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DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260711T100000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260711T160000
DTSTAMP:20260415T044507Z
CREATED:20260415T044507Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260415T044507Z
UID:10030852-1783764000-1783785600@cityofliterature.com.au
SUMMARY:Memoir Bootcamp
DESCRIPTION:This two-day memoir-writing intensive unearths the foundations of memoir writing and demonstrates why it is such a powerful writing form. \nIn this course\, award-winning author Sonia Orchard provides exercises that focus on you finding your story\, your voice and your themes\, and explains how to shape your narrative into a manuscript. Sonia excels at creating a safe space for beginner and emerging writers. She builds confidence and shows you how to create a plan to continue with your memoir writing beyond the classes. \nYou will learn:\n\nHow to get into the writing flow and use this to access memories\nHow to find your story\, your themes and your voice\nHow to recognise what makes a powerful memoir\nHow to write a scene\nHow to map out your structure\n\nAbout the tutor:\nSonia Orchard is an award-winning author\, survivor advocate\, writing teacher and speaker. She has authored four books\, including the recent release Groomed: A Memoir about Abuse\, which is about the search for justice and how we fail to keep our children safe. She has a PhD in Creative Writing and has taught in RMIT’s Professional Writing and Editing degree. She runs trauma-informed memoir-writing classes in prison and in community service organisations.
URL:https://cityofliterature.com.au/event/memoir-bootcamp/2026-07-11/
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:20260712T100000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260712T160000
DTSTAMP:20260415T044507Z
CREATED:20260415T044507Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260415T044507Z
UID:10030853-1783850400-1783872000@cityofliterature.com.au
SUMMARY:Memoir Bootcamp
DESCRIPTION:This two-day memoir-writing intensive unearths the foundations of memoir writing and demonstrates why it is such a powerful writing form. \nIn this course\, award-winning author Sonia Orchard provides exercises that focus on you finding your story\, your voice and your themes\, and explains how to shape your narrative into a manuscript. Sonia excels at creating a safe space for beginner and emerging writers. She builds confidence and shows you how to create a plan to continue with your memoir writing beyond the classes. \nYou will learn:\n\nHow to get into the writing flow and use this to access memories\nHow to find your story\, your themes and your voice\nHow to recognise what makes a powerful memoir\nHow to write a scene\nHow to map out your structure\n\nAbout the tutor:\nSonia Orchard is an award-winning author\, survivor advocate\, writing teacher and speaker. She has authored four books\, including the recent release Groomed: A Memoir about Abuse\, which is about the search for justice and how we fail to keep our children safe. She has a PhD in Creative Writing and has taught in RMIT’s Professional Writing and Editing degree. She runs trauma-informed memoir-writing classes in prison and in community service organisations.
URL:https://cityofliterature.com.au/event/memoir-bootcamp/2026-07-12/
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:20260715T183000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260715T194500
DTSTAMP:20260429T033655Z
CREATED:20260429T032851Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260429T033655Z
UID:10030948-1784140200-1784144700@cityofliterature.com.au
SUMMARY:Understanding the Rise of the  Far-Right in Australia
DESCRIPTION:As far-right movements continue to make headway into the political mainstream\, how can we safeguard a shared commitment to respect\, inclusion and diversity? \nFar-right movements are gaining momentum across the globe – shaping political discourse\, influencing public attitudes and impacting communities. \nJoin an esteemed panel of experts who will explore the drivers behind this rise in Australia\, including how these movements are evolving\, how their narratives are fostering increased hostility towards marginalised groups and what it takes to build effective coalitions and alliances to counter their rise. \nHear from trade unionist and writer Oscar Kaspi-Crutchett\, community organiser Tarneen Onus-Williams\, migration specialist Sanmati Verma and journalist Cam Wilson (Conspiracy Nation) as they share their insights into the forces fuelling far-right extremism and reflect on our cultural\, political and legal recourses to address its impact on those most at risk. With CEO of Human Rights Law Centre Caitlin Reiger.
URL:https://cityofliterature.com.au/event/understanding-the-rise-of-the-far-right-in-australia/
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:20260721T183000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260721T193000
DTSTAMP:20260429T033741Z
CREATED:20260429T033636Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260429T033741Z
UID:10030949-1784658600-1784662200@cityofliterature.com.au
SUMMARY:Paul Kelly on the Coalition Years
DESCRIPTION:Is this the end of the Liberal Party? Paul Kelly\, veteran political commentator and Editor-At-Large of The Australian\, unpacks the crisis facing the centre right\, 20 years in the making. \nPublic support for the Liberal Party has collapsed in Australia\, leaving it facing a crisis that is unique in its 80-year history.  With a new leader in place\, can the Liberals combat the rise of One Nation and win back the city voters that have abandoned the party? \nIn his new book The Twilight of Exceptionalism\, Paul Kelly tracks where it all went wrong\, charting the most turbulent era of Liberal politics under the leadership of Tony Abbott\, Malcolm Turnbull and Scott Morrison and offering an incisive assessment of how the Liberal Party lost its way. \nJoin Kelly for a timely edition of The Fifth Estate\, as he breaks down the intellectual\, cultural and political crisis that has brought the Liberal Party to breaking point and argues why Liberal policymakers must embrace pragmatism over polarisation to offer a credible opposition to Labor. With host Sally Warhaft.
URL:https://cityofliterature.com.au/event/paul-kelly-on-the-coalition-years/
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:20260725T100000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260725T120000
DTSTAMP:20260429T041031Z
CREATED:20260429T040635Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260429T041031Z
UID:10030953-1784973600-1784980800@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/2026-07-25/1/
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:20260725T130000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260725T150000
DTSTAMP:20260429T041031Z
CREATED:20260429T040635Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260429T041031Z
UID:10030954-1784984400-1784991600@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/2026-07-25/2/
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:20260731T103000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260731T140000
DTSTAMP:20260429T041017Z
CREATED:20260429T040142Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260429T041017Z
UID:10030951-1785493800-1785506400@cityofliterature.com.au
SUMMARY:Plain English Speaking Award:  2026 Victorian State Final
DESCRIPTION:Join a line-up of enthusiastic student speechmakers as they take to the stage to share their words and wisdom for the Plain English Speaking Award State Final. \nFor some\, the thought of public speaking is a frightening task. But for these accomplished Victorian orators\, it presents the opportunity to claim a state championship. \nOrganised annually by the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority\, the Plain English Speaking Award is a public-speaking competition for high school students. The Award celebrates innovative thinking\, research and effective\, direct communication. The competition gives young Victorians the platform to present strongly held views on topics they are passionate about. \nBe part of the action and witness a group of determined speakers take the stage to showcase their rhetorical skill at the 2026 Plain English Speaking Award state final\, presented in partnership with The Wheeler Centre. \nThis event is suitable for school groups and senior secondary students aged 13 to 18 years old.
URL:https://cityofliterature.com.au/event/plain-english-speaking-award-2026-victorian-state-final/
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:20260809T100000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260809T160000
DTSTAMP:20260415T045043Z
CREATED:20260415T045043Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260415T045043Z
UID:10030855-1786269600-1786291200@cityofliterature.com.au
SUMMARY:Masterclass: The Art of Short Storytelling
DESCRIPTION:Short stories are a balancing act of precision and resonance. Join acclaimed writer Cate Kennedy for an intensive masterclass on the mechanics of short fiction. \nCate guides you through the architecture of a short story from the initial idea to a polished draft. Learn how to write believable characters and structure a narrative that carries momentum and bestows a satisfying sense of unity. \nThis masterclass is designed for writers who want to refine their short stories by acquiring a better understanding of the mechanics of the form. \nYou will learn:\n\nHow to build tension\nHow to avoid common mistakes in short fiction\nHow to keep the readers engaged in the story\nHow to use setting and dialogue effectively\n \n\nAbout the tutor:\nCate Kennedy is the author of many stories published in Australia and internationally.  She has two collections\, Dark Roots (2006\, Scribe Publications) and Like a House on Fire (2011\, Scribe Publications)\, both of which are currently studied on the Victorian School VCE syllabus.  She has received several awards for her work and has edited Best Australian Stories twice. She squeezes writing in around teaching and editing and is a fiction advisor on the faculty of Pacific University’s MFA in Creative Writing Low Residency Program in Portland\, Oregon. \n 
URL:https://cityofliterature.com.au/event/masterclass-the-art-of-short-storytelling/
LOCATION:The Wheeler Centre\, 176 Little Lonsdale Street\, Melbourne\, Victoria\, 3000\, Australia
CATEGORIES:The Wheeler Centre,Writers
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260819T183000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260819T193000
DTSTAMP:20260625T045418Z
CREATED:20260625T044817Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260625T045418Z
UID:10031604-1787164200-1787167800@cityofliterature.com.au
SUMMARY:Wrapped or Warped?  The State of Music Criticism
DESCRIPTION:Three music journalists explore how criticism\, authority and taste are being reshaped in an era where anyone can speak\, and nothing stays still for long.\nAs music listening and discovery have shifted online\, so too has the question of who gets to decide what is worthy. Social media has opened up criticism to anyone with an opinion\, while traditional publications that once acted as gatekeepers have all but collapsed. \nIn this rapidly changing landscape\, three music journalists come together to unpack what it means to write music criticism today. What new opportunities are emerging? How is the role and value of criticism shifting? And what is at stake when writing that interrogates\, contextualises and challenges begins to fade from view? \nBroadcaster Sosephina Fuamoli\, music and pop culture reporter Al Newstead and writer and critic Sarah Smith join moderator Simon Winkler for a conversation about the past\, present and future of music criticism.
URL:https://cityofliterature.com.au/event/wrapped-or-warped-the-state-of-music-criticism/
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:20260829T100000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260829T160000
DTSTAMP:20260625T045405Z
CREATED:20260625T045111Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260625T045405Z
UID:10031605-1787997600-1788019200@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.
URL:https://cityofliterature.com.au/event/shut-up-and-write-4/
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:20260901T183000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260901T193000
DTSTAMP:20260625T043527Z
CREATED:20260625T043527Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260625T043527Z
UID:10031602-1788287400-1788291000@cityofliterature.com.au
SUMMARY:Myf Warhurst: Middle Rage
DESCRIPTION:Join beloved broadcaster and media personality Myf Warhurst for an irreverent look at what happens when you turn 50 and realise everything you knew about life was a lie.\nPart confession\, part manifesto\, Myf Warhurst’s Middle Rage is a clarion call for anyone who has hit that particular stage of life where optimism alone is not nearly enough to smooth over the messy and the complicated.  \nIn what promises to be a funny and deeply relatable conversation\, Warhurst joins host Jess McGuire to offer frank advice on navigating midlife – from the shocks of ageing and shifting identity to reckoning with the quiet fury borne from half a century of dealing with other people’s bullsh*t.  \nTogether\, they will explore how ‘middle rage’ can be transformed into something not only productive and purposeful\, but joyful\, irreverent and brimming with the hard-won humour that wisdom brings.
URL:https://cityofliterature.com.au/event/myf-warhurst-middle-rage/
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:20260910T183000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260910T193000
DTSTAMP:20260619T055152Z
CREATED:20260619T055152Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260619T055152Z
UID:10031595-1789065000-1789068600@cityofliterature.com.au
SUMMARY:Waleed Aly: On Speech\, Equality and Politics
DESCRIPTION:Veteran journalist\, broadcaster and academic Waleed Aly discusses his agenda-setting new Quarterly Essay on the forces transforming modern politics.\nAre we in the midst of the most important political shift of our time\, the end of liberalism? In his new Quarterly Essay\, On Speech\, Equality and Politics\, Waleed Aly analyses what is happening in political spheres both at home and overseas\, tracking the forces at play that have led to this moment.   \nJoin Aly as he sits down to discuss political polarisation\, the limits of liberalism and the rise of illiberal democracy. Tackling freedom of speech\, cancel culture and the new battles of identity\, he points to the cracks that have emerged and what the shift away from liberalism means for Australia today.  \nDrawing on his vast experience across journalism\, academia\, law and ethics\, Aly brings insight and perspective to this compelling conversation about the forces transforming our politics. With host Sally Warhaft. 
URL:https://cityofliterature.com.au/event/waleed-aly-on-speech-equality-and-politics/
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:20260926T100000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260926T140000
DTSTAMP:20260619T055005Z
CREATED:20260619T055005Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260619T055005Z
UID:10031594-1790416800-1790431200@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-3/
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
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