Noni fans big and small! \nRecommended for ages 2+ \nChildren 16 years old or under must be accompanied by a ticket-holding adult URL:https://cityofliterature.com.au/event/alison-lester-15-years-of-noni-the-pony/2026-07-01/1/ LOCATION:The Wheeler Centre\, 176 Little Lonsdale Street\, Melbourne\, Victoria\, 3000\, Australia CATEGORIES:The Wheeler Centre ORGANIZER;CN="The Wheeler Centre":MAILTO:ticketing@wheelercentre.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260630T183000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260630T194500 DTSTAMP:20260429T032438Z CREATED:20260429T032332Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260429T032438Z UID:10030945-1782844200-1782848700@cityofliterature.com.au SUMMARY:Iran at the Crossroads DESCRIPTION:Join Shokoofeh Azar\, Kylie Moore-Gilbert and Omid Tofighian as they draw on their first-hand experiences to unpack the complexities of Iran’s politics\, culture and people. \nSince the Islamic Revolution of 1979\, life in Iran irrevocably changed. As conflict and regime instability continue to affect the lives of the Iranian people\, this panel offers insight into understanding the events unfolding in Iran – from the volatile political situation and the diverse perspectives of the diasporic communities\, to the struggles for freedom and justice emerging from within and beyond the country’s borders. \nAt this topical edition of The Fifth Estate\, join author and journalist Shokoofeh Azar\, who fled political persecution in Iran and found refuge in Australia; academic and Middle East expert Kylie Moore-Gilbert\, who spent 804 days in a Tehran prison on charges of espionage; and philosopher and academic Omid Tofighian\, renowned for his collaboration with Behrouz Boochani on No Friends But the Mountain. Together\, these leading voices will deliver an illuminating conversation about the complexities and dangers of contemporary Iran\, and share their unique perspectives on the country’s past\, present and possible futures. With host Sally Warhaft. URL:https://cityofliterature.com.au/event/iran-at-the-crossroads/ LOCATION:The Wheeler Centre\, 176 Little Lonsdale Street\, Melbourne\, Victoria\, 3000\, Australia CATEGORIES:The Wheeler Centre ORGANIZER;CN="The Wheeler Centre":MAILTO:ticketing@wheelercentre.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260627T130000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260627T150000 DTSTAMP:20260429T040814Z CREATED:20260429T040814Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260429T040814Z UID:10030956-1782565200-1782572400@cityofliterature.com.au SUMMARY:Shut Up and Write! DESCRIPTION:Writing is often treated as something you do alone. The Wheeler Centre offers an alternative: write alongside others\, without comparison or competition. \nOver the years\, the phrase ‘shut up and write’ has travelled widely. What began as a simple\, practical mantra has become a global movement embraced by writers seeking focus\, accountability and a sense of shared purpose. At its heart is a straightforward idea: set aside distractions\, gather in a welcoming space and dedicate time to the page.  \nShut Up and Write! sessions at The Wheeler Centre are open to writers of all kinds – from novelists and poets to academics\, journalists and anyone keen to get words on the page. No critiquing and no pressure to share your work. Instead\, the emphasis is on carving out protected time to write within a supportive community.  \nWhether you’re starting something new or returning to a long-awaited draft\, these sessions offer structure\, camaraderie and the quiet motivation that comes from writing together.  \nHosted by Xanthea O’Connor. URL:https://cityofliterature.com.au/event/shut-up-and-write-2/2026-06-27/2/ LOCATION:The Wheeler Centre\, 176 Little Lonsdale Street\, Melbourne\, Victoria\, 3000\, Australia CATEGORIES:The Wheeler Centre ORGANIZER;CN="The Wheeler Centre":MAILTO:ticketing@wheelercentre.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260627T100000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260627T130000 DTSTAMP:20260415T043528Z CREATED:20260415T043528Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260415T043528Z UID:10030849-1782554400-1782565200@cityofliterature.com.au SUMMARY:Developing a Writing Style Unique to You DESCRIPTION:Writing is difficult. Nonetheless\, with AI-generated slop polluting the world\, it’s more important than ever to develop a writing style unique to you—one that stands above the noise. \nJoin award-winning author Beau Windon for a workshop that guides you towards developing a signature style\, one that works for you rather than making you work for it. Explore ways to discover your ‘prime writing methods’ so you can use them as a cheat code to unlock your own distinctive style of writing. \nYou will learn:\n• How to uncover your prime mode of writing \n• How to interrogate your ways of thinking to understand how to best represent your artistic vision \n• How to get the writing on your page to look like the words in your head \n• How to make writing a form of play rather than hard work \nAbout the tutor:\nBeau Windon is a neurodivergent author of Wiradyuri heritage based in Naarm. He was a winner of Griffith Review’s 2023 Emerging Voices competition\, a finalist for the Writers Prize in the 2024 Melbourne Prize for Literature and he won a Lord Mayor’s Creative Writing Award in 2022. In 2025\, his poetry project was a finalist for the David Unaipon Award\, and he won the Daisy Utemorrah Award for his children’s manuscript. Beau is doing his PhD in the Aesthetic Form of Neurodivergent Literary Memoir at RMIT (and he publishes work connected to that as BS Windon). If Beau could be any animal\, he would be a chocolate egg\, the kind with a toy hidden inside. URL:https://cityofliterature.com.au/event/developing-a-writing-style-unique-to-you/ LOCATION:The Wheeler Centre\, 176 Little Lonsdale Street\, Melbourne\, Victoria\, 3000\, Australia CATEGORIES:Education,The Wheeler Centre,Writers END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260627T100000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260627T120000 DTSTAMP:20260429T040814Z CREATED:20260429T040814Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260429T040814Z UID:10030955-1782554400-1782561600@cityofliterature.com.au SUMMARY:Shut Up and Write! DESCRIPTION:Writing is often treated as something you do alone. The Wheeler Centre offers an alternative: write alongside others\, without comparison or competition. \nOver the years\, the phrase ‘shut up and write’ has travelled widely. What began as a simple\, practical mantra has become a global movement embraced by writers seeking focus\, accountability and a sense of shared purpose. At its heart is a straightforward idea: set aside distractions\, gather in a welcoming space and dedicate time to the page.  \nShut Up and Write! sessions at The Wheeler Centre are open to writers of all kinds – from novelists and poets to academics\, journalists and anyone keen to get words on the page. No critiquing and no pressure to share your work. Instead\, the emphasis is on carving out protected time to write within a supportive community.  \nWhether you’re starting something new or returning to a long-awaited draft\, these sessions offer structure\, camaraderie and the quiet motivation that comes from writing together.  \nHosted by Xanthea O’Connor. URL:https://cityofliterature.com.au/event/shut-up-and-write-2/2026-06-27/1/ LOCATION:The Wheeler Centre\, 176 Little Lonsdale Street\, Melbourne\, Victoria\, 3000\, Australia CATEGORIES:The Wheeler Centre ORGANIZER;CN="The Wheeler Centre":MAILTO:ticketing@wheelercentre.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260624T183000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260624T193000 DTSTAMP:20260429T031032Z CREATED:20260429T030754Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260429T031032Z UID:10030942-1782325800-1782329400@cityofliterature.com.au SUMMARY:Ed Coper: Angertainment DESCRIPTION:When outrage equals engagement and our worst impulses are being targeted\, gamed and monetised\, is it too late to escape the rage-bait machine? \nSocial media is no longer a platform for connection – it’s a gladiatorial arena powered by an addictive mix of anger and entertainment. As a result\, we’re being driven apart: our politics more extreme and empathy on the decline\, while those who know how to game the outrage economy for clicks only become more powerful and influential. \nIn this illuminating session\, pioneer communications expert and the strategist behind GetUp! – Australia’s first major online political movement – Ed Coper sits down to unmask the architects of this new power. From manosphere gurus and tech oligarchs to political demagogues and corporate giants\, he reveals how social media has evolved into an outrage machine that feeds on scandals\, spectacle\, extremism and notoriety to bait us into constant engagement. \nJoin Coper as he explains how angertainment has co-opted our social media feeds and taken over our lives\, in conversation with Sushi Das. URL:https://cityofliterature.com.au/event/ed-coper-angertainment/ LOCATION:The Wheeler Centre\, 176 Little Lonsdale Street\, Melbourne\, Victoria\, 3000\, Australia CATEGORIES:The Wheeler Centre ORGANIZER;CN="The Wheeler Centre":MAILTO:ticketing@wheelercentre.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260614T100000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260614T160000 DTSTAMP:20260610T031717Z CREATED:20260409T043116Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260610T031717Z UID:10030753-1781431200-1781452800@cityofliterature.com.au SUMMARY:Building Worlds DESCRIPTION:A literary world can emerge from a single sentence or from decades of time\, inventing languages\, cultures\, mythologies and landscapes. \nWhatever form it takes\, a well-constructed setting gives life\, colour and depth to stories. But how much is too much? When do you stop building a world and start writing the real story? And what makes the imaginary world believable and alive? \nThis workshop with Rhett Davis is aimed at writers of all kinds of fiction who are wrestling with these questions. He provides a variety of exercises and discussions to get you thinking of different approaches to build convincing worlds. \nBring pen and paper or a fully charged device to participate in the writing exercises. URL:https://cityofliterature.com.au/event/building-worlds/ LOCATION:The Wheeler Centre\, 176 Little Lonsdale Street\, Melbourne\, Victoria\, 3000\, Australia CATEGORIES:Education,Writers END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260605T103000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260605T130000 DTSTAMP:20251203T040816Z CREATED:20251203T040816Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251203T040816Z UID:10029530-1780655400-1780664400@cityofliterature.com.au SUMMARY:Top Scribe 2026: Anthology Launch DESCRIPTION:Attend the launch of the Top Scribe anthology! \nTop Scribe 2026 celebrates works by 2025 VCE Literature students from across Victoria\, showcasing creative writing produced as part of their school-assessed coursework. \nOrganised by the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority\, the launch of the Top Scribe anthology will feature readings from selected writers\, a special guest and the opportunity to take home a hard-copy edition of the collection. \nThe anthology features original fiction\, poetry\, non-fiction and more from outstanding young Victorian writers. \nThis event is suitable for school groups and senior secondary students aged 13 – 18 years old. \nPresented in partnership with the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority URL:https://cityofliterature.com.au/event/top-scribe-2026-anthology-launch/ LOCATION:The Wheeler Centre\, 176 Little Lonsdale Street\, Melbourne\, Victoria\, 3000\, Australia CATEGORIES:The Wheeler Centre ORGANIZER;CN="The Wheeler Centre":MAILTO:ticketing@wheelercentre.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260604T183000 DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260604T203000 DTSTAMP:20260430T041220Z CREATED:20260409T021644Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260430T041220Z UID:10030750-1780597800-1780605000@cityofliterature.com.au SUMMARY:Publishing Contracts: What You Need to Know DESCRIPTION:Understanding publishing contracts and asking the right questions about them are essential tools for writers at every stage of their career. \nCome armed with all your questions to this informative session with publishing expert Katherine Day\, as she provides an overview of publishing contracts\, their pitfalls\, how to spot a scam and those clauses that require extra attention. \nYou will learn:\n\nHow publishing contracts differ from other contracts\nHow to decode the meaning of the clauses in a standard publishing contract\nHow to recognise the parts of the contract you should be most concerned about\nHow to recognise what you can negotiate and which clauses tend to remain fixed\nHow to evaluate what agents do and how they can help\n\nAbout the tutor:\nKatherine Day is a Senior Lecturer and researcher in Publishing Practice at the University of Melbourne. She has over 15 years’ experience as an editor: in-house at Penguin Books (Australia) and then as a freelance adult fiction and non-fiction editor for Penguin Random House\, Allen & Unwin\, Thames & Hudson and the University of Queensland Press. Her authors have included Carmel Bird\, Maggie Alderson\, Anne Brooksbank\, Graeme Base\, Fiona Horne\, Gretel Killeen and Gabrielle Wang. URL:https://cityofliterature.com.au/event/seminar-publishing-contracts-what-you-need-to-know/ LOCATION:The Wheeler Centre\, 176 Little Lonsdale Street\, Melbourne\, Victoria\, 3000\, Australia CATEGORIES:Education END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR