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DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20261027T183000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20261027T194500
DTSTAMP:20260812T232436Z
CREATED:20260812T232436Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260812T232436Z
UID:10033579-1793125800-1793130300@cityofliterature.com.au
SUMMARY:China and the New World Order
DESCRIPTION:Journalist Cheng Lei and the University of Melbourne’s Professor of Contemporary Chinese Studies Anthony J. Spires explore the domestic and global tensions shaping China’s future.\nChina’s growing influence is reshaping the global landscape\, with far-reaching implications for economics\, technology and international relations. As alliances shift and tensions evolve\, understanding China’s ambitions – and how its people and the world are responding – has never been more vital. \nJoin journalist Cheng Lei (A Memoir of Freedom) and the University of Melbourne’s Professor of Contemporary Chinese Studies Anthony J. Spires (Everyday Democracy) for a timely conversation about China’s place in the world today. Drawing on Cheng’s experiences reporting from inside the country and Spires’ research into Chinese politics and society\, they will explore the forces shaping the nation’s domestic and global trajectory. \nFor this inaugural event in our new Scholarship to Society series\, Cheng and Spires examine questions of power\, democracy and influence – and what a new world order might mean for Australia. With host Associate Professor Louisa Lim\, Deputy Director at the Centre for Advancing Journalism. \n  \nPresented in partnership with Melbourne Public Humanities Initiative\, Faculty of Arts\, the University of Melbourne 
URL:https://cityofliterature.com.au/event/china-and-the-new-world-order/
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:20261029T183000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20261029T193000
DTSTAMP:20260812T234423Z
CREATED:20260812T234423Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260812T234423Z
UID:10033581-1793298600-1793302200@cityofliterature.com.au
SUMMARY:Josh Silver: Fruit Fly
DESCRIPTION:Join British novelist Josh Silver for a conversation about his novel that has everyone talking.\nFacing writer’s block and a floundering literary career\, Mallory makes a desperate decision to stay relevant: go gay\, go sad and go dark. Those are the ingredients for a bestseller\, after all. All she needs now is a story. \nWhen she meets Leo\, a young man struggling with addiction\, Mallory believes she has found exactly the material she’s been looking for – a life that is authentically queer\, heartbreakingly sad and undeniably marketable. \nTold through alternating perspectives\, Josh Silver’s Fruit Fly raises urgent questions about authenticity\, identity and the commodification of someone else’s experiences. He joins host Michael Sun to discuss his debut adult novel described by Juno Dawson as ‘savage and darkly hilarious’.
URL:https://cityofliterature.com.au/event/josh-silver-fruit-fly/
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:20261031T100000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20261031T120000
DTSTAMP:20260812T234648Z
CREATED:20260812T234606Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260812T234648Z
UID:10033582-1793440800-1793448000@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. \n  \nPresented in partnership with Writers Victoria
URL:https://cityofliterature.com.au/event/shut-up-and-write-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:20261107T100000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20261107T160000
DTSTAMP:20260806T015657Z
CREATED:20260806T014415Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260806T015657Z
UID:10033550-1794045600-1794067200@cityofliterature.com.au
SUMMARY:Developing a Manuscript to Publishing Standard
DESCRIPTION:To give a manuscript the greatest chance of success\, it needs to be developed to the highest possible standard. This process takes multiple drafts\, feedback along the way and no small amount of patience and determination – welcome to the development phase.\n\n\n\n\nDesigned for writers who have finished at least one full draft of their manuscript\, this workshop equips participants with the practical and emotional skills needed to navigate the long and winding path to publication. \nParticipants explore the stages of manuscript development (from writers’ drafts to readers’ draft)\, including tips and strategies to maximise the leap forward in the next draft. \nThe workshop also covers how to seek and manage feedback\, building resilience\, sustaining creative energy\, knowing when a manuscript is ready for submission to agents and publishers\, and surviving rejection. \nNote: This workshop is for writers of fiction and narrative non-fiction who have a complete draft of their manuscript. \nYou Will Learn:\n\nTips and strategies to maximise the leap forward in your next draft\nTips and strategies for seeking and managing feedback\nTips and strategies for getting your work in front of agents and publishers\nTips and strategies for dealing with the sometimes-tricky emotional terrain of manuscript development\n\nAbout the Tutor:\nLaurel Cohn is a book editor passionate about communication and the power of stories in our lives. As a developmental editor\, assessor and writing coach she has been helping writers prepare their work for publication for over three decades. She is a regular workshop presenter for Writers Victoria\, Writing NSW\, Queensland Writers Centre and Byron Writers Festival. She has a PhD in Literary and Cultural Studies.
URL:https://cityofliterature.com.au/event/developing-a-manuscript-to-publishing-standard/
LOCATION:The Wheeler Centre\, 176 Little Lonsdale Street\, Melbourne\, Victoria\, 3000\, Australia
CATEGORIES:Education
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20261114T100000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20261114T160000
DTSTAMP:20260806T015651Z
CREATED:20260806T014701Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260806T015651Z
UID:10033551-1794650400-1794672000@cityofliterature.com.au
SUMMARY:Tools and Tricks of Commercial Fiction
DESCRIPTION:No matter what chosen style or genre\, there is so much to learn from commercial fiction: build great worlds like a fantasy author\, learn to pace like a crime writer\, access your characters’ emotional landscape like a romance author or build tension like a horror writer.\n\n\n\n\nJoin publishing professional Kate Cuthbert to develop tools to invigorate craft skills with concrete examples\, in-class practice and fantastic reading list to keep exploring and expanding these principles at home. \nYou Will Learn:\n\nHow to recognise and use point of view\nHow to develop momentum and maintain pacing\nHow to build a convincing world\nWhere to begin and where to end your story\n\nAbout the Tutor:\nKate Cuthbert is a publishing industry consultant with 20 years’ experience across the sector. She has held senior roles at Books+Publishing\, Pantera Press and Writers Victoria\, and she launched the Escape Publishing imprint at Harlequin Australia. Her book on the creation\, impact and language of book covers and titles\, How to Judge a Book by its Cover\, was released in 2025. She is the founder and editorial director of Enough Trope\, a literary journal and podcast about genre fiction in Australia.
URL:https://cityofliterature.com.au/event/tools-and-tricks-of-commercial-fiction/
LOCATION:The Wheeler Centre\, 176 Little Lonsdale Street\, Melbourne\, Victoria\, 3000\, Australia
CATEGORIES:Education
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20261115T100000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20261115T130000
DTSTAMP:20260806T015641Z
CREATED:20260806T014909Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260806T015641Z
UID:10033552-1794736800-1794747600@cityofliterature.com.au
SUMMARY:Writing Place and Belonging
DESCRIPTION:In this three-hour workshop\, participants learn selected craft techniques with a focus on the importance of writing place to ground\, deepen their work.\n\n\n\n\nThrough selected readings and examples\, participants have the opportunity to discuss the relationship between place and belonging and try a range of activities and writing exercises focusing on landscape and description\, including close observations of people and home. \nThe workshop is open to writers of fiction and non-fiction\, including short fiction and long-form fiction writers\, and writers working in other forms such as non-fiction essays\, poetry\, graphic narratives and hybrid work. \nThis session is an excellent opportunity to inspire new work\, or to continue building a piece of writing with a focus on deepening place and belonging. \nYou Will Learn:\n\nTo look closer at the layers of writing place\nTo consider the relationship between people\, place and belonging\nTo consider how place can influence atmosphere\, tone\, and mood\nTo practise immersive observation of place\n\nAbout the Tutor:\nSuzanne Hermanoczki is a Meanjin/Brisbane-born\, Naarm/Melbourne-based award-winning writer\, creative writing teacher and academic\, of Argentine and Hungarian descent. She holds a PhD\, a Master’s degree and postgraduate studies in Creative Writing from the University of Melbourne and The University of Hong Kong\, respectively. Her writing centres around place\, home/land\, cultural identity\, post/memory\, the immigrant experience and journey. Her work has appeared in numerous publications including Cha\, Going Down Swinging\, Meanjin\, Overland\, Puentes Review\, Sobremesa\, SWAMP\, TEXT\, Varnish Literary Journal\, Westerly\, and HKU and Verge Anthologies. Suzanne has worked as a tertiary educator for many years and is currently co-director of Writing Days\, a creative writing society based in Merri-Bek.
URL:https://cityofliterature.com.au/event/writing-place-and-belonging/
LOCATION:The Wheeler Centre\, 176 Little Lonsdale Street\, Melbourne\, Victoria\, 3000\, Australia
CATEGORIES:Education,Writers
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20261122T140000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20261122T170000
DTSTAMP:20260806T015636Z
CREATED:20260806T015115Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260806T015636Z
UID:10033553-1795356000-1795366800@cityofliterature.com.au
SUMMARY:The Mind at Work: Writing the Literary Essay
DESCRIPTION:This hands-on workshop invites participants to explore the contemporary essay and its boundless possibilities.\n\n\n\n\nThe contemporary literary essay serves as a designated space to try\, fail and try again. It is a venue for interior wandering\, questioning\, doubting and prioritising inquiry over definitive answers. \nWidely regarded as the most private of literary exercises\, essay writing requires vulnerability\, exhumes parts of the self for the reader\, and demands radical trust. A compelling essay mimics the experience of watching another mind at work. \nOver the course of this workshop\, participants will examine masterworks by Teju Cole\, Kristin Dombek\, Jenny Erpenbeck and Kate Evans to observe how these writers trial their thoughts before testing their own. Through exercises\, diagrams\, arguments and punchlines\, participants will have the opportunity to develop new work. \nCourse requierements: bring pen and paper or a fully charge devide to participate in the writing exercises. \nYou Will Learn:\n\nThe breadth and scope of the literary essay\nHow moving from concrete details to abstract reflections can build a sense of intimacy\nThe value of a community of readers whose aspirations align with your own\n​​To honour the elements of every life\, no matter how grand or small\, that make for compelling writing\n\nAbout the Tutor:\nRaeden Richardson is a writer of essays and novels. His debut novel\, The Degenerates was nominated for the Miles Franklin Award\, the ALS Gold Medal and the Voss Literary Award. A graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop\, his writing has appeared in New Australian Fiction\, Meanjin\, Griffith Review and The Sydney Morning Herald.
URL:https://cityofliterature.com.au/event/the-mind-at-work-writing-the-literary-essay/
LOCATION:The Wheeler Centre\, 176 Little Lonsdale Street\, Melbourne\, Victoria\, 3000\, Australia
CATEGORIES:Education,Writers
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20261128T100000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20261128T150000
DTSTAMP:20260812T234921Z
CREATED:20260812T234921Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260812T234921Z
UID:10033585-1795860000-1795878000@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. \n  \nPresented in partnership with Writers Victoria
URL:https://cityofliterature.com.au/event/shut-up-and-write-5/
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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